Category Archives: Michigan (including Kalamazoo)

A Cleaner, Greener Land: What Kalamazoo Ought to Do. 2010, Part 1.

By rbrewer | Published: April 22, 2010

I made the following remarks at the 24 April 2004 Earth Day celebration at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and included them on the earlier version of my website as Conservation Letter 2 . Today, in boldface , I look at the same topics six years later. When I agreed to give a talk at Earth [...]

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Field Trip to Big Island Woods (Cooper’s Island) Coming Up

By rbrewer | Published: April 6, 2010

Saturday 24 April I’m leading a field trip to the Big Island Woods, also referred to as Cooper’s Island.  It’s a trip for the Kalamazoo Wild Ones chapter. “Big Island Woods” refers to an “island” of forest in the middle of Prairie Ronde, southwest Michigan’s largest mesic (tall-grass) prairie. The village of Schoolcraft was founded [...]

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Kalamazoo County Spring 2010, Second Installment

By rbrewer | Published: March 31, 2010

I wrote the following last night.  Today, temperatures jumped into the 70s–77 as I write this at 6 PM.  The forecast is for highs in the 70s and 80s for the next three days.  So much for stretching out the spring. A stretch of chilly weather, especially some cool nights below freezing, has kept spring [...]

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Signs of Spring

By rbrewer | Published: March 14, 2010

Spring began in southwest Michigan in the past few days.   One sign has been the Sandhill Cranes overhead, giving their loud rattle.  They could be on their way north or they could be local birds; several pairs now nest in Kalamazoo County. Because snow cover was so continuous, and thick, some birds that are usually [...]

Also posted in Birds, Plants and Plant Communities | 1 Comment

Colony Farm Orchard: A Time for Knowledge, Wisdom, Conscience

By rbrewer | Published: February 14, 2010

The Kalamazoo Gazette for Sunday 14 February carried a Viewpoint I wrote which they titled WMU can keep orchard in natural state.  It had been altered slightly, improving the message in some ways.  Nevertheless, I prefer the version below. Posting it here may also be useful to those who missed the piece in the Sunday [...]

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Colony Farm Orchard Art by Lad Hanka and Others at KNC

By rbrewer | Published: February 6, 2010

Beginning this weekend the Kalamazoo Nature Center will feature an art exhibition that includes images from the Colony Farm Orchard.  The show, entitled “Sacred Trees,” includes prints by Ladislav R. Hanka and paintings and photography by Sniedze Rungis and Zaiga Minka Thorson.   The opening is Sunday 7 February 1-3 P.M. Lad Hanka, a Kalamazoo artist [...]

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My Colony Farm Orchard Letter to Mark Brewer

By rbrewer | Published: February 2, 2010

A few days ago I received a letter from Mark Brewer (no relation), Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party.  A good many thousand others received the same letter, I expect.  It began, Dear Richard, said 2010 is a crucial year, and asked for some money.  Here is the answer I sent. 2 February 2010 Dear [...]

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Colony Farm Orchard: Can The Land Abide?

By rbrewer | Published: January 17, 2010

I sent a slightly different version of this essay to Western Michigan University’s student newspaper, the Western Herald on 17 January 2010 [Published 20 January with title Reps. Jones, George could have protected Colony Farm Orchard.] The Herald correctly reported on 10 January 2010 (online, 11 January print) that Governor Granholm signed HB 5207 recently.  [...]

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Colony Farm Orchard Bill 5207: Granholm signs, says nothing

By rbrewer | Published: January 13, 2010

Just a quick update for historical purposes:  Mid-afternoon on Tuesday 5 January 2010, Governor Jennifer Granholm signed HB 5207.  She made no reported comment and she has made no known responses to the hundreds of letters, phone calls, emails, and Faxes opposing the bill she received over the past several months.  Governor Granholm has not [...]

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What Does WMU Really Want the Colony Farm Orchard For?

By rbrewer | Published: January 2, 2010

The Kalamazoo Gazette for Wednesday 30 December 2009 had a front-page article with the headline “Bill to allow WMU business park expansion is on governor’s desk.” In it we learned that “WMU leaders hope to expand the Business Technology and Research Park to the 55-acre Colony Farm Orchard property….” But do they?  WMU has claimed [...]

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