About a week ago, a group of students opposing the demolition of Western Michigan University’s Enchanted Forest, invited me to one of their meetings. The Enchanted Forest is what they call the land that is sometimes known as the Colony Farm Orchard. Enchanted Forest is a much better name.
This was a Thursday night and they were planning a letter writing session for the following evening. I talked for a little while about past and current threats to the Enchanted Forest. Andy Weissenborn and a dark-haired young woman whose name I didn’t get asked a few questions that I tried to answer. I gave them my take on how best to get in touch with members of the Michigan Senate, where the bill stripping the restriction that the land be kept as open space for public use was then, and still resides today (30 October).
The student group is on facebook. Here are the first few lines of the group’s description:
Western Michigan University is moving ahead with a plan to expand the Business Technology and Research Park. In order to do this, they are going to flatten the woods at the northwest corner of the Drake and Parkview intersection, the “Enchanted Forest.” Don’t get us wrong, we’re not against development in general. And we’re not against new business and new jobs.
The facebook group is open and the content is public.
The students have evidently put on a very effective campaign to reach members of the Senate. Check out Chelsea Thorpe’s comments for 29 October on the group’s Wall. Among other things, she says, “Call, write, my babies! Let’s save the dadgum Enchanted Forest!” and includes the phone number for the person to call in Lansing about postponing the vote (Senate majority leader Michael Bishop at 517 373 2417.)
I’ve heard that other actions to save the Enchanted Forest are being planned or contemplated.
In my opinion this effort is the greenest and most biospherically useful thing that’s happened at WMU at least since Dok Stevens left and maybe since Huey Johnson graduated.
Save the dadgum Enchanted Forest!