Recent WAM Grant Recipients
The annual WAM Grant program funds projects that support the WAM mission.
It is our desire to educate Michigan’s citizens to recognize, preserve, restore and re-create the native landscape and to pass on an appreciation and respect for our native flora.
Since its inception, WAM has donated approximately $100,000 to non-profit groups all around Michigan. Grants have supported schools to establish native plant gardens, assisted non-profit organizations to purchase native plants for restoration projects, provided signage to educate the public about native plants and much more.
2023 WAM Grant Recipients
Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw
The $1,250 award will be used to create a native plant garden and interpretive signage at the entrance to the City of Houghton’s Nara Nature Park. The garden and signage will emphasize the importance and beauty of using native plants in landscaping and the adverse consequences of invasive plants to our ecosystems. Signage will also provide suggestions of native alternatives to replace invasive plants.
Circle Pines Center
$1200 in funds will be used to purchase 700 native plant plugs to develop Hex Prairie (a 1/3 acre parcel) at Circle Pines. This site, located in Delton, MI will be enjoyed by a host of visitors including a group of youth summer campers who learn the principles of social justice, cooperation, and environmental stewardship.
Clarkston Family Farm
The Clarkston Family Farm will use its $1200 in WAM funds to create the Bee, Blooms, and Butterfly Garden. This garden will feed pollinators while also serving as a teaching garden for youth that participate in garden classes and camp sessions. Instruction will be surrounding the pollination and pollinators with a focus on native species.
Farm at Trinity Health, Ann Arbor
The Farm at Trinity Health, Ann Arbor will use $1,250 in awarded funds to establish a native prairie which will serve the hospital’s patients, staff, visitors, and neighbors with a place to connect with the natural world, learn about native plant species and ecosystems, and safely recreate outside.
Friends of the St. Clair River
The $1,250 in WAM support will be used to help furnish the region’s first two public seed libraries. These seed libraries will provide a low barrier to entry for community members who wish to start native plants of their own from their free supply of native seeds. In addition to providing native seed and educational materials, Friends of the St. Clair River will design, install, and maintain an on-site native plant garden at their Watershed Center for education and demonstration.
Gogebic Conservation District
$1,247 has been awarded to the Gogebic Conservation District in Bessemer, MI to help create a pollinator friendly native plant garden in Bluff Valley Park. This project will incorporate native plugs and quart pots and will include educational signage.
Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
GTRLC will use $1,200 in awarded funds to purchase plugs for a demonstration dune garden near the entrance of their newly created Conservation Center where thousands of visitors can learn more about their land protection and stewardship efforts. This project will include interpretive signage about invasive species removal and native plant restoration projects. The Dune Garden will showcase species that are generally difficult to view and will be accessible to visitors of all abilities.
The students at HCS will use the $500 in awarded funds to add an additional Butterfly Garden of native plants to their existing͓ nature space. This garden will attract butterflies and other pollinators and will increase the biodiversity of the area.
Little Traverse Conservancy
LTC will work alongside Mackinaw City School students to establish a wildflower meadow for the Hathaway Family Nature Preserve. The $1,250 in awarded funds will be used to purchase native seed and plugs for pollinator habitat.
Montcalm Area Master Gardener Associatio
All That Flutters is a pollinator garden and bird habitat recently established in Sidney, MI. This demonstration garden provides visitors with information about how to incorporate native plants within their home gardens and the importance of providing native plants for the environment. $886 in WAM support will be used to purchase native plants for the demonstration garden at the main entrance to All That Flutters.
Northville Township Beautification Commission
$1,250 in awarded funds will be used to restore the beauty of the “living walls” of the Bennett Arboretum Pathway. The 8100 square foot wall of bricks was originally planted in 2011 but was not properly maintained. The Northville Twp Beautification Commission has worked to restore the site by controlling invasive species. Funds will be used to replant the brick wall with wild geranium, wild strawberry, coral bells and ragwort.
St. Mary’s Guardian Angels
The $357 award will be used to install and maintain a native plant garden with walking pathways in St. Mary’s Church parking lot in Spring Lake, MI. The parking lot is adjacent to St. Mary’s Catholic School.
Glen Park South is a two-acre pocket park owned by the City of Kalamazoo. It was ‘adopted’ in 2020 by the Stewards of Glen Park through the City’s Adopt a Park program. $1240 in awarded funds will be used to plant a variety of native species in order to increase diversity and improve the park as a place of learning.
Ypsilanti Community High School
The $1,250 in WAM support will partially support the establishment of a large (almost acre) pollinator garden through the purchase of native wildflowers and grasses and the ongoing maintenance of raingardens at Ypsilanti Community High School in collaboration with students from nearby Estabrook Elementary.
2022 WAM Grant Recipients
Blue Heron Headwaters Land Conservancy
The Blue Heron Headwaters Land Conservancy is a 2022 WAM Grant winner with its proposal to convert four acres of old field into native prairie. The conservancy will engage residents with permanent signage and invite North Sashabaw Elementary to visit as field trip location to study ecology. The Blue Heron Headwaters Land Conservancy is a community-supported conservancy dedicated to preserving land and water in Northern Oakland County. Since 1972 the Conservancy has preserved more than 1,500 acres of land, and works to remove invasive species, plant native species, and protect water sources.
Contact: Sue Julian
P.O. Box 285
Clarkston, MI 48347
sue@blueheronheadwaters.org
www.blueheronheadwaters.org
Chippewa Watershed Conservancy
The Chippewa Watershed Conservancy is a 2022 WAM Grant winner for its proposal to increase species diversity of pocket meadow (1 acre) for pollinator habitat at Sylvan Solace Preserve (78 acres). The Chippewa Watershed Conservancy’s mission is to protect and restore Central Michigan’s land, water, and wildlife resources to improve the quality of life for all.
Contact: Mike LaValley
P.O. Box 896
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48802
mike@cwc-mi.org
www.chippewawatersconservancy.org
Clinton River Watershed Council
The Clinton River Watershed Council is a 2022 WAM Grant winner for its proposal to establish an educational pollinator garden where seed collection workshops, rain garden workshops and stormwater education programs are held annually. The Clinton River Watershed Council is an excellent source of information of watersheds in general, the Clinton River watershed in particular.
Contact: Kaleigh Snoddy
1115 W. Avon Rd.
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
kaleigh@crwc.org
www.crwc.org
Doherty Elementary School in West Bloomfield
Doherty Elementary School is a 2022 WAM Grant winner for its expansion of the junior Literary Garden-Planting seeds of awareness program with multisensory, outdoor education experiences. High school students serve as book-buddies for K-2nd graders and students become stewards of the natural world while also exploring literature relating to gardens.
Contact: Sally Wenczel
3575 Walnut Lake Rd.
West Bloomfield Twp., MI 48322
Michigansally@gmail.com
www.wbsd.org/doherty-elementary-school-home
Eaton County Department of Resource Recovery
The Eaton County Department of resource Recovery is a 2022 WAM Grant winner with its partnership with the Eaton Conservation District and the Charlotte Area Recycling Authority to convert turf to a native plant demonstration site. Its goal is to serve as a long-term demonstration resource for focused educational programs and to improve the area’s local ecosystem and natural landscape aesthetic.
Contact: Morgan Feldpausch
1045 Independence Blvd.
Charlotte, MI 48813
Mfeldpausch@eatoncounty.org
www.eatoncounty.org/383/Resource-Recovery—Recycling
Friends of the St. Clair River
The Friends of the St. Clair River is a 2022 WAM Grant winner for their proposal to restore native prairie plantings, grow community awareness of Native American culture and ethnobotany and to refine and enhance the surrounding space as an inclusive community placemaking effort–nestled within the Blue Water River Walk. The Friends of the St. Clair River has a service area that includes the 40-mile long St. Clair River and five smaller sub-watersheds draining directly into Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, and Lake St. Clair.
Contact: Sheri Faust
P.O. Box 611496
Port Huron, MI 48061
info@scriver.org
www.scriver.org
Grass River Natural Area, Inc.
Grass River Natural Area is a 2022 WAM Grant winner for its proposal for a native garden expansion around the visitor center where they receive more than 40,000 visitors per year. They will expand the native meadow garden, serenity garden and add natives along building entrance. The Grass River Natural Area is a 1,492-acre nature preserve surrounding the Grass River. Along with the beautiful views of Grass River, they also offer seven miles of well-maintained trails including 1.5 miles of boardwalk floating above northern fen and cedar wetlands.
Contact: James Dake
P.O. Box 231
Bellaire, MI 49615
james@grassriver.org
www.grassriver.org
Ingham Conservation District
The Ingham Conservation District is a 2022 WAM Grant winner for its proposal to retore a former building site adjacent to their education center to feature native plantings. This project will provide opportunities to engage local youth and adults in recognizing and appreciating the value of native species. Its mission is to promote and practice stewardship of our natural resources by serving, educating and empowering our community.
1031 West Dexter Trail
Mason, MI 48854
info@inghamconservation.com
Kalamazoo Nature Center
The Kalamazoo Nature Center is a 2022 WAM Grant winner for its proposal to convert turf-grass parking lot islands into native wildflower meadow, which will improve runoff filtration, carbon sequestration, and habitat for a diversity of beneficial insects. The Kalamazoo Nature Center provides educational opportunities for all ages, 10+ miles of trails for exploration of 1100 acres, and environmental services including surveys, management plans, and invasive species control.
Contact: Holly Hooper
7000 N Westnedge Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
(928) 830-9526
hhooper@naturecenter.org
www.naturecenter.org
Midland Conservation District
The Midland conservation District is a 2022 WAM Grant winner for its proposal to plant native Michigan wildflowers at the Tomlinson Barn Educational Center where many educational programs serving the Midland community are held. The plan includes developing an interpretive plant ID trail through the property and installation of educational signage.
Contact: Karen Thurlow
954 E. IsabellaRd.
Midland, MI 48640
midlandconservation@gmail.com
www.midlandcd.org
Mill Race Historical Village/Northville Historical Society
The Mill Race Historical Village/Northville Historical Society is a 2022 WAM Grant winner for its proposal to reintroduce native plants along streambanks at the Mill Race Historical Village. This supports the Northville Master Plan which is focused on the reintroduction of native plants to provide ecosystem services and educate the community about the benefits of native plants.
Contact: Juliana Cerra
215 Griswold St.
Northville, MI 48167
juliana_cerra@comcast.net
www.millracenorthville.org
Onekama Township
Onekama Township partnered with the Manistee Intermediate School District and they are 2022 WAM Grant winners for their proposal to develop a “Welcome All Abilities Garden.” This garden will provide a multi-sensory experience to educate all park visitors, educational event attendees and people with adaptive needs, especially students of the Manistee ISD Special Education Dept. They will learn about native graminoids, forbs and shrubs and their role in native ecosystems.
Contact: Shelli Johnson
5435 Main Street
P.O. Box 458
Onekama MI 49675
clerk@onekamatwp.org
www.onekama.info/township
www.manistee.org
Ottawa Conservation District
The Ottawa Conservation District and Grand Haven Public Schools are 2022 WAM Grant winners for their proposal to build a 5′ x 10′ raised bed native garden in outdoor classroom space at Ferry Elementary School. This will promote the use of native plants in urban settings and include signage accessible to all ages that highlight the benefits of native planting. This garden will be used in science lessons for second, third and fourth grade classes. Ferry School sits in the heart of Eastown, a section of East Grand Haven.
Contact: Lexie Kasper
16731 Ferris St
Grand Haven, MI 49417
lexie.kasper@macd.org
Ferry Elementary – Elementary Schools – Schools – GHAPS Home
Six Rivers Land Conservancy
The Six Rivers Land Conservancy is partnering with the Lake St. Clair CISMA and they are a 2022 WAM Grant winner for their proposal to restore the Harrison Township right of way to its native potential. Areas once covered with invasive phragmites are now bare and vulnerable to storm water run-off and erosion. This project aims to introduce natives to the area while preventing secondary invasive species infestations and reducing stormwater runoff and erosion. Six Rivers Land Conservancy is a private, non-profit land conservation organization working to sustain the quality and character of the natural resources around us. Six Rivers is supported through grants, donations, and sponsorships.
Contact: Hollie Coleman
4480 Orion Rd.
Rochester, MI 48308
hcoleman@sixriversrlc.org
www.sixriversrlc.org
“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity and stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” Wendell Berry