OKEMOS, Mich. — A Greater Lansing family has donated 98.5 acres of undeveloped land to Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy, Okemos. It is now open free to the public for recreation activities such as hiking, birdwatching, nature observation and cross-country skiing.
Kindel Natural Area is adjacent to the north border of Sleepy Hollow State Park on Taft Road in Clinton County, between St. Johns and Owosso. It is open year-round, sunrise to sunset.
Paul and Judy Kindel, of Meridian Township, and their family owned and enjoyed the property since 1971, and now want others to enjoy it. Paul is a retired biochemistry professor at Michigan State University; Judy is a retired librarian of the East Lansing Public Schools.
“Kindel Natural Area is special to us as Paul is one of the Conservancy’s founders,” Jared Harmon, Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy executive director. “This extraordinary donation is the capstone of the more than two decades that Paul has worked tirelessly to help amass the more than 3,000 acres of land the Conservancy now protects from development in perpetuity.”
The preserve is two-thirds savanna-style terrain — a mixed woodland-grassland biome and ecosystem with trees widely spaced for an open canopy. The remaining property is forestland with some wetland. It is an ideal attraction for birds and mammals.
Harmon said, “By encouraging people to discover the beauty of natural, scenic, farm and recreational land we hope they will understand and support land preservation and environmental stewardship.”
Visitors are asked to stay on the mowed walking trails — about 1.5 miles — to protect the delicate flora and fauna and to prevent erosion. Dogs on 6-foot leashes are allowed. More information about the nature preserve, including directions and a map, is on the Conservancy website, www.midmilandcons.org/kindelfamilynaturalarea.
Under Conservancy ownership, Kindel Natural Area is protected from development in perpetuity, and its ecological function will continue to be improved. This includes removing invasive plant species to allow native species to flourish, which supports an increased number and a wider diversity of plants and animals.
A dedication ceremony in August recognized the Kindel family for their donation.
Paul said, “It has been a nature haven for us, our two sons and daughter, and it was just 20 minutes from our home. We want to share the wonderful experience of connecting with nature on land that has not been developed and is near population centers.”
The donation also supports the Kindels’ belief in the worldwide initiative of protecting 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas by 2030, known as “30×30.” This initiative is based on evidence that far-reaching protections for the planet’s remaining forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal marshes and other ecosystems are urgently needed to prevent further decline and extinction of plant and animal species and to stabilize the global climate for human habitation.
Information about the Conservancy’s eight public nature preserves is at www.MidMiLandCons.org/public-nature-preserves.
About Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy
Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land protection organization established in 2002. The Conservancy protects natural, scenic, recreational and agricultural land from development in perpetuity and improves their ecological function. This is accomplished through establishment of conservation easements, fee-simple land ownership, educational initiatives, and partnerships with organizations.
The Conservancy works with landowners and conservation partners in seven counties: Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee, Eaton, Ingham, Jackson and Hillsdale. It has 21 conservation easements that protect about 2,500 acres of private land by permanently limiting use to maintain their conservation values. The Conservancy owns eight nature preserves, totaling more than 500 acres of land. All are open for the public to hike and explore. More information is at www.MidMiLandCons.org.