The Stewards of Kleinstuck will host three free events to celebrate and learn about one of our most important community members: the essential oak tree! Kalamazoo artist Lad Hanka is featured in our second event, in conversation about his work and relationship with oak trees. Lad will have some samples of his work with him.

These “community read” events are inspired by the book, The Nature of Oaks, by Douglas Tallamy. This is a delightful read - please come learn and share your thoughts whether you've read the book or not!

As stewards of both our preserve and its surrounding community, we are proud to partner with this is a bookstore, which will be stocking copies of  The Nature of Oaks plentifully this spring. To reserve your copy for pick-up at the bookstore please consider pre-purchasing it online here: The Nature of Oaks and inserting discount code: STEWARDS at check out to have a discounted copy promptly held for you. 

Lad Hanka has been an independent studio artist since 1981. His studies have taken him to numerous beautiful places around the world, and everywhere he went he drew and then took those drawings back to his studio for transformation into etchings. He has had about 150 one-man shows, and his work can be found in about 200 public collections. Dozens of his drawings have been used on Bell’s Brewery beer bottle labels. Having tried his hand at different disciplines, from translation to illustration and museum design, Lad feels that as an artist he has been most influenced by the role of science in his life; his spiritual relationship with nature inspires much of his work.

Thank you to the Third Christian Reformed Church for their support of these events through the Winchell Neighborhood Grant!

The Stewards of Kleinstuck will host three free events to celebrate and learn about one of our most important community members: the essential oak tree! Inspired by the book, The Nature of Oaks, by Douglas Tallamy, the first event will include discussion about the book’s fascinating oak facts, and a talk by Mitch Lettow, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy’s Conservation and Stewardship Director.

The Nature of Oaks is a delightful read - please come learn and share your thoughts whether you've read the book or not!

As stewards of both our preserve and its surrounding community, we are proud to partner with this is a bookstore, which will be stocking copies of  The Nature of Oaks plentifully this spring. To reserve your copy for pick-up at the bookstore please consider pre-purchasing it online here: The Nature of Oaks and inserting discount code: STEWARDS at check out to have a discounted copy promptly held for you. 

Mitch Lettow is the Conservation & Stewardship Director for the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. Mitch grew up on Pickerel Lake in Scotts, Michigan, where his time spent in the backyard and the water, with encouragement from his family, nurtured his fascination in nature. This fascination matured into a pursuit of a career in the field of ecology where he worked in both research and restoration for the Kalamazoo Nature Center, Michigan Wildflower Farm, Michigan State University, and the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. Mitch received his B.S. Environmental Biology/Zoology and his M.S. in Entomology from Michigan State University.

Thank you to the Third Christian Reformed Church for their support of these events through the Winchell Neighborhood Grant!

Join us for a few hours in the woods the second Sunday of each month. We meet at the Maple St. YMCA outdoor tennis courts at 10 a.m. and work for about 2 hours pulling/cutting invasive brush, planting wildflowers, hauling brush, maintaining trails, and picking up trash. Dress for the weather and bring work gloves and small hand tools if you have them. Meet near the outdoor tennis courts at the Maple St. YMCA.

Join us for a few hours in the woods the second Sunday of each month. We meet at the Maple St. YMCA outdoor tennis courts at 10 a.m. and work for about 2 hours pulling/cutting invasive brush, planting wildflowers, hauling brush, maintaining trails, and picking up trash. Dress for the weather and bring work gloves and small hand tools if you have them. Meet near the outdoor tennis courts at the Maple St. YMCA.