Docents
A Leelanau Conservancy Docent is a creative, imaginative, enthusiastic individual, who provides interpretative services to Conservancy Preserve visitors and members through guided tours and special events. All activities relate to the Conservancy’s mission and collection areas. The Docents are truly friend-raisers and ambassadors for the Leelanau Conservancy. Each Docent brings their unique knowledge of nature and own special style so that no two hikes are alike! Dave Amos serves as our Docent Liaison–coordinating communication and planning of this wonderful group.
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David Amos–Docent Liaison
231-271-0665 / mideamos@hotmail.com
I loved the idea of being a docent the moment I knew they existed. Jackie and I both wanted to work with the Conservancy after I retired from Ford the end of 2006. We moved to our house south of Suttons Bay in 2007 and started working with the Conservancy that year. We are not [...]
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Ed Arnfield
231-386-7685 / edacja@yahoo.com
I consider the Conservancy to be the primary organization responsible for the preservation of so much that is unique about our county. I am pleased to contribute to that effort as a docent. I am a professional biologist with BA(biology) and MS (Ecology) degrees fromWayne State University, and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. I [...]
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Marsha Buehler
231-386-9139 / buehlerm@earthlink.net
Like many who are in love with the Leelanau, ever since I was a small child I have always been happiest here. I have enjoyed being a docent and over the years I have acquired a fair knowledge of our area. Much of my training as a naturalist has been through the Docent Program. I [...]
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Judy Hoeffler
231-271-7847 / jshoeffler@hotmail.com
As a docent with the Leelanau Conservancy, I venture into this “land of delight” and the Conservancy properties with a sense of excitement and awe. The quiet beauty of the Houdek Dunes whispers the environmental history of Leelanau; the raw, untouched Belanger Creek Preserve cries out for the hiker willing to move from the beaten [...]
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Ann Mason
231-228-5224 / Eeyore776@gmail.com.
I grew up in Nebraska and lived in Iowa for quite a few years before moving to Michigan in 1979. I simply fell in love with northern Michigan’s lakes, streams, dunes, views, and wildlife, and knew that I wanted to spend large amounts of time here. As a retired university professor, speech-language pathologist, and health-care [...]
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Ann McInnis
231-386-5680 / dmcinnis@tir.com
I am a retired Cranbrook Schools science teacher and currently a part-time Interpretive Naturalist with Oakland County Parks. I love to share my life-long, keen enthusiasm for all things science/nature with folks of any age, and aim to make their outdoor experience a treasured one of learning and fun. Through guided questioning, I try to [...]
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Sharon Oriel
231-334-6857 / shoriel@aol.com
Wow! I am so fortunate to be a Conservancy Docent. I get to learn from staff and fellow docents and then share our collective knowledge about the special natural areas and preserves. I truly love the seasons of Leelanau with the changing flora and fauna. I live on the Crystal River and have a special [...]
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Mary Petterson
231-271-0001 / mpetters27@gmail.com
Within a few months of moving to Leelanau in 2010, I was introduced to the Conservancy and realized I would very much like to volunteer for this dynamic organization. While I am a native of Grand Rapids, MI, I spent most of my career in other states including Wisconsin, Georgia and California. As a child [...]
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Holly Pharmer
847-997-3559 / pharmerhol@aol.com
Raised in Chicago (the city of parks, forest preserves and numbered dams) and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, my parents and grandparents instilled in me the wonder of nature at ground level, looking up, and underwater, as well as the responsibility to tread lightly, learn & explore, and protect our environment. A BS and an RN in [...]
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Ed Ketterer
616-836-4999 / ed3@ketterer.org
It’s a privilege and a delight to be a docent for the Conservancy. I grew up in Ohio, along the shore of Lake Erie, and have always had a strong interest in the outdoors. Early on, I developed an affinity for the north, with its clear balsam-scented air, sparkling waters, and abundant wildlife. Leelanau is [...]
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Bobbie Poor
231-256-9460 / jtpoor@peoplepc.com
From the grandmother who kept “pet” snakes in her woodpile, the stepfather who patiently helped classify a 100-insect collection, the botany teacher who sizzled fungi over a high school Bunsen burner to the college prof who inspired awe in diversity, great teachers have blessed my life. I have been warped by the wonders of the [...]
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Lou Ricord
231-326-1122 / louricord@hotmail.com
It’s a treat escorting Leelanau Conservancy members and guests on their visits to our properties. We discover something new on each hike. Isn’t the Leelanau Conservancy doing a fantastic job to conserve the area’s scenic beauty?! My family and I moved to Empire in 2007. Like many of you, we discovered Leelanau during vacations to [...]
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Jack Schultz
231-275-6735 / jsvoyageur@gmail.com
Leelanau County, as we all know, is truly a special place. Its varied landscapes and plant and animal life make it a wonderful place to live or visit. I became a docent so I could use my professional forestry and ecological knowledge to help others appreciate the county and understand how to preserve and protect [...]
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Judy Smart
231-386-5404 / jsmart@torchlake.com
My family and I began coming to the Leelanau Peninsula in 1984. The moment I set foot in the woods I knew I was home. The next year we bought our property in Omena. It was love at first sight. We lived in the Santa Monica Mountains for 30 years and I always missed the [...]
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Alice VanZoeren
231-334-4608 / sandhill_ed@hotmail.com
I’ve worked as a naturalist for more than 30 years. I enjoy sharing my interest in nature with people of all ages. I have a degree in Natural History Education from U of M. Birds, animal tracks, aquatic life, phenology, spiders, and frogs are special interests. Being a student of nature is fun because there [...]
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Janet Ward
231-271-7720 / janet.ward49@yahoo.com
I am a retired Registered Nurse and Michigan native who was first introduced to the beauty of northwest Michigan as a young Girl Scout attending summer camp at Long Lake near Traverse CIty. It was there that my interest in trees, wildflowers and birds began. Life took me to the prairie provinces of Canada where [...]
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Peter Wolcott
231-386-7239 / wolcott@iprimus.com.au
I am a retired American Foreign Service Officer who has lived in Australia since 1979 where I worked as an economist for the Victorian State Government. A third generation Leelanau summer person, my Grandfather built in East Leland in 1908. A life-long environmentalist, I studied ornithology at Kalamazoo College (BA 1961). International Relations at Syracuse [...]
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25 Years: Celebrating Our Living Legacy