Richard Swan grew up climbing trees and playing in the pristine stream on the land that has been owned by his family for the last 140 years. As an avid […]
Category Archives: Landowner Stories
A Natural Wonder: Omena Couple Protects Ecologically Rich 115 Acres
Ralph and Nancy Kalchik have been married for 62 years. They met at Northport High School and other than a few years away at MSU and an army stint for […]
Parker Family Protects Beloved Trout Stream
From our Fall 2018 Newsletter–At 87, Keith Parker shows no signs of slowing down. He’ll drive a combine for eight hours, harvesting corn that feeds his 120 head of beef […]
10 Years Later…What Happens After the Farm is Protected? A Q & A With Steve and Pam Bardenhagen
The back story: In 2008, Gary and Christi Bardenhagen preserved their 184-acre farm, which produces the much-celebrated local strawberries that are sold at area grocers and farmers markets. The farm […]
180-Acre Putnam Farm in Omena Forever Protected
Having moved to Omena over 30 years ago, the Putnam farm just up the road from where I live is a place I have long worried might turn into a […]
Hatlem Creek Preserve Grows to 72 Acres Thanks to Waldenmyer Family
Close-knit Family United in Desire to Protect Fragile Hatlem Creek For everyone who loves Glen Lake and its clean, azure waters, here’s some great news. A close-knit family with a […]
Dechow Family Preserves 105 Acres in the Bohemian Valley
Dr. Paul Dechow takes his family history very seriously. His relatives bear the names of some of the county’s earliest European settlers: Shalda and Basch, Kelderhouse and Kessel–one of the […]
Michael Chetcuti and Kyle Evans Protect Farmland near Northport with Donated Conservation Easement
Big Picture People Michael Chetcuti’s first memory of Northport is boating into the harbor with some buddies on a 4th of July weekend in the late eighties. After wandering around […]
Crane Sisters Protect 715 Feet of Shoreline Along Beloved Lake Leelanau
Cherished Family Memories on Lake Leelanau The Crane sisters’ childhood memories of summers spent on Lake Leelanau are as crystal clear as the lake itself. The minute school let out, […]
Eitzen Family Preserves Land and Legacy of Farming
Eitzen Family Preserves Land and Legacy of Farming When it comes to the history of Leelanau County, one family’s story—that of the Eitzens—is about as intertwined as it gets. The […]
