Three years have passed since the Blandford Nature Center and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan collaborated on the purchase of The Highlands to transform it into a natural area for the city of Grand Rapids. With each passing year, this sprawling, 121-acre landscape becomes a little wilder.

2020 was no exception. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued work on several restoration efforts at The Highlands with the help of volunteers.

In spring and summer, we saw the first acres we planted with native prairie plants blossom after just two seasons of growth. The wetlands we created with the help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ducks Unlimited filled with water and hosted turtles, frogs and an incredible variety of birds. These efforts are already welcoming more biodiversity to the natural area—82 species of birds have been spotted at The Highlands and recorded on E-bird.

The Highlands also welcomed more human visitors, as many people sought fresh air amidst the statewide stay-at-home order and other COVID-related restrictions. As the landscape transforms into a healthier habitat for birds, insects and wildlife, it is also becoming a refuge for human explorers of all ages.

This year, we planted the seed and seedlings to create yet more of this critically important habitat. We seeded 25 more acres with native grasses and wildflower—expanding the prairie at The Highlands to over 51 acres in total. Additionally, we planted 1,000 native tree species! These plantings were made possible with support from Reduce, Reuse, Grow, and could not have been completed without volunteer support. Thank you for lending a hand to continue the transformation of this special place in 2020!

There is more exciting news to come in 2021. Stay tuned!