Michigan Botanical Society,

Southwestern Chapter

The Southwestern Chapter, based in Kalamazoo, serves amateur and professional botanists and nature enthusiasts in the southwest corner of Michigan.

Conservation of Imperiled Insects

Logan Rowe

Conservation Associate - Zoologist

Michigan Natural Features Inventory

Monday April 20, 2026 @ 7:00 PM (Socializing begins at 6:30)

Western Michigan University, 2708 Wood Hall, 1903 West Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Many of Michigan’s rarest inset species rely on native plant species for foraging resources during their larval or adult stage. I will provide an overview of rare insect species found in Michigan and highlight their close associations with native plants. I will discuss interesting insect life histories and provide examples of ongoing conservation efforts and partnerships that aim to improve populations of rare insects at both local and landscape scales. Together we will explore multiple taxa, including bumble bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and more.

Logan Rowe is a Conservation Associate with MNFI and works primarily with rare and declining insects in Michigan. He received his BS from Western Michigan University (2012), his MS from Michigan State University (2017), and has spent the past 8 years committed to the conservation of imperiled insects and their associated habitats.

All indoor programs are at Western Michigan University, 2708 Wood Hall, 1903 West Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo MI 49009. Socializing begins at 6:30 pm and the programs begin at 7:00 pm. Non-members are always welcome to join us for programs and field trips.

Field Trip to Black River Preserve

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

Craig Elston, President,Michigan Botanical Society, White Pine Chapter

Saturday May 16, 2026, 10 AM to noon

The White Pine Chapter and the Southwestern Chapter are combining for a trip to SWMLC’s Black River Preserve near South Haven in Van Buren County. The Black River Preserve has 120 acres of heavily rolling Southern Mesic Forest and Southern Floodplain Forest with pockets of wet meadow and fallow upland fields. The spring ephemeral wildflowers should be excellent.

Mesic Southern Forest is an American beech- and sugar maple-dominated forest found on flat to rolling topography with predominantly loam soils. The natural disturbance regime is characterized by gap-phase dynamics; frequent, small windthrow gaps allow for the regeneration of shade-tolerant, canopy species.

Southern Floodplain Forests are diverse bottom-land deciduous forests occupying the low-lying areas adjacent to streams and rivers and subject to periodic over-the-bank flooding and cycles of erosion and deposition. The species composition and community structure of Floodplain forests vary with flooding frequency and duration. Acer saccharinum (silver maple) and Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash) are the major over-story dominants. These dynamic forested systems represent an interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Insect repellent, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested. The trip difficulty level is rated moderate.

As a Michigan native, Craig Elston has always been interested in nature all his life. Craig has been leading interpretive hikes at the Hudsonville Nature Center, Hoffmaster State Park, Frederik Meijer Gardens, the Michigan Botanical Society, various events for MSU County Extensions in West Michigan as well as other garden clubs and nature organizations. His interest in Michigan’s native flora is not just observation but includes photography, propagation and cultivation.

Directions: The address is 69401 8th Ave, South Haven MI. From the Kalamazoo area, take M-43 (West Main St) west for 36 miles to 72nd St in South Haven Township. At the traffic circle, take the second exit (72nd St North). In 8 miles, turn right (east) on to 8th Ave. In 1.5 miles the Preserve is on the right (south). The coordinates are 42.38953889431622, -86.21838138355123.

Field Trip to Oak-Pine Barrens Allegan State Game Area

Jesse Lincoln, Conservation Associate – Ecologist

Michigan Natural Features Inventory

Saturday May 23, 2026, 10 am to noon

Oak-pine barrens are a fire-dependent, savanna community dominated by oaks and pines, having between 5 and 60% canopy cover. The predominantly graminoid ground layer contains plant species associated with both prairie and forest. Oak-pine barrens likely originated when prairie fires spread into surrounding closed oak and pine forest with enough intensity to create open barrens. Repeated low-intensity fires working in concert with drought, frost, and windthrow maintained barrens ecosystems. Mid-May should be an excellent time to see wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) in flower.

The walk will be about 2.5 miles (round trip) on level ground. Difficulty level is rated moderate. NO INSECT REPELLENT is allowed on this trip. The area is a critical area for imperiled insects. Mosquito netting, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested.

Jesse Lincoln is an ecologist and conducts vegetation surveys of state game areas to identify & inventory important natural areas, document rare plants, accurately age trees, and integrate these elements into wildlife management plans. With MNFI since 2010, he has always been interested in plants, factors that influence where they grow, and their interaction with the wildlife that relies on them. He enjoys identifying areas that have not been thoroughly botanized, collecting plants that have not been documented there, and submitting the collections to universities to contribute to accurate distribution maps. He also enjoys finding remnants of high-quality natural areas and working to get them protected. He earned a BS and MS in Biology from Grand Valley State University.

Directions: We will rendezvous on 124th Ave in the Allegan SGA. From the Kalamazoo area, take M-131 north to the Plainwell area and exit 49B. Head west on M-89 through both Ostego and Allegan. North of Allegan, M-89 will split with M-40 and head west. At this point M-89 is 124th Ave. The rendezvous is about 5 miles west of the split. The coordinates are 42.594431, -86.033603. You can park on either side of 124th Ave.