Field Trip to Prairie Ronde Preserve

 Joe Trapp

Michigan Botanical Society,

Southwestern Chapter

Saturday June 20, 2026, 10am to noon

Dry-mesic prairie is a native grassland community that occurred in association with historic oak openings throughout much of southern Lower Michigan. Very little prairie remains in Michigan and Prairie Ronde Preserve is one of a few remaining sites with a portion of the flora still intact. The preserve is a 3-acre Michigan Nature Association property. MNA has been working to counter invasive plants and burned a portion of the site this spring.

 Chapman (1982) called this site “Rattlesnake Master Prairie” and along with Eryngium yuccifolium (rattlesnake master), we should find Lupinus perennis (wild lupine), Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed), Baptisia lactea (white false indigo), Coreopsis tripteris (tall coreopsis), Lespedeza hirta (hairy bush clover), Viola sagittata (arrow leaved violet), Krigia biflora (false dandelion), and Polygala sangunea (field milkwort). 

 Level ground and the recent burn make this a very easy walk. Mosquito repellent and/or netting, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested.

 Joe Trapp is the current President of the Southwestern Chapter of the Michigan Botanical Society. 

 Directions: The approximate address is 52001 Hutchinson Rd, Three Rivers MI.  From Kalamazoo, take US-131 south. Turn left (east) onto Michigan Ave (this is a “Michigan left turn”). In 2.5 miles, turn right (south) onto Hutchinson Rd.  The preserve is on your left (east side of road). Park alongside the road. The coordinates are 42.040879207553175, -85.58726918127242

2026 Field Trip Schedule

Meetings

Meetings occur in November, January, February, March & April, on the 3rd Monday of the month at the Western Michigan University, 2708 Wood Hall, 1903 West Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009. Socializing begins at 6:30 PM and the presentation starts at 7:00 PM.

2026 Southwestern Chapter Officers

Officers

President: Joe Trapp: mbs-swc@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Vice President: Michael Dombos: swc-vp@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Secretary : Abbie Bristol: swc-secretary@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Treasurer: Chuck Jordan: swc-treasuruer@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Directors at Large

Michael Dombos: swc-vp@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Abbie Bristol: sec-secretary@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Connor Nussbaum: swc-dl3@michiganbotanicalsociety.org

Useful Links

Michigan Botanical Society

The Great Lakes Botanist https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/glbot/

The Michigan Botanist (1962-2006) https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000497763

Winter Wildflowers: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ldnum/WinterWildflowers%281973%29dblpgs.pdf

University of Michigan Herbarium https://michiganflora.net/home.aspx

State of Michigan

Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/services

Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) https://www.michigan.gov/dnr

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) https://www.michigan.gov/egle

MSU Extension Service https://www.canr.msu.edu/outreach/

 W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS)  https://www.kbs.msu.edu/

 Kellogg Bird Sanctuary http://birdsanctuary.kbs.msu.edu/

Conservation

Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) https://swmlc.org/

Michigan Nature Association (MNA) https://www.michigannature.org/

Chikaming Open Lands https://chikamingopenlands.org/

The Nature Conservancy https://www.nature.org/en-us/

Michigan Audubon https://www.michiganaudubon.org/

Land Conservancy of West Michigan https://naturenearby.org/

Michigan Wetlands Association https://miwetlands.org/

Michigan Prescribed Fire Council https://www.firecouncil.org/

Wild Flower Association of Michigan https://wildflowersmich.org/

Michigan Lakes and Stream Association (MLSA) https://mymlsa.org/

Kalamazoo River Watershed Council (KRWC) https://kalamazooriver.org/

Conservation Districts

Michigan Association of Conservation Districts https://www.macd.org/

Allegan Conservation District https://www.allegancd.org/

Barry Conservation District https://www.barrycd.org/

Berrien Conservation District https://www.berriencd.org/

Calhoun Conservation District https://www.calhouncd.org/

Cass Conservation District https://cassccdistrict.org/

Kalamazoo Conservation District https://www.kalamazooconservation.org/

St Joseph Conservation District https://stjoecountycd.com/

Van Buren Conservation District https://vanburencd.org/

Invasive Species & Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMA)

Michigan Invasive Species https://www.michigan.gov/invasives/take-action/local-resources/view-cisma-locations-as-a-list

Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) https://www.misin.msu.edu/

Barry, Calhoun & Kalmazoo CISMA contact: bckcisma@gmail.com

SW x SW Corner CISMA https://vanburencd.org/invasive-species/

Southern Michigan IST https://stjoecountycd.com/smist-cisma#:~:text=Southern%20Michigan%20Invasive%20Species%20Team,a%20multitude%20of%20regional%20partners.

West Michigan CISMA https://wmconservation.net/

Nature Centers

Kalamazoo Nature Center https://naturecenter.org/

Pierce Cedar Creek Institute https://cedarcreekinstitute.org/

Whitehouse Nature Center https://www.albion.edu/about/our-campus/whitehouse-nature-center/

Sarett Nature Center https://sarett.org/

Native Plants & Gardens

Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones (KAWO) https://kalamazoo.wildones.org/

Hidden Savanna Nursery https://www.hiddensavanna.com/

Adjacent

Michigan Entomological Society https://www.michentsoc.org/

Indiana Native Plant Society https://indiananativeplants.org/