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.

 From Pheasant Back to Turkey Tail: On the Hunt for Fall Mushrooms Field Trip

Dr. Ellen Holste

EnviroSpeak

Saturday October 17, 2026, 10am

Celebrate National Mushroom Day (October 15th) with a guided hike through fields and forests while uncovering the hidden world of fall fungi. Join Dr. Ellen Holste of EnviroSpeak to learn how to recognize key features of common mushrooms, avoid common identification pitfalls, and gain practical tips and tricks for safe and responsible foraging. Whether you’re a curious beginner or an experienced nature enthusiast, this hike offers a chance to slow down, sharpen your mushroom-spotting skills, and discover and celebrate the bounty of the season.

 Pierce Cedar Creek Institute (PCCI) is an 850-acre nature center, environmental education center, and biological field station located in south-central Barry County, with over 10 miles of hiking trails. The property is a blend of diverse habitats including wetlands, forests, marshes, streams, lakes, and prairies.  The trip is rated moderate in difficulty, with some hilly sections along the way. Insect repellent and/or netting, sunscreen, water as well as suitable clothing are suggested.

 Dr. Ellen Holste is the founder and owner of EnviroSpeak, a company committed to creating meaningful and memorable connections to science and nature. She has over a decade of experience engaging audiences through talks, walks, and workshops and is certified as an interpretive guide and trainer through the National Association for Interpretation. Ellen earned her Master of Science in Forestry and dual PhD in Forestry and Ecology from Michigan State University, where her fascination with fungi began with a simple question: Could fungi help make tropical restoration effects successful? That curiosity grew into a passion for exploring the incredible diversity of fungi and the many ways these fascinating organisms can support and strengthen forests and the world around us. Today, she proudly considers herself a “fun-gal” and even holds a wild-foraged mushroom certification through the state of Michigan. Ellen resides in Haslett, Michigan with her husband and son and enjoys hiking, biking, practicing yoga, reading, and writing. 

 Directions: Pierce Cedar Creek Institute (PCCI), 701 W. Cloverdale Road, Hastings, MI 49058. From Kalamazoo, take Gull Road (M-43) northeast through Richland and Delton to the village of Cloverdale. Look for the Michigan Department of Transportation sign “Pierce Cedar Creek Nature Preserve.” Turn right (east) onto Cloverdale Road and travel 4.5 miles (portions of the road are unpaved). The entrance is on the right (south). If you reach the intersection of Cloverdale and M-37 you have gone too far. The coordinates are 42.53707608008733, -85.30374962922168.

2026-2027 Winter Schedule coming soon

Field Trips

During the warmer months, the Southwestern Chapter organizes field trips to some of the most spectacular natural sites in southwestern Michigan, many of which are not open to the public. 

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.

Membership

As members, you may attend field trips to some of the most spectacular natural sites in southwestern Michigan, many of which are not open to the public.  During colder weather, we have monthly meetings featuring presentations on botanical, ecological and conservation subjects.  Members also receive a subscribe to the peer-reviewed journal, The Great Lakes Botanist, a Journal of North American Botany, which is published twice a year and a subscription to the spring and fall newsletter Arisaema. 

Follow the Southwestern Chapter

Join the Southwestern Chapter

Use this link for the easy online payment. A small convenience fee of 3.5% will be added to your payment through the Cheddar-Up platform.

2026 Southwestern Chapter Officers

Officers

President: Joe Trapp

Vice President: Michael Dombos

Secretary : Abbie Bristol

Treasurer: Chuck Jordan

Director at Large

Connor Nussbaum

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/