GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The landscaping around the Bunker Interpretive Center is looking a little brown these days. It's no one's fault. After all, the weather has not been consistently spring-like in West Michigan.
Nevertheless, there's a lot of work to do at the Calvin University Ecosystem Preserve and Native Gardens over the coming weeks and months to get the 104-acre oasis looking its best for visitors. But the land's caretakers, many of them students, are up to the challenge.
"We do not deadhead any of our native plants in the gardens in the fall, because we want to leave those resources for the wildlife. So the seed heads remain intact so that the birds can enjoy the seed all winter long," said preserve manager Jen Howell.
"Then we wait until we get about five to seven days of 50-degree weather so that our pollinators who might be overwintering in the stems can emerge."
Once all that happens, the students will begin cutting down the stems, and raking excess leaves and debris from the site to prepare for the preserve's annual native plant sale on May 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"We will have about 100 different species of native plants available. They are grown by our greenhouse manager, and he does a great job of working with students to collect seeds," Howell said.
The proceeds from the sale go to support student positions at the preserve. Howell says there's a good reason for people to purchase native plants.
"Native plants have adapted with the species that live here, so the plants do a great job of providing habitat, food, and cover, and shelter for the pollinators and the birds that live here," she said.
"It's also great to use in your landscape because they're adapted to the local climate. They don't need extra watering. They don't need extra fertilizing. They are really adapted to this climate, so they thrive here."
To learn more about the nature preserve, visit their website.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.