.png)
BALDWIN — The Land Conservancy of West Michigan will celebrate 50 years of conservation work with a guided paddle on the Pere Marquette River on Saturday, Aug. 29.
The paddle is the third and final event in the conservancy’s outdoor Explorathon series, which highlights its work protecting natural areas throughout west Michigan.
Guided groups will launch from Bowman Bridge River Access near Baldwin beginning at 9 a.m., with groups departing every 30 minutes. The approximately 3.5-hour trip will include a midpoint stop at Rainbow Rapids in Branch Township, where the conservancy will provide a picnic lunch and anniversary celebration.
Naturalists will lead each group, helping paddlers identify natural features and native wildlife while discussing conservation efforts and protected lands along the river.
The Pere Marquette is Michigan’s longest free-flowing river, passing through a mixture of public land and privately owned property. The Land Conservancy has worked with private landowners to protect 28 parcels along the Pere Marquette, encompassing about 19.5 miles of protected river frontage.
Participants can select a preferred watercraft and departure time when purchasing tickets. Proceeds will help cover event expenses and support the conservancy’s continuing conservation work. Registration and ticket information are available at naturenearby.org.
The Land Conservancy of West Michigan has worked with private landowners, community organizations and government agencies during the past 50 years to permanently protect and manage natural areas. Its stewardship work includes planting native species and using prescribed fire to maintain and restore habitat.
The organization now helps protect 165 properties across eight counties totaling more than 13,000 acres. Those properties include Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area, Upper Macatawa Natural Area and Ottawa Sands.
The conservancy also establishes public nature preserves, assists communities and local governments with creating parks and natural areas, and works with private landowners interested in permanently protecting their property.
The Explorathon series commemorates the organization’s five decades of conservation efforts and its mission of keeping natural areas accessible and protected throughout west Michigan.
_________________________
Please Support Local News Coverage
For generations, local newspapers were supported by subscriptions. Today, while Mason County Press and Oceana County Press remain free to everyone, the cost of producing quality local journalism continues to rise.
If you value independent local news coverage, we invite you to help sustain it by subscribing to the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing for $12 a month — about 40 cents a day — or $120 a year.
Your subscription helps support the reporters, photographers and editors who cover local government, schools, community events, sports, breaking news and the stories that matter most to Mason and Oceana counties. In return, you’ll receive the MCP/OCP Daily Briefing each morning with the day’s headlines, along with occasional breaking news and special email editions.
Monthly subscriptions are available for $12 per month.
Click here to subscribe monthly.
Annual subscriptions are available for $120 per year. That’s a two month savings!
Click here to subscribe annually.
If you prefer to pay by check, mail your $120 annual payment to:
Media Group 31, LLC
P.O. Box 21
Scottville, MI 49454
Please include your name, mailing address, email address and telephone number so we can activate your subscription.
Subscription payments must be received before service is activated.
Whether you choose to subscribe or continue enjoying our free content, thank you for reading Mason County Press and Oceana County Press. Your readership—and your support—helps ensure that independent local journalism remains available to everyone in our communities.
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2026 by Media Group 31, LLC, P.O. Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. All rights reserved. No portion of this story or its images may be reproduced in any form, including print, broadcast or electronic media, without the express written permission of Media Group 31, LLC.
As a news organization, Media Group 31 maintains published content as part of the public and historical record. Accordingly, stories are not removed after publication. At the editor’s discretion, stories may be updated or corrected as new information becomes available. Updates may be made by revising the original story or by publishing a follow-up story. Media Group 31, LLC reserves the right to modify this policy at any time. Please refer to our Use Policy for additional information.
