TRAVERSE CITY — Conservation will be front and center during the 6th Annual Boardman River Nature Fest set for June 23.
The Grand Traverse Conservation District hosts the event, which this year will feature 24 partner groups and organizations.
For six hours, the district's Boardman River Nature Center on Cass Road in Traverse City will hum with activity, including hikes, a petting zoo and kayaking to Moomer's ice cream, arts and crafts and fly casting. The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will share their specialized, hydrogen-alpha telescope for sun-gazing and Rebecca Lessard of Wings of Wonder will present information on raptors.
"Nature Fest is a fun, free way for adults, kids and families to experience the natural world and learn how they can help protect the natural resources that make our region one of the most beautiful places in America," said John Gessner, a spokesman for the Grand Traverse Conservation District.
"So this is the perfect place for people to come and experience all that the Grand Traverse region has to offer," Gessner said.
Organizers hope for a thousand attendees, a jump from last year's 600 to 700 attendees. The fest is the conservation district's biggest outreach event of the year, and organizers' goal is to have something for everyone going on all day.
"A few events are time specific: guided kayaking and hikes, Wings of Wonder," Gessner said. "Otherwise, people can just stop in."
Tickets for the 16th annual Boardman River Fly Rod Raffle will be available at the Nature Fest. Funds raised will help the conservation district restore, monitor and provide for safe, sustainable access to the Boardman River.
Fly rod maker, R.W. "Bob" Summers will be on hand during the Boardman River Nature Fest to demonstrate his fly rods.
Michael Sutherland, who runs The River, a kayak, canoe and inner tube livery in Traverse City, will bring equipment for participants who can either paddle for free on the Sabin Pond or take one of four guided trips down the Boardman for a fee. Downriver excursions take about 45 minutes and include transportation back to the Boardman River Nature Center.
"This event's primary mission is to turn people, primarily kids, onto using this amazing natural resource," Sutherland said. "The mission is to get people outdoors, especially kids."
The gathering also provides an opportunity to help dispel a myth about the Boardman River that Sutherland said he's heard from locals.
"For some reason, there's this misguided perception by many that the Boardman River is maybe not that clean," Sutherland said. "But it's gorgeous water."
Region
Related Photos
-
Michael Sutherland, owner of The River, will be leading guided paddling tours of the Boardman River during Saturday's 6th Annual Boardman River Nature Fest. Also pictured is Monica Hutchinson, a staff member of The River. Special to the Record-Eagle/Carol South
Nature Fest set for Saturday
Boardman River Nature Center to host annual event
-
-
BATA plan: Load more bikes on buses
Cyclists who pedal the Leelanau Trail between Traverse City and Suttons Bay now have more back-and-forth options.
Continued ... -
Goodwill to develop food truck
An area nonprofit will rely on more than $20,000 in taxpayer-funded grants to begin operating a food truck that accepts Bridge Cards.
Continued ... -
Downtown leader passes away
TRAVERSE CITY — A community pillar who literally helped shape downtown Traverse City died unexpectedly Sunday night of an apparent heart attack. For more than three decades, Bryan Crough, 59, left his mark on local politics and culture, serving as a
Continued ... -
Light & Power board balks at price of proposal
Traverse City Light & Power board members balked at a $60,000-plus, no-bid proposal to plot the city-owned utility’s future.
Continued ... -
Empire event to celebrate beloved soundman
The northern Michigan musical community will pay homage to one of its own during the Summer Solstice Celebration of Music and Community on June 23 from noon to 9 p.m. at Johnson Park in Empire.
Continued ... -
'Thunder' to roll to honor vets
Members of Rolling Thunder Michigan Chapter 1 invite the public to polish their chrome and join them as they hit the highway for their fourth annual Pure Thunder-escorted veterans memorial ride.
Continued ... -
Northern Notes: Just Mulch gets thank-you
Debra Norman, principal at Lake Ann Elementary School, wrote to thank Scott and Deb Talquist from Just Mulch for providing the school with the equipment and manpower to keep its pond and waterfall operating.
Continued ... - Sunday, June 16, 2013
-
TBAISD to hold budget hearing
Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District Board of Education will hold a hearing on their fiscal year 2013-14 budget on Tuesday as board members consider whether to spend some of their nearly 58 percent fund balance.
Continued ... -
'Family is our whole life': Raising quadruplets plus two
Since her quadruplets grew out of diapers, life smoothed out for Tonya Lewandowski.
Continued ... -
Program aims to keep tenants in their homes
Charles Alexander sat in 86th District Court and uttered that he'd rather be dead than homeless.
Continued ... -
Acme beach buildings demo set
Acme Township purchased the last of three buildings on its growing project to create a mile-long shoreline park, and demolition crews are ready to dive into work.
Continued ... -
Free fishing day hooks young anglers
Screeches, squeals and screams of excitement could be heard from Northwestern Michigan College's Great Lakes Campus as kids reeled in rainbow trout.
Continued ... -
Fire damages Garfield Township home
Firefighters were called to 4327 Stoneridge Dr. Saturday at 2:12 a.m. and arrived to flames through the roof.
Continued ... - Saturday, June 15, 2013
-
Michigan still reeling out cash incentives
The heyday of Michigan’s movie incentives has faded, but director Rich Brauer lauded the state’s restructured movie incentive program as “very, very intelligent.”
Continued ... -
Dogman yelps again in film
Walter Rowen panted, not unlike a dog, after he sprinted around on aluminum stilts with furry paws at the bottom with two other similarly outfitted men.
Continued ... -
Predictions of turbine's demise premature
The nation’s first wind turbine run by a public utility can once again handle a good blow after a 10-month odyssey of failures and almost $50,000 in fixes.
Continued ... -
Traverse City Manager Bifoss' tenure ends next week
City Manager Ben Bifoss will finish his career at Traverse City with a Monday meeting marked by routine items void of controversy.
Continued ... -
Discussion to address suicide prevention
Local residents are invited to listen in and share their voices during a national discussion about suicide prevention.
Continued ... -
Group works to halt invasive plants' spread
Landscape professionals who work in Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, and Antrim counties are invited to register for Go Beyond Beauty, a new program of the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network.
Continued ... -
More sea lamprey treatments, surveys scheduled
Scientists plan to find and kill parasitic fish in several local waterways.
Continued ... - Friday, June 14, 2013
-
Coming Saturday: Dogman yelps again
Walter Rowen panted, not unlike a dog, after he sprinted around on aluminum stilts with furry paws at the bottom with two other similarly outfitted men.
Continued ... -
TC Senior Center to receive face-lift
Bill and Linda Lawshe haven’t had a summer off in 30 years, so the recently retirees were pleased to learn they’ll be able to enjoy a remodeled city bayfront senior center.
Continued ... -
Film Fest breaks ground on new movie house
City officials have brought down the house — or at least the roof — for the Traverse City Film Festival and its fast-track effort to convert the Con Foster Museum into a movie theater.
Continued ... -
Longtime choir director retires from TC West post
The curtain is closing on Russ Larimer’s 26-year career as a Traverse City Area Public Schools’ choir teacher and director.
Continued ... -
Man gets prison for assaulting girlfriend
A man could spend up to 10 years in prison for assaulting his girlfriend.
Continued ...
-
