From staff reports Michigan’s coastline and habitat diversity have long been a draw to bird watchers and nature enthusiasts. Birders and eco-tourists spend millions each year in the enjoyment of their pursuits. Now, the Sleeping Bear Birding Trail, Michigan’s first birding trail, has been formed to connect exceptional birding areas and promote the area that […]
Kent Kelly reports that the group, Friends of Sleeping Bear — which is independent of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore but helps the local Park maintain amenities such as the new Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail — seeks trail ambassadors for the Trail. Friends of Sleeping Bear will hold a kick-off meeting on Thursday, May 2, at 2 p.m. at the Blacksmith Shop in Glen Haven, one mile west of Glen Arbor.
The People and the Olive, a feature-length documentary about the daily joys and struggles of Palestinian olive farmers living under the occupation, and last year’s Run Across Palestine (an initiative of the Traverse City-based nonprofit On the Ground, which supports fair-trade farmers around the world), will show at The Leelanau School north of Glen Arbor on Tuesday, May 7, from 2-4 p.m. The event is free, and the public are invited to attend. The film was created by Traverse City filmmaker Aaron Dennis and journalist Jacob Wheeler (founding editor of the Glen Arbor Sun). Wheeler will attend and take part in a question-and-answer session following the screening.
The Glen Lake Community Library will host a poetry contest as part of the 10th annual Empire Asparagus Festival. Aspiring poets are invited to submit their asparagus-inspired verse to the library by Monday, May 13. Entries will be judged in youth (ages 18 and younger) and adult categories, with prizes awarded in both groups. Poems may be emailed to info@glenlakelibrary.net; or mailed to Glen Lake Community Library, P.O. Box 33, Empire, Mich. 49630; or can be dropped off at the library itself. On Saturday, May 18, at 2 p.m., all verses submitted in the contest will be shared in a poetry reading at the Empire Township Hall. Contestants are encouraged to attend this fun gathering to present their own “Ode to Asparagus”!
The Glen Arbor Art Association (GAAA) will host nine artists in 2013 — five visual artists, two writers and two photographers — from May to October, in a series of two-week residencies. The GAAA Artist-in-Residence program provides artists with uninterrupted time to focus on their practice. Janice Dumas, a watercolor artist from Milford, Michigan, is the first resident of the 2013 program.
To mark its 25th anniversary, the Leelanau Conservancy will hold a speaker series over the next two years that features national environmental and conservation leaders. The series is part of an effort to engage members and the public on topics important to Leelanau County.
There is trash on our beaches, the climate is changing, and Glen Lake High School’s Students for World Awareness (SWA) want our community to do something about it. With Earth Day approaching, the students of the club have planned an event to increase environmental consciousness within their Leelanau County community.
The Benzie County Water Festival is a unique event designed to engage the public in the stewardship of the Great Lakes, the response to the global freshwater crisis, and the cultivation of a vibrant and sustainable local culture. This year’s theme is: “Under The Surface.”
The Glen Lake Library in Empire will host a presentation by Loreen Niewenhuis, author of the newly published book A 1000-Mile Great Lakes Walk, on Monday, April 15, at 7 p.m. Niewenhuis’ account of her epic hike along the shores of all five Great Lakes offers unique insights into the people, history, culture and environment of our unique region. The presentation will be held at the Empire Township Hall, across the street from the library. Copies of her new book will be available for sale.
The Empire Area Community Fund’s next monthly concert is scheduled for Easter Sunday, March 31, from 4-6 p.m. at Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor. The Original members of Third Coast will perform. To learn about this dynamic new community project to help those in need, read here. Last month’s concert raised $55. To learn more […]