DeYong Natural Area a Traverse City and Leelanau Treasure

DeYoung Natural Area is a DFF Favorite

Restoration Work Begins at DeYoung Natural Area

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From our 2007 Fall Newsletter

Usually, folks at Leelanau Conservancy aren’t fond of seeing bulldozers in beautiful places. But in the case of the DeYoung Natural Area on Cedar Lake, the dozers will be a welcome sight this week.

The activity is part of an ongoing effort to bring back a healthy, native landscape at DeYoung. “The restoration work that we are beginning at DeYoung now prepares the ground for so many terrific opportunities,” said Conservancy Stewardship Director, Jenee Rowe. Bulldozers will remove the invasive autumn olive tree, which chokes out native species, and has taken over much of the upland at DeYoung. The Conservancy’s goal is to remove this aggressive shrub, which often reaches heights of 20 feet. Then, the plan is to reforest the upland to a native hardwood forest peppered with native white pines. A grant from the Department of Natural Resources Forest Land Enhancement Program is helping to pay for the project. In the process, a diseased cherry orchard on the upland that has not been tended for years will also be removed. The diseased trees are a threat to other nearby orchards.

In preparation, last week a dozen or so volunteers planted 1,000 white pine seedlings into a temporary nursery near the stream. In two to three years, many of these trees will be replanted into the old cherry orchard. Also on tap this week, the creation of a new gravel parking area near the big hay barn on Cherry Bend Road. The lot will accommodate the many people who are attending hikes and other events on the property. “It will be great to have an area where people can park and access our beautiful new Cedar Lake Trail in all seasons,” said Rowe, who has overseen all of the work and improvements that have occurred on the property to date.

In addition to creating the quarter-mile Cedar Lake Trail, the Conservancy has also made improvements to some of the historic structures since acquiring the 145-acre parcel in June, 2006. It has replaced the roof on the old farmhouse, which was in danger of being destroyed because of water damage. The porch was also rebuilt and volunteers have cleaned out the old barns and helped to put up new doors. A second, upland trail is in the works, as is a new fishing pier on Cedar Lake (with 4 ADA-accessible fishing stations). Also coming soon; bike racks and a drinking fountain along the TART trail. “We couldn’t have done all this work without the generosity of the Oleson Foundation and the Dole Family Foundation, and our many hardworking volunteers,” added Rowe.

Fundraising for the $2 million project continues. To date, the Conservancy has raised $667,244 in gifts and pledges toward its $1 million private fundraising goal. A $50,000 Rotary Charities challenge grant awarded late last year has nearly been met, with $12,091 remaining yet to raise. “Today is a great time to help us, because Rotary Charities will match every dollar until we complete the challenge,” says Anne Shoup, the Conservancy’sDirector of Charitable Giving. In April the Conservancy, in partnership with Elmwood Township, applied to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for just over $1 million to help complete the preservation of this magnificent public resource. The applications will be scored by the State over the summer and final announcements will be made in December

- See more at: http://leelanauconservancy.org/2007/08/restoration-work-begins-at-deyoung-natural-area/#sthash.4wo9GwXx.dpuf

Preserving the Earth for Future Generations

Dole Family Foundation  in the News

Betsy and Stan Dole have long been supporters of Planned Parenthood.  One of the grants they made through the foundation this past year was $12,000 to Planned Parenthood of Western and Northern Michigan to pay the cost of colposcopy screening for women in Northern Michigan who would otherwise not have been able to afford this critical testing.  Staff from the Traverse City office of Planned Parenthood have reported how appreciative and relieved the clients have been who have received this service.  Recently, the Traverse City Record Eagle carried an article about this grant, headlined, “Dole grant provides cancer screening.”  While the original press release was edited, the article did highlight the important service which Planned Parenthood is providing due to our grant.  We will just have to hope that the foundation is not inundated with health related requests as a result of this publicity!

Teichner Preserve – On Sunday, April 28, 2012 there will be an opportunity to walk the new boardwalk and view the wetlands restoration.   The walk starts at 10:00 am.  This would be an interesting time to see how the restoration of native plants and wildflowers is coming along.  Photographers could take some pictures which could be compared to as midsummer visit to Teichner Preserve in July.

DeYoung Farm – While the Dole Family Foundation support was for stream restoration, it might be interesting for local history buffs to visit the old DeYoung Farmstead on Tuesday, May 22 at 1:00pm.  There will be an opportunity to meet with professors and students from Eastern Michigan University who have been doing a project of historic preservation at the old farmhouse.

In July, when the Dole Family Foundation is all together, 

    

2009 Newsletter

Dole Family Foundation Newsletter       

     Fall 2009

Family Granting News

After the granting decisions made by the second generation of foundation directors, letters were sent with the grants to the Michigan Nature Association, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, and the Leelanau Conservancy indicating that the DFF expects to receive reports from these organizations as to the outcome of the grants.  The story below indicates one case where the money is already being put to good use.

Site Visit to DeYoung Farm

On Monday, Oct. 18, 2009, Stan and Betsy met staff of the Leelanau Conservancy at the DeYoung Natural Area farm.  Anne Shoup, Director of Charitable Giving and Matt, Stewardship Staff, took us to the stream restoration project.  There, we met Bill, the director of the Youth Works team. The kids work three days a week and go to school two days a week.  On alternate weeks they work two days and go to school three days.  The Conservancy uses the DFF grant to pay the kids minimum wage for clearing invasive species along the stream.   This entails cutting and clearing full grown glossy buckthorn and autumn olive shrubs that have crowded out everything else.   If the kids don’t attend school, they are dropped from the program.  So, it’s a win-win for the kids and for the stream.  The work will continue throughout the coming year as teams will go back in to clear any regrowth and plant native species.  The site visit gave evidence that the DFF grant was being well used and having the desired outcome.

     The photo shows Connor and Haley exploring the stream when visiting the DeYoung farm earlier in September. 

End of Year Tasks

Directors are reminded that their discretionary grant decisions need to be made and communicated to the Foundation Secretary who will disburse the funds.  

The Foundation Donors are currently making their “pass-through” grants.  Most of these are to environmental and population related groups.  They have decided to continue to fund the Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities music program at the same level as in 2008.  There continues to be demand for these services for “at risk” children in this largely Hispanic neighborhood where Betsy has been involved as founder of United Church Outreach Ministry.  She considers it to be justice related, rather than focusing on the arts, as it serves children who might not otherwise be exposed to learning piano, guitar, and violin.  The Executive Director met with Betsy and Stan recently to ask for continued funding, given the difficulty in raising new money in the current economy.

Stanley Dole, Olivet College Board of Trustees treasurer, and Betsy Dole, trustee emeritus, were presented with Doctors of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

Commencement May 21, 2011

Olivet recognized more than 160 seniors as part of graduation ceremonies Saturday, May 21 at The Cutler Event Center.
During the ceremony, Stanley Dole, Olivet College Board of Trustees treasurer, and Betsy Dole, trustee emeritus, were presented with Doctors of Humane Letters, honoris causa.
Residents of Grand Rapids, the Doles are longtime supporters of Olivet College, the United Church of Christ and their community. 

From left: Stanley and Elizabeth Dole, Olivet President Steven M. Corey, Ph.D.

She was the first woman to serve as chair of the board from 1992-97, during which time she helped lead the college through a comprehensive transformation. In addition, she founded the Betsy Dole Women’s Resource Center on campus.

Betsy earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Oberlin College and has received many honors, including the Olivet College Leadership Award.
Stanley is a certified public accountant who specialized in auditing non-profit organizations. He continues to advise non- profit organizations on investment and accounting issues, recently serving as treasurer of several of them. Stanley has served the local, state and national United Church of Christ in many capacities over the years. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Bowdoin College, where he was a Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Michigan. 

See Stanley and Betsy's Commencement Photo Here

With Betsy Dole at the Helm Arcadia Dune's is Preserved

With Betsy Dole at the Helm Arcadia Dune's is Preserved

Arcadia Bluff - Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy