Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens

Join us for our 2026–27 Homeschool Field Trip Series at the Preserve! 🌿📚

This 5-part series offers seasonal, hands-on learning experiences designed for K–12th grade students (ages 5–18). Programs take place on select Fridays from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM at the Preserve.

🍃 $4 per student, per program
🍃 Cash or check accepted day-of
🍃 Programs capped at 40 students
🍃 Adults may stay or drop students off
🍃 Younger siblings welcome with supervision
🍃 Stay afterward and enjoy a picnic lunch at the Preserve!

We can’t wait to explore the seasons with you this school year!

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQfgy1A-mz2tD0XcyeENhBr0BkDkaWEgP4SEF-09OpVpU_qg/viewform

Happy Wildlife Wednesday! 🦌🦆

We’ve had lots of wildlife here at the Preserve and we wanted to share some photos with you. Swipe through and see some of the cool creatures we’ve captured on camera this last week.

On June 20th, on Venema Plaza, Rine Wakeman will present Refugia — an experiential art installation exploring loss, grief, adaptation, and hope in a world that has been fundamentally changed in ways we are still learning to understand.

"Two years ago I filled a recital hall with frogs, frog calls, and invited people in to think about the hardships and grief that surrounded them. Since then, the world has not gotten kinder. The grief we experience and the grief we witness in others becomes a part of us for the rest of our lives; it’s formative. In our culture, we do not embrace grief the way we embrace other formative experiences. We are not given the time to feel it or the grace to continue to feel it as the rest of our lives move on. Whatever you are grieving and processing, whether it is personal tragedy or ongoing world events, bring it with you to the Preserve on the evening of the summer solstice. Spend time in a refuge from the hostility surrounding you. Share a poem, song, prayer, or wish at an open mic. Embrace the hard feelings surrounded by others doing the same. I hope you see you there" - Rine

The Rock Garden just keeps looking better 🌿

Shoutout to our Stewardship Team for their hard work!

The Online Plant Sale is open! 🌼

💵 5% discount for those purchasing $100 or more in plants

📩 We will email you when your order is ready

🗓 Pickup your orders on Thursdays and Fridays

Learn more & shop here:��https://calvin.edu/ecosystem-preserve/native-gardens/native-plant-sale

Just a quick reminder that our plaza is still closed for repairs this weekend! If you are visiting the Preserve, please use the back east entrance to the Bunker Interpretive Center. Thank you!

Meet the Summer 2026 Marcom team! 🗓

We’re so excited to be working behind the scenes at the Preserve this summer!

Join us for our 2026–27 Homeschool Field Trip Series at the Preserve! 🌿📚
This 5-part series offers seasonal, hands-on learning experiences designed for K–12th grade students (ages 5–18). Programs take place on select Fridays from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM at the Preserve.

🍃 $4 per student, per program
🍃 Cash or check accepted day-of
🍃 Programs capped at 40 students
🍃 Adults may stay or drop students off
🍃 Younger siblings welcome with supervision
🍃Stay afterward and enjoy a picnic lunch at the Preserve!

We can’t wait to explore the seasons with you this school year!

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQfgy1A-mz2tD0XcyeENhBr0BkDkaWEgP4SEF-09OpVpU_qg/viewform

We love to see all the blooming plants in our gardens! Come experience the beauty at the Preserve for yourself 🌼

Meet the Summer 2026 Stewardship Team! 💪

We’re so excited to have them working at the Preserve this summer!