Giving to the
Great Lakkes
Merlin chick near
Lake Superior
© Josh Cohen/MNFI
“The brawny mix of extraordinary sights —
weather, politics, races, imagination, corruption
and athletics. They clash and mingle here where
the broad prairies that are the world’s most fertile
collection of farm fields meet the vast Great
Lakes that are the world’s largest collection of
fresh water.” – Andrew H. Malcolm, The New York Times
From the Great Lakes’ waterways that spread European
settlement into the Midwest to the forests that built
some of America’s most robust cities, the world’s
largest freshwater system provides transportation,
food, water and products for people from its
bountiful nature. But this prosperity came at a cost.
a comprehensive vision and plan. The Conservancy’s
Great Lakes Project has identified six priority areas to
build strategic success:
• Watersheds
• Northern Forests
• Coastal Systems
Giving to the
The Great Lakes ecosystem has faced historic signs
of distress from dams, logging, intensive agriculture
production and industries that utilized the region’s
precious natural resources. Today, new pressures from
our changing climate to the spread of aquatic invasive
species threaten our natural assets.
Despite important advances, significant challenges
to sustainable land and water management require
our ongoing attention and action. As caretakers of
this resource, we cannot work only as individual
states and jurisdictions, making short-term planning
decisions. Instead, we must work together toward the
long-term viability of the health and vitality of this
globally significant freshwater ecosystem.
People like you and those in this publication are
working with The Nature Conservancy to respond to
this challenge in new, interconnected ways through
• Native Fisheries
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Aquatic Invasive Species
The Great Lakes Project is focused on the protection,
restoration and maintenance of the region’s most critical
natural systems while safeguarding nature from its most
significant threats. Building upon our past success in
creating a network of protected lands and waters, we are
working with governmental agencies, nonprofit partners,
companies, organizations, and most importantly, private
citizens who care about our Great Lakes. Together, we
are improving management of working lands and waters
while developing a system for sharing science, knowledge
and solutions.
Thank you for caring about the Great Lakes by supporting
The Nature Conservancy. We are proud of the work
we do and the people who know and embrace our
conservation values to create extraordinary solutions
for nature and for life.
Miners Castle at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan.
© Jason Whalen
Collaborating
on a Sustainable Great Lakes
The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, based
in Midland, Michigan, has been a strong supporter of The Nature Conservancy’s
work to restore and maintain a Great Lakes system that meets human needs while
sustaining plant and animal life.
Q: Tell me about your experience with the Great Lakes. Q: What does The Nature Conservancy bring to the
A: I spent part of my life growing up on Lake Michigan
In a recent interview, Margaret “Ranny”
Riecker, Foundation president, shared
her thoughts about the Great Lakes and
the Conservancy’s work to improve the
health of this global treasure.
effort to protect the Great Lakes?
and going camping there. I think being on the big lake is A: The Nature Conservancy is not just preserving
one of the most magnificent experiences one can have in land and keeping it. They are really working to create
this world.
a sustainable system throughout the Great Lakes that
meets the needs of people, the needs of trees and
Q: Can you comment on the challenges you think the flowers and nature, particularly water, and economic
Great Lakes face?
needs as well.
A: I’ve lived with the challenges the lakes face such as
the deluge of alewives that would pile up on the beaches
so you couldn’t use them. But, there are challenges like
zebra mussels and other invasive species today that are
just destroying the lakes.
Q: Why do you personally care about conserving the
Great Lakes?
A:
I think it’s tremendously important that future
generations have the opportunity to enjoy and
appreciate the same things that I and my forbears grew
up enjoying and appreciating— the lakes, the rivers, the
streams, the whole thing that is the magnificence of the
Great Lakes region.
“I think The Nature Conservancy is
probably the ideal organization to
take the lead in the Great Lakes region
because their method of operation is
bringing people together rather than
polarizing them. I think people are
looking for organizations that are
going to bring people together and
create intelligent discussion. Yes,
there are going to be compromises,
but that’s going to make things happen.”
Photo: Ranny Riecker, president of The Herbert H.
and Grace A. Dow Foundation. © Jason Whalen
Page 1
In Pursuit of Common Sense Solutions
Molly Flanagan is passionate about the Great Lakes —
especially when she’s talking about the challenges they face and The Joyce Foundation’s
drive to find common sense, cost effective solutions to restore their health.
“Improving the quality of life for people
in the Great Lakes region and across
the country is our mission,” said Flanagan, a
program officer for The Joyce Foundation. “And the
Great Lakes are important to our lives. They supply
drinking water to 40 million people, provide recreation
opportunities and are vital to business and the economic
development of communities.”
The Joyce Foundation, headquartered in Chicago, has
supported The Nature Conservancy’s Great Lakes work
since 2006, with a recent focus on eliminating polluted
run-off from farms and preventing the introduction and
spread of aquatic invasive species.
“The flow of phosphorus and nitrogen into Western Lake
Erie Basin has steadily increased in the past 15 years,
causing massive algae blooms,” said Larry Clemens, the
Conservancy’s assistant state director in Indiana, “Fish
kills, fouled beaches and a growing dead zone in the
central basin are just a few of the consequences.”
Top photo: Headquartered in Chicago, The Joyce
Foundation supports the Conservancy’s work, including
fighting the threat of aquatic invasive species.
© paulmerideth.com
Page 2
Bottom Photo: Molly M. Flanagan, program officer for
The Joyce Foundation. Courtesy of The Joyce Foundation
“The Joyce Foundation’s support has allowed us to expand
our work in the basin where we’re introducing farmers to
new drainage systems designed to mimic natural stream
channels and deliver cleaner water from farm fields to
Lake Erie,” Clemens added.
The Foundation has also helped the Conservancy build its
work to combat the threat of aquatic invasive species in
the Great Lakes.
“One of our goals is reducing the spread of invasive species
into and from the Great Lakes basin through artificial
hydrologic connections like the Chicago Area Waterway
System,” said Lindsay Chadderton, the Conservancy’s
Great Lakes aquatic invasive species director. “The Joyce
Foundation has helped us assess the invasion risk posed by
waterway systems like the one in Chicago and develop the
environmental DNA method used to monitor the spread
of invasive species like Asian carp through this system.”
“The Nature Conservancy is a recognized leader in working
with a variety of agencies and organizations on sediment
and nutrient reduction in watersheds and aquatic invasive
species,” said Flanagan. “It’s a natural partnership for The
Joyce Foundation to work with the Conservancy to help
solve these problems, which is essential in our pursuit of a
healthy Great Lakes.”
Thinking Big About Green Bay
Jim and Jane Watermolen love the woods and waters of the
Green Bay, Wisconsin area where they grew up. Jim learned to hunt and fish there from
his dad, uncles and grandfather. Jane was a “city girl” who enjoyed hanging out in bits of
nature like the empty lot next door with the big old hickory trees and pollywog pond.
“When I was young, my parents had a cottage on Green
Bay,” said Jim. “The water was really low back then,
dead alewives piled up on the shore and carp filled the
bay. I’ve seen a lot of improvement since the fifties and
sixties, but there’s still work to do.”
With support from donors like the Watermolens, The
Nature Conservancy and its partners in Wisconsin
and Michigan are improving the health of Green Bay
for people and nature. One aspect of the project is
protecting and restoring coastal wetlands.
“Coastal wetlands are critical to the health of Green
Bay and the entire Great Lakes system,” said Nicole
Van Helden, the Conservancy’s Green Bay Watershed
project director. “They clean polluted water, intercept
waste, protect our shorelines from erosion and serve as
nurseries for fish and other aquatic life.”
The Conservancy has developed an online tool to
identify and prioritize coastal wetlands for protection
and restoration based on the work they do. From soaking
up flood waters during heavy storms to providing
spawning habitat for northern pike and other native
fish, understanding the “work” wetlands do for people
and nature helps us identify where and how wetland
conservation can improve the health of Green Bay.
“We’re in the process of sharing this tool with public
agencies as well as land trusts throughout the watershed
to help them prioritize their conservation efforts,” Van
Helden added. “Taken together, our individual efforts
will add up to a big difference in Green Bay.”
“We like the way the Conservancy is
working with so many groups in this
very large watershed toward a common
goal,” said Jane. “By reaching out broadly,
they are connecting people with nature.
And that’s important because you won’t
protect what you don’t know and love.”
Top photo: Late afternoon light illuminates the shoreline of
Lake Michigan’s Green Bay, photographed on the west
coast of Wisconsin’s Peninsula State Park in Door County.
© Mark Godfrey/TNC
Bottom Photo: Jim and Jane Watermolen happily
support the Conservancy’s work in Wisconsin’s Green
Bay watershed. Courtesy of the Watermolens.
Giving to the Great Lakes Page 3
Rescuing a Great Lakes Reef
A freshwater limestone reef that once harbored a vibrant community of
lake trout and other Great Lakes fish now sits degraded, pierced by century-old dock
posts and damaged by invasive species.
The Nature Conservancy is restoring this reef and others
in northern Lake Michigan that are critical spawning
grounds for native fish. And they are doing it, in part, with
help from the Dole Family Foundation.
“Our family has been coming to the Grand Traverse Bay
area each summer for more than 50 years,” said Betsy
Dole. “Fishing is among our favorite activities. It’s exciting
to think that The Nature Conservancy’s work will restore
healthy reefs where young fish can grow and thrive and,
perhaps, come back to spawn someday.”
Conservancy scientists are developing and testing
techniques for reducing the number of invasive species on
the reefs. Rusty crayfish and round gobies eat eggs that
native lake trout, lake whitefish and lake herring lay on the
reefs when spawning in late fall.
“If we can drive the number of invasive
species down in this particular
habitat, we could really benefit the
native fish,” said Matt Herbert,
an aquatic ecologist for the
Conservancy.
Top photo: Lake Michigan’s Grand
Traverse Bay. © Erin Bartels/Photos.com
Page 4
This year, scientists set about 150 traps, covering
roughly two acres that include three reefs in Grand
Traverse Bay and one in Little Traverse Bay. At each
reef, they collect data on the number of crayfish and
gobies caught and measure the egg-laying success of
native fish to determine whether trapping invasives is
improving spawning. For comparison, scientists take
similar measurements at reefs with no traps and look
at past spawning success data.
Future plans include habitat rehabilitation – adding
limestone rocks to degraded reefs, such as the one
damaged by dock posts, in hopes of creating better
spawning grounds for native fish.
Lake trout, herring and whitefish historically played
a big role in Michigan’s fisheries, but invasive species,
past overfishing and habitat degradation from coastal
development have reduced populations significantly.
The Conservancy hopes that rescuing these reefs
will boost native fish populations and help restore
a productive Great Lakes’ fishery for commercial
fishermen and families like the Doles who just
love to fish.
Bottom photo: Support from the Dole Family
Foundation is critical to restoring fish spawning
reefs in Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan. Courtesy
of the Dole Family Foundation
Healthy Forests, Clean Water
When it comes to protecting water quality in the Great Lakes,
healthy forests may be as close as we get to a silver bullet.
They are nature’s own water purification system, absorbing pollutants and trapping
sediment before they damage the lakes and the rivers that feed them.
Northeast Minnesota, on Lake Superior, is still covered
with trees, but the massive spruce, cedar and white pine
that once dominated the area have been reduced to a
small fraction of their historical abundance. Today, the
forest is less diverse and, as a result, less resilient to
pests, disease and the impacts of a changing climate.
The Nature Conservancy is collaborating with public
agencies and private landowners to restore the health
and diversity of northeast Minnesota’s vast forests.
We are using timber harvests to mimic fire and other
natural events that shape forest structure and diversity
over time and planting trees, especially conifers. Other
management strategies such as thinning, brush removal
and prescribed burning are equally important.
“Minnesota’s Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation helped
fund reforestation on Conservancy land in the Sand
Lake-Seven Beavers and Manitou conservation areas,”
said Doug Thompson, the Conservancy’s Northeast
Minnesota program director. “Even more importantly,
perhaps, they helped us attract federal and state funding
to expand that work to thousands of acres of public land.”
Top photo: The Great Lakes’ northern
forests stretch from Minnesota to New
York, surrounding shorelines such as Lake
Superior, seen here. © Jason Whalen
“We are stepping up monitoring efforts to see if the
strategies we’re using are increasing diversity and
making the forest more resilient,” Thompson added.
“We’ll share what we learn with other forest managers
across the region and Great Lakes basin so we can all
adapt and improve our management and ultimately
reach our goal of restoring sustainable forests that help
protect water quality in rivers and lakes.”
“We want to make the forests in this area as
healthy as possible so people can use and
enjoy them now and in the future,” said
Joan Gardner-Goodno, executive director
of the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation.
“We’re excited The Nature Conservancy has made a
long-term commitment to forest restoration in this
area, and we continue to support their work because
they have the science, strategies and staff needed
to get results,” she added.
Bottom photo: Joan Gardner-Goodno
of the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation
© Amanda Hansmeyer/Shutter Stories
Giving to the Great Lakes Page 5
Collaborating on Climate Change
“Plant and animal species are on the move, and we’ve got to
think about their conservation beyond state boundaries.”
When Jeff Walk, director of science for The Nature
Conservancy in Illinois, took on the task of updating
Illinois’ seven-year-old plan for conserving wildlife and
their habitats, he had a new threat to consider—climate
change.
While updating the plan, Walk and his team assessed 163
“Species in Greatest Need of Conservation” and their
vulnerability to climate change. They discovered that
changes in temperature, precipitation patterns and species’
ability to move and respond to climate change are key
factors in determining how to protect them in the future.
“Because climate change is a large-scale threat, coordinated
conservation actions across a region like the Great Lakes
will be more effective than individual state-by-state
activities that address the threat only at a local scale,”
said Walk.
As other states begin updating their Wildlife Action Plans,
Walk’s work in Illinois can be a valuable resource. His work
has been summarized in one of four climate adaptation case
studies created by the Conservancy’s Great Lakes Project.
These case studies show how considering future climate
changes in project planning can help ensure we are investing
Top photo: The sun sets at Miner’s Beach at Pictured Rocks National
Lakeshore. © Matt Williams/TNC
Bottom photo: John Nordgren, leader of The Kresge Foundation’s
Environment Team. © The Kresge Foundation
Page 6
Page 5
in conservation actions that provide the right benefits
to nature and people over the long term.
A recent Nature Conservancy survey, funded by
The Kresge Foundation, found that only 21 percent
of Great Lakes natural resource managers and
conservation practitioners feel they have sufficient
information to address climate impacts.
To tackle this information deficit, Great Lakes Project
staff are creating climate adaptation case studies and
sharing them via the Collaboratory for Adaptation
to Climate Change, an online tool for sharing
information needs, ideas, tools and experiences in
climate change adaptation.
“Climate change threatens everything from human
health to the long-term sustainability of natural
systems like the Great Lakes,” said John Nordgren,
senior program officer with The Kresge Foundation.
“The Nature Conservancy is providing knowledge
and tools to help people and nature adapt to the
unavoidable consequences of climate change, and
The Kresge Foundation is pleased to support their
insightful work.”
Legacy Club
The Legacy Club is composed of donors who have made
a life income gift with the Conservancy or who have
named the Conservancy in their estate plans. We would
like to recognize the following Michigan Legacy Club
members who have entrusted us with their legacy.
Anonymous (49)
Lucille J. Adams
Doris L. Adler
Christine R. Aiello
Larry Alber & Patricia White
Susan Alexander
Daniel & Doris Andersen
Barbara Anderson
Gerald Anderson
Hannah & Bradley Anderson
Robert & Catherine Anthony
Doris Applebaum
Christine Armbrecht
Gary Armbrecht
Donna A. & Paul S. Atkins
Richard L. Augustine
Pearl V. Augustine
Donald & Dorothy Ayer
Robert J. Ayotte
Brian Bahler
Nancy Baidas
Randall G. Baidas & William K. Reeves
Donald & Sally Baker
Jocelyn M. Baker
Mary Lou Baker
Linda J. Bakke
William H. Banzhaf & Adela Backiel
David Barr & Joann Gren
Nancy A. Bates
Sharon R. Batwin
Doris H. Bauer
William C. & Elaine Baxter
Susan Beattie
Terry Beaver
Gordon E. & Lucille C. Becker
Rosemary Benedetti
J. David & Mary G. Benedict
Katheryn G. Benedict
Diane Bergman
Marjorie A. Berndt
Miss Marty Betts
Patricia A. & Dean Beyer
Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Bielawski
Elizabeth S. Bishop
Susan Black
Joanne Blum
Florence Bolton
Charles & Kathleen Bonneau
Will G. & Joyce T. Bottje
Bernie & Vlasta Bovee
Mrs. Richard Bowlby
Carolyn Jo Boyd
Jennifer Branch-Sailor
Deor Braun
Beverly Brighton
Lesley & Megan Brill
Rebecca Brock
Suzanne Brooks
Kristine Brown
David Bruno
Marlene Bryson
Mary Jo Bujak & Mary Jane Kominske
Kathryn A. Bulkley
Jewell D. Burdette
Robyn Burnham
Karen V. Busch
David T. Butkovich
Nancy Camilleri
Robert P. Carr
Dick Cartmill
Curt & Arlys Caslavka
Owen S. Cecil III
John & Marcia Chamberlin
Lynn & Ray Chateau
Timothy A. & Dalene R. Chick
Thomas & Trese Christensen
Mary F. Christner
Marion Church
Marilyn Citron
John N. & Jane A. Clark
Susan Clarke
Thomas H. Cobb
Jane D. Coffman
Joanna M. Cohen
Kenneth L. Collard
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Collins
RoseAnn Comstock
Donna Conley
Thomas B. Cook & Anna Owens
Joan & James Coppinger
James & Carol Coulter
Nancy O. Coulter
Grant & Lori Crago
Carole Crawford
Mary C. Crichton
Floyd & Pamela Croy
Mary Dahlgren
Linda Kay Daniels
William G. & Kathleen L. Davis
Carol Debaker
Philip DeBlock
Peter DeBoer
Joyce & Michael Deren
Dean R. Dickelman
J. Dienes
Yvonne Dodgson
Linda A. Dodson
Stanley & Betsy Dole
Joan Doman
Joyce Ann Donath
Monica Donnelly
George & Laura Dora
Peggy J. Dorris
Bryce & Pamela Dreeszen
Susan Durance
Max & Marge Eckert
Dr. Darlene M. Eddy
Dr. J. E. Ellis
Lon & Lynn Emerick
Ira & Valerie Engeltjes
William Engle
Paul S. Ensign
Dr. Dave N. Ewert
Ted & Millie Fasing
C. Denise Fawcett & Don L. Tilton
Samuel F. & Elizabeth M. Febba
Denise Figiel
Stephen K. Fisher
Gene C. & Gertrude Follis
Gunther S. Fonken & Agnes J. Hughes
Rebecca J. Fonner
Ginger Forsell
Stephen Fox
Gerald & Donna Foy
Richard W. Frankel
Jane S. French
Jane E. Friedle
Candace Friedman
Diana & Thomas Friedrich
Denise Fruin-Veni
Patricia L. Frye
Melanie B. Fullman
Patricia L. Gabriel & Charlene A. Pahl
Joseph & Mary Gamble
Barbara G. Garbutt
Gerald T. Gardner
Howard L. Garrett
Diane M. Gartland
Suzanne Gartz
Florence Y. Gasdick
Judy Gaspar
David D. & Sue J. Gay
Keith & Sally Gebben
Elizabeth Anne & Eric Geib
Madeline Gemolas
Michael & Terri Giampetroni
Aubrey W. Gibson
Geoffrey & Susan Gilbert
Beth Gilford & John R. Alden
June Glen
Terry R. Gordon
Michael & Chris Grant
Pat Grasser
John J. Grega
Ralph L. Gregory
Thomas Griebe
Jane E. Griffin
John Gross & Carol L. Wesch
Margaret A. Grost
Priscilla Guenther
Josefina L. Gunderson
Rebecca F. Hagerman
James & Ann Hancock
John S. Hand
Kay Hartmann
Paula R. Hartmann
Karen A. Hasenstab
Dr. James & Susan Hatfield
Steve Hathaway
Roger S. Helman
Jon B. Helmrich
Jean S. Henning
Anna Marie Henrich & Jack Koepfgen
Magda Herkhof
Melody Herr
Vincent Herreid
Dawn Hibbard
Wendell P. Hill
Douglas Hoek
John Hofweber
Robert & Sue Holloway
Tom & Lauri Holmes
Mr. & Mrs. Russell Holmes
Patricia A. Honton
Bryan A. Hopkins
Victor Horton
James E. Houston
Gregg & Lydia Howard
Joel E. & Barbara Huber
Patrick L. Hudson
Chuck Hughes
Franklin E. Hull, MD
Lois Huller
Thomas & Colleen Hurst
Mary Idelsohn
James Montgomery Jackson
Lisa Jackson
Harry & June Janis
Carol Janssen
Carolyn Jean
Marie D. Johansen
Anne Johnson
Richard Johnson
Bill & Nancy Johnson
Michael C. Johnston
Matt & Cyndi Johnstone
Jean Ann Jones
Vikki & Clifford Jones
Laura S. Judge
Margaret Kaminski
Lois S. Karasek
Fern S. Katz
Barbara Kaufmann
Patrick & Christine Kelley
John A. Kennaugh
Keith & Vada Kepler
E. L. Kiel
Dorothy & Thomas Kim
Richard B. King
Edward A. Klemm
Jeff D. Knoop
Mary E. T. Koenen
Dr. & Mrs. Peter Koptik
Laurie L. Krebs
Donna M. Kuchapsky
Leslie A. Kuhn
Margaret L. Kujawa
Michael H. Lambert
Richard & Vivian Lamorte
Greg Landsfeld & Audrey McQueer
George A. Lane & Sue Haske Lane
Leigh A. Lash
Linore Latham
George H. Lauff, Ph.D.
Dr. Louis F. Lawrence
Albert H. & Helen Le Blanc
Scott S. Lemen
Allan S. Leonard
Bob & Joyce Leppard
John & Maureen Lewandowski
Pamela J. Lewis & S. L. Youngblood
Joseph & Suzanne Lile
Mr. & Mrs. Gerald E. Lindquist
Jeff Lindsey
Charles & Marylyn Link
Patricia A. Little & Raymond V.
Barbehenn
David C. Lixey
Jack P. & Sylvia L. Lockwood
Mike & Jan Lozon
Lawrence T. Lucas
Mr. & Mrs. Lawrence Ludwicki
Melissa Luttrell
Cynthia Lynne
Donnie Lytle
Daniel & Nancy Maas
Mary Lou MacNeil
Deborah Magennis
Roland & Roberta A. Maki
Thomas A. Malloy, Jr.
Timothy J. Maloney
Joseph Matesa & Joanne Sharpe
Larry S. & Rowena G. Matthews
Gregory May
Edith A. Maynard
James P. & Nancy L. Maywar
Patrick M. McConeghy
Mr. & Mrs. William S. McIlrath
Craig & Terri McManus
Michelle M. Meinhardt
Grace Menzel
Annette J. Messinger
Sol Metz
David C. Meyers
Thomas F. & Judith G. Mich
Kenneth R.
& Cassandra A. Middleton
Sharon K. Miller
Dennis V. Mirku
Jerald A. Mitchell
Edwin M. & Wendy S. Monsell
Samuel Moore
Francis L. Morse
Robert B. Muir
James A. Munro
Drs. Susan & Terry Murphy
Karen A. Muse
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Naber
James & Lynn Newman
Richard W. & Mary F. Nicholas
James M. & Mary Beth Nicholson
Emily Nietering
Peter H. Northup & Jan Micetic
Diane Norton
Mr. & Mrs. Rex O’Dell
Eileen L. Oehler
Barbara Ann O’Kelly
Ronald W. Olsen
The O’Neill Family
Frances O’Neill
Elizabeth A. Osborne
John & Penny Owen
Beverley Anne Pack
Connie Page & Tom Conner
Thomas J. Page, Jr.
Sally K. Palaian
Nancy L. Pawlak
Florence L. Payne
Mary C. Payne
Norma J. Pence
Mr. and Mrs. Les Perino
William Perkis
Ezra W. Perry
James & Julie Peterson
Lois Peterson
William & Wesenyelesh Peterson
Carol Phelps
Gerald A. Phillips
Bonnie Pierce
Howard & Lorraine Pierce
Mr. & Mrs. Bennett Planck
Benjamin J. Platt
Margaret Platts
Nancy Ross-Flanigan
Jonathan D. Polk
Patricia Potter
Paula Preuthun
Jill Price & John Maciejewski
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Priest
Sandra G. Prochazka
Richard S. Pruner
Larry & Donna Purcey
Robert E. Purdy
Mary K. Raden
Drs. William S. & Barbara Rafaill
Monica L. Randles
& Andrew Maternowski
Happy & Bill Rands
Martha Ratliff & T. Eliassen
Emily Sue Redmond
Elisabeth J. Rees
Thomas A. Reinbold
Lori Reineke & Larry Cieply
Cadi Reiss
John C. & Linda M. Remsberg
M. Rita Reuter
Larry Ricco
Sylvia A. Ritchie
Richard & Juanita Ritland
Margaret A. Roberts
Mary E. Robinson
Ed & Elyse Rogers
John Rogers
Duane Rorabacher
Jane Rose
Margaret K. Ross
Stephen Ross
David Rouse
Sharon S. Ruble
Jo Ellen Rudolph
Max Runkle
Pamela Rups
David Sabbagh
James & Janet Sage
Mary Beth T. Sanborn
Sylvia Sanders
James Schafer
Yvonne Schilla
Lois Schneyer
Steven Schondorf
Michael & Lisa Schoppmann
Sheldon D. Schubiner
DuWayne & Jean Schuler
Dan Schwab
Lloyd A. & Cynthia T. Semple
Arthur & Mathilde Seski
Jocelyn Shaffer
The Martin Shedleski Family
Deborah L. Sherrod & Sheryl Judd
Betty Sherwood
Heather & Rick Shumaker
Dorothy A. Sibley
Hal & June Siebert
Virginia Siegrist
Mary M. Sies
Dr. Sandra J. Simmons
Dr. David Sluyter
Patricia M. Smaby
Dr. Thomas E. Small
Ms. J. Dannette Smith
Rick & Sue Snyder
Laurie K. Sommers
Marvin Spatz
John & Leslee Spraggins
Tom St. Dennis
Karen & Donald Stearns
Kristine A. Steensma M.D.
Harriet Stephens
Vern & Lyda Stillwell
Gary Stock
Leonard S. & Marlene J. Stokes
Judy Stoppel
Barbara J. Stowell
Harold & Sylvia Stratton
Lee Strodtman
Marcia V. Stucki
Elly Sullivan
Georgianna Swalm
Diane Swartz
Mrs. Oscar V. Swoveland
Donald & Linda Szeszycki
Betty Tableman
Katy Takahashi
& Richard D. Brewer
Judy & John Tatum
Helen Taylor & R. Dean Bolton
Charlene Terrana
Dr. Robert W. & Jo-Ann E. Teufel
Robin Thomas
John Thome
William & Margaret Thurber
Rebecca Tobey
Angeline M. Tomasik
E. Diane Tope
Gerald & Barbara Toshalis
Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Towers
Duane & Theresa Townley
Leanne C. Trebilcock
Mark D. & Christine G. Troudt
Joan Tseronis
Robert Tupper
Ms. Barbara Underwood
Warren G. Uxley, Jr.
Dr. Douglas Valek
Kevin L. van den Bosch
Katherine Van Hoy
James & Margaret Van Pernis
Christine Van Wagoner
Virginia D. Vanden Broek
Janet K. Vanden Hout
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Vander Velde
Robert A. Vanderkamp
Loesken Vanderpoel
Linda A. Varner
Rodney Varner
Sandra Vary
Gregory & Wendy Vaughan
Dr. Lois M. Verbrugge
& Mr. Elmer G.Gilbert
Richard & Joy Visser
Ryan Waddington
Brian & Joan Wake
Lois E. Waldecker
J. Walker
Alicia C. Wallace
Ellen & Dale Wasson
Thomas & Barbara Webber
Dorothy E. Webster
John H. Weis
Zelma H. Weisfeld
William & Ruth Welsch
Fred N. Welsh & Elizabeth F. Oke
Mary K. Wilcox
Warren Wille
C. R. Williams
Cynthia E. Williams
Sue Williams
Suzanne B. Williams
Kim & Ross Winchell
Betty Wisberger
Dr. Daryl D. Wisdom
Mr. Bruce Wolck
Roger C. & Debra J. Wolf
Nancy M. Wood
Charlene Woods
Marlene Woo-Lun
Donald Wujek
Joan Yaroch
Gary & Norma Zeimen
Linda G. Ziesmer
Gwendolyn Zimmer
& David Freestone
Go deeper! More information about our work in the
Great Lakes online. nature.org/greatlakes
Darren Crabtree in Lake Ontario. © Mathew Levine/TNC
Multi-Year Supporters 2012
Annual Fund Support 2012
We are proud to give special recognition to the following
individuals, companies, foundations and organizations who
supported our work with a multi-year commitment to the
Great Lakes Project and Michigan-based donors who made
multi-year commitments to other domestic or international
conservation projects between July 2, 2011 and June 30, 2012.
We would also like to recognize the following individuals, companies, foundations and organizations who have supported our work in the Great Lakes as well as Michigan-based donors who
supported other domestic or international conservation projects with cumulative gifts of $1,000
or more between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.
$1,000,000-$9,999,999
Menakka & Essel Bailey
The Dow Chemical Company Fdn
The Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow Fdn
The Kresge Foundation
J.A. Woollam Foundation
$500,000-$999,999
The Carls Foundation
Debra & Robert Cervenka
The Crown Family
Richard C. Devereaux Foundation
Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Inc.
Great Lakes Protection Fund
The Meijer Foundation
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Nature Conservancy of Canada
The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation
$250,000-$499,999
Arcus Foundation
DTE Energy Foundation
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Richard & Jane Manoogian Foundation
Ralph & Jeanne Graham
Happy & Bill Rands
Mr. & Mrs. Tadd Seitz
Karen & Donald Stearns
$25,000-$49,999
Anonymous (1)
Robert & Catherine Anthony
Scott & Kathy Heitmann
Fred P. Keller
Jeffrey C. & Cynthia M. Littman
The John R. Oishei Foundation
The Karen & Drew Peslar Foundation
Dean E. & Barbara J. Richardson Fdn
Lloyd A. & Cynthia T. Semple
Waite-Brand Foundation
Frederick S. Upton Foundation
Wege Foundation
$10,000-$24,999
Dan Wyant & Kathy Bouchard-Wyant
$100,000-$249,999
Thomas H. Arnold
Donald F. Chandler
Tony & Sarah Earley
Ruth R. & Alfred R. Glancy III
Labe & Carol Jackson
Bruce & Peggy Kresge
Eiko & Gary Seevers
Weyerhaeuser/Day Foundation
Matilda R. Wilson Fund
$5,000 - $9,999
J. David & Susan Allan
Baker Publishing Group
William H. Banzhaf & Adela Backiel
Greg & Kathy Boylston
Michael H. Boylston
William & Kathleen Davis
Christopher & Linda Edgar
Paul C. & Nancy Hillegonds
Scott L. Holman
Tad & Nancy Jeffrey
Walter & Laura Jolly
Richard & Juanita Ritland
$50,000-$99,999
Anonymous (1)
Patrick & Aimee Butler Family Fdn
Dr. Buck Drew
Mr. Jeffrey Drew
$1,000 – $4,999
Barbara J. DeMoor
Ms. Elisa C. Demis
JoAnne Martin
Milton W. & Barbara J. Rohwer
We extend our deep appreciation to the thousands of donors not listed here whose
commitments make our conservation results possible.
$400,000+
J.A. Woollam Foundation
$100,000-$399,999
Erb Family Foundation
The Joyce Foundation
Pearson Penguin Group
$50,000-$99,999
Coca-Cola Foundation
Consumers Energy Foundation
General Motors Corporation
Sally Mead Hands Foundation
James B. & Ann V. Nicholson
$25,000-$49,999
Compuware Corporation
Dow Chemical Company
Marty & Eleanor Sedluk
Karen & Donald Stearns
Marilyn & Robert Welker, in memory
of Harvey C. & Louise Lisle
$10,000-$24,999
Anonymous (1)
Gerard M. & Lizann W. Anderson
James & Mary Anderson
Leslie C. Devereaux
Stanley & Betsy Dole
Dykema Law Firm
General Motors Foundation
Hahn Family Foundation
Bruce E. & Janet K. Holbrook
Deborah & Addison E. Igleheart
The Kresge Foundation
The Jean T. Lambert Foundation
Steven Leuthold Family Fdn
Thomas F. & Judith G. Mich
Net(net)
James M. & Mary Beth Nicholson
NiSource
Odin/Berkana Foundation
Florence Upjohn Orosz
Barbara L. Piper
Ralph L. & Winifred E. Polk Fdn
PricewaterhouseCooper
B. T. Rocca, Jr. Foundation
Rochester Birding Association, Inc.
Elizabeth, Allan & Warren Shelden Fdn
Lloyd A. & Cynthia T. Semple
Mrs. Christine B. Turnbull
Amy E. Upjohn & Bradley Vandenberg
Martha Upjohn
Mrs. Richard C. Van Dusen
James D. & Jane P. Watermolen Fdn
John H. Weis
$5,000 - $9,999
Anonymous (1)
The Andersons, Inc.
Charles E. Bean
Richard J. & Susan Bingham
The Blodgett Foundation
Camelback Products, LLC
Ken & Judi M. Carpenter
Robert H. & Lottie R. Clark
Charitable Trust
EarthShare of Michigan
Nancy Hammond
Steven K. & Sheila Hamp
Highfield Foundation
Dr. Franklin Hull
James M. Jackson
Jerry & Eve Jung
Doug & Corinne Kee
Jeanie & Murray Kilgour
William T. Leeburg
Edith A. Maynard, in memory of
John M. Allen & Edward G. Voss
Olivia Maynard & Olaf Karlstrom
Ms. Phyllis Meek
Norman Foundation, Inc.
Alden C. & Barbara Olson
Mr. Charles A. Rini
Mr. & Mrs. Randolph W. Schein
Kevin & Shelley Toren
Ann & Clayton Wilhite
Lawrence & Sylvia Wong
$1,000 – $4,999
Anonymous (6)
Joel W. Ager, Jr.
Diane Alessi
Elizabeth Anderson
Robert & Catherine Anthony
Sam & Mary Austin
Charles & Dana Aymond
David Bach & Jill Latta
Brian & Caroline Bahler
Mrs. Ruth Baidas
Dr. David Baker
Linda M. Beale & Clifford D. Clark
Dalice Benge
Phyllis W. Bentley
Lawrence Berlin
Ann Bickford
Note: Every effort has been made to list donors and their contributions accurately. Please contact a member of the Philanthropy
Team at (517) 316-0300 if you have any questions or concerns. The Nature Conservancy regrets any errors or omissions.
Giving to the Great Lakes Page 7
Annual Fund Donor List (continued)
John R. Black
Pamela Blondin & Harold Lenhart
Kathryn Boehnke
Beverly Bonning & Jeffrey Lapinski
F. James & Kathryn Bricker
Marcie & Mike Brogan
David & Sharon Brooks
Ralph R. Brown
Michael & Geraldine Buckles
Jean B. Burnett
Jim & Sandra Cain
Catherine Caneau
Matt & Karen Capaldi
Steven J. & Geri Carlson
Clannad Foundation
John & Nancy Colina
RoseAnn Comstock
Nancy Malcomson Connable Fund
Tom Cook & Anna Owens
David Cornelius
Paul N. Courant & Marta Manildi
John & Kristen Courtney
Elizabeth J. Crosby
Anthony & Bonnie Delsener
Ms. Elisa C. Demis
Stephany R. Diana
Donald I. Dickmann
Steve & Judy Dobson
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Doerner
Domino’s Pizza LLC
John & Janet Dunn
Marilyn R. Durham
Robert & Gail Earles
Steve & Janine Easter
Christopher & Linda Edgar
Ms. Michele Eickholt & Dr. Lee Green
Enbridge Energy Partners
Mrs. Charles Endicott
John M. & Debbie Erb
Fred Fechheimer
Lennard A. & Patricia Fisk
Gunther S. Fonken & Agnes J. Hughes
William & Martha Ford Fund
Floyd N. Fox
Alan W. & Ann Frank
Judith & Paul Freedman
Karen & Daniel Friderici
Jane E. Friedle
Lyle W. & Diane Frost
Daniel Fulmer
Hugh Garton
Aubrey W. Gibson
Beth Gilford & John R. Alden
Ann W. Gilkey
Ruth R. & Alfred R. Glancy III
Patricia A. & John M. Glidewell
Jerry Glowniak
Albert M. & Lyda M. Green Fdn
David & Marilyn Granner
Cynthia & David Greenwald
Donald C. & Doris G. Griffith Fdn
Dr. Laurel A. Grotzinger
Joanne Guyton-Simmons
Carroll J. Haas
Jack O. Haeger
Susan F. & Cliff Haka
Robert L. Hamel
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Hannigan
Morton & Brigitte Harris Foundation
Dr. James L. Hayward
Starla & David Hazen
Christopher & Nancy Heberer
Toni L. Herrick
Martin & Nancy Hillila
Richard & JoAnn Hirth
Annie D. Holmes
Bryan A. Hopkins
Laurene H. Horiszny
& Richard C. Stavoe, Jr.
Joel E. & Barbara Huber
Karl Hudgins
Barbara & Ronald Hupman
IBM Employee Services Center
Labe & Carol Jackson
David C Jencks
Kent & Mary Johnson
Rev. Steven H. Jones
Judy M. Judd
Frank & Gail Jurenka
The Jury Foundation
Michael & Sarah Jury
Robert Kachman
John J. Kelly
Keith & Vada Kepler
Kris Klynstra & Judith Ann Shirley
Mrs. Charles Knoop
Michael R. Knox
Steve M. Kobylarz
David Kraus
Kenneth W. & Elizabeth L. Krause
George A. Lane & Sue Haske Lane
Jay Laney
Dr. John P. Langmore
Bernice A. Lasker
George H. Lauff, Ph.D.
Charles E. Letts, Jr.
Barbara J. & Frederick C. Levantrosser
Dorothy F. Levine
Timothy & Joy Light
Michael & Ingrid Lockhart
Scott & Linda Maclean
Don Manvel
Catherine & Rick Markham
Martin Family Foundation
Jeffrey M. Masters & Diane Hallinen
Olivia Maynard & Olof Karlstrom
David & Kathleen Mayo
Dottie McDowell
Patrick McConeghy
Annemary Meeter Trust
Ann R. Meredith
Gary Michalek
Mindy Miller
John & Renate Mirsky
The MLM Charitable Foundation
Illa Moffett
Linda & Tom Monks
Sascha D. Montross
Valerie Morgan
Janet A. Morosco
The Mosaic Foundation of Peter
& Rita Heydon
Jane M. Mueller
Drs. Susan & Terry Murphy
Pearl Nicholls
Preston S. & Barbara J. Parish Fdn
Anna Paulina Foundation
Jeff & Emily Pearson
Glenn & Ellen Peterson
Richard L. Plambeck
Roger A. Poorman
Brian & Jennifer Prather
Alan Rackov
Stanley Rajnak
Patricia A & Gerald R. Raker
Renaissance, in memory
of Lawrence Hurt
Molly H. Reno
Steven A. Reynolds
Tony & Susan Reznicek
Margaret Riecker
Constance Rinehart
Suzanne Robinson
Suzanne Rodriguez
M. Russell, in memory of David
& Patricia Russell
William H. Salot, M.D.
Jan Schlaff
Walter A. & Hans Schober
Mr. & Mrs. Doug Schrank
The Late Evelyn Schwarz
Dave Seaver
Eiko & Gary Seevers
Marian J. Self
Kenneth A. Shaw
John R. Shreves
Sandra B. & Richard H. Simon
Mr. & Mrs. John B. Snyder
Barry Solomon & Pat Gotschalk
Molly Spitnale
Steelcase Foundation
C. Hugh Stephens
Terri Steppe
Vern & Lyda Stillwell
Claire Stoker
Stucki Family Foundation
Jonathan Sugar & Nancy Barbas
Betty Tableman
Jerry T & Gerry Tamm
Jean Simpson Ten Eyck
& Andrew Ten Eyck
United Way for Southeastern MI
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Van Frank
Chris & Deborah Vanden Broek
Kathleen Veilleux, in honor of
Karen Stearns
Peter S. & Carol A. Walters
Jonathan T. Walton, Jr.
Henry M. Wellman III
Kimberly & Ken Whipple
Dr. Katherine E. White
Robert F. & Marina V. Whitman
George Wickstrom
Cynthia L. Wilhelm
Karen & John Wilson
Ed Withey & Louise Wepfer
Mr. Derek Young
Zulu Nyala
Bequests
Anonymous (1)
Dr. Mary L. Cretens
Margaret E. Frischkorn
Jeanne E. Hall
Carl H. Haussman
Harriett R. Haycock
Beth Howarth
Marybeth Koeze
Helen I. McMillan
Hazel Ohl
Margaret H. Powell
Dr. Beverly Rathcke
Evelyn Schwarz
Gertrude A. Schwarz
Dorothy Sheets
Mark D. Stern
Richard W. Sturgis
Richard C. Timm
Shirley Vesely
Edward Yatsko, Jr.
Recruit for
Conservation
The Nature Conservancy’s
work to protect the Great
Lakes depends upon people
like you. Help us by inviting
your friends and family to
become a Conservancy
member.
Learn more at nature.org.
The Nature Conservancy
101 East Grand River
Lansing, MI 48906
nature.org/michigan
TNC/2013
To make a gift of any kind to The Nature Conservancy is an act of generosity. To make a long-term gift—one
derived from the work of a lifetime—is to make a commitment beyond measure.
Give the Gift
of a Lifetime
The Legacy Club is a group of Nature Conservancy
supporters who have made a lasting commitment to
conservation by making a life-income gift with the
Conservancy or by naming the Conservancy as a
beneficiary in their estate plans. The Legacy Club is
a way for us to recognize this profound contribution
to The Nature Conservancy’s future.
Morgan Swamp, Ohio. © Ian Adams
To learn more about The Legacy Club, or if you are a
Legacy Club member and have a question, please contact
Janet Lee at (517) 316-2270 or [email protected].
For more information, please visit us online at nature.org/legacyclub
Create Your Conservation Legacy
For more than half a century, thousands of bequests
and planned gifts have provided vital support for
the lands and waters you care about. Today you can
help continue this tradition by making a lasting
commitment to the Conservancy. When you
join The Legacy Club, you help ensure that the
conservation work we pioneer today will continue
long into the future.
Legacy Club Benefits
• A personalized membership certificate;
ature Conservancy magazine, our award• Nwinning
quarterly publication;
• The semi-annual newsletter, Legacy;
• The Conservancy’s annual report;
invitations offering participants a unique
• Tandripup-close
look at our work;
• Invitations to special events; and
• Exclusive discounts and offers.
How to Join The Legacy Club
Membership is voluntary and without obligation.
You can become a member of The Legacy Club by
naming the Conservancy in your will or estate plan
or by making a life-income gift or utilizing real
estate to fund your gift.