Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy opens Kindel Natural Area to public; donated by Meridian Township family

A Meridian Township family has donated 98.5 acres of undeveloped land to Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy, Okemos. It is now open free to the public for recreation activities such as hiking, birdwatching, nature observation and cross-country skiing.

Kindel Natural Area is adjacent to the north border of Sleepy Hollow State Park in Clinton County. It is open year-round, sunrise to sunset.

Paul and Judy Kindel and their family owned and enjoyed the property since 1971, and now want others to enjoy it.

“Kindel Natural Area is special to us as Paul is one of the Conservancy’s founders,” Jared Harmon, Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy executive director. “This donation is the capstone of the more than two decades that Paul has worked tirelessly to help amass the more than 3,000 acres of land the Conservancy now protects from development in perpetuity.”

The preserve is two-thirds savanna-style terrain — a mixed woodland-grassland biome and ecosystem with trees widely spaced for an open canopy. The remaining property is forestland with some wetland. It is an ideal attraction for birds and mammals.

Visitors are asked to stay on the mowed walking trails — about a mile and a half — to protect the delicate flora and fauna and to prevent erosion. Dogs on 6-foot leashes are allowed. Not allowed are activities such as those involving bicycles, motorized vehicles, horses and camping. The Conservancy asks visitors to be “trash heroes:” Leave no trace — pack up their trash and pick up litter left by others. More information about the nature preserve, including directions, is on the Conservancy website, www.midmilandcons.org/kindelfamilynaturalarea.

Under Conservancy ownership, Kindel Natural Area is protected from development in perpetuity, and its ecological function will continue to be improved. This includes removing invasive plant species to allow native species to flourish, which supports an increased number and a wider diversity of plants and animals.

“Kindel Natural Area is the Conservancy’s eighth nature preserve in mid/southern-Michigan,” said Harmon. “All are open to the public. Our goal is to encourage people to explore these undeveloped properties, expose visitors to the beauty of natural, scenic, farm and recreational lands, and gain their support of land preservation and environmental stewardship.”

There are no admission fees; donations are encouraged.

A dedication ceremony in August recognized the Kindel family for their donation.

Paul said, “It has been a nature haven for us, our two sons and daughter, and it was just 20 minutes from our home. We want to share the wonderful experience of connecting with nature on land that has not been developed and is near population centers.”

The donation also supports the Kindels’ belief in the worldwide initiative of protecting 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas by 2030, known as “30x30.” This initiative is based on evidence that far-reaching protections for the planet’s remaining forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal marshes and other ecosystems are urgently needed to prevent further decline and extinction of plant and animal species and to stabilize the global climate for human habitation.

Paul is a retired biochemistry professor at Michigan State University; Judy is a retired librarian of the East Lansing Public Schools.

The Kindel preserve is located on Taft Road in Ovid Township, adjacent to the north border of Sleepy Hollow State Park in Clinton County, between St. Johns and Owosso.

Information about Conservancy’s other public nature preserves is at www.MidMiLandCons.org/public-nature-preserves.

About Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy

Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land protection organization established in 2002. The Conservancy protects natural, scenic, recreational and agricultural land from development in perpetuity and improves their ecological function. This is accomplished through establishment of conservation easements, fee-simple land ownership, educational initiatives, and partnerships with organizations.

The Conservancy works with landowners and conservation partners in seven counties: Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee, Eaton, Ingham, Jackson and Hillsdale. It has 21 conservation easements that protect about 2,500 acres of private land by permanently limiting use to maintain their conservation values. The Conservancy owns eight nature preserves, totaling more than 500 acres of land. All are open for the public to hike and explore. More information is at www.MidMiLandCons.org.

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