The Thumb Land Conservancy is working to preserve natural areas in the Thumb of Michigan, a postglacial
landscape where northern forest blends with central hardwoods, bordered by Lake Huron, the
Saginaw Bay, the Saint Clair River, and Lake Saint Clair. The mission territory of the TLC is Saint
Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Lapeer, and Macomb Counties, but we can also work in adjacent
areas as opportunities arise.
Prior News
January 25, 2025
(click HERE to download PDF)230
The Thumb Naturalist.......
With a new year, the Thumb Land Conservancy News has a new name and slightly new focus. The Thumb Land Conservancy dates back to 2008 officially, but 5 years prior to that, I thought about creating a publication dedicated to nature of the Thumb region and drafted the first edition of The Thumb Naturalist 22 years ago in January of 2003. But at that time, there wasn't much of a mailing list to send it to, so it was never published. Gradually, our TLC news approached the publication I envisioned. Now, with our transition to The Thumb Naturalist, in addition to our conservancy news, we hope to include more articles or other works about nature in our region. As always, anyone can contribute, whether you would like to write about a species, a natural area, or submit a story, a poem, an opinion, a photograph, artwork, video link, or just about anything. A few things we strive for in our news, and continuing with The Thumb Naturalist, are to be informative, educational, generally transparent, real, sometimes funny, and encouraging in an otherwise dismal world. As an introduction to The Thumb Naturalist, I want to start with the first 2003 January Issue. It is almost unchanged from the original draft except that I have added information about the last two articles that I never got around to writing. Keep in mind that this first issue is from 22 years ago, so some of the contact information for the Michigan Nature Association is dated, and they did purchase the 9-acre Sharon Rose Leonatti Sanctuary in Kimball Township in Saint Clair County, shortly after this was written. - Bill Collins, Executive Director, TLC
Article Index For This Issue:
The Thumb Naturalist
Bidwell Sanctuary Coastal Trail Development
Lexington County Park Natural Features
and Accessibility Plan Review
Loznak Sanctuary Invasive Shrub Removal
and Seed Collection
Shorewood Forrest Southeast Sanctuary Trail Clearing
New Southern Lake Huron Coastal Park Connection
Wetland Conservation Program Grants
Four County Community Foundation Grant
Land Trust Alliance Grant
Ramsar Designation For The Saint Clair River Delta
World Wetlands Day
Ramsar Designation For The Saint Clair River Delta
By Teddy Wiley, TLC Program and Stewardship Assistant
TLC 2024 Annual Report
2024 TLC Supporters
You Got The Power In 2024
Save Nature Any Place! Sustain Native Animals & Plants!
TLC Winter Stewardship
Clyde Historical Society
One Special Gull
Thyme - Thymus vulgaris
Mysterious Creatures at Silver Trails Scout Camp
Dispatch From A Lapeer County Outpost
The Last Black Spruce in Saint Clair County?
Pre Euro-American Settlement Vegetation
Jack-in-the-Pulpits
TLC Membership
With your membership, the TLC is better enabled to protect important natural areas in our region. We
offer two membership levels: Individual and Family $40, and Business $200. Members will receive
our e-mail news. Membership is also available in trade for volunteer help. You can also make
donations in honor or memory of someone or something. For donations of $100 or more, your name
will be listed on our web site. For larger donations, please contact us for details. Make checks
payable to “Thumb Land Conservancy”. Make sure you provide us with your mailing address
and e-mail address. Providing a phone number is optional but helpful.
Mail checks and forms to:
Thumb Land Conservancy
4975 Maple Valley Road
Marlette, Michigan 48453
You can also make a donation thru our Square link HERE
