The Montcalm Community College Foundation donated $10,000 to help with the cleanup of the Kenneth J. Lehman Nature Trails on Montcalm Community College’s Sidney campus. 

The Nature Trails Committee hired Dave Pyle, one of MCC’s Early College instructors, to complete various improvements on the trails this summer. The other half of the money is being used to hire the Kent County Strike Team, an invasive species group through the soil conservation district, to eliminate the autumn olive problem on the trails. 

“We need all the help we can get,” said Michelle Gibson, Nature Trails Committee member and Biology Instructor. 

Pyle started his improvements with the disc golf course.  

“I started by pruning back the brush, limbs, and fallen trees, and then marked the course better so it was easier to follow,” he said. “I then ran a brush cutter and made the path easier to walk on and kept the ‘green stuff’ cut back. Since the freshening up, I’ve noticed more traffic out on the course and have received a lot of positive feedback.” 

After finishing up the disc golf course, he started work on the trails. He focused on pruning back the branches and making them wider and easier to walk on.  

“The Tree Swallow Loop was so overgrown that there were several areas that were impassable, but all the trails are accessible now,” Pyle said. “I’m hoping to get most of the trails wide enough to get a small vehicle down them so when we collect sap in the spring for the Sugar Shack for making maple syrup.” 

He also worked on replacing boards on the bridges and checking for damage. Another part of the project was installing six duck houses, along with a bluebird house that can be viewed remotely. Pyle also installed 10 ceramic birdhouses along the Forest Heritage Trail and the White Pine Trail.  

“The houses are numbered one through ten, and the plan is to give people something to look for when they are out on the trails,” he said. “The one through ten are for the younger hikers, and they can look for all ten houses. There’s an additional handout that goes with them that asks questions about the area around that specific birdhouse. It’ll give those walking on the trail something to do if walking isn’t enough to keep them motivated.” 

Other additions Pyle has made to the trails include installing tree faces to various trees with character along the way, adding additional geocaches, and adding fairy/gnome doors to the trees. 

“It is things like these that will give people something to do out on the trails if they don't feel like just walking,” he said. “They can look for faces on trees, tiny fairy doors, geocaches, and birdhouses. It will give people another reason to get out and enjoy our trails here on campus.” 

Gibson said the trails are an important part of the Sidney campus. 

“The trails are a good marketing tool for the college for recruitment, student activities, as well as an awesome link to the community,” she said. 

Pyle has really enjoyed working on the trails this summer. He said they have a couple other cool ideas, including a scavenger hunt, to improve the trails.  

“Come on out and check out MCC’s trails, and we’ll keep adding things for you to do and see,” he said. 

The trails are open to the public from dawn until dusk, 365 days a year. More than four miles of trails are marked with numbered trail posts, and maps are available at most major trail heads. There is no charge to visit these beautiful trails, which wind through forests, grasslands and wetlands. Visit montcalm.edu/nature-trails for more information and virtual trail maps.

Media inquiries, please contact:

Shelly Springborn
Director of Communications and Public Relations
shellys@montcalm.edu
989-560-0833