by laura hoksbergen

Features Editor

One Saturday morning a month, the nature preserve receives a few more visitors than the normal deer, snakes, and cheap Calvin dates. Children, families, and anyone who wishes to come, gather by the gatehouse mid-morning and go for a discovery walk in the preserve.

``We want to help people become more aware of what happens in the preserve,'' said Cheryl Hoogewind, the Ecosystem Preserve Manager.

Each walk has its own theme and its own special tour guide, who decides the length and the route of each walk.

The next tour, on May 4, will be led by Bill Sweet, a retired Christian High teacher and member of the Audubon Society. He will be leading a ``bird walk'' in which the group is taught how to identify birds from their calls.

In June, Mary Jane Dockeray will lead a spring wildflower tour.

``People of all ages are invited,'' said Hoogewind. ``And we hope to do even more of these next fall.''

But Saturday is not the only day where people enjoy the beauty of the preserve. Currently, eighteen student tour guides are employed by the nature preserve. These students are responsible for leading the elementary school children who come to the preserve on field trips.

``We welcome the students, split them up into small groups, and lead them through the trails,'' said Emily Vitton, one of the student tour guides. ``We make various stops to play games, talk about different plants, and observe our surroundings.''

Each class level has a different focus. For the younger children, the focus is on the five senses and for the older children, the focus is on the habitats of the animals.

``I am impressed by the knowledge that these kids have when they come to the preserve,'' said Vitton. ``It's surprising how quickly they will jump into a conversation about `echolocation' or the difference between predator and prey. It's fun being with kids who are excited to be outdoors and observing things we might walk by without noticing. It reminds me that I want to be a teacher.''

When there aren't groups of children or families or tours going on, the nature preserve is still being monitored. ``Preserve Stewards'' walk the paths, both the public and private ones, and make sure all is well in the woods.

``We monitor bird/animal activity, enforce rules (no running, no dogs, stay on the trail...), pick up trash, keep the trails cleared of branches and trees, etc., etc...'' said Emily Hoekwater, one of the stewards.

``We also keep a list of bird species that are seen and any other wildlife that we see, noting any exceptional behaviors such as fighting or courtship,'' said Laurie Pasma, another steward. ``We keep a record of the climate conditions each time we work, and also the number of visitors... We are responsible for maintaining the trail system and keeping it safe for visitors.''

The preserve is home to many species of animals and birds: whitetail deer, foxes, turkeys, and some herons, to name a few. There may even be a few great horn owls nesting on the preserve.

``Once, while I was walking on the trail, a red-tailed hawk swooped down right in front of me and tried to pick up a chipmunk. It was the food web in action,'' said Laurie Pasma.

``I got really close to a whitetail deer last fall - within 30 feet,'' said Emily Hoekwater. ``It seems like every time I'm out there I see something new and exciting.''

The joy of nature is shared by many of the workers on the preserve.

``I enjoy working in the nature preserve because it gives me a chance to be outside and to enjoy nature,'' said Laurie Pasma. ``I have learned a lot about the ecosystem... and I have experience in wildlife monitoring and species identification, which may be important for a future career. I also think it is important to study the ecosystem so we can better preserve the habitat that it provides.''

``I love being outside and having the opportunity to share the love of nature with others,'' said Hoogewind.

Future hopes for the Nature Preserve include an interpretive center, in the works for the next few years. This center would provide a year-round lab and research center.