News & Stories
Protecting Wetlands, Connecting People
Photo credit: Grass River Natural Area - 2021 Judge's Choice Award photo by Douglas Anger
Image description: A child running down a wooden boardwalk that winds through a protected wetland landscape featuring green moss, ferns, and a forest canopy at the Grass River Natural Area.
One of Michigan’s premier nature preserves, Grass River Natural Area (GRNA), founded in 1969, is an active, year-round organization that protects wetland habitat located on Antrim County’s Chain of Lakes. In recent years, the organization has advanced its Boardwalk Reconstruction project and, through one of our Community Funds grants, has moved closer to completion.
In 2025, Community Funds contributed to Phase III of GRNA’s Boardwalk Reconstruction in the Sedge Meadow and Fern Trails—another step forward in the project launched in 2017. The original GRNA boardwalk was constructed between 1980 and 1984, and after more than four decades, the structure needed an overhaul.
“We are sought out for our boardwalks as they immerse visitors into ecosystems that would be otherwise inaccessible to the general public,” said Jenn Wright, GRNA Executive Director. “A central part of our mission is to create opportunities that deepen knowledge, appreciation, and community-wide stewardship of the natural environment. Immersion is at the heart of our work.”
Guided by a commitment to accessibility and connecting people to nature, GRNA is improving its boardwalks with their Community Funds grant, helping to bring visitors into the heart of the wetlands.
“Community Foundation funds allowed us to officially close fundraising for this project and focus our efforts on other critical priorities, including development and initial construction of our Natural Playground project, implementation of our Grass River Adaptive Management Plan, and growth of inclusive recreation programming, including expanding access to groups with limited mobility,” said Jenn.
As an environmental recreation and educational destination, GRNA features seven miles of trails across its 1,502 acres and is home to 500 plant species, 147 bird species, and 49 mammal species. To support a welcoming experience for all, the nonprofit maintains a perception pathway for visitors with disabilities that is wheelchair and stroller accessible.
“In a time when funding is being reduced or eliminated, competition for limited community resources is increasing, and as the need for places like GRNA continues to grow, flexible, locally responsive support from partners like the Community Foundation is essential to our ability to thrive,” said Wright. “The Community Foundation has a solid understanding of the needs of the local community, and by investing in innovative infrastructure, human potential, and collaboration, it is helping organizations like GRNA achieve projects that will truly transform lives in our community and beyond.”
As the steward of Michigan’s longest accessible boardwalk, GRNA ensures that these wetlands remain protected and available for everyone to enjoy. Continued support from a variety of partners and funding sources, including our Community Funds, helps sustain this work and secure the preserve’s future as a community treasure.
Writer: Alex Dailey