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Happy trails
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Glen Chown, a SEAS alumnus, started as the lone staff person at the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy in 1991. He now has a staff of 36 that has worked to preserve more than 47,000 acres of land. Image credit: Jeremy Marble
Along M-22 in northwestern Michigan, people with mobility challenges can access breathtaking views of Lake Michigan from a 300-foot-high platform, explore rare birds and plants in a restored marsh or lose themselves in coastal dunes and forests once off-limits.
The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy has created more than 3 miles of accessible trails since 2016 when the Overlook Trail at Arcadia Dunes opened. It’s all part of the conservancy’s work since 1991 under the leadership of Glen Chown, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS).
The conservancy has protected more than 47,000 acres of land, 155 miles of shoreline and 130 miles of trails since then.
This work on universal access to the natural beauty of northern Michigan has given thousands of disabled people a chance to experience the awe-inspiring power of the outdoors.