Our project team partnered with the Kalamazoo Nature Center (KNC) in
Kalamazoo, MI, to develop a comprehensive land management plan (LMP) for the
organization’s eight properties. We employed field-based methods, informal interviews, staff
surveys, and feedback collected during staff meetings to gather data about KNC’s properties and
management paradigms. This information was compiled into a series of background chapters
about KNC’s management philosophy and common tools and strategies; individual site plans
detailing the history, composition, and recommended management actions for each property; and
appendices with invasive species management information and data collection details. In
addition, we produced a how-to guide designed to help other organizations navigate the land
management planning process. The comprehensive LMP, how-to guide, maps, and raw field data
were delivered to KNC in April 2016.