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Saturday, April 25, 2026
Celebrate the beauty and wonder of nature at Earth Fest鈥攁 vibrant day of exploration, discovery, and community for all ages at the Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens.
Stewardship Work | 9-11:30 AM | Meet on the plaza. Free lunch for participants
Food Trucks | 11 AM - 2 PM | Visit the Welcome Table on the plaza from 11-noon to get a ticket for a free lunch!
Great Lakes Rock Garden Opening | 12 - 1 PM | Rock garden. Ribbon ceremony and tours with GEO faculty
Bioblitz Scavenger Hunt | 12:30-2 PM | Discovery room + trails. Meet new species in an INaturalist photo app competition with prizes
Turtle Fest | 2-4 PM | Discovery room & plaza | 4th annual turtle-themed fun for young families
Pondside Unwind | 2-4 PM | Prince Pond | Slackline, hammocks, hacky sack and more
More Details
- Event Site Fun things will be happening on the Venema Plaza, at the round-a-bout lot, in the Bunker Interpretive Center, and on our trails
- Event Parking will be in Lot 16 by the Prince Conference Center
- Walkers can follow the sidewalk path to the Bunker Interpretive Center
- Electric Shuttles will be also provided from both Lot 16 (public) and the Rooks VanDellen dorm (students) roundabout to the Earth Fest event at the Preserve.
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- Welcome Table
- Located in the Venema Plaza near the Preserve鈥檚 Bunker Interpretive Center Building.
- Come here for event details and a free lunch coupon if you arrive between 11am - noon!
- Should I Prepare to Spend Money?
- This event and its activities are FREE for all!
- There will be opportunities to donate to our animal care, education and conservation efforts.
- Food trucks will be available starting at 11am. Tickets for free lunch are available between 11 AM - 12 PM. Food trucks are on-site 12-2 PM for food purchases.
- Event Tables for all ages available from 11am-2pm
- Native Plant Take-Home: Learn about native plants are crucial to the health of our water and wildlife. Prep a small plant for your own outdoor space!
- Terrarium Building: Make a mini ecosystem in a jar and learn about the balanced relationships found here
- Printmaking: bring your own old tote, t-shirt, shorts, journal, etc. and get a fresh look with artist created wildlife stamps! We'll have cards/envelopes, watercolor paper, and a limited supply of donated t-shirts to make a print. For ages 10+.
- Face Paint: get a fun design from some of our own creative Calvin students
- Sidewalk Chalk: Help our outdoor spaces look even more vibrant
- Rock Hunt: a scavenger hunt for kids to enjoy while family members take a tour of our new Rock Garden with geology experts!
- Bioblitz Scavenger Hunt
- Why Participate? By taking photos of our naturally growing plants, animals, fungi, bugs, and other life forms, you get a personal view of our local biodiversity while also helping us document, study, and protect the things you find here. By participating at Earth Fest, you will be also contributing to citizen science on behalf of West Michigan in the greater global City Nature Challenge weekend event! You're a part of a worldwide effort of scientists, land managers, and community members working together to find and document the nature in our area and around the globe. We hope you continue to document wildlife you find, anywhere, anytime!
- Participate Individually or as a Team: Feel free to bring your friends in the search! Teams will submit photos through a single device.
- Prizes: John Ball Zoo tickets, Preserve merchandise, and more.
- Registration: Use our digital link to secure your place and see more details about the Bioblitz! Pre-registration is not required, but highly recommended so that you get time to practice with your app, and save yourself time the day of to enjoy other fun happenings.
- Day of Event:
- Check in will be in the Discovery Center from 11am-12:30.
- At 12:30pm ALL participants are invited to join in the Discovery Center for bioblitz tips and tricks, testing out your device鈥檚 iNaturalist app, and reviewing the rules of the scavenger hunt.
- The hunt will start at 1:00pm sharp!
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Location
Address: 1750 East Beltline Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-5649 ()
Parking:
- Cul-de-sac parking lot at the main entrance to the preserve
- Designated Ecosystem Preserve spaces immediately north of our parking lot.
- Prince Conference Center, Lot 16; then follow the sidewalk past Prince Pond to the Bunker Interpretive Center and trails
Hours
- Walking trails are open to the public every day from 7:00 a.m. until dusk.
- Bunker Interpretive Center Hours: Monday鈥揊riday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Closed weekends and holidays (Labor Day, Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas break, New Year's Eve and Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, and Independence Day)
- Restrooms in the BIC vestibule are available everyday from 7:00 a.m. until dusk.
Contact
Resources
These resources will help you make the most of your time in the Preserve.
- Map of the Ecosystem Preserve and Native Gardens (pdf)
- Walking trail guide (pdf)
- Detail map of the Native Gardens (pdf)
- Reserve our spaces for your school, corporate, or personal events
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Our mission
The Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens (CEPNG) conserves, restores and interprets native ecosystems to inspire people to value and protect the wonder of creation.
Our vision
We envision a sustainable ecosystem preserved for future generations.
Our story
The Ecosystem Preserve was established in 1985 to restore and maintain this example of a West Michigan ecosystem. It occupies the northern half of 青涩直播's east campus.
The 100+ acre preserve includes these features:
- 44 trailed acres open to the public to explore (includes mature deciduous forest and 13 ponds and vernal pools),
- Buiten Wildlife Sanctuary (60 acres of wildlife refuge with restricted access, used for scientific research),
- Bunker Interpretive Center (used for 青涩直播 classes and community educational programs).
Annually, the preserve has been a valuable resource for:
- An average of 6,000 visitors who enjoy our trails,
- 700 Calvin students studying in the preserve for courses in art, biology, chemistry, economics, education, engineering, English, geology/geography, kinesiology and more,
- About 30 Calvin students gaining valuable work and research experience as preserve employees,
- More than 4,000 children and adults who participate in a variety of family nature programs, summer camps, and preschool and elementary school offerings,
- About 1,000 adults who participate in a variety of programs and volunteer opportunities.
Despite all of this activity within its boundaries, the preserve remains a quiet, peaceful place for reflection and a habitat mostly untainted by human interaction. The Ecosystem Preserve successfully brings together developed and undeveloped land, and demonstrates Calvin鈥檚 belief that it is important to care for God鈥檚 creation.
Celebrating 40 Years
Look back with us on our history鈥攁nd ahead on our future!
Watch Video
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Significant dates in our history
- 1978: An environmental stewardship study team proposed establishing a nature preserve on about 35 acres of undeveloped campus property. The area, once part of a local horse farm, contained a mixed hardwood forest, abandoned hay fields and wetlands (mostly vernal ponds). The preserve would provide a valuable site for conserving elements of the local landscape and could provide an environmental study center for the college and the surrounding community.
- 1985: The Ecosystem Preserve was officially established under the direction of Dr. Randall Van Dragt, and a trail system and overlooks on South and North Ponds were created. The work was accomplished by 12 Calvin College Engineering students, and many of the structures they designed and built are still solid after four decades.
- 1986-87: More land was purchased, including the Whiskey Creek watershed and pond in the property, for a total of just under 100 acres.
- 1994-96: Kindergarten through 3rd grade curricula were developed.
- 1995: Helen Bunker purchased adjacent land and a house, enlarging the Ecosystem Preserve.
- 1998: A part-time, year-round Preserve Manager, Cheryl Hoogewind, was hired to oversee educational activities, expand program offerings, and develop a summer camp program.
- 2004: The Bunker Interpretive Center (BIC) was dedicated and is the first LEED certified building on Calvin鈥檚 campus. The project was made possible by generous support from Thelma Venema and Helen Bunker.
- 2007: A full-time Program Manager, Jeanette Henderson, was hired to direct all aspects of our educational and outreach programs.
- 2008: A series of quilts and two triptych paintings were installed in the BIC hallway. They were designed by Chris Overvoorde (emeriti professor), quilted by local volunteer quilters, and painted by Overvoorde.
- 2009: Two new species were discovered in the preserve; coyotes and a gray fox were seen multiple times on trail cameras. Flat Iron Lake Preserve in Greenville became part of our property.
- 2012: A part-time Department Assistant, Julie Wilbourn, was hired to coordinate communication and marketing and support the work of the preserve.
- 2015: We celebrated our 30th year of caring for this special place.
- 2017: Additional parcel of land was acquired, and Pine Grove Trail was built on it. A full-time Land Manager, Jen Howell, was hired to steward the preserve properties.
- 2019: Thanks to the ongoing generosity of Thelma Venema, Venema Plaza & Gardens was dedicated, including redesigned native gardens and a Gardeners Cottage and Glasshouse. Calvin College became 青涩直播.
- 2020: Following Randy Van Dragt鈥檚 retirement, Jamie Skillen assumes the role of director. He is a professor of environmental studies in the Department of Geology, Geography, and Environment.
- 2022: The Preserve staff expands and is reconfigured. Benji Steenwyk is hired as the first greenhouse management in charge of native plant propagation; Tom Hartzel replaces Jeanette Henderson in a reconfigured role of sustainability program coordinator; Katrina De Man becomes the full-time department coordinator, focusing on marketing and communications.
- 2024: Summer student staff positions double. New, term positions are created for recent graduates. Matthew Dykstra replaces Jen Howell in a reconfigured role as managing director. Paige Bokach is hired in a new role to develop curriculum and field trips for high school science classes.
- 2024: Carol Rottman donates a home and 12 acres of land, expanding the Flat Iron Lake Preserve to roughly 80 acre and greatly expanding opportunities for retreats and programs.
- 2025: Sarah McCormick is hired in a new, seasonal horticulturalist role.
- 2025: Rock garden installation. Made possible by a donation from Thelma Venema, the garden is a showcase of rocks from around the region in a display that is immersive, educational, and beautiful as the 鈥済ateway to the Preserve. A 16,000 lb puddingstone is one extraordinary feature of the rock garden.