On Wednesday,October 7th, the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy held its sixth annual Fall Fundraiser at the Little Flower Barn. CWC supporters always look forward to this celebration during Michigan’s beautiful fall season. As the landscape begins to slow down before the quiet winter months, we gather to give thanks, celebrate our conservation successes, and raise funds to continue the work of protecting and restoring wild spaces in central Michigan. This year’s event raised over $17,000 for the Conservancy!
The evening began with conversations over appetizers and drinks, while attendees tried their luck at the many raffle prizes available to win. Baskets lined the north windows of the venue, full of goodies ranging from local herbs to art and (of course) books!
The In A Snap Photobooth has become a favorite for attendees to take a fun memento home. We would also like to give a huge thanks to Alex Mikus for providing sound equipment support, in addition to managing the photo booth.
We were thrilled to unveil the work of our four 2026 Artists-in-Residence, three of whom were in attendance to discuss their work and experiences. The artists (pictured below) spent months working on pieces directly inspired by CWC nature preserves. Stay tuned for an in-depth update on these projects soon!
After a delicious dinner courtesy of Central Michigan Catering, Executive Director Mike LeValley gave a presentation about the ongoing restoration work and trail construction at Mill Pond Natural Area and the newly constructed parking lot and trail at Hubscher Preserve.
A special presentation was then given by John Mitchell, current CWC Treasurer and one of the founders of the organization, announcing the CWC’s inaugural group of Directors Emeritus. This new program honors former members of the CWC Board of Directors who have provided distinguished service to the organization by serving a minimum of three full three-year terms on the Board or an equivalent length of time as the CWC Executive Director or a combination thereof. John’s energy and advocacy for the CWC shone through as he sung the praises of past directors, reminding us that this organization owes its success, in part, to the long-term dedication of our grassroots organizers. Of the ten member of our inaugural group of honorees, two are no longer with us; Ted Kjolhede passed in 2008 and Don Nagler in 2025. We were very pleased to have had four honorees in attendance: John Buckley, Donna Buckley, Stan Lilley, and Tim Odykirk. These four alone represent nearly 70 years of service to the CWC.
2026 Director Emeritus Honorees:
Scott Bellinger
John Buckley
Donna Buckley
Ted Kjolhede
SueAnn Kopmeyer
Stan Lilley
Don Nagler
Tim Odykirk
Lori Rogers
Tom Steward
One of the most anticipated highlights is always the announcement of the Bob Ball Award recipient. The Robert (Bob) Ball Award is given annually by the President of the CWC board to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the CWC mission of protecting and restoring Central Michigan’s land, water, and wildlife resources to improve the quality of life for all. The award went to our longtime board member, Steven Pung. Steve has served as President and Vice President and is one of the CWC’s greatest advocates in the community. While Steve couldn’t join us in person at the event, he gave us some words to share when we gave him the award:
I’m truly honored to join the prestigious group of past recipients of the Bob Ball President’s Award.
When I look through the names of those who have received this award before me, I’m reminded of the many years of dedicated service and commitment that so many individuals have given to the CWC and to its important mission of protecting Central Michigan’s land, water, and wildlife resources.
To be included among such a distinguished group is a meaningful honor, and one that I sincerely appreciate.
Thank you.
Steve Pung – 2026 Bob Ball Awardee
The final excitement of the evening was drawing the raffle winners. First, the small raffle baskets winner were drawn and CWC staff and past interns distributed prizes. Finally, the 50/50 and Upper Peninsula Michigan Trip raffles were drawn to finish the evening. Cordelia Ouellette was the 50/50 winner, while Don & Karen Stearns took home the Upper Peninsula trip.
We are very grateful to the event sponsors and volunteers who made the 2026 Fall Fundraiser a huge success! We would especially like to thank the owners of Little Flower Barn, Mike Fiorillo And Sarah Porter, who graciously donate this venue space annually. We also wish to extends a huge thank you to all attendees for your dedication to local conservation!
