Explore ALPA's hands-on work, including stewardship, educational programming, volunteer projects, and more.
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Beautification / Earth Day / Factory Coffee Donation / Garlic Mustard / Info Display / Litter Removal / Presentation / Spring Clean-Up / Tree Cages / Tree Stewardship / Volunteers
ALPA led a dedicated group of volunteers from WMU's Lee Honors College in expanding the chicken wire barriers installed around trees along the lake. The barriers protect the trees from overbrowsing by the resident beavers, but they must be widened periodically to leave room for the trees to grow. Over several hours, the group successfully protected more than 75 trees.
ALPA board members in attendance included President Josh Kieser, Jimmy Lane, Tom Howes, Nicole Holmes, Olivia Craig, Dok Stevens, and Paul MacNellis.
Thank you to the WMU students for all of their amazing help, and to local favorite Factory Coffee for keeping everyone fueled with coffee!
Group photo with volunteers. President Josh Kieser on left, board member Jimmy lane on right.
President Josh Kieser delivers an orientation before we all hit the trail.
President Josh Kieser speaking to the group again about what comes next in our mission.
President Josh Kieser (left) and board member Tom Howes (right) demonstrate how to add a mending strip of chicken wire to expand a tree cage.
Two WMU students, from team “Beaver Believers,” hard at work.
More volunteer work from team “Beaver Believers.”
Board member Jimmy Lane (right) works with two volunteers from team “Cage Throwers.”
A WMU student from team “Beaver Believers” expanding chicken wire.
Close-up of a successfully expanded cage.
Along with volunteer Paul MacNellis, ALPA plants a number of oak and red bud saplings and seedlings throughout the preserve during the summer of 2026. After the trees outgrew their plastic guard tubes, MacNellis and ALPA returned to remove the tubes and upgrade the protective measures to wire fencing. Today’s workers included board President Josh Kieser, board member Tom Howes, board member Jimmy Lane, board member Judy Huxmann, and volunteer Paul MacNellis.
Left to right: Tom Howes (board member), Paul McNellis (volunteer), Jimmy Lane (board member), Judy Huxmann (board member), Josh Kieser (board president).
(left to right) Jimmy Lane (board member) and Josh Kieser (board member) looking at map for location of saplings.
Jimmy Lane (board member)
(left to right) Jimmy Lane (board member), Josh Kieser (board member), and Judy Huxmann (board member).
ALPA organizes a group of volunteers to pull and bag garlic mustard, an invasive species found throughout the preserve. Thank you to Factory Coffee for donating liquid fuel! Onsite ALPA board members included President Josh Kieser, Tom Howes, Dok Stevens, and Jimmy Lane.
Left to right (front row): Judy Huxmann (volunteer), volunteer, Tom Howes (board member), Dok Stevens (board member), Katie Bloom (volunteer), volunteer. (Back row): Josh Kieser (board president), volunteer, volunteer, Jimmy Lane (board member).
Josh Kieser (board president), providing a volunteer orientation. Board members, Tom Howes and Judy Huxmann, standing in tent.
Donation from Kalamazoo’s Factory Coffee.
Josh Kieser (board president)
ALPA has been very busy this year sponsoring numerous events spanning three seasons. Volunteers helped with a spring clean-up in March, and a successful garlic mustard pull in May. Spring also saw board members manning information tables for the Kalamazoo Fun Run and organized a wonderful History Walk through the Preserve with member Mark Hoffman. August and September volunteer days focused on clean-up and identifying, and protecting young trees. All year long our representatives have provided suggestions and direction to the Asylum Lake Preserve Management Council at all their meetings. In October we are leading and sponsoring an informational meeting regarding possible development and rezoning along the Preserve’s northern edge. A dedicated group also planted and protected 8 new trees. We have developed social media pages on Facebook and Instagram to keep the community informed and able to share in the joy of nature, and our treasured Preserve.
Left to right: Sherry Sims (board member) and Wendy Denning (board member).
John Kieser (board member) talking to volunteers. Paul MacNellis (volunteer) standing behind him.
Mark Hoffman (ALPA founder/past board member) giving a presentation. Standing next to him is Josh Kieser (board member).
Wrapping trees with chicken wire to protect them from overbrowsing by beavers.
Left to right: Jimmy Lane (volunteer), volunteer, Paul MacNellis (volunteer), Judy Huxmann (board member)
Left to right: Judy Huxmann (board member) and volunteer, wrapping tree to prevent beaver over-browsing.
Left to right: Volunteer and Paul MacNellis (volunteer)
John Kreuzer (board member) delivering a presentation at the Kalamazoo Public Library.
ALPA members have continued helping out around the preserve by wrapping trees, clearing out the beaver deceiver, maintaining dog waste stations, pulling garlic mustard, removing litter from trails and other tasks. More importantly they have continued to keep the Management Council informed and updated, and monitored planned WMU projects, and brought attention to potential and current problems, and suggested solutions. Board members are also creating and posting new shadowbox displays every season.
The garden club of Kalamazoo held its annual flower show and competition last summer 2022 and they invited ALPA to bring information and a display about asylum Lake preserve. Many people stopped by the booth on the blistering hot day to ask questions and look at the information. We were told several interesting stories/memories about the preserve. This place has been special to the citizens of Kalamazoo for a very long time.
The red trail, off the Parkview parking lot, was recently rerouted due to the exposure of the tree roots that threatened the health of the trees. The initial phase is complete and the next step will be the reseeding of the native plants that were disturbed during the relocation process. These areas will be roped off and we ask visitors to stay on the trail to support the effort of stabilizing the area with grasses. This revitalization project has been accomplished through the efforts of ALPA members, citizen volunteers and the Asylum Lake Policy and Management Council, which oversees the preserve.
On two Saturdays in May, ALPA sponsored and organized a successful garlic mustard pull. With the help of dozens of community volunteers and WMU over, 85 bags of the invasive weed was buried in a pit on the property
As a way to participate in Earth Day Kalamazoo and also offer our members and community a substitute for our annual meeting speaker/presentation, members of the the ALPA Board created a video to share with the Earth Day Festival and the community. The video is also available on the the Kalamazoo Earth Day 2021 website under community videos day 6.
On Saturday September 26, 2020 ALPA board members joined Paul McNellis to spruce up the entrance area on Parkview. Members trimmed and cleared weeds around signs and spread mulch to keep the weeds down. A water bag was placed around the tree planted recently in memory of Arthur Falk who was an ardent supporter of the Preserve. We are planning more projects in the future and will need some volunteers. Contact us to sign up.
ALPA members spruce up Parkview Ave. entrance.
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