Volunteer Event with WMU Lee Honors College

Fall 2026 | 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.

Coffee donated by local favorite, Factory Coffee.

2024 Recap

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.

Close-up of the “beaver deciever.”

Protecting Trees from Overbrowsing by Beavers

ALPA member, Tom Holmes spent time wrapping a number of hardwood trees with chicken wire to encourage the beavers to dine on their usual diet of softwood trees, leaving young oak and hickory trees to flourish.

Board member Tom Holmes hard at work.