our mission

To serve, protect, and restore Asylum Lake Preserve as a high-quality ecosystem through active stewardship, public engagement, and environmental advocacy. Through this work, we ensure the integrity of the nature preserve for passive recreation, education and research, and – above all – for nature itself.

{#63a220|new board member}

Olivia Craig | Originally from Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Olivia joined the ALPA board in October 2026 as a new Kalamazoo resident looking to ground herself further within the community. Located in the Vine neighborhood, she quickly discovered the nearby gem that is the Asylum Lake Preserve and frequents the preserve to slow down and reconnect to her surroundings. Olivia currently works as a Project Coordinator for an Indigenous soil health program run by Michigan State University Extension and is excited to bring these knowledge(s) into the preserve. She is passionate about environmental education and believes that the better people know their surroundings, the more they are inspired to care for them.

Wendy Denning | Wendy is a Kalamazoo native and graduate of WMU. She lived for many years in the country, delightfully discovering she feels most at home being surrounded by nature. Wendy was a teacher and taught in rural alternative education programs. She believes in community engagement, and has always been a champion for the underdog. She also co-owned a property management company in Kalamazoo, providing housing for all levels of the socioeconomic strata, further enabling her to help those in need. Wendy returned to Kalamazoo in 2017. In town she fulfills her need for the restorative peace of nature by walking the trails at Asylum Lake Preserve. She joined the board in 2020 in order to help protect and maintain the Preserve, and to give voice to the critters living there who cannot speak for themselves.

{#63a220|new board member}

Daariyon Gardner | Raised in Kalamazoo, he graduated from Western Michigan University’s Frostic School of Art and loves walking the trails and taking photos at Asylum Lake Preserve. He is passionate about beekeeping and honey bees as a whole. As a 6th-year beekeeper, he is also passionate about taking care of nature and enjoys learning new ways humans can engage with nature in loving ways. He is excited to bring any and all talents to both ALPA and the community.

{#63a220|new board member}

Nicole Holmes | Born and raised in Southwest Michigan, Nicole developed a lifelong appreciation for nature and wildlife through time spent exploring the outdoors. After several years in Southern California, she returned to Michigan with a renewed appreciation for the region’s natural spaces and the importance of protecting them. Professionally, Nicole works in healthcare leadership and joined the ALPA board in 2026 with a desire to apply her skills and experience toward a cause she finds deeply meaningful. She believes that protecting wildlife and preserving natural habitats is among the most important responsibilities we have as modern humans and is passionate about ensuring that places like Asylum Lake Preserve thrive for generations to come.

Tom Howes | Hailing from rural Atlas, MI, Tom moved to Kalamazoo in 2002 to attend WMU’s Frostic School of Art and has called the city home ever since. Here, he works in the museum field, maintains his own creative practice, and stays involved in the broader arts community. His love for Asylum Lake Preserve led him to learn how local zoning shapes natural areas, and why the city needs stronger environmental protections. Tom joined ALPA’s board in early 2026. Grateful to those who have protected the Preserve over the years, he wants to do his part to keep it thriving. And despite his dog’s best efforts to keep him moving down the trail, he always steals time to take in everything the Preserve has to offer.

Judy Huxmann | Born and raised in the Chicago land and west suburbs, Judy came to Kalamazoo area in 1970 and the Preserve never really came to her attention until 2000. Moving back into the city to go back to school and work in the healing arts, Judy sought out the Preserve and spent time walking there when it was much denser and really wild. Joining ALPA in 2017, she hoped to be able to help with the physical “tending” of the preserve, which at that time meant also participating in the Asylum Lake Policy and Management Council run by WMU. There she was able to join in with the projects from working with burn crews to managing invasive species including pulling garlic mustard and caging trees and many more activities. Hoping to retire from ALPA at the end of 2026, she plans on still being around for projects and wonderful strolls on the loved trails.

Josh Kieser | Josh grew up in the West Fork Portage Creek Watershed and frequented its springs at Asylum Lake Preserve. He currently works as an Environmental Field Manager in Kalamazoo, monitoring surface and groundwater quality and aquatic ecosystems in Michigan waterways, including direct assessments of water pollutant issues impacting Asylum Lake. Josh brings to ALPA a dedicated passion for the protection and awareness of nature, as well as a lifelong love of community service with experience as an international volunteer, Americorps service member, outdoor adventure-education group facilitator, and long-distance running coach. You might find him at the preserve guiding volunteers, collecting water samples, jogging with the dogs, or quietly admiring the interconnectedness of our natural world.

Sharon Koole | Sharon Koole was born and raised in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, before making Kalamazoo her home. When she took up nature photography in 2018, she began looking for a place close to home where she could spend time outdoors and reconnect with nature. She soon discovered Asylum Lake Preserve, and what began as a place to photograph wildlife and the changing seasons grew into something much more personal. Over the years, Asylum Lake has become a place of peace and renewal for Sharon—a place where being surrounded by nature helps her step away from the stresses of life and supports her mental well-being. The birds, wildlife, changing landscapes, and quiet moments at the lake have become an important part of her life. Sharon joined the ALPA board in early 2024 because she wants to help share the beauty of Asylum Lake with others and ensure this special place remains protected for generations to come.

Jimmy Lane | Jimmy is from Orlando, Florida and moved to Kalamazoo in 2023 to work at Stryker as a mechanical engineer. His appreciation for the outdoors first took root during summer trips with his Boy Scout Troop to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where they would backpack on the Appalachian Trail and whitewater raft. He still camps, but also finds nature where he is—whether that be native gardening in his yard or enjoying the seasonal parade of wildflowers at Asylum Lake Preserve. He has been an ALPA board member since early 2026 and is enthusiastic about stewardship, restoration, and the historic oak savannahs of Kalamazoo.

{#63a220|new board member}

Paul MacNellis | Born in Bay City, Michigan in 1947, Paul has been a resident of Kalamazoo since 1966. Graduating from Western Michigan University, he continued working in WMU’s Landscape Services Department until retiring in 2010. Asylum Lake was one of the properties under the 1300 acre umbrella his department was responsible for. Since 2004 Paul has been instrumental in organizing, planning and implementing a myriad of conservation activities at the Asylum Lake Preserve. He wishes to continue in efforts to increase the health and variety of the many eco-systems the preserve offers.

{#63a220|new board member}

Terra Mickolatcher | Terra is a Michigan native who has a diverse business background with experience in many industries. After moving to Kalamazoo to attend college, she developed a lifelong learning, earning five college degrees, including master’s degree in Accounting and Strategic Management. Throughout her career, she has embraced opportunities to learn, solve problems, and find ways to improve processes and outcomes. Terra joined the ALPA board in October 2026, and looks forward to contributing to the continuous improvement & preservation of Asylum Lake. She shares the community’s admiration for Asylum Lake’s beauty, environmental, and ecological importance.

{#63a220|new board member}

Matthew Schuld | Matthew Schuld is originally from Hartford, Michigan, but has lived in Kalamazoo for over twenty years. He graduated from Western Michigan University with a master’s degree in public history, and he now co-owns a small business that sells commercial fruit trees to growers across the country. As a student at WMU, he discovered that the preserve was a wonderful natural place for running as well as a fascinating historical site. Today it still serves those purposes for him, and he also enjoys exploring the preserve with his wife and three children. As a member of the ALPA board, Schuld hopes to continue ALPA’s goal of ensuring the preserve is protected for plant life, wildlife, and community members.

Dok Tael Stevens | Dok is an environmental health & safety manager, who has worked in the industrial hygiene, food, chemical, metals, pharmaceutical and aerospace industries. She moved to Kalamazoo to attend Western Michigan University in 1985, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in three majors: Biology, Environmental Science and English, and a master’s degree in hydrogeology. Dok wrote/published the book, “Haven: A Treatise on Asylum Lake” in 1993 to (successfully) stop WMU from building an industrial park on the shores of Asylum Lake. Then she wrote/published, “A Concept Plan to Recycle Contaminated Commercial & Industrial Properties while Providing Experience to WMU Students,” which planted the seeds for Kalamazoo’s award-winning brownfield recovery program. After living in six other states, Dok returned to southwest Michigan to live in Plainwell for 8 years, and then fulfilled her 32-year dream to live in the Chappell-Stewart house in the Stuart Neighborhood in 2024. Dok joined the ALPA board in 2024 to continue the preserve’s protection and responsible management.

How ALPA Began

The Asylum Lake Preservation Association (ALPA) formed in December 1990 when citizens across Kalamazoo united to oppose Western Michigan University's proposal to build a business, research, and light industrial park on land south of Parkview Avenue – including parcels that legislative conveyance restrictions reserved for public park, recreation, or open space use. Through petition drives gathering thousands of signatures, packed City Commission and Board of Trustees meetings, a cable-access television program, and a city-wide telephone survey, ALPA rallied neighborhood associations, environmental groups, students, and elected officials. The coalition even researched and wrote its own counter-proposal for a more appropriate "research-only" park – all to oppose a plan that permitted manufacturing, truck traffic, and development on the protected Asylum Lake property WMU had promised to leave untouched. Our grass-roots effort continues today alongside City and State leaders, and there's much more to the story.