ALPA Hosts Informational Meeting Regarding Rezoning Request

October 23, 2025

Around 50 interested community members attended the meeting hosted by ALPA to inform the public and help direct efforts regarding the proposed rezoning of the corner of Stadium & Drake roads. ALPA board members Dok Stevens, Josh Kieser and John Kreuzer each presented detailed facts about the history of the efforts to establish and protect the Preserve, the environmental and safety threats to nature and the general population, and finally specific ways to oppose the rezoning request from residential to commercial. Questions, comments and refreshments rounded out the successful gathering and a copy of the presentation is posted under Current Issues.

Volunteers continue important work in Preserve

September 27, 2025 Thank you so much to the volunteers who showed up for our Fall Volunteer Day. It was a beautiful morning and we got a lot accomplished. We wrapped young trees to help protect them from deer, prepared areas within the Preserve where Oak trees will be planted and collected trash. It was great to see everyone! We hope you'll join us for our next volunteer morning

Summer work day volunteers tag trees for future proection

August 23, 2025 A dedicated and energetic group of about 12 volunteers enjoyed the late summer morning helping to tag trees and learn about which trees will need protection from the weather, beavers and deer. On Septepmber 27, volunteer crews will go back and either wrap these same trees with protective devices or wider fencing. The oaks and hickory trees are flagged for special attention. ALPA hopes to keep these native hardwoods thriving in the preserve for many years to come.

History Walk attracts over 70 participants

May 24, 2025 Mark Hoffman, the knowledgeable historian of the preserve who has first hand experience and is one of the driving forces in achieving the protected status for the land, offered to a crowd of over 70 people, a history talk/tour of Asylum Lake Preserve from 1880s to early 1970s. He had photos and maps from back then and also photos of the cottages and residences that were built during the Hospital days which have just a few remnants left on the ground. It was interesting to be standing in the preserve and imagining what it may have looked like. The morning weather was pleasant and walkers of all ages enjoyed the info, the exercise and the delicious snacks. More historical information can be found here

Although this tour focused on the white people time of this land, it is hoped that in the future to have a discussion of the land and its people prior to 1880.

It is important to know that ALPA is working hard to build a community of like-minded and supportive people who love the preserve. As the preserve is safe for now we will still have challenges ahead concerning the corner of Drake and Stadium. For now things are quiet on the surface with no publicly known plans. But please stay alert to calls to show up at City Hall, or write letters if it becomes necessary. For now, Enjoy the preserve, leave nothing behind.

Lake levels continue to fluctuate

May 2025 While the lake levels continue to fluctuate, volunteers have been trying to stay ahead of the beavers and other floating debris at the area where the lake drains into the creek and Little Asylum Lake. More volunteers are always welcome as this seems to be a never-ending job.

WMU targets areas for new growth in prescribed burn

May 2025 After having to reschedule due to poor weather conditions, the prescribed burn in areas F3 and F8 happened a couple weeks ago and it was a pretty thorough burn, here are a few smoke and fire images. We all highly respect the power of fire, and how quickly the plants come back up to seek sun. In many areas you can hardly see evidence of the burn at all just a few weeks later.

Vounteers tackled garlic mustard

April 25 The garlic mustard pull on Saturday, April 26 was a success! We had two good crews of about 16 in both morning and afternoon. It was a mix of ages but mostly high schoolers getting their community service credits for graduation. They were all great and hung in there until we filled about 32 big trash bags with the invasive plant. Thanks to all who joined in.

There were a couple of "flash mob" pulls later as the plants matured quickly. These were announced on Facebook and Instagram. s.

As the blossoms fade and the seed pods appear, we are ending the GM pull for the season. Many lessons were learned.

Besides the fact that this has been a good spring for everything growing, blossoming and becoming full - garlic mustard came in as a healthy, abundant and overwhelming crop. There were many willing participants in this year's harvest of the escaped "culinary" herb, who pulled hundreds of pounds of the plant, but we couldn't get it all.

Many thanks to the anonymous volunteers who continued to pull at Parkview and Winchell the second weekend. It felt like another 100 lbs of plant mass removed.

Stewardship Progam is off to a great start.

March 24, 2025

–        ALPA's Volunteer Stewardship program is off to a great start! On March 22nd, 39 volunteers turned out to pick up >200 lbs of trash, adjust protective oak tree wrappings, and kick-off a Plant Inventory project. They also got to know the Preserve better, and had a fun time. Thanks to all who braved the cold and wind!

–        Volunteer trash pickers focused on the Preserve perimeters and roadways where the most litter and trash collects. When rain falls in these areas, trash washes down toward Asylum Lake and its headwaters stream at the bottom of Drake Rd hill. Removing trash from these areas supports ALPA's managment plan priority of Water Quality.

–        Volunteers also began to selectively re-wire-wrap oak trees along the lake's shoreline, to ensure the oaks have plenty of room to grow. This supports ALPA's management plan priority of supporting a Keystone Species Balance in the Preserve, protecting stands of oak trees which support many important types of life at the Preserve.

–        A smaller group of volunteer stewards also began a Citizen Science project to identify plant and tree species in specified squares within the Preserve. By recording their relative abundance each month throughout the year, volunteers will support ongoing native species restoration and rehabilitation efforts in the Preserve. This will help to inform the Council on how to improve native plant restoration through seeding this fall.

Asylum Lake stewardship program is underway.

Photo by Sharon Koole

March 1, 2025 ALPA has begun working with WMU and the Asylum Lake Management Council on a new Stewardship Program. The program will be facilitated by members of the ALPA Board and hopes to be supported by a large core group of volunteers. Projects will be determined and overseen by the Management council and funds for any projects will be provided by the funds set aside for the property. Some of the planned projects include creating a grid map and inventory of desirable land undesirable plants in adult and flowering stage, future plantings of desired species, garlic mustard pull and other plant removals, trash removal, wildflfower plantings, and rain garden maintenance. We would love to have you join us on this endeavor - just sign up to volunteer.

ALPA joins groups to plan Imagine Kalamazoo 2035

ALPA representatives joined more than 10 environmental and nature organizations at a “Meeting on the Go” to help plan Kalamazoo’s future. The Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 initiative encouraged groups to meet and provide input to the City. ALPA will continue to work with these groups as the initiative moves into phase two. Some of the ideas discussed and reported to the City were: Environmental Sustainability & Ecological Health, Greenspaces, Parks, and Natural Areas, Community Engagement & Involvement, Education & Awareness, Education & Awareness, Economic Strategy & Funding, Urban Planning & Infrastructure, Partnerships & Collaboration, Success Stories & Best Practices, and Challenges & Barriers.