“All That Flutters” is an educational prairie and bird habitat garden developed by the Montcalm Area Master Gardener Association to educate visitors about the importance of providing biodiverse habitat to Michigan’s native pollinators and birds. “All That Flutters” is located on the campus of Montcalm Community College along the Lena Meijer Heartland Trail Connector in Sidney Michigan. By enhancing the Montcalm Community College property with a traditional prairie and the newly designed main entrance demonstration garden, “All That Flutters” will provide valuable bird and pollinator habitat while contributing to the biodiversity of the comprehensive network of nature and recreational trails found on the site. The sunny location between the college and the Montcalm Area Career Center also adds an opportunity to acknowledge the region’s rich agricultural heritage as a cultural landscape by adding educational signage and art pieces. Additionally, the site has contributed to this community as a resource and hub for environmental education, land management demonstrations and the potential for research. For example, students from the Montcalm Area Career Center have already been involved with the clearing and installation of the main entrance demonstration garden and Montcalm Community College Entomology class students have used the prairie to study insects.
A grant from the Greenville Area Community Foundation provided funding for:
- the services of Michigan Wildflower Farm to prepare the site and install the prairie
- the services of Rebecca Marquardt, Landscape Architect
A grant from the Central Montcalm Community Foundation provided funding for:
- the purchase of 50 small plant label signs for the main entrance garden
A grant from the Wildflower Association of Michigan provided funding for:
- several hundred native plants used in the main entrance garden
Additionally,” All That Flutters” is extremely grateful for the gift of 15 native trees and shrubs from Martha MacCleery and Eric Piehl.
The Montcalm Area Master Gardener Association is still seeking funding for ADA compliant cement walkways, educational signs in the prairie and bird habitat and main entrance demonstration garden. During the next two years more native bushes and trees will be planted in the bird habitat garden. In 2023, “All That Flutters” was added to the Montcalm Community College’s Master Plan which will ensure support and longevity for this important community supported project.
West Michigan Conservation Network 