About

Our Mission

The West Michigan Conservation Network (WMCN) is a partnership of environmental groups, educational institutions, governmental organizations, and private citizens working together to conserve and enhance our natural communities. The ultimate goal of the West Michigan Network is a sustainable, healthy natural habitat, benefiting both the native organisms and the people of West Michigan.

We have organized our strategies and work into the three primary categories noted below, with the following outcomes and indicators for each:

Restoration and Management

  • Maintain and improve the ecosystem quality, function and resilience of a targeted group of sites within the WMCN service community.
  • Maintain and/or enhance the ecosystem services and recreational opportunities for the benefit of citizens throughout the WMCN region.
  • Strengthen the long-term success and effectiveness of restoration projects through complementary strategies.

Learning and Engagement

  • Provide the public with access to cohesive, aligned and unbiased educational opportunities and materials on topics of greatest conservation concern.
  • Provide all WMCN Partners with the opportunity to increase their organizational capacity and expertise through Network-coordinated trainings and tools.
  • Provide additional conservation-themed presentations and events for the benefit of the WMCN and its Partners, as needed.

Structure and Function

  • Ensure each WMCN member understand its responsibilities as a partner, its role in the organization, and the opportunities for participation in Network projects.
  • Ensure the format of Network communication, interaction, and function is maximally-inclusive and implemented with the fewest possible logistical impediments.
  • Ensure the Network’s data, finances, and progress toward desired outcomes is clear and made easily available to partners, stakeholders, and the public.

Our Team

Jessie Schulte

Lead, Structure and Function Committee

 In 2024, Jessie Schulte joined the Kent County Parks leadership team as the Volunteer Services Coordinator and Habitat Restoration Specialist, overseeing the volunteer services program and contributing her extensive expertise to enhance our Kent County Parks’ natural habitats.  Jessie acted as the Kent Conservation District Manager from 2016 to 2024. She holds a BS in Resource Ecology from the University of Michigan-Flint’s Earth and Resource Science Department. With over 20 years of diverse conservation experience, she has worked across the U.S., including roles in City Public Works and at three National Parks.

Lea Sevigny

Lead, Learning and Engagement Committee

Lea Sevigny is a Certified Environmental Educator-Professional. As the owner of Joyful Wildcrafting, she regularly consults with teachers and homeowners on land stewardship topics and holds workshops for people to connect with nature through foraging for food, herbal remedies, and artistic creations. During her previous career as a place-based, environmental educator, Lea led her school and district through forest stewardship management events,partnering with many organizations within the West Michigan Conservation Network.

Murielle Garbarino

Lead, Restoration and Management Committee

Murielle Garbarino is the coordinator of the West Michigan Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area. She earned a B.S. in Natural Resources Management from Grand Valley State University and has experience working in a variety of conservation capacities, including environmental education and invasive species management.

Steering Committee

Murielle Garbarino
Habitat, Restoration and Management Lead

Ottawa Conservation District
Fiduciary and District Manager

Kenny McMahon
Fishbeck;
Botanist/Wetland Ecologist

Ginny Wanty
Emeritus/Historian

Jessie Schulte
Structure and Function Lead
Kent County Parks Department

Larry Burns
Save Our Forests and Grand Haven Assistant Director of Urban Forestry

Kelsey Bockelman
Michigan State University Extension; Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters

Lea Sevigny
Learning and Engagement Lead

Sue Aagaard
Montcalm Area Master Gardener Association; Board Member

Emma Waatti
Oceana Conservation District; Stewardship Coordinator

Minutes

Starting in 2025, minutes of the Steering Committee and the All-partner meetings (Annual meeting highlights and photos will be listed separately.) are now posted.  The Structure and Function Committee believes sharing meeting minutes is vital and provides a formal record of discussions, decisions, and actions taken during a meeting. This process will ensure accountability, promote transparency, and serve as a point of reference for future meetings as they are the official record for discussions, decisions and action items.

The Structure and Function Committee has decided to go with “Executive” Style minutes, as the format for taking minutes. They are concise records that consist only of actions taken by the committee. Minutes will not be a verbatim or chronological account of a meeting and will not reference individual points made in the discussion.

Minutes (PDF):

All-Partner- 3-13-2025- H and R host
Steering Committee-April 2025