North Central Michigan College renews partnership with Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy
The partnership aims to promote conservation efforts and education among students and the wider campus community.
North Central Michigan College has renewed an existing partnership with the Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy. For the past five years, the partnership has allowed North Central Michigan College students to gain field experience at any of the 50 nature preserves under the care of Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy.
According to an article on North Central Michigan College’s website, college president David Roland Finley was quoted as saying of the partnership, “This partnership is a powerful example of how student success and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Students gain invaluable, hands-on experience learning the science behind our local watersheds — knowledge they will carry with them throughout their lives and future careers. At the same time, WLAC benefits from the energy and commitment of engaged students who understand the importance of protecting our natural resources for generations to come. It’s truly a win-win collaboration for everyone involved.”
A signing ceremony took place on May 28, 2026 at the Borra Learning Center on North Central Michigan College’s Petoskey, Michigan campus. The ceremony represented the desire of both organizations to continue participating in and promoting environmental stewardship among students and the larger campus community.
Sara Glasgow, who serves as the college’s dean of Arts and Sciences, said, "We're delighted to continue our partnership with the Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy. Collaborations like these are vital for offering students authentic, experiential learning opportunities that excite and inspire them, and for nurturing an ongoing commitment to land and resource stewardship.”
Through the partnership, students who are studying biology have been able to visit two of Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy’s preserves, Postle Farm Preserve and Mill Pond, to assist with documenting biodiversity, as well as to establish sentinel trees through Michigan State University’s Eyes on the Forest tree monitoring program.
“We're excited to build on our partnership with North Central to strengthen our capacity to protect natural resources in the Walloon Lake watershed while giving NCMC students meaningful real-world experience in the field,” said WLAC’s Executive Director Jon Breithaupt.
For more information about North Central Michigan College, visit the school’s website.