Support Our Work

Why Support the TLC
Some Ask How Little Nature We Need.
We Ask How Much Can We Protect.
The Thumb Land Conservancy is working to protect natural areas across the
Thumb region. We work in 6 counties of the Thumb – Saint Clair, Sanilac, Huron,
Tuscola, Lapeer, and Macomb. We protect natural areas, native species, and
places for public outdoor recreation. We believe it is especially important that
children have natural places nearby where they can play, learn, and be inspired.
Since 2008, the TLC has acquired 10 public nature preserves and one historic
site totaling about 144 acres of land. The TLC holds two conservation
easements totaling about 87 acres. The TLC has provided third-party
stewardship on other land totaling about 85 acres including four private
preserves and part of the Port Huron State Game Area. The TLC has also
assisted private landowners with guidance on restoring and protecting their land,
and provided a wealth of educational materials and presentations to the public.
The TLC not only benefits the public through the acquisition of natural areas, but
our work helps to sustain our environment for everyone. The protection of
natural areas protects natural communities and native species, but also the
functions or ecosystem services that those natural areas provide to everyone,
including the maintenance of fresh air, clean water, and a stable climate, among
many others. The work of the TLC also sustains or enhances the quality of life
for the public by protecting natural surroundings, natural beauty, and
opportunities for passive recreation. These, in-turn, usually result in an increase
in property values for nearby residents.
Specifically, the TLC can help you. Land and conservation easement donations
to the TLC protect your land in perpetuity, can reduce your property tax, and can
reduce your income tax. The TLC can guide you on restoring, creating, or
improving native habitat, and controlling invasive weeds. The TLC can connect
you with helpful resources. The TLC can help you learn about your land and
more thoroughly enjoy nature.
The Thumb is a great place with so much worth protecting. Every plant, animal,
woods, field, wetland, creek, … even your yard, now matters. Consider creating
or restoring native habitat on your property as a means of not only supporting
the TLC mission, but supporting the world.
How to Support the TLC
There are many ways to support the Thumb Land Conservancy. The easiest
way may be through your annual membership. You can support the TLC by
volunteering to help us with preserve stewardship. The TLC sometimes has
paying work available, so we might help you in-turn. You may have skills,
knowledge, or interests that would benefit TLC projects. For example, we need
someone to help us create an interactive GIS-based web map of publicly
accessible natural areas across the Thumb. Your expertise might be
photography, videography, artwork, writing, research, species inventories, seed
collection, transplanting. You might have materials that would benefit TLC
projects. You can help us promote TLC projects and news through your posts on
social media and other web sites. You could take the lead on a land protection
project. You can help the TLC further its mission of ecosystem support and
restoration simply by creating or restoring a native habitat area on your property.
Of course, you can make a financial donation, land donation, or conservation
easement donation.
Annual Supporters
2022 TLC Supporters
Connie Bates, Clyde
Bioregion Reparation Fund of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County
Ian Brown, Fort Gratiot
Pete and Angelene Catlos, Fort Gratiot
William and Cheryl Collins, Marlette
Dorothy Craig, Fort Gratiot
Kay Cumbow, Lynn
Tom and Laurie Dennis, Fort Gratiot
Richard Duthler, R.A. Duthler Land Surveyor, Imlay City
Dr. Scott Ferguson, Clyde
John Fodi, Marysville
Four County Community Foundation, Almont
Fred Fuller, Yale
Cindy Holzer, Burton
Huron County Community Foundation, Bad Axe
Carol Kasprzak, Rochester
Kate Kenney, Port Huron
Dave Ladensack, Summit Realty, Lakeport
Dave Lewis, Ann Arbor
Timothy Lozen, Lozen Davidson and Kovar, P.C., Port Huron
Jack McLiver, Lake Huron Lawns, Lakeport
Connie Neese, Fort Gratiot
Christine Powell and Bern Smith, Washington, D.C.
Dan and Wendy Rhein, Port Huron
Jeff Ronan, LochanDe IT Services, Port Huron
Cathy Rovano, Sterling Heights
Levi Shetler and Family, Attica
Blake Short, Port Huron
Peggy Thorp and Jerry Orlowski, Lakeport
Elizabeth “Bess” Touma, Washington, D.C.
Tracy Wacker, Metamora
Chris Walker, Fargo, North Dakota
Karen Willard, Algonac
2023 TLC Supporters
Connie Bates, Clyde
Pete and Angelene Catlos, Fort Gratiot
William and Cheryl Collins, Marlette
Dorothy Craig, Fort Gratiot
Kay Cumbow, Lynn
Tom and Laurie Dennis, Fort Gratiot
Dr. Scott Ferguson, Clyde
Four County Community Foundation, Almont
Fred Fuller, Yale
Huron County Community Foundation, Bad Axe
Carol Kasprzak, Rochester
Kate Kenney, Port Huron
Dave Ladensack, Summit Realty, Lakeport
Timothy Lozen, Lozen Davidson and Kovar, P.C., Port Huron
Jack McLiver, Lake Huron Lawns, Lakeport
Dan and Wendy Rhein, Port Huron
Jeff Ronan, LochanDe IT Services, Port Huron
Cathy Rovano, Sterling Heights
Levi Shetler and Family, Attica
Blake Short, Port Huron
Elizabeth “Bess” Touma, Washington, D.C.
Chris Walker, Fargo, North Dakota
Karen Willard, Algonac
TLC Project Contributors
Southern Lake Huron Coastal Park
and Bidwell Sanctuary
Fort Gratiot and Burtchville Townships, Saint Clair County
The Carls Foundation
North American Wetlands Conservation Council
Ducks Unlimited
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Community Foundation of St. Clair County
Moore Family Foundation
Consumers Energy Foundation
Cargill, Incorporated
Bioregion Reparation Fund of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County
SEMCO Energy Gas Company
Dave Ladensack, Summit Realty, Lakeport
Timothy Lozen, Lozen Davidson and Kovar, P.C., Port Huron
Christine Powell and Bern Smith, Washington, D.C.
Elizabeth “Bess” Touma, Washington, D.C.
William and Cheryl Collins, Marlette
Tranquil Ridge Sanctuary
Dryden Township, Lapeer County
Four County Community Foundation, Almont
Timothy Lozen, Lozen Davidson and Kovar, P.C., Port Huron
Loznak Sanctuary
City of Marysville, Saint Clair County
Richard C. Loznak, Loznak Real Estate Enterprises, LLC, Saint Clair
Timothy Lozen, Lozen Davidson and Kovar, P.C., Port Huron
Dan and Wendy Rhein, Port Huron
Dead End Woods Sanctuary
Fort Gratiot Township, Saint Clair County
Pete and Angelene Catlos, Fort Gratiot
Dorothy Craig, Fort Gratiot
Dr. Scott Ferguson, Clyde
Timothy Lozen, Lozen Davidson and Kovar, P.C., Port Huron
Full Circle Sanctuary
Kimball Township, Saint Clair County
William and Cheryl Collins, Marlette
Charles Dodge Sanctuary
Kimball Township, Saint Clair County
William and Cheryl Collins, Marlette
North Street Station
Clyde Township, Saint Clair County
Clyde Historical Society
John Schomaker, North Street
Kay Cumbow, Lynn
Gerrits Sanctuary
Ira Township, Saint Clair County
Lois Gerrits, Saint Clair
Timothy Lozen, Lozen Davidson and Kovar, P.C., Port Huron
Susan Gerrits, Rochester
Randy and Kathleen Schein, Bloomfield Hills
Tom and Renae Gerrits, Saint Clair
Elizabeth Millwood, Raleigh, North Carolina
Peltier Sanctuary
Fort Gratiot Township, Saint Clair County
Ray Peltier, Burtchville
Tom and Laurie Dennis, Fort Gratiot
Bertha’s Haven Sanctuary
Fort Gratiot Township, Saint Clair County
Michigan Nature Association
Deerfield Wind Energy Preserve Stewardship
Huron Township, Huron County
Algonquin Power and Utilities Corporation, Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Huron County Community Foundation, Bad Axe