The Portman Nature Preserve is an amazing 188 acre mix of woods, meadows and wetlands with frontage on three lakes, a creek and hundreds of springs. The park supports two federally endangered species, a long list of state-listed plants and animals, and every species of turtle found in Southern Michigan.
This is SWMLC’s largest and most ambitious project to date. Ultimately, we envision a 188-acre nature preserve that protects and provides habitat for an incredible number of southwest Michigan’s rarest species, serves as an outdoor classroom for area students and a natural laboratory for local researchers, offers a natural space for the community to explore, exercise, discover, gather . . . to connect with nature and with each other.