By Staff
MATTAWAN – Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials announced the spring schedule for the Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery Visitor Center near Kalamazoo. Beginning March 1, the visitor center's hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The center will be closed on Mondays.
"We are in the process of signing up a number of school groups who will visit the hatchery during April and May," Wolf Lake Interpreter Shana McMillan said. "Other groups and families should contact us ahead of time to get information about the availability of guided hatchery tours."
To celebrate the coming of spring, McMillan said the center is hosting a special gardening program Saturday, March 10, at 10 a.m. The program is open to all ages and is offered free of charge. Preregistration is not required. The program is divided into two parts with each part running approximately one hour in length:
How Your Backyard Gardening Practices Affect the Environment
Melanie Stoughton, AmeriCorps member with the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program, will discuss the different ways we impact the environment and how you can practice conservation and stewardship in your backyard gardening. Participants will learn how pesticides, fertilizers and other practices affect water quality.
Inviting Native Plants Into Your Landscape
Steve Allen, president of Geum Services, Inc., will discuss how Michigan native plants can save and protect water resources while providing low maintenance beauty and support for wildlife. Learn more about native plants that call southwest Michigan home and get tips on how you can introduce them to your landscape.
Wolf Lake will again be offering its popular summer fishing program, when children ages 5 to 16 can take part in catch-and-release fishing every Saturday from June through August, and the center's annual Fish Festival is scheduled for July 21-22. McMillan said this year's event will be bigger and better than ever.
The Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery Visitor Center is located in Mattawan at Hatchery Road and M-43, six miles west of US-131. For information about events and programs, contact Shana McMillan at (269) 668-2876.