Michigan's best nature centers and wilderness preserves

DeVries Nature Conservancy Nature center open weekdays, 9-4; trails and playscape open daily dawn to dusk; Free 2635 North M-52, Owosso, MI 48867; (989) 723-3365; www.devriesnature.org See for yourself! The conservancy has restored a prairie on land once dedicated to agriculture. Throughout the summer you will find black-eyed Susans, purple coneflowers, and asters. The rundown: Located just minutes north of Owosso, the DeVries Nature Conservancy protects 136 acres along the Shiawassee River. The property was once the farm of Joseph DeVries, the local veterinarian, and his wife, Francis. The gift of land was supplemented with a healthy endowment to support its mission to "inspire curiosity and foster learning about Michigan's natural history and rural past."  The preserve features maple-beech forest, restored prairie, and floodplain, and it boasts 4 miles of trails. The lion's share of the property, however, is given over to cropland, and you may see the conservancy's Mobile Farmers Market around town. It delivers fresh seasonal produce to the wider community. There are a number of ways to take advantage of the resources at DeVries. Children love the Kids Nature Playscape, which has a tree for climbing in addition to a climbing wall. There's also a slackline and a zip line for the younger kids. Another approach would be to come for a nature walk. There are trails that run down by the Shiawassee, and others follow the line between farmland and forest. Or you could visit the pollinator garden and watch the bees and butterflies go about their business. And if the gardening bug takes you, the conservancy rents out garden plots. The Nature Center building is open on weekdays. Inside they have box turtles, a few snakes, an aquarium featuring river fish, and a hissing cockroach. When the nature center is staffed, ask if any of these critters want to come out and play. Outside they have rabbits and chickens.  The DeVries had a deep love for horse-drawn sleigh rides. Mr. DeVries, in fact, collected historic carriages and sleighs. That collection is preserved at the DeVries Conservancy in the Sleigh and Carriage Museum. There are 25 restored vehicles in all--from buggies and surreys to sleighs and cutters. It is considered one of the best museums of its kind in the Midwest. Visitors should note that the collection is only viewable by appointment. It's a fact! The nearby town of Owosso was named for Chief Wasso, an Ojibwa leader who signed treaties in the early 1800s--the Treaty of Saginaw and the Treaty of Detroit--that ceded millions of acres to the US government. Excerpted from Michigan's Best Preserves and Nature Centers (And Why to Go) by Matt Forster All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.