As we bask in all things spring and wildflowers begin to unfold their petals, Legacy Land Conservancy is excited to offer visitors to the Lloyd and Mabel Johnson Nature Preserve a self-guided wildflower walk!

In 2007, Legacy accepted the generous donation of 51 acres of farmland, oak hickory forest, and buttonbush swamp from the Lloyd and Mabel Johnson Foundation. In 2016, Legacy began the process to restore 15 acres of farmland into prairie. In 2017, a seed mix containing species from dry and wet-mesic prairie types was chosen based on the site’s soil profile and hydrologic conditions, and installed. Now well underway, the restored prairie at Johnson is home to a wide variety of wildflower species, which can be found blooming at different times from April through August.

Starting in May, wildflower identification guides will be available at the prairie trail. Or, download a pdf here to use on your phone. Either way, the guide is a wonderful resource for individuals who are new to native wildflower identification and would like to become more familiar with the diverse prairie communities of Michigan.

Enjoy your walk on the wildflower side!

>>Click here for directions to Johnson Preserve

PS – Please share your photos!  We’d love to see any photos that you take on your walk–wildflowers or anything else that catches your eye while enjoying the preserve! Photos can be submitted via email to [email protected] or just tag us on social media by using @LegacyLandConservancy.

PPS – If you note any particularly interesting nature observations, take a photo and upload it to inaturalist.org, an online community contributing to biodiversity science!