Black Friday Prairie Planting at Wege Foundation Natural Area

Join a volunteer workday to sow native seeds at the natural area, opting for nature over shopping this Black Friday.

For years, Land Conservancy of West Michigan staff and volunteers have spent the fall collecting seeds from native grassland plants. These seeds are then sorted, dried, and separated from chaff before they can be sown. Historically, this hard work has been celebrated with a seed planting workday on the Friday after Thanksgiving at Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve. The tradition of seed planting on Black Friday, which is most known as a doorbuster shopping extravaganza, started because it’s an optimal time to get seeds in the ground. Over the years, this workday has become an annual tradition, as it’s a way for people to “opt outside” by spending the day in nature (and far away from a shopping mall). In 2025, with the help of our dedicated volunteers, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan celebrated 25 years and the completion of the Saul Lake Prairie project. This year, we are focusing our Black Friday Prairie Planting efforts elsewhere. We will be gathering this Black Friday at Wege Foundation Natural Area for our annual seed sowing tradition. While the location is different, the work is the same, and we hope you will join us! We will gather at 10am, hike into the preserve together, sow seeds in a new restoration site, and watch what grows. This event will happen rain, snow, or shine – please come dressed for the weather. Tools, water, and work gloves will be provided. Parking + Preserve Access: Parking is available in the paved Wittenbach Agri Science Center parking lot. We will gather near the building and will hike into the preserve together. Register to Attend