GT Conservation District’s Big Year: New Boardman Bridge, Incubator Farm Expansion & Education Reserve Improvements

The Grand Traverse Conservation District (GTCD) is nearing its fundraising goal to build a new 160-foot pedestrian bridge over the Boardman-Ottaway River at the former Sabin Dam site, with construction to potentially start this spring – creating a connected loop of over 41 miles of local trails. It’s just one of several big projects on deck this year for GTCD, which is also expanding its Great Lakes Incubator Farm program and completing improvements at the Natural Education Reserve that include a new Discovery Boardwalk and an outdoor amphitheater.

GTCD has been fundraising for several years for the new bridge, which will span the Boardman-Ottaway at the former Sabin Dam site. Prior to its removal in 2018, the dam provided a connection across the river for hikers – who now must turn back at the Boardman River Nature Center/Natural Education Reserve where trails dead-end at the river. A restored connection will provide access from the river’s west side to “miles of recreational trails on the east, including the TART Boardman-Ottaway River Trail that extends 24 miles into the river valley,” according to GTCD Communications & Development Specialist Irene Stibitz. “This trail is part of a larger 41-plus mile loop that connects the recently completed Boardman Lake Loop Trail, East Creek Reserve Trails, Brown Bridge Quiet Area, Muncie Lakes Pathway, North Country Trail, VASA Pathway, and the TART.”

The $1.5 million project recently got a major boost from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) board, which approved $400,000 in grant funding for the crossing in December. GTCD now needs to raise about $317,000 more to fully fund the project, according to Executive Director Koffi Kpachavi. “We are really close now to meeting our goal, and our plan is to run a spring appeal to raise the difference,” he says. The goal is to start bridge construction this spring and be complete by fall, he says. The river will remain navigable during construction, though some temporary trail closures may be required.

The crossing will provide not only a major link for hikers but also for GTCD operations. Across the Boardman-Ottaway River from the Nature Center is the Great Lakes Incubator Farm (GLIF) on Keystone Road, both of which are operated by GTCD. The nonprofit runs educational events for various schools that include visits to both sites, with students now having to be loaded into vehicles and driven between them. When the bridge is complete, however, they’ll be able to walk between the two properties – as will employees. That connection, which will also provide non-motorized access to the Keystone Soccer Complex beyond, will likely prove increasingly useful as GLIF expands its programming.

Launched in 2021 on the historic county-owned Meyer Farm property – for which GTCD now has a long-term lease – GLIF is “dedicated to training the next generation of farmers through a local farming model rooted in regenerative agriculture,” according to the organization. Eight participants went through the program last year, which provides infrastructure and resources – such as irrigation systems, hoophouse space, cold storage, tractors, a post-harvest handling facility, and farm management mentorship – to help remove barriers for upstart farming operations. With nearly half of farmers in the five-county area now over the age of 65, GLIF is trying to recruit and train the next generation of agricultural leaders – including connecting participants with local land opportunities and farms looking for younger help.

GTCD Agricultural Program Coordinator Adam Brown says the program has seen success on multiple fronts, from participants – such as a flower grower who’s increased her sales by 80 percent during two years in the program – to community givebacks. GLIF donated over 4,300 pounds of product to Food Rescue in 2024, according to Brown. This year, GLIF is expanding beyond its incubator program to offer a new seven-month training program in which participants – limited to five per year – will gain hands-on experience “in all aspects of farming, from cultivation and planting to problem-solving, harvesting, and marketing their products,” according to GTCD.

Brown says the training program will offer a “unique and diverse curriculum,” including the upcoming launch of a new community supported agriculture (CSA) program and a potential market stand this year. While a handful of students live in the farmhouse, GTCD is also exploring adding more residential space in the future so more participants can stay on-site and experience all aspects of farm living. GLIF plans to offer public programming in 2025 as well, including a new series called Growing Together Community Workshop – events for home gardeners and small-scale growers that will be held the third Wednesday of every month starting in April. “I want this to be a space for everybody,” Brown says of the farm.

New improvements are also on deck at the Boardman River Nature Center/Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve. GTCD recently completed construction on its new Discovery Boardwalk, which is on the Sabin Loop Trail and spans over 100 feet of wetlands with viewing platforms on each end for interpretative activities and educational programming. The boardwalk is now open to the public. GTCD also recently received approval from the Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation Commission to build a new education amphitheater with a small stage, which will accommodate 50-60 people for outdoor workshops and classes.

“We focus on being 100 percent outdoors, so being outdoors, we need places to congregate and teach,” says Kpachavi. “It’s in a natural grove, so until you get there, you don’t even know it’s there. It’s a magical spot.” Construction on the amphitheater is expected to be completed this spring, allowing the space to be used for 2025 programming.

Pictured (clockwise from left): Discovery Boardwalk, Great Lakes Incubator Farm, Boardman-Ottaway Bridge Rendering