The Van Buren Conservation District has unveiled a new series of interpretive signs along the Van Buren State Trail.
The district’s Jacob Diljak tells us a grant from Keep Michigan Beautiful, Incorporated and conservation millage dollars have paid for the seven markers now installed along the 14-mile trail between Hartford and South Haven.
“We wanted to include information that reflected our culture, history, and interesting things about our area,” Diljak said. “Things like our farmland, our water, our forests and habitats and history.”
Diljak says the Van Buren State Trail meanders through some of Southwest Michigan’s most beautiful and diverse landscapes, and there are interesting stories for walkers to learn along the way.
“We have a sign in a blueberry field, for instance, and it talks about how impactful blueberries are to our region, about a lot of the history of the farming of fruits.”
Each sign was created with partners to highlight local history, nature, and culture. They include the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan Forest Association, Covert Township, and Michigan Railroad History.
Diljak says the signs were installed earlier this month, and he’s already seen a positive response from users of the trail. They’re in both English and Spanish, with one even in Pottawatomi.
