Family fun, nature mix at first-time event at Felt Estate

Mary Jo Bertolino, right, instructs participants including Becky Bowen and Traci Rozelle on how to plant flowers in the new butterfly garden at the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th Ave. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

About 50 people filled the Carriage House at the Felt Estate in Laketown Township on Friday night, Sept. 5, 2025, for the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event, learning about the local environment, dune ecology, butterflies and soil conservation while hammering a few flower petals along the way.

The Holland Area Arts Council was certainly the loudest of nearly one dozen informational and interactive stops at the historic grounds at 6597 138^th Ave. Participants plucked colorful plant parts, arranged them carefully on a paper palette then pounded them with a mallet to make kaleidoscope prints to take home.

Rick Brigham creates a plant-based image at the Holland Area Arts Council table at the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th Ave. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

“That’s really nice,” Mary Lou Graham said after looking over Rick Brigham’s creation.

The conservation event was a way to inspire participants to learn about the environment and have fun at the same time.

Rick Brigham carefully places flower petals to create a plant-based image at the Holland Area Arts Council table at the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th Ave. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

“We’d like to thank the community and conservation partners for their participation, and we look forward to making this an annual event,” said Felt Estate Executive Director Elizabeth McEwen.

Ally and Vicki Zylstra of Saugatuck create a plant-based image at the Holland Area Arts Council table at the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th Ave. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

Information and nature

Area groups with informational and activity booths included the Holland Area Arts Council, Outdoor Discovery Center, Department of Natural Resources, Ottawa Conservation District, Allegan Conservation District, Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission, Restoration Earth, Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance, Ottawa County Parks and Hosting Butterflies.

Melissa Eikenberry of Hosting Butterflies leads a nature walk during the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th Ave. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

Melissa Eikenberry of Hosting Butterflies pointed out trees and their impact on butterflies and moths as she led a group on a natural walk around the grounds.

The group paused as several deer strolled by in the nearby forest.

“Nature everywhere,” Eikenberry said.

Participants in the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th Ave. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, record Melissa Eikenberry of Hosting Butterflies during a nature walk while a deer pauses in the shade.

Participants in the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th Ave. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, see a deer on their nature walk.

Across the grounds, Becky Bowen of Holland joined Traci Rozelle in planting a butterfly garden with the help of Mary Jo Bertolino of the Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission and Jeff Scott, a retired professor of horticulture.

Bertolino and Scott grew the butterfly-friendly plants that will bloom next season and join the multiple pollinator gardens around the Felt Estate.

After patting soil around the roots of the newly planted flora, Bowen and Rozelle memorialized their contribution by writing the names of a parent and grandchild on a small stake at the base of the flowers.

Maya Klanderman, sustainability specialist with the Outdoor Discovery Center, helps William, 2, and his parents Ben Shank and Kate Dickey of Laketown Township with a button at the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th A

Back inside, the big question for 2-year-old William was whether to immortalize his drawing as a button or a magnet at the Outdoor Discovery Center station. He chose the button.

Mary Jo Bertolino of the Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission helps plant a butterfly garden during the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th Ave. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. Note the caterpillar on the leaf

About the estate

The Felt Estate was developed in the early 20^th century by Dorr Felt, inventor of the Comptometer, the first machine that could do all four math functions — add, subtract, multiply and divide. Construction on the mansion began in 1925 and the building was finished in 1928.

Felt was an avid naturalist and conservationist.

Felt’s wife Agnes died in 1928 after the house was complete. Dorr died a year-and-a-half later.

After his death, the estate became a seminary for the Augustinian order that was attended by Pope Leo XIV. After the seminary closed, the land became a state prison and Michigan State Police post before the property was purchased by Laketown Township.

Elizabeth McEwen, left, executive director of the Felt Estate, speaks with participants during the first “Conservation in Your Own Backyard” event at the Felt Estate, 6597 138th Ave. on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

The mansion has been restored and is a top historical and educational site as well as a wedding and event destination.

Learn more at www.feltmansion.org

Saugatuck Dunes State Park, once Felt’s property, surrounds the current estate.

The 1,000-acre park includes hiking trails of varying difficulty through dunes to Lake Michigan with 2.5 miles of lake front. The park’s 300-acre Patty Birkholz Natural Area contains a coastal dune system and three endangered plant species.