Conservation Biology at Heronwood Field Station
The Kalamazoo Nature Center’s Conservation Biology class, offered in partnership with the Kalamazoo Regional Education Service Agency’s (KRESA) Career and Technical Education program, introduces students to the exciting careers in Natural Resource Conservation and Wildlife Biology. This is a laboratory/field-based course which involves hands-on learning of ecological science, animal and plant studies (i.e. behavior, identification), job shadowing, and field trips.
This course has special emphasis on skills and technology used in this profession. Students have direct contact with natural resource conservationists and wildlife biologists in this field of study and get to use Heronwood’s 90-acre forest as an extension of the classroom. They will receive either their 2nd or 3rd high school science credit through this program, as well as attain the skills necessary to obtain employment in various careers in Natural Resource Conservation and Wildlife Biology. Major units of the class include: Biodiversity, Native Plant Propagation, Human Impacts on the Natural World, Maps and Navigation, Soil, Natural Resources Careers, Forestry, Climate Change, Wildlife, and Water Issues.
Please note: KNC’s Heronwood Field Station is a private school and not open to the public. Heronwood is a 5000 square foot ecological field station on over 60 acres in Alamo and is home to high school Conservation Biology courses and more. With fully equipped laboratories, a GIS station, and plenty of room for projects, Heronwood is an ideal place to work on a wide variety of research and education projects.For education questions, please call 269-459-8500.
2026-27 School Year Updates
Applications for the Conservation Biology program are open to all high school students in Kalamazoo County through their local districts. Open enrollment typically begins in January of the prior school year.
To learn more about this program and enrollment requirements, please visit KRESA’s website or call 269-250-9300
Contact Us
Allie Spring she/her/hers
Lead Instructor, Heronwood Field Station
aspring@naturecenter.org
Kyra Blum they/them
Teaching Assistant, Heronwood Field Station
kblum@naturecenter.org
Meet the Staff
Allie (she/her) graduated with an undergraduate degree from WMU in Biology and Environmental Studies, and an M.S. In Microbial Ecology. She has worked in various conservation research settings, including the Kellogg Biological Station. She has been teaching at Heronwood for 5 years, and her favorite part about work is connecting with students and fostering a love and respect for the outdoors. After work, she loves hanging out with her baby and partner, hiking, reading, and sewing.
Bird Banding
Heronwood students visit the bird banding barn in the fall to learn how the KNC tracks migrating bird populations, and they get to see bird banding in action.
Visits to Nature’s Way Preschool
Conservation Biology students visit Nature’s Way preschool to teach “the littles” about stream macroinvertebrates.
Sweep Netting and Lab Work
Students conducted sweep netting to collect insects, then identified the insects to calculate the biodiversity at Heronwood.