To tell the story of “Woody’s Woods,” the future name of this reserve, we must begin at the beginning, or as Woody would say, “the seed was planted.”

THE SEED: Woody Gardner, an undeniably adventurous and outdoorsy woman, saw the Horace M. Huffman, Jr. “Huffy” Nature Preserve sign  along M-119. She then started to notice more and more signs and said, “I wanted to do that too because I appreciate the protected places so much…all of the boardwalks and woods.”

TENDING: “Most people have that thing. That thing where they don’t feel like life is complete without doing it.” Protecting land with Little Traverse Conservancy has “always been right there, waiting for me to do it.” Woody was patient. She needed the right place and the resources necessary to protect it. In 2021 she asked her friend Consie Pierrepont, LTC board trustee, how to protect land through the Conservancy. Over lunch with LTC’s then-Associate Director, Ty Ratliff, Woody learned the process and we learned what kind of land she was hoping to protect. Over the next year Ty sent potential projects to Woody and she would tie on her hiking boots to explore them.

FLOWERING: Eventually Woody and Ty visited the Lamkin Family Farm. After spending time there and reflecting on on the land, she “fell in love with it.” 

The seed was planted and with the completion of this protection effort, it will grow. Woody is mom to three grown children: Warner, Ty, and Amelia. All have an appreciation for land and what their mom is doing. Woody’s hope is that her kids will all feel connected to her through this land. Because “it will always be there.”

She ends her story by stating, “It’s not about me, it is about everyone it took to get this property.”

What’s in a name? At that lunch with Ty and Consie they pondered, “What will you call your preserve when you find it?” Someone said, “Woody’s Woods.” The alliteration and meaning really fit. The reserve will now and forever be known as Woody’s Woods.