RECENTLY ADDED YARDS

Welcome to the West Michigan Open Yards program! We are busy building this exciting new program and planning for a spring 2024 launch. Please bookmark our site and check back in late April or early May; registration should be open by then. Please read on to learn all about us.

Here you will find listings of dozens of private landscapes around the west Michigan region being managed for habitat and available for you to visit and engage with the owners. Use our robust search tool to find landscapes that suit your interests and availability. Schedule your visit through the same tool and know that all net proceeds of the program support the Kent Conservation District.

As you ponder your plans, consider our Open Yards Weekends. We are scheduling them monthly in 2024:

• June 1 – 2
• July 13 – 14
• August 10 – 11
• September 7 – 8
• October 5 – 6 

We encourage our Open Yards hosts to be open at least one of the days on Open Yards weekends, giving you more landscapes to consider for a visit. The weekends were chosen to give plenty of viewing opportunities during the growing season while avoiding direct conflict with holidays. Of course, not all hosts will be open, given their landscape’s unique seasonality and their own personal schedules.

HOW IT WORKS

1. Use the search engine to find a yard you want to visit. You can search by date(s), yard features like shade or rain garden, or use our map to find a space close to you.
2. After reviewing the listing and being satisfied of your choice, go to the booking section to select the specific date and time for your visit as well as the number of people attending. On large devices, this section should be on the right of the listing; for small screens, there should be a “registration” section near the bottom.
3. Click “Book Now” to add your selection to the shopping cart. You can continue to search and book additional yard visits, adding them to the cart.
4. When satisfied and ready to pay, simply click on the cart (which should be at the top of most any screen) and complete the checkout process.
5. Afterward, you will receive at least two emails. An “order” message confirms payment and is your receipt. A “booking” message is generated for each unique yard and time registration. The latter includes the exact street address of the yard and additional info about your visit; please save in a convenient place to avoid any issues later.
6. If this all sounds great and you would like to make your own landscape available through the program, simply complete our Landowner Interest Survey, and we will be in touch.

THANKS for stopping by, and we hope you will share our site with others!