Artist Mobilizes Residents to Save Beloved Nature Center From Developer

Renowned award-winning metro Detroit portrait artist, Marla Michele Must of Enchanted Photography (https://www.enchantedbymarlamichele.com/) is on a mission to help save the E. L. Johnson Nature Center, owned and operated by Bloomfield Hills Schools, from potentially having its eco-system and aesthetics encroached by a real estate developer.

The nature center has become a sacred place to Must. She annually donates to the nature center in exchange for the opportunity to enjoy the center’s magical beauty and to share it with Metro Detroit families, of whom she has photographed hundreds of families there over the past several years.

Must has organized an email and letter writing campaign to mobilize Bloomfield Hills and area residents familiar with the nature center to show their support and urge the Bloomfield Hills School Board to explore options such as using any available land grants to purchase the land adjacent to the nature center from the developer.

According to Must, a developer is planning the construction of five large homes on 4.5 wooded acres overlooking the nature center’s pond. “These homes will have a negative impact on the aesthetics of the property, the wildlife habitat, and buffer that surrounds the nature center with a possible impact on water quality of the pond, and a degraded environment in which educational and public programs are conducted.”

“The homes would be located as close as 35 feet from the nature center's border with no opportunity to screen them. The developer is suing the township because they have turned down his proposal. The township and school board deserve our show of appreciation and encouragement for their dedication to continuing to fight the ongoing litigation,” states Must.

Must has dedicated a section of her website to bring awareness to the beauty of the nature center: https://www.enchantedbymarlamichele.com/el-johnson-nature-center/. She is offering a no-charge photo session at the nature center and a complimentary 8x10 enlargement to the first 25 people willing to send an email or write a letter showing their support as well as their making a nominal donation of $5 or more to the E. L. Johnson Nature Center to help care for animals being safeguarded by the center.

Want to help show your support? Must is encouraging residents and nature lovers to write emails and letters in support of maintaining the nature center and expressing gratitude to the township officials and school board for their hard work defending this beloved nature center and urging them to explore options for the School Board or Township to purchase the adjacent property.

School Board Email addresses are on the school website:www.bloomfield.org/about-us/board-of-education

Bloomfield Township addresses are listed:www.bloomfieldtwp.org/Government/administration.asp

To take advantage of the offer for a free portrait session at E. L. Johnson Nature Center and the complimentary 8x10 enlargement, contact Marla Michele Must at Enchanted Photography & MMM Portrait Art by visiting her website at ‪www.EnchantedByMarlaMichele.com.