From Forest to Shore: Stories of Michigan’s Lands and Lakes takes audiences back millions of years to uncover the forces that shaped Michigan’s landscape.

 

The Michigan Maritime Museum and Kalamazoo Nature Center invite the public to explore the ancient history beneath Michigan’s forests, shorelines, and Great Lakes during From Forest to Shore: Stories of Michigan’s Lands and Lakes, an upcoming lecture September 9th at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven.

Kalamazoo Nature Center’s Ezra Montero will take audiences on a journey through deep time, exploring the geological forces that shaped the Great Lakes region. The presentation will travel back to the ancient Cambrian seabed, examine the immense Laurentide Ice Sheet that covered much of Michigan during the last Ice Age, and trace the geological eras that shaped the fossils and landscapes we encounter along Michigan’s shores today.

The lecture is part of From Forest to Shore, a collaborative program connecting Michigan’s natural and maritime heritage. Through stories, science, and exploration, the series examines the connections between the state’s inland ecosystems and its Great Lakes waterways—and how those landscapes have shaped Michigan’s history, ecology, and communities.

“Michigan’s maritime story begins long before there were ships on the Great Lakes,” said Violet Rollins, Head of Education at the Michigan Maritime Museum. “The geology beneath our feet and the forces that shaped our landscape are an important part of understanding the lakes and the communities that grew along them.”

The program begins at 6:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Admission is free for Michigan Maritime Museum and Kalamazoo Nature Center members. Admission for non-members is $10.

Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Michigan Maritime Museum. 

EVENT DETAILS

From Forest to Shore: Stories of Michigan’s Lands and Lakes
Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Location: Michigan Maritime Museum, 260 Dyckman Ave., South Haven, MI
Admission: Free for Michigan Maritime Museum and Kalamazoo Nature Center members; 

$10 for non-members
Tickets: Available in person at the Michigan Maritime Museum