Community Calendar

May 1 - May 31 / Join us for a month-long celebration of new vegan dishes all over Kalamazoo!

Back by popular demand for the fourth year in a row, businesses across Kalamazoo will showcase exciting special vegan menu items for an entire month, giving everyone the opportunity to explore creative plant-based dishes crafted by talented local chefs.

How It Works:

1- Visit participating restaurants across Kalamazoo.
2- Try their exclusive vegan offerings.
3- Share your experience: Rate and review the dishes you try, comment, post photos of your favorite meals, and tag us at @KalamazooVeganChefChallenge.

This event is open to everyone, not just vegans! It’s about bringing our community together to celebrate incredible food and support our area's chefs.

Get Involved: Looking for ways to connect? Volunteer with us! We’re seeking passionate individuals to help with outreach, event promotion, and community building throughout the month. It's a great way to meet like-minded people and make a difference! Volunteer using this link: TinyURL.com/VOLVCC.

Join us in making Kalamazoo an even more inclusive, vibrant, and compassionate community. For details on participating businesses, menus, partners, and more, visit our website at veganchefchallenge.org/Kalamazoo.

The Kalamazoo Vegan Chef Challenge is hosted by Vegan Outreach and in collaboration with Vegan Kalamazoo.

May 1 - May 31 / Join us for a month-long celebration of new vegan dishes all over Kalamazoo!

Back by popular demand for the fourth year in a row, businesses across Kalamazoo will showcase exciting special vegan menu items for an entire month, giving everyone the opportunity to explore creative plant-based dishes crafted by talented local chefs.

How It Works:

1- Visit participating restaurants across Kalamazoo.
2- Try their exclusive vegan offerings.
3- Share your experience: Rate and review the dishes you try, comment, post photos of your favorite meals, and tag us at @KalamazooVeganChefChallenge.

This event is open to everyone, not just vegans! It’s about bringing our community together to celebrate incredible food and support our area's chefs.

Get Involved: Looking for ways to connect? Volunteer with us! We’re seeking passionate individuals to help with outreach, event promotion, and community building throughout the month. It's a great way to meet like-minded people and make a difference! Volunteer using this link: TinyURL.com/VOLVCC.

Join us in making Kalamazoo an even more inclusive, vibrant, and compassionate community. For details on participating businesses, menus, partners, and more, visit our website at veganchefchallenge.org/Kalamazoo.

The Kalamazoo Vegan Chef Challenge is hosted by Vegan Outreach and in collaboration with Vegan Kalamazoo.

Silver Maples: Keep Moving with Dr. Spitsbergen
Thursday, May 7, 11 am – 1 pm

Audience: Geared for Adults 50+, but all are welcome

Our nervous systems are complex and dynamic, changing over our lifetimes as we grow and move.

Dr. Spitsbergen is a WMU scientist, and is part of a lab that studies the ways that movement and exercise have tangible effects on our nervous systems over time. Take a closer look inwards and learn about the biochemistry going on inside all of us, and see how we can set our nervous systems up for success.

Bring your lunch! We will eat together after the program. This program is geared for adults 50 and up, but all ages are welcome.

Part of the Silver Maples Series: www.NatureCenter.org/SilverMaples

Fee: Member $12, Non-Member $15 Please register

Virtual Butterfly Monitor Training

KNC’s Michigan Butterfly Network (MiBN) welcomes you for a virtual butterfly monitor training. Butterflies are indicators of the quality and health of entire ecosystems, and monitoring their abundance is critical for informing conservation work. Anyone with an interest in butterflies can contribute to MiBN monitoring activities. Community scientists are integral to learning more about butterflies across the state of Michigan. This free training is open to past and new participants of all experience levels to learn how to identify Michigan butterflies and monitor a butterfly route. Register to receive an email invitation to a Microsoft Teams meeting. Please note: a recording of the training will be sent to all registrants, should you be unable to attend synchronously.

Fee: Free. Please register by April 30 | Audience: Ages 15+