𝗜𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸

Community, craftsmanship, and conservation came together in a powerful way this year — and it started with Lynn and Abbie, two Industrial Arts Institute students, who simply showed up to plant trees.

Across Michigan, conservation districts have spent decades helping landowners restore forests, improve wildlife habitat, and steward their land through annual seedling sales. In 2023, the Benzie Conservation District launched a new idea: the Neighbor Network, a grassroots system that connects landowners who need help planting trees with volunteers who want to lend a hand. The model took off, and with support from the Michigan Forest Association, it is now expanding statewide with new hubs in Marquette County and Presque Isle County.

When two IAI students participated in a community tree‑planting event with the Neighbor Network, they made a meaningful connection with organizers and volunteers. During conversations that day, they learned about the Network’s plan to build tool libraries to support reforestation efforts across the state. One essential tool kept coming up: the dibble bar. That moment of connection sparked a collaboration that has now grown into something much bigger.

IAI partnered with the Michigan Forest Association to bring this project into our fabrication module, giving students a real‑world community application for their skills. From that module, IAI welding student Nick Kurtz of Kaleva was assigned to the fabrication of twelve dibble bars, producing standard tools built to established specifications. After Nick completed the fabrication, the bars were finished with paint and IAI branding before being added to the Neighbor Network Tool Libraries across three counties.

At IAI, we emphasize that skilled trades are not only about craftsmanship — they’re about community. We teach our students that giving back is part of being a professional, and this project is a perfect example of that value in action. Nick’s work will support volunteers and landowners as they continue planting native tree and shrub seedlings across Michigan.

And the partnership doesn’t end there. Our students have been invited to join future tree‑planting events with the Neighbor Network, continuing the cycle of service, stewardship, and hands‑on learning.

Conservation is contagious — and so is the pride that comes from using your skills to make a difference.