Saving Birds Thru Habitat Executive Director Kay Charter observed that conservation groups were often separated from each other by insignificant differences. Political fractures over individual issues lead to various groups refusing to work together on other issues. She knew the conservation movement could ill afford such division. How to bring them together? Like she did with SBTH, Kay began to take the global issue local. Maybe she could play a role in bringing conservation groups in northern Michigan into an alliance where they could share ideas and act together when it was in their mutual interest to do so.

She shared the idea with E.D's of several other organizations, including Rebecca Lessard, the founder of Wings of Wonder, another conservation educational organization, two local conservancies and Grass River Natural Area.  She suggested a community event, which would bring together all conservation NGO's, as well as governmental conservation groups in order that each organization might learn more about each of the others, perhaps discovering areas where two or more might collaborate.  The event would also help raise public awareness about how individuals could connect with and become involved in the natural world.

Grand Traverse Parks & Recreation, Saving Birds Thru Habitat, Wings of Wonder, Inland Seas Educational Association, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Grass River Natural Area, Leelanau Conservancy, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Trout Unlimited and others.