Walk brings attention to conservation causes

A Mendon Township woman who heads the St. Joseph County Conservation District Board has called her four-day, 60-mile walk around St. Joseph County a success.
Carol Higgins, who embarked Wednesday on the journey and finished Saturday at Colon Community Park, said she staged the event to bring awareness and potential funding to local conservation causes spearheaded by the Centreville-based agency.
Between publicity generated through local radio and newspapers, Higgins said there are a number of people who have at least heard about her trek and the awareness it has generated to the conservation district.
Higgins concluded a 10-mile day Saturday starting at Rawson’s King Mill with family members and two special guests:  Tom Springer, former chair of the conservation district board, and State Rep. Aaron Miller.
The 60-year-old Higgins said natural highlights included spotting a yellow swallowtail butterfly, a surprising number of Baltimore orioles, green frogs, eight lakes, 18 different bridges she crossed and six different rivers.