Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The Michigan Natural Areas Council papers document environmental advocacy activities in Michigan from the mid 1940s through 2006. The record group includes numerous reports and articles on natural areas in Michigan, legislative proceedings regarding those areas, photos, slides, correspondence between Michigan's myriad environmental groups, data collected on the natural areas, and maps.

The MNAC records are organized into three series: Administrative Files, Natural Areas Files, and Site Files. The record group documents the Michigan Natural Areas Council's activities and structure from 1934 to 2006, including some materials relating to the MNAC's administration and organization. The bulk of the files relate to the group's efforts to identify and dedicate natural areas in the state of Michigan. There is also some information relating to other Michigan naturalist groups that worked with MNAC members.

The Michigan Nature Association is a non-profit organization concerned with nature education and the purchase and maintenance of land throughout the state for the establishment of natural sanctuaries. The record group includes early papers of the organization, administrative files, correspondence, property and land files, topical files, publications, some visual materials, and legal materials associated with their opposition to the construction of transmission lines in a nature sanctuary.

The Michigan Nature Association records include early papers of the organization, administrative files, correspondence, property and land files, topical files, publications, some visual materials, and legal materials associated with their opposition to the construction of transmission lines in a nature sanctuary. The record group has been arranged into the following series: Early papers, Administrative, Correspondence, Topical files, Publications, Visual Materials, Bertha Daubendiek personal papers, and Litigation files. Most of these files were maintained by Bertha Daubendiek, a founder and secretary-treasurer of the organization.