In this episode, we welcome Francisco Martinez, Event and Public Relations Officer, Hispanic Center of Western Michigan.

The Hispanic Center of Western Michigan is a non-profit organization serving the Latino and broader West Michigan community. The Hispanic Center of Western Michigan is sponsoring the 2026 LatinX Youth Conference, which takes place on March 5, 2026, at the GRCC Ford Fieldhouse.

The focus of this year’s LatinX Youth Conference is to support eighth-grade students as they transition into high school…a critical time when students are exploring who they are, identifying their skills, and building confidence in their knowledge.

The Hispanic Center of Western Michigan’s goal is to support them during this transition, so they feel empowered and prepared to become successful leaders for the future.

This year’s LatinX Youth Conference will include panels on career pathways as well as an interactive expo where students can engage in hands-on activities.

Learn More: Hispanic Center of Western Michigan

In this episode, we welcome Marie Orttenberger, advancement manager with The Land Conservancy of West Michigan

The Land Conservancy of West Michigan works to keep nature nearby and conserve West Michigan’s ecologically critical land.

Marie told us they do this work by creating public nature preserves, providing support to communities and local governments in creating natural areas, and helping private landowners protect their own land.

Their focus is on three areas:

Protected Land: Working with families & communities to protect ecologically critical land.

Healthy Habitats: Maintaining and restoring health to the landscapes we work together to protect.

Inspired People: Offering inclusive opportunities for people to connect with nature and each other.

In this episode, we spoke about these topics:

*The finish of a 25-year project at Saul Lake Bog Preserve…in Rockford, MI. Saul Lake Bog Nature Preserve is one of West Michigan’s flagship natural areas. Visitors can appreciate the bog, prairie, forests, and fields—and the diversity of wildlife they support—in all seasons.

*The Land Conservancy of West Michigan is celebrating 50 years of keeping nature nearby. Marie promised that this year will offer several action-packed events for friends and supporters to be a part of.

Online: The Land Conservancy of West Michigan

In this episode of Community Closeup, we sit down with Ted Diedrich, station manager of GRTV, to discuss what a vital community resource GRTV is and why public access television remains an important civic institution, even in the digital age.

Ted shares about how you can become an All-Access member of the Grand Rapids Community Media Center, and he also talks about the wide variety of classes offered through GRTV and professional, audio, and video equipment available for you to check out as a member.

By creating the media and your own video programming, GRTV offers numerous opportunities for community involvement for anyone who is interested.

Episode Notes

• What is GRTV? An overview of the GRTV's mission and history.
• Membership & Access: How ⁠Grand Rapids Community Media Center members can unlock classes, equipment access, and media literacy training.
• Hands-On Learning: Details on GRTV’s hands-on classes in video production, podcasting, editing, and video production for all skill levels.
• Volunteer Opportunities: Discover how to support live events covered by GRTV, and how you can be part of the production team that shoots all five hours of The WYCE Jammie Awards.

Learn More Online: GRTV