Attend the Haven Hill Lecture Series at Haven Hill Festival for Free!

/ Highland State Recreation Area/

The Haven Hill Lecture Series brings the remarkable stories, natural features, and history of Highland State Recreation Area to life - from the 1920’s Edsel and Eleanor Ford family’s former Haven Hill estate to the forests and rolling hills of the Haven Hill National Natural Landmark and surrounding lands that now welcome the public. Join us for engaging talks that blend local history, conservation, and adventure, right where the stories actually happened. Join us on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Anna Cone -  Natural Resource Steward, MDNR Stewardship Unit, 12-1pm, “The Ecology of Haven Hill Natural Area: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow"  

Jay Fitzgerald – Friends of Highland Officer and Speaker, 1-2pm, “Edsel Ford Takes Flight: Innovation, Industry, and the War Effort” with Special Guest Delphine Klaput, former Rosie the Riveter!

/ Highland State Recreation Area/ /

John Fitzgerald

The Friends of Highland Recreation Area (FOHRA) volunteer organization was established in 2007, and is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt non-profit organization operating under lease agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Within one of the most picturesque, fascinating, and historically significant state parks in southeast lower Michigan, our goal is to combine the former Haven Hill estate history with Highland Recreation Area’s existing amenities, wilderness, and recreation.