In 2026, the Ottawa County Parks Foundation proudly celebrates 10 years of Bridging Community to Nature. Throughout the year, we’re sharing special reflections from members of the Foundation’s founding Board of Directors.
This month, we’re featuring Bobbi Sabine, who served on the Ottawa County Parks Foundation Board from its founding through 2025.
Bobbi served as the Foundation’s Vice President from its founding through 2018, when she became President. She served as President from 2019 through 2022, helping guide the Foundation through a period of growth and continued impact.
Although her Board service concluded in 2025, Bobbi continues to support the Foundation as a member of the Communications Committee and through her weekly Foundation feature on WAWL.
We’re grateful for Bobbi’s years of leadership, dedication, and continued commitment to Bridging Community to Nature.
The First Foundation Meeting
Our first meeting brought together a group of about a dozen very enthusiastic park supporters. We were very excited to finally get started on establishing the Foundation – something we’d talked about doing for several years.
A Changed Perspective
Involvement with the Foundation reinforced my belief that we live in a quietly generous community, with many who will step up and support things like our parks that are good for everyone.
Motivation to Start the Foundation
After serving 12+ years on the Parks Commission, I wanted to stay involved with the County Parks, and I had a good understanding of their goals and needs. I knew with an organized fundraising group, we’d be able to help expand the services and programming, and also rally the troops when an unexpected opportunity came along – like Ottawa Sands and the Rosy Mound expansion, to name just a couple. We also wanted to provide an avenue for donations that qualified as tax-deductible for our supporters.
The Need for a Foundation
As the park system grew, I saw that more and more of our millage funding would be needed to support operations and maintenance, if we were to maintain the high standards we have set for our parks.
A Personal Passion for Parks
As a landscape architect and ecological consultant, I love and value our natural resources, and I understand the mental and physical health benefits that come from being in nature. Public parkland allows everyone to have access to those amenities.
The Reward of Founding the Foundation
I felt a deep sense of personal satisfaction in establishing a permanent means of supporting and growing our wonderful county park system.
Favorite Parks
Every park has its own special qualities. Picking just one would be like naming one’s favorite child. Among my favorites are Rosy Mound, Connor Bayou, Eastmanville Farm, Hemlock Crossing, Grand Ravines, Stearns Creek…I could go on…
An Early Connection to Nature
When I was a baby, my dad would carry me around the garden and tell me the names of the flowers.
A Love of Nature from Family
My wonderful parents. My folks took the whole family for extensive camping trips throughout Michigan and the western states.
Hopes for Ottawa County Parks and the Foundation
Someday we will grow this Foundation to the point where we can be able to securely support not only the county parks but expand our influence to other local natural areas. It may take a hundred years to get to that point, but we got it started and we are rolling. The biggest journey begins with a single step. I think of it as planting the acorn that will grow into a mighty oak. I’ll never sit under its shade in my lifetime, but someday, someone else will.