The Haunted Forest Preserve

Saving the Great Lakes will require new ways of thinking about, and working on, conservation. We need to think of the largest freshwater ecosystem as whole; we need to overcome geopolitical boundaries; and we need to remember, and apply, the history of the special places we love.  These lessons, and more, were brought home to me by a recent visit to The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) Haunted Forest Preserve.

The South Side of North is where you will find the Garden Peninsula, home to the 574 acre Haunted Forest Preserve.  The Garden Peninsula is on the north shore of Lake Michigan, extending 22 miles from the south side of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  It matches Wisconsin's Door Peninsula and the two rocky points of land form Green Bay and Big Bay De Noc, which are among the most productive fisheries in the Great Lakes.

Geologically, the 420 million year-old Garden Peninsula is part of the Niagara Escarpment, the hard edge of a tipped bowl underlying the Great Lakes.  The erosion-resistant capstone is dolomitic limestone, also called dolostone, or more popularly, dolomite.  It forms not only Niagara Falls, but also Canada's Bruce Peninsula, the Manitoulin Islands, and Michigan's Drummond Island, home to TNC's Maxton Plains Preserve where a rare biotic community, called an alvar, forms in thin soils above flat limestone pavement. On the Garden Peninsula, the white stone is revealed in high cliffs along the blue water.

The Haunted Forest Preserve gets it name from a larger, mature white cedar forest, inaccessible (fortunately) to loggers over years past and still inaccessible (unfortunately) to most visitors, like me, my wife Anna, and the three college students who were with us on their first trip to the Upper Peninsula.  The 574 acre Preserve consists of several points of land divided by a curving and rocky shoreline, steep cliffs, hardwood forests, and coastal wetlands.  It is the wetlands, and the shallow near-shore areas, that give this place its ecological importance.  This pristine, undisturbed overlap of land and water serves as a rich spawning ground for fish and a valuable habitat for migratory and other birds.  We were stopped several times on our walk by the sight of a pair of bald eagles soaring over the Preserve and neighboring bays.  In all, The Nature Conservancy has protected six miles of Great Lakes coastline on the Garden Peninsula.

The political boundaries of the Great Lakes sometimes get in the way of saving them. Not only does an international border divide four of the five lakes, but eight states exercise different programs and regulations to protect the world's largest freshwater lakes. Fortunately, a number of official bodies coordinate the government efforts, and non-governmental organizations have evolved to look at the Great Lakes from an ecosystem point of view.  The Nature Conservancy's Great Lakes Project takes a whole system perspective and combines the efforts of several state chapters, engages the Governors of the Great Lakes states, and uses science to direct conservation where most needed, regardless of boundaries or bureaucracies.

The Haunted Forest Preserve came to be because people's love for the environment is also not constrained by political boundaries.  The Nature Conservancy used its traditional method of working with landowners and funders, from several states, to acquire land through donation, purchase, and easement protection.  The Preserve lies in Michigan, but it owes its protection to both private and public support from Wisconsin.

Big Bay de Noc, on the western side of the Garden Peninsula, is part of the larger Green Bay ecological region. The natural features have supported a vibrant human economy, from fisheries to logging to agriculture to shipping to tourism.  Unfortunately, overuse has damaged the watershed lands, created some toxic hotspots, and eliminated more than 70 percent of the wetlands in the area.  The Fox River & Green Bay Natural Resource Trustee Council was formed to help restore the ecosystem following some of this despoilment. While most of the attention has been given to the southern, Wisconsin end of Green Bay, The Nature Conservancy recognized that saving the wetlands of the Garden Peninsula, would help the entire Green Bay ecosystem recover from its historical mistreatment.  Thus, funds from Wisconsin came to save part of Michigan; all of it making the Great Lakes healthier.

The limestone in the white cliffs sourced Fayette

Fayette: Learning from History.  While the future of the Great Lakes can be seen on the Garden Peninsula, so too can its history; the lessons from both present and past are valuable.  It surprises many to learn that this quiet, remote part of the Great Lakes was a 19th century center of the iron industry.  Just south of the Haunted Forest Preserve is the former community, now State Historic Park, of Fayette. Natural resources--access to Great Lakes shipping, a great harbor, and proximity to dolomitic limestone and hardwood fuel--led the Jackson Iron Company to build a smelter here in 1867.  Iron ore was shipped here, then refined to pig iron before being sent on to the growing industries of the Midwest.  A booming community took over the shoreline for several decades, and today many of the buildings still exist in a well-preserved and well-presented condition. It is well worth the drive, or the sail, to this historic spot.

note the former stone wall, now overgrown

Walking through the Haunted Forest Preserve we discovered, amidst the tall and strong maple and beech forest, an important lesson from history.  To fuel the smelters of Fayette, the timber was stripped from the entire Garden Peninsula to be fed into charcoal kilns. After the clear-cutting, farmers made a stab at establishing an agricultural economy.  But over time, farming could not use all the available land.  As we explored the Preserve I felt as if we were in Vermont as we came across old stone walls and large piles of the rock pulled out, by hand, from farm fields that have now reverted to mature, second-growth forests.  The end of Fayette as an economic powerhouse came because they ran out of fuel, because they had an unsustainable business model.

Sustainability.  Throughout the Upper Peninsula, one sees frequent reminders of the dangers of building an economy solely on the one-time use of natural resources.  Time and again, unchecked logging, rampant mining, and overfishing have created boom and bust communities that failed to last.  Today, you come across massive white pine stumps, rusting mining equipment, slag piles, empty ports, and even whole abandoned towns that remind us of the dangers of over-exploiting our natural resource.  Fortunately, the times are changing in the Upper Peninsula.  The Nature Conservancy is creating a sustainable logging model and is working with private timber companies to forever protect forest lands both for economic and environmental benefits (read more).  Mining continues as part of the Michigan economy, but the economy has diversified and better policies and practices minimize damage.

On the Garden Peninsula, farming continues as part of the regional economy.  The natural beauty of the area and the historic resource of Fayette now supports a tourism economy, and the healthy waters and wetlands of the Green Bay-Big Bay de Noc aquatic ecosystem encourages both recreational and commercial fishing.  One other sign of a sustainable future is seen in the presence of windmills generating electricity from the non-polluting wind blowing across the Garden Peninsula.  Of course, none of this happens without attention to the impacts of human activity and a commitment to managing both the ecosystem and the economy.  Science-based policies are necessary to ensure that windmills are sited and operated to minimize impacts on birds and bats, logging and mining needs to be sensibly regulated, and the best and important lands and water of the area need to be preserved.  The future, cognizant of the past, shows much promise.

Click here to learn more about the Haunted Forest Preserve
Click here for more on Fayette and visiting the Garden Peninsula
Click here for information on Fayette Historic State Park

     

This trip could not have been possible without Danielle Miller's guidance and local knowledge, the hospitality and commitment of the Thomas and the Wilson families, the photography of Anna Owens, and the company of Beata, Katrina, and Jenny.  Thank you all.

Celebrating Lake Erie

How to save a lake, and a Great Lake at that?  This is the question that faces those of us who care about the body of water that supports more fish, and sport fishing, than any other Great Lake; the lake whose shorelines provide some of North America’s most critical habitats for migrating waterfowl; the freshwater source of drinking water for 11 million people; and the lake that ties together the history and economy of two countries and five states.  The lake of course is Lake Erie, the smallest, shallowest, and perhaps most underappreciated of the Great Lakes.

On September 20 and 21 of 2012, trustees of The Nature Conservancy from the Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan Chapters gathered in the middle of Lake Erie to discuss what the nation’s largest conservation organization could do to help heal, protect, and promote Lake Erie.  Many public and private entities have both new and long-standing commitments to this threatened lake.  Notably, the International Joint Commission (IJC), the high-level body established in 1909 to monitor and protect the waters between Canada and the United States, recently adopted (only) three priorities for the next three years: the first is to improve water quality in Lake Erie (ijc.org/leep/).   The challenges, and the opportunities, are serious and real.

Gibraltar Island.  The first freshwater biological field station in the nation was established in 1895 on a small rock outcropping on the north side of Put-In-Bay, the town at the social center of Ohio’s Lake Erie Islands.  Today, the Stone Laboratory is operated by the Ohio State University as both a research and education facility; it is also home to the Ohio Sea Grant program.  Visible from the Lab is a tall memorial commemorating the peace that the United States and Canada have enjoyed for almost 200 years now; cooperation between the two countries will be necessary to restore Lake Erie.  As a place for scientists and conservationists from the Great Lakes to meet, Gibraltar Island was perfect.

View from the Peace Memorial of Put-in-Bay; Gibraltar Island is in the upper center

The islands in the middle of the western end of Lake Erie--Kelly’s, South Bass, and Pelee are the biggest of many low, rocky outcroppings—provide many ecological and economic benefits.  The shallow waters surrounding them are among the most productive in the Great Lakes and fishing here is part of the culture; neo-tropical warblers and other birds hop across the islands on their migrations north and south, and birdwatchers from around the world follow them; tourists and vacationers flock to the resorts, docks and open-air bars that are a short ferry ride from the mainland; and historic and well-visited wineries take advantage of the micro-climate.  The principle that our economy depends on nature is not an intellectual abstraction here.

Phosphorous, Farming, and Fish.  Cool mornings, fresh breezes, and glinting sunlight invigorated those of us on Gibraltar Island, and we (literally) jumped aboard an opportunity to go out on the water on small research vessels to learn about the ecology of Lake Erie.  On this day in this year, the story was a good one:  while the water clarity measured by a secchi disk was much less than I saw a few weeks ago on a ferry in northern Lake Huron, the sampling we made of the plankton and algae that clouds the water revealed to us the base of the food web that makes the fisheries of western Lake Erie so phenomenal.  The quick trawling run we made returned a plethora of fish:  walleye, yellow perch, and non-native white perch, but no invasive gobies. One statistic can say much, and the data point of the day was this: while Lake Erie contains only 2 percent of the total water in the Great Lakes, 50 percent of the fish live here.

The biological productivity of Lake Erie extends beyond its shoreline, or really vice-versa.  The watershed, which at its western end encompasses northeastern Ohio, southwestern Michigan, and parts of Indiana, contains rich farmland and supports a vital agricultural economy.  The Maumee River, the largest single tributary to the Great Lakes, drains this land and its mouth is the active port of Toledo.  The organic matter from this watershed transferred into the sun-warmed, shallow waters of western Lake Erie creates a perfect breeding ground for algae, plankton, and other plants that support the insect larvae, small fish, and other creatures that feed the gamefish that end up on the plates of anglers.

Extent of algae bloom in 2011 in Western Lake Erie (the Detroit River is in upper left)

But while humans have long benefitted from this natural land-water ecosystem, something has gotten out of whack in the last few years.  In 2011, warm weather and high levels of dissolved phosphorous (P) spawned a bloom of algae that Lake Erie had not experienced for decades.  In addition to fouling beaches, reducing oxygen levels, and driving fish (and fishermen) out of coastal areas, the rich soup of nutrients supported the growth of several species of blue-green algae including microcystin, a toxic cyanobacteria that can kill fish, birds, and mammals. While the full chain of scientific connections has not yet been made, it is clear that a rise in recent years of phosphorous in Lake Erie plays a key role.  This past summer, the near drought conditions have reduced run-off, and algae growth has been much lower.  However, another wet and warm year could easily spawn another algae bloom.

We Have Been Here Before.  In 1971, that keen cultural observer Dr. Seuss wrote about the mythical Humming Fish's search for a new clean-water home: “They’ll walk on their fins and get woefully weary in search of some water that isn’t so smeary.  I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie.”  In the 1960s, Lake Erie was declared dead as a result of algae blooms, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire, and concern for the smallest of Great Lakes helped spur  the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972.  The resulting investments in upgraded sewage treatment systems, bans on some detergents and fertilizers, and positive changes in agricultural practices resulted in major declines in phosphorous levels, cleaner water, and a restored Lake Erie.  In the 1980s, Dr. Seuss republished "The Lorax," source of the Humming Fish, deleting the above reference.  Now, people are quoting the original version again.

The shallow depth of Lake Erie makes it an ideal environment to grow algae, of both good and bad varieties.  The shallow depth also means that the total volume of water in the Lake is less than any other of the Great Lakes, and thus the water in the Lake, which is ever-flowing in from the Detroit River and out over Niagara Falls, turns over in just a few years.  The water in low-flow, deep Lake Superior takes several hundred years to be replace.  Thus, in the 1970s, the reduction in phosphorous inflows quickly resulted in a clean Lake Erie.

With the hope that reductions in phosphorous and rapid turnover can again help the Lake recover, scientists are looking into the sources and pathways that bring "Big P" into the Lake.  What we use to wash our clothes, how we get our lawns green, and how we make our crops grow all effect the amount of phosphorous in the ecosystem.  Lots of attention is being paid to agricultural practices:  what kinds, and when and how, fertilizer is applied to fields; when plowing does or does not occur; how we drain farmland and design ditches; and the types of crops grown in and out of season; all of these may play a role.

The Nature Conservancy has for several years worked in the upper watershed of the Maumee River to promote agricultural practices that reduce the run-off of fertilizer and sediment; now those efforts are being redoubled and expanded (read more here).  Many partners--from local conservation districts and agricultural supply companies to university researchers and advocacy groups on both sides of the border--are all seeking ways to reduce the amount of phosphorous in Lake Erie and thus reduce the algae blooms that threaten to kill the Lake again.

Where is the Coast? Lake Erie's water quality suffers too from the loss of wetlands along its coast and at the mouths of the rivers and creeks that flow into the lake.  These areas reduce erosion, slow down water, and allow plant life to absorb phosphorous and other nutrients.  Historically, the boundary between land and water in Western Lake Erie has been hard to define, as the shallow waters transitioned into marshes and upland swamps.  Over time, the boundary became hardened by dikes and development, coastal wetlands were drained or filled, and waterways dredged.  Now, this natural filter has been lost and 95 percent of the native wetland habitat destroyed.  Fortunately, public wildlife refuges and private duck hunting clubs saved some important areas (read here about my trip to Erie Marsh).

The Nature Conservancy has set, and moved on, several ambitious goals to restore the coastline of Lake Erie.  Already, 2,500 acres of wetlands have been re-established along the western end of the Lake, thanks in part to funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other public and private sources.  Partnerships with Ducks Unlimited has helped fix and open dike systems so that wetlands have become connected with the flow of the Lake and waterfowl sites created.  Working with both public and private landowners, the Conservancy is halfway towards its goal of having 40 percent of the area within one mile of the shore in natural habitat.  Finally, land stewards appear to have found ways to get the upper hand on phragmites, the invasive marsh grass that crowds out native plants and animals and retards water flow.

Scheeff Nature Preserve

Place Matters.  In Western Lake Erie, The Nature Conservancy is successfully moving from its traditional focus on specific preserves to managing the whole ecosystem that is Lake Erie.  But with the move from sites to system, place still matters; it's just a matter of scale.  To mentally comprehend a whole Great Lake as a place requires an informed observer, but several things help.  First, getting out on the water gave me a true appreciation for the liquid, moveable nature of the place.  Secondly, standing on points of land and ascending the Peace Memorial above Put-In-Bay allowed me to see the full sweep of the ecosystem.  And finally, moving around--by car across the coastland of northeast Ohio, by ferry from and to the mainland, and by bike around South Bass Island--provided me with an appreciation of Lake Erie, and the people, who define this place.

After an intellectually challenging meeting, I was fortunate to be able to spend a little extra time exploring the place I was in.  I started my trip with a bike, and then walk, around the nine-acre Scheeff East Point Nature Preserve at the northern tip of South Bass Island.  On an island, small spots can take on a significance well beyond their size, and this is true with this coastal point that provides an important migratory landing pad for both birds and monarch butterflies.  As well, the endangered Lake Erie water snake comes ashore here.  Saving the property was a hard fought effort by locals, who acquired the site after old homes and vegetation had been cleared by a prospective developer.  On the day I visited, new sycamores were being planted to restore the site.  This is where it begins, with individual people caring enough to save a place.

The task before us is twofold.  First, we need to transfer the love of place from the specific to the whole landscape.  Lake Erie can be saved if we can change policies in two countries, if we can find the will to make large public investments in land and infrastructure, and if we can modify the cultural practices in how we use the land.   Second, if we can think about the whole ecosystem that is Lake Erie and celebrate what makes it special, then people from many walks of life will be inspired to take the individual actions necessary to save it.

If you plan to visit.  Lake Erie's shores and islands have a robust tourist infrastructure that takes in wildlife enthusiasts, boaters, anglers, and even those looking for a get-away resort or amusement park.  A comprehensive website www.shoresandislands.com is a good starting point to plan a visit.

The Ohio Sea Grant program has made available several useful publications about Lake Erie, including "Explore the Lake Erie Islands:  A Guide to Nature and History Along the Lake Erie Central Coast Trail" that contains useful background information, maps, and detailed advice on observing the natural history of the area (click here to order or download)

Thank you to the talented and committed Great Lakes staff of The Nature Conservancy for making this visit to Lake Erie possible.  Photo on the left is of TNC's Ohio State Director Josh Knights helping with fish sampling.  Thanks too to the Stone Lab staff for their hospittality.

Thank you to Lana Pollack, co-chair of the International Joint Commission, for the Dr. Seuss reference and for her leadership on Lake Erie (read more here).

Hiking and Biking Bois Blanc Island

There is something about being on an island: the onboard anticipation of the journey there, the defined boundaries of a shoreline, the sense of shared belonging with other castaways.  It's romantic escaping to an island, and as summer waned Anna and I spent a day marooned on Bois Blanc Island, where The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has protected over 200 acres of shoreline, swamps, inland lakes, and cedar-pine forest.  We biked, hiked, canoed, and discovered.

Islands of Life.  There are 32,000 islands in the Great Lakes, the world's largest collection of freshwater islands. "The Great Lakes islands are outstanding in terms of biological diversity.  These islands . .  include endemic species, rare habitats and critical biological functions.  They are important breeding and staging areas for colonial nesting waterbirds, harbour noteworthy assemblages of plants and animals and provide important stopover sites for migrating birds," according to a comprehensive analysis recently conducted by The Nature Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy of Canada with the support and assistance of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The report "Islands of Life" (click here for full report) documents the great biodiversity of these islands which are of importance to two nations.

"Island biogeography" describes the unique nature of those species that evolved and exist in water-isolated places.  Certain species may be lacking and other species may be overly abundant, both conditions creating different plant-animal-environment relationships.  Some species may be unique, or endemic, to one particular island or the special environments that predominate on islands.  And of course the limited geography of an island puts at risk those species that may live in a place that cannot be replicated or its natural residents easily moved.  The introduction of alien, invasive species can be particularly devastating. All of this bring islands to the attention of conservationists.

Bois Blanc, which locals pronounce as Bob-Lo, stretches across Lake Huron on the eastern edge of the Straits of Mackinace.  It exists as an island because of the tough dolomite and limestone of which it is made.  It is part of a long run of resistant geology that arcs across northeast Lake Huron and the largest of a short run of three islands:  Mackinac, Round, and Bois Blanc.  The name in French means white wood, either a reference to the birch trees that grow on the island or perhaps to the white timber of the basswood tree used to make canoes by the native americans who were the first inhabitants of the island.

Like most visitors, we reached Bois Blanc by ferry, less than six miles from Cheboygan, riding across on a Sunday morning where the smooth, dimpled water begged for a canoe (the return trip seven hours later, with a strong side wind and bigger seas that wet the decks, revealed the dangerous variations of the Great Lakes ).  We rode our mountain bikes along the graveled road that borders the south and east sides of the island, returning waves from friendly islanders who slowed down their trucks, old cars, or ATVs in an attempt to reduce the dust that followed their passage.  A short ride brought us to the familiar green-and-white sign of the Snake Island Preserve that The Nature Conservancy has maintained since 1987.

Snake Island, a former island that low water has now connected to the larger Bois Blanc Island, is so named for the preponderance of eastern massasauga rattlesnakes that abide there.  A hot day at the end of a dry season did not leave any snakes out for easy viewing, and we were only a little disappointed not to see any.  Also missing were the dwarf lake iris that bloom earlier in the year. From a rocky shoreline, the preserve stretches inland, paralleling another long State land holding.  We followed the well maintained, if uneven, trail for less than a mile through a tangle of cedars and what would be moist wetlands in a normal year, or in springtime.

The route passes by a small beaver pond, the somewhat larger Mud Lake, and then arrives at Thompson Lake.  There are six inland lakes on Bois Blanc.  Good fortune made a canoe available to us and we were able to take a short paddle around the Lake, one half of which is deep, the other half shallow.  No docks or shoreline structures were apparent to us.  Floating along the forest-lined shallow end, we watched a beaver enter the lake, and later saw it swim nearly under our canoe.

Returning to shore, we walked back to the road again, marveling in the quiet of the island.  Later, on the return ferry, I met a local who knew the TNC trail well:  he said he makes frequent pilgrimages to a secret spot on one of the inland bodies of water to contemplate and commune.  Our lunch on the sunny, open shore of Lake Huron was also a solitary moment for us, but much different than the quiet enclosure of wood and inland pond.  We were exposed to the wind. We thought about searching for a stand of old growth trees on additional TNC land to the north of Mud Lake, but our bikes called us on to explore more of the island

Biking a landscape may be the perfect compromise between the slow, quiet passage of a hike and the speedy consumption of views from a motor vehicle.  We followed the well-groomed gravel road north and then west on the far side of the island.  There, just past the turn to Lake Mary, we followed a narrow two track through mostly State Forest.  The deep white cobbles of old shorelines forced us off our bikes several times, but we were rewarded with views through the trees to Lake Huron and Mackinac Island in the distance.  Our bikes gave us an easy return across the island and Fire Tower Road brought us back within plenty of time to catch the final ferry of the day.


Islands are special, and Bois Blanc is one to put on your list for a visit.  On the mainland, forests and farm fields can stretch on from crossroads to small town to suburb to city.  Many of these locations are unique, but often we struggle to find a sense of place. We look for a landscape feature, or a historical site, or distinctive architecture to help fix ourselves in space.  Islands, by their very definition, offer a ready made sense of place: shoreline, the boundary of land by water, and the unique residents--animal, plant, and human--are a strong statement of place.  In our busy, over-developed, under-appreciated region, our Great Lakes islands are places to be enjoyed, treasured, and saved.

To Visit:  take the ferry from Cheboygan (information and schedule here) and upon landing, head east and then north on Bob-Lo Drive until you see the TNC sign.  The trail to Thompson Lake is shortly after the sign on the left (west) side of the road.  Snake Island is another 100 yards or so on the right (east) side of the road where there is a small parking area.  Follow the old two-track to the cobble beach.

Legacies from Legacies

Where did you gain your interest in nature?  What were your first experiences in the out-of-doors?  Who first introduced you to the mysteries and joys of some special place?  These thoughts crossed my mind as I attended the dedication of a preserve addition on a Great Lakes shore on a blue-sky day in July.

Big Trout Lake is the new gem in the crown of properties The Nature Conservancy (TNC) protects along the northern shore of Lake Huron in the Les Cheneaux region of the eastern Upper Peninsula.  After several years of fundraising and effort, 722 acres of land were recently acquired to expand the existing 828 acre Carl Gerstacker Preserve at Dudley Bay.  This preserve, which TNC started to assemble in 1993, protects valuable shoreline, upland forests, and Little Trout Lake.  The new expansion contains an outstanding Aspen-Birch-Spruce-Fir forest and Big Trout Lake, a large inland body of water virtually free of development.

The rocky, island-studded, wooded north shore of Lake Huron plays a critical role in the ecological vitality of the Great Lakes (click here to see my account of an earlier visit to the area).  For many years, TNC has been working with a number of researchers from several universities to learn more about the importance of the region's shallow waters to support fish reproduction, the refueling stations for migratory birds in the spring, and the complex interactions between water quality, wetlands, near shore forests, insect life and the birds and fish who feed on them.

Jerry Jung and his daughter

Legacies of Legacies.  It is science that directs TNC's preservation of ecological hotspots like the Les Cheneaux coastal region, but what is the motivation of the donors who make it possible to protect these places?  Of course, many supporters are impressed with the science basis of TNC's efforts, and they certainly see how preserves like Gerstacker at Dudley Bay add to the quality of life and local economy of a resort region like the Les Cheneaux.  However, when donors speak about their motivations they often recall their youth and some one, and/or some place, that made them into the people they are.

Jerry Jung, a long-time supporter of TNC, and one of the donors of the Big Trout Lake expansion, spoke only briefly at the dedication of the improved preserve, but he mentioned two things.  First, he recalled his grandmother, Alma Jung; secondly, he spoke warmly about spending time with her as a child on the shore of Lake Michigan.  Significantly, he also brought with him his three children to share in the creation of this legacy of a preserve.  His mother's name will be on the dedication sign at Big Trout Lake.

The recollection of people and places seems typical of conversations with conservationists.  A vacation spot cherished for generations, a trip with a relative to an exotic locale, summer camp, and the care of interest of an aunt, grandfather, counselor, or other adult with a commitment to nature all seem to be common threads among those who work, or give, or write, or research, or otherwise conserve our natural places.  We talk of preserves as a legacy for the future, and they very much are, but they are also  embodiments of a legacy of some earlier very personal experience.

Little LaSalle Island.  After the dedication of the new addition to the Carl Gerstacker Preserve, I was fortunate to be able to visit another TNC property in the Les Cheneaux area, the 104 acre Little LaSalle Island Preserve south of Cedarville.  Accessible only by boat, this preserve too is a legacy of a legacy.    After several decades of family summers exploring the shores and bays of the Les Cheneux area, Sam Benedict made a land donation to The Nature Conservancy in 1976.

Olle Karlstrom leads an
expedition on Little
LaSalle Island

His daughter, Libby Maynard, who has served as a trustee of TNC's Michigan Chapter, recalls learning to walk there, finding beaches on other islands as a teen, and sailing a wooden L class sailboat in the sheltered waters of northern Lake Huron.  This family's attachment to place continues, and will be a perpetual legacy, thanks to the creation of this very special preserve.  As Libby's husband Olle led us across ancient and new shorelines on the island, and we clambered through and around larch-studded wetlands, we were taunted by the cries of a circling bald-eagle, who thought we were too close to a nest we never saw.


The Next Generations.  Following the publication of Richard Louv's book "Last Child in the Woods," new attention has been given to the importance of the outdoor life for children.  There are many benefits that nature provides to young people in their growth and development, but when children become adults they can make a repayment.  They volunteer, they give, they teach the next generation, or find other ways to employ their concern for and connection to nature.  Certainly the nature that is the Les Cheneaux region has benefitted from the youthful lessons of place and people that continue to work to protect the Great Lakes.

To Visit.  The Les Cheneux islands in the area of Cedarville and Hessel are a great place for a multi-day vacation or a short-term expedition (go to www.lescheneaux.net for information).  You can learn more about the Carl Gerstacker Preserve at Dudley Bay at the website of The Nature Conservancy in Michigan (click here for information and directions.)

TNC's Michigan Director Helen Taylor outlines past, present, and future plans
to protect the Les Cheneaux shoreline of Lake Huron

Searching for Sunrise in Saginaw Bay

Sunrise brings hope. The lightening of the sky, the under-cloud illuminations, and then finally the red-orange fire of the sun itself embodies opportunity reborn. I recall an unplanned bivouac in the Sierra spent underneath a space blanket, and I never appreciated more the warm sunrise that brought the ability to see, move, and feel.

The Quest. On a recent fall Saturday, Anna and I accompanied a photographer friend (Michael DL Jordan) on his quest to record a sunrise over Lake Huron and capture some views of Saginaw Bay. It was a grand adventure: an early rise, coffee in a thermos, the GPS glowing on the dash, a traffic free drive up I-75, and then the challenge of finding our way out-of-doors in the dark. We drove to the end of the dirt road at Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area north of Linwood. Even in the pre-dawn darkness we could see that the Bay was still some distance away, so we loaded up the photo gear and walked toward the shore to get a clear shot of the sun coming up over the water.

After walking a short distance on a path through shrubs around a marsh, I felt sand underfoot and could make out a treeline that marked the shore. I knew we must be close, but as we came up a slight dune rise, where there should be beach and waves I saw nothing but marsh grasses. Well, we were in a wildlife refuge, so how natural. I could make out a pathway through the reeds and headed east; the ground got squishy and the plants grew taller. Soon my feet were in water and my head was among swaying phragmites, the despicable alien plant that has invaded the wetlands of the Great Lakes. Defeated, I squished backwards in retreat. Where was Saginaw Bay?

Saginaw Bay is the body of water between the thumb and the hand of Michigan; it is among the biggest embayments in the Great Lakes and it has played an important role in the region's logging, industrial, shipping, and agricultural history. The watershed that drains into the Bay is the largest in Michigan. It is renowned by sportsmen for the fish and waterfowl that can be found there. It contains the longest stretch of extant coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes.

Saginaw Bay is typical of several other shallow water coastal areas of the Great Lakes. These areas are biologically rich and provide important spawning grounds that are integral to the aquatic food web. Small fish, and the foods they grow on, are found in the sheltered waters along the shore where the boundary between land and water is fuzzy with the green growth of marsh grasses and aquatic plants. The fish of the Great Lakes depend on these warm-water coastal areas. Likewise, migrating waterfowl and other birds thrive in these wetlands and associated shallow waters.

Ecosystem at Risk. What makes Saginaw Bay and other near shore areas ecologically rich, also puts them at risk. The natural cycles of Great Lakes water levels may create new beaches or erode dunes in some areas. In shallow areas, a drop like the 3-4 foot decrease in Lake Huron over the last few years exposes yards of rich lake bottom. Normally, this cycle allows wetland flora and other unique plants to flourish. However, the drop in Saginaw Bay coincided with the arrival of phragmites australis, an invasive species that crowds out native plants. These reeds grow so tall and dense that they block not only an intrepid photographer from reaching the shore, but prevent birds, mammals, and other aquatic species from using these wetlands for shelter or food. On our trip, we found several areas where the delicate marsh plants common to the shoreline were being overpowered by the phragmites. This is true throughout Saginaw Bay.

Another invasive species, the quagga mussel and its cousin the zebra mussel have also brought harm to Saginaw Bay. These small, but prodigious, shellfish filter water to feed and they have made the Bay waters clearer. While this may at first seem to be a good thing, the shallow waters of the Bay warm up faster as light penetrates deeper. The warmth and the sun support algae growth; the elevated amount of phosphorous in the Bay from run-off further feeds the blooms. Now, some coastal beaches of Saginaw Bay are plagued by what is unaffectionately called "muck," the detritus from unwanted algae growth. The most common algae is cladophora, which is unsightly and collects bacteria and other pathogens; more rare is the algae spirogyra, which can turn toxic. It can all make for an unpleasant walk on the beach.

Not all Bad News. Perhaps counterintuitively, several of the factors that challenge the health of the Bay have benefitted one of its greatest assets: walleye. The shallow waters of Saginaw Bay have historically supported a vibrant walleye population, and after some years of decline and concern, the population is now thriving. One theory is that another invasive species, the round goby, provides ample food for the walleye. Gobies are a small fish that arrived in the ballast water of ships from europe and feed on quagga and zebra mussels, among other things. So appealing are the gobies that you can now buy lures for bass or walleye fishing. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources used to stock walleye in Saginaw Bay, but has not needed to for several years now. The population appears to be self-sustaining.

Mostly what the last few years have shown is that Saginaw Bay, and the flora and fauna (and humans) who live there, are part of a complex system. The challenges to the health of the Bay are not easily defined to one single problem or vector. Much of what makes the Bay special--the walleye and the waterfowl, the open water boating, and several points of public access--remain. Also, there are some wonderful swimming beaches, on the northern stretches on both sides of the Bay. Birdwatchers also know the Bay well for several great birding hotspots. Many other recreation opportunities abound.

Working Together. Perhaps the best news is that several organizations are turning their attention to Saginaw Bay and bringing resources to bear on the challenges and opportunities in the region. The Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) has worked for many years to build a sustainable community centered on the Bay and its environmental assets. The State Department of Environmental Quality has made the Bay a priority and is working with local governments, the Sagniaw Bay Watershed Partnership and others on the Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative. Importantly, the understanding of the connections and relationships of life in Saginaw Bay are becoming better known. With a stronger science base, conservation efforts will become more effective.

Most recently, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has become involved in Saginaw Bay as part of its Great Lakes Project. This system-wide strategy is working to protect coastal and near shore areas, reduce polluted run-off in watersheds, reconnect aquatic food webs, and fight aquatic invasive species; all these approaches are needed to restore Saginaw Bay. TNC is coordinating its effort here with two other shallow water areas: Green Bay in Wisconsin and Western Lake Erie. These three areas have very similar ecosystems and face similar challenges. What can be learned about the complex system in one place will likely apply in the others.

Sunrise for the Bay. On our search for Saginaw Bay, we retreated to the sand ridge and found a clear spot that allowed us to see water just beyond the marsh grasses and around the phragmites. Waves rippled in the distance on the morning breeze. Seagulls winged overhead and a pair of sandhill cranes croaked by in flight. The clouds on the horizon began to glow. The sky turned a pale blue. We could see egrets picking their way through the shallows in search of breakfast. Then, gloriously, the orange sun rose up from behind a cloud, the cameras clicked, and we smiled at the start of another great day on the sunrise side of the Great Lakes.

All photos (except this one) property of Michael David-Lorne Jordan/DLP. No reproduction without permission. More of Michael's beautiful work can be found in this slideshow of sustainable forestry in the Big Two Hearted River Watershed.

Click here for a map, address, and use rules for Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Refuge

An Evening Walk in Saugatuck Dunes

The landscape unfolds and opens up on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. In a State of forests and farms, a walk with wide vistas in a pure and undisturbed place is rare, but the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area offers it. Several miles of trail roll through dunes, reveal surprise looks into small wetlands, and set a coastal tableau for swimming, birding, or orange sunsets. This gem of a place was recently secured from an uncertain future, is being gently restored, and now can be explored and enjoyed.

On a recent Sunday evening I was fortunate to go on a guided walk through the 171-acre natural area and enjoyed both the feel of an expansive sky and an undulating landscape. Being out in the open in Michigan usually means a farm field, a restored prairie, or an open boat in an inland lake. These surfaces are flat; the Saugatuck dunes are not. As one climbs over a small rise, or around a low dune, new scenes appear: a lone oak tree standing in dune grass, a pair of monarch butterflies rising, or a small marsh adding texture and color. These inter-dune wetlands are home to some unique plants as well as the rare Blanchard's cricket frog. The backdrop to these low coastal dunes are, on the one side, high, tree covered dunes, and on the other, limitless Lake Michigan.

Natural Features Create Economic Value. The Saugatuck-Douglas area is one of several special summer destinations on Lake Michigan, and its success and charm would not exist if it were not for the ancient and ongoing collision of land and water that occurs here; nor would its character persist if not for the care that people have exercised for more than a century to preserve this special place. Since the ice age, the inexorable force of wind and waves have moved sand east while the inevitable flow of the Kalamazoo River has moved water west. The result is a twisting watercourse set among dunes of increasing heights. The oldest and tallest of the dunes are now well forested, while the newest one rise up from one of the best beaches of the Great Lakes. Importantly, the mouth of the River, now fixed by human engineering, has given entrance to a harbor that has supported many years of commerce, fishing, pleasure boating and the transport of vacationers from Chicago.

The Nature Conservancy talks of ecological services like potable water, food and fiber that have monetary value, but the success of resort communities throughout the Great Lakes is perhaps the clearest case of the economic benefits derived from a healthy ecosystem. Without clean beaches, desirable waterways, and scenic landscapes, places like Saugatuck and Douglas (and many other places on all five Great Lakes) would not be the economic success they are. Not only do these nature-based economies support businesses that employ thousands of people, they also support the arts, strengthen families, and even feed our spiritual selves. It is not by accident that art institutes, vacation homes, and church camps are drawn to these interesting places of water and sand, wind and sun, flora and fauna.

The Long Work of Protection. The Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area is only the latest, and perhaps most hard won, act of preservation in this area. Starting in 1882 with the purchase of the signature dune called Mt. Baldhead by the City of Saugatuck, the local residents of this piece of Lake Michigan coast have worked hard to preserve the environmental prizes of their community. Private institutions and land owners, land conservancies, local government, and state agencies have all taken steps large and small to secure this special place. Together they have created an 1800 acre coastal zone that provides important habitat for resident and migratory animals, plant communities largely free of invasive species, and humans in need of re-creation.

For decades, there has been an effort to preserve the coastal dunes that were the location of my recent hike. Only in the last few years has The Nature Conservancy and the Land Conservancy of West Michigan finally helped secure $22 million to preserve the Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area. The biggest single source of funds is the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, a powerful preservation tool supported by the revenues of oil and gas leases sold on public land, but significant personal donations as well as funding from foundations and other grants have also been raised; a final few thousand dollars are needed to complete the acquisition (click on the link above to donate).

Conservation takes persistence, and I was impressed to have as a guide April Scholtz of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan who has been working literally for decades to preserve the unique natural areas that make Saugatuck-Douglas and the west shore of Lake Michigan the very important place they are. Not surprisingly, she calls this area "one of my most favorite places." I can see why.

To Visit. The Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area can be accessed from the City of Saugatuck's Oval Beach (click here for map). There is a $6 fee to enter the park, then head to the north of the parking lot and walk along the beach to enter the preserve. Work is diligently underway to reduce the erosion of the dunes, so please stay on the several miles of trail. Dogs and motorized vehicles are not allowed; no camping or fires.

The area is open and exposed, so on a summer day the heat can be intense. While Lake Michigan offers relief, a morning or evening walk can be the best time to experience the dunes (though the area is closed from dusk to dawn). In fall and spring, migratory bird sitings will be common. One guest on our hike told of an enjoyable winter snowshoe trip through the preserve. Soon the preserve will become the property of the City of Saugatuck and with the ongoing stewardship assistance of two land conservancies, the value of this place will grow and be appreciated for generations to come.

On the Shores of Lake Huron

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has an ambitious and essential goal to ensure the Great Lakes are a sustainable, healthy, and resilient resource that provides benefits to both nature and people. Those of us who live in the region defined by Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario of course identify with what some have called "the North Coast." However, when do we actually experience the Great Lakes themselves? For a few of my friends, fortunate opportunity brings them onto one of the five big lakes as sailors, boaters, or fishers. But for me and many others, our Great Lakes encounters are from the land looking out. The coasts are the most accessible, attractive, biologically diverse, ecologically important--and most threatened--components of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

I reconnected with the Great Lakes this past weekend with visits to a pair of TNC preserves on Lake Huron: Grass Bay east of Cheboygan and the Carl Gerstacker Preserve at Dudley Bay east of Cedarville. As well, we stopped in at the Mackinac Bay preserve near Hessel, maintained by the Little Traverse Conservancy. These preserves are across from each other at the northwest end of Lake Huron (just east of the Straits of Mackinac).

View Lake Huron Preserves in a larger map

While all three of the preserves are important coastal habitats, they have very different features. Dudley Bay, the most easterly preserve, is a rocky shoreline of bedrock limestone backed by a pine and hardwood forest. Mackinac Bay, the most northern of the three, is a large wetland marsh interspersed with a shallow area of Lake Huron. Grass Bay, to the south, is a sandy coastal zone where changing lake levels have left an interesting ecological heritage of various wetlands, open dune areas, and shoreline forests. Visiting all three in a day illustrates the importance of preserving the diverse coastal areas of the Great Lakes.

Dudley Bay, home to the Carl A. Gerstacker Preserve, is where we started our day with a hike on the several miles of trail The Nature Conservany maintains. The trails lead in from the coast through a spruce, white pine, and hardwood forest to the delicate Little Trout Lake. Our inland lakes are their own little treasures, and this protected lake is free from all development, a rarity in Michigan. The "Blue" Trail crosses several small hills that offer an outlook on the water; we observed a cruising family of mergansers . After our hike, we went for a walk on the shore of Lake Huron, starting out on a classic sand beach and then progressing to a rocky shoreline which harbored interesting plants and lichens. The proximite shallow water areas and woods support a smorgasbord of insect food options for migratory birds in the spring, who make landfall here after crossing Lake Huron.

The establishment of this preserve began in 1993 and has been expanded over the years to more than 900 acres. A large 1996 acquisition of coastline and woods was made possible the Dow Chemical Company Foundation, the Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow Foundation and the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation. At that time, the preserve was named the Carl A. Gerstacker Preserve, in honor of the former chairman of the board of Dow Chemical and a founding member of The Nature Conservancy's Michigan board of trustees. He was but the first of many corporate and philanthropic leaders who were committed to preserving the most precious places in the Great Lakes.

Mackinac Bay Preserve was our destination after our morning hike. Just west of Hessel, the observation deck, interpretive signs, benches and a picnic table made a great spot for our lunch. Here one has a very different view than the rocky outcroppings and captured sand beaches of Dudley Bay. However, these 22 acres of well vegetated wetlands, tucked into the Les Cheneaux Islands, is critical habitat for threatened amphibians, migrating birds, spawning fish, and (as we saw) an active beaver. This preserve, a 1994 project of Little Traverse Conservancy was made possible by the active cooperation of Little Traverse and The Nature Conservancy with help from the local Les Cheneaux Community Foundation.

While The Nature Conservancy maintains several valuable preserves, it has saved more of the Great Lakes through cooperation with local land trusts, state land holders, and federal agencies. There is a long legacy of TNC using its scientific knowledge, real estate acumen, and access to funding to quickly acquire threatened and critical sites and work with other partners to permanently protect and manage the site. Since the early 1990s, The Nature Conservancy has worked with local partners to study and sustain the Les Cheneaux Island region. This has meant not only identifying and protecting key sites and critical habitat sites, but also helping to support a local community that sees the environment as an economic asset. Now, this area brings in a significant number of visitors interested in birdwatching, kayaking, fishing, hunting and other sustainable activities (learn more here).

Grass Bay Preserve, was our last stop of the day. Crossing the Mackinac Bridge from the upper peninsula to lower Michigan gives one another appreciation of the immensity of the Great Lake. Walking down the wooded slope and on to the beach at Grass Bay gives one an appreciation of the diversity of the Great Lakes shoreline. We dodged some poison ivy underneath hardwoods, passed by a stand of white pines, crossed an iris-lined creek, carefully edged around wetlands and ponds full of pitcher plants, crossed one more narrow line of trees, and stepped out on a broad sandy soil garden of interesting fauna. Beyond that, the declining level of Lake Huron has exposed new mudflats, with wetland species now sprouting (see photo above). In the nearby shallow waters several species of waterfowl bobbed on the gentle waves.

For reasons unclear to scientists, the levels of the Great Lakes have varied by up to five feet in any given 10 year period. While speculation about current lake level fluctuations have considered climate change, dredging and shipping activities, and the operation of locks, the 150 year record shows that rising and falling lake levels have always been part of the Great Lakes ecosystem. This is apparent at Grass Bay, where one can observe old shorelines and small dunes of various ages. (for data on lake levels, click here to visit the NOAA site)

What's so necessary about the work of The Nature Conservancy and others is to preserve places like Grass Bay where there is enough upland area and shallow coast area where plant species can adapt and move over time as lake levels rise and fall. We love our coasts and the vistas they provide of the Great Lakes, so we have tended to build our communities, our resorts, our second homes, and even our roads along the shore. When new land fill, seawalls, or lawns accompany this development, it can prevent the slow migration of plant species that is evident at a place like Grass Bay. A problem now throughout the Great Lakes is the destruction of wetlands by cottage owners and others who try to fight dropping lake levels by importing sand or removing plant life.

The Future of our Great Lakes coastline are imperiled by not only development pressures, but invasive species on both land and particularly water. It is a rare beach walk that is not now interrupted by piles of quagga and/or zebra mussel shells. Changes in the aquatic food web, declining water quality from sewer overflows and polluted run-off from surrounding lands, and climate change also threaten our unique freshwater coastal ecosystem. Thus, it becomes clear that in order to provide for a pleasant visit to the coast, we need to not only preserve key areas, we also need to make the policy changes necessary to address the systematic threats to the Great Lakes. Spending a day at three beautiful preserves gives me the inspiration to keep working for these improvements.

To Visit. The Les Cheneaux have a number of interesting preserves maintained not only by The Nature Conservancy, but also other land trusts and local and state government. The Carl Gerstacker Nature Preserve at Dudley Bay is east of Cedarville; go 12 miles on M-134 from its intersection with M-129. The first preserve sign on the north side of the road will lead you to a small parking area and trailhead where you can follow color coded trails inland. The second preserve sign is less than a mile further east on the right along the shore of Lake Huron.

Mackinac Bay Nature Preserve is 13.5 miles east of I-75 on M-134, just past the village of Hessel (click here for directions). Look for the sign that says "scenic turnout" on the south side of the highway. There is a parking area and well maintained viewing platform.

Grass Bay is not easily accessible and there is no dedicated parking area. The best opportunity to visit is through periodic field trips organized by the Michigan Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.

(thanks to Anna Owens for the photos and the partnership on this journey)

Birdwatching on Lake Erie

The mission of the Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to protect and promote biodiversity, which includes the wide variety of plants and animals that inhabit our planet.* And while TNC scientists implement comprehensive strategies to preserve habitats for many species, for some of us our blood quickens a little bit more for those certain species with feathers. Yes, wildflowers and rare plants, endangered reptiles and amphibians, and even fish have intrigued me at times, but birds have consistently charmed me and drawn me out of doors to distant places at difficult times of day.

Birds are a signature species for several places in the Great Lakes, and in the spring the Western end of Lake Erie is a particular hot spot for migratory birds on their way from the tropics to the wooded northern forests around Lake Superior and beyond. Thus, it was with some anticipation and excitement that I got to spend a Saturday morning in May at the Erie Marsh Preserve just north of the Michigan-Ohio border. Those of us on the outing were particularly fortunate to have with us a first-rate birder, TNC's James Cole, who is as enthusiastic about birding as he is knowledgeable.

Connecticut Warblers, redstart, and other small songbirds can be difficult to spot because of their small size, their proclivity to ascend to the tops of trees or, depending on the species, hide low in dense shrubs. Plus, it seems just as you get a fix on one and lift up your binoculars, the bird chooses that moment to flit to another spot. Thus, a knowledge of bird songs is critical to identification. While we easily saw the common, and very bright, yellow warbler and baltimore oriole, we had to rely on James's song knowledge to find the rare and elusive Connecticut warbler, a bird only occasionally spotted at the Erie Marsh Preserve.

The shoreline of Lake Erie is an important, perhaps under appreciated, resource of the Great Lakes. As birds migrate north through middle America and Ohio, they run into 240 mile long Lake Erie. They either must stop and rest up for a fly over the Lake, or detour around its Western end. In either case, the shoreline becomes an important place for birds to seek shelter while they wait for the right weather conditions, and refuel on the many insects just hatching out in the first few warm days of the year. Studies by TNC and others, as well as the observations of birders for over a century, show that the first few miles of land along the coast are critical habitat areas for migrating birds. Unfortunately, the lakefront has historically been a site for industrial activities and more recently a desirable place for residential development. Now only about 25% of the one-mile area coastal zone is in natural cover; TNC scientists have set a goal of restoring landscapes to achieve a 40% natural cover area.

There are two pieces of good news. First, several significant marsh and other coastal habitats have been preserved in national wildlife refuges, state parks, duck hunting areas, and private land conservancies. Erie Marsh Preserve has been the home of a hunt club since 1870 and TNC and duck hunters still cooperate to protect its critical wetlands. Second, development and bird habitat are not incompatible land uses. Power plants, shipping facilities, and other commercial development typically are surrounded by large expanses of undeveloped land that can be managed to provide habitat areas, often in a cost-effective manner. For instance, 12 of DTE Energy's facilities in the area have certified wildlife habitats. Likewise, landscaping around homes can favor trees, shrubs, and other native species over lawns. Typically, this can enhance property values. The Nature Conservancy and its partners in Ohio have developed a guide Managing Habitats for Migrating Land Birds in the Western Lake Erie Basin that provides interesting background information as well as practical suggestions for landscaping.

Wetlands for birds, wetlands for fish are two of the benefits of coastal marshes. However, we sometimes struggle to meet both goals. In pre-setttlement times, most of Western Lake Erie consisted of shallow waters, extensive wetlands and poorly drained soils; it was hard to determine where lake ended and land began. Not only did this provide great habitat for ducks, shorebirds, and migratory songbirds, the warm quiet waters supported the spawning of fish species and provided shelter for their early growth.

Over time, the draining of onshore wetlands for farming and development, and the rise of lake levels led to the loss of this valuable and variable habitat. Early on, duck hunters saved some of the important coastal waters by building levees and controlling water levels. This has proven to be a boon for waterfowl, but barriers between lake and wetlands have diminished fish habitat. Managing the captive wetlands is also expensive, as pumps are required to control water levels within impoundments (see photo), levees need to be kept in repair, and habitats must be managed for invasive species like phragmites. All of these are issues at Erie Marsh

TNC recently received a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) to reconnect some of Erie Marsh with Lake Erie so that fish and other aquatic species can move back and forth from open water to coastal wetland. This project will involve extensive monitoring by TNC to determine the benefits and impacts of this effort; lessons learned here might be applied throughout the Great Lakes. In addition to re-opening marshes, falling lake levels also create opportunities to re-establish coastal wetlands. This too may be a strategy employed in Western Lake Erie.

One last birding reward was had on our day when we stopped to look out over the shallow waters adjacent to Erie Marsh. Amidst a flock of cormorants and some late migrating waterfowl, we spotted a large white bird. Upon close examination, what we thought might be a swan turned out to be a White Pelican, a very rare species in this part of the Great Lakes. Perhaps more pleasant surprises will be created with careful management and attention to the entire Lake Erie ecosystem of land and water.

Directions: Erie Marsh is off Exit 2 on I-75. You will need to head north on Summit Road (this wiil require a U-turn if you get off I-75 southbound). Turn right on Bay Creek Rd, then in less than a mile turn right on Dean Rd. The address is 3149 Dean Rd, Erie, MI 48133. Proceed to the Preserve sign and Erie Shooting Club; park next to buildings. For safety reasons, the Preserve is closed from September 1 to December 31 of every year.

* The full statement: "The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive."

Photo credits: all bird photos are from Cornell Bird Lab www.birds.cornell.edu; other photos by Anna Owens