Campaign complete: Land Conservancy of West Michigan has reached McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve fundraising goal
Thanks to a generous capstone gift from the Richard Hansen Foundation, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan has reached its fundraising goal for the new McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve in Bitely, Michigan. The campaign ends just as construction on the preserve’s trail system nears completion.
“The close of 2024 brings with it some exciting milestones for McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve,” said Executive Director Kim Karn. “We are grateful to everyone who showed their support for the protection and ongoing care of this land, and especially to Richard Hansen and the Richard Hansen Foundation for bringing us over the finish line.”
McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve protects 300 acres of hardwood forest and wetlands along the shores of the Little South Branch of the Pere Marquette River and McDuffee Creek. These high quality, cold-water rivers nurture trout, turtles and aquatic invertebrates. Porcupines, bobcats, black bears and wild turkeys are known to roam the preserve’s forests, and ruffed grouse can be heard drumming their wings among the aspens.
Under the Land Conservancy’s ownership, the land is permanently protected and managed as a nature preserve. The preserve is open to the public for exploration at no cost.
Over 200 donors showed their support for the permanent protection of the land and its transformation into a publicly accessible nature preserve. Nearly $700,000 was raised to fund the acquisition, protection, and ongoing care of the preserve. The project was funded in part by the Carls Foundation, the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, Ducks Unlimited, the Fremont Area Community Foundation, the Richard Hansen Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The purchase was also made possible with support from a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant, a donation of the property value by the landowner, several donors, and a loan from the Land Conservancy’s own Land Acquisition Fund. The Land Acquisition Fund was created by generous benefactors to help the organization act quickly to take advantage of opportunities to protect natural land. The Land Conservancy held a fundraiser to pay back its Land Acquisition Fund, cover the costs of establishing public access features and create a fund to support the maintenance and restoration of the property in the future.
McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve is the largest of the Land Conservancy of West Michigan’s 20 nature preserves. Thanks to the help of many volunteers, four miles of trail are being outfitted with boardwalks to keep feet dry and protect sensitive habitat while visitors traverse wetland areas. A bridge will be installed over the Little South Branch of the Pere Marquette River. The trails and amenities are slated to be completed in December 2024.
Land Conservancy volunteers have helped remove invasive species, clean up debris from old hunting blinds, build trails and install boardwalks.
“Volunteers have made McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve a welcoming place for visitors to explore,” said Conservation Director Justin Heslinga. “We are grateful for their hard work and look forward to continuing to collaborate with volunteers as we restore and care for the land.”
The Land Conservancy of West Michigan is working to restore a degraded part of the land to oak savanna habitat, which will connect with similar restoration efforts happening on neighboring U.S. Forest Service land. This rare habitat type supports diverse communities of plants, wildlife, birds and insects, including the Federally endangered Karner blue butterfly.
The preserve offers explorers a variety of recreation opportunities. Visitors can hike the trails to witness views of the land’s lush forests and sparkling rivers, as well as sightings of birds and wildlife. Anglers are welcome to fish in McDuffee Creek and the Little South Branch of the Pere Marquette River. Beginning this year, archery hunters can hunt deer on the property through the Michigan DNR’s Hunting Access Program. Rules and regulations apply.
Learn more about McDuffee Creek Nature Preserve and plan your visit on the Land Conservancy of West Michigan’s website. Make a donation to support the Land Conservancy’s efforts to permanently protect natural land here.