**Great news! With your support, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan has successfully raised $200,000 to purchase 43 acres of forested backdune habitat to add to Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve!! Thanks to you, this property will be protected in perpetuity. Now, we just need to complete the acquisition. Stay tuned for future updates on this project.**
We have been working with you to write the story of Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve since 2012, when we protected 14 acres of precious Lake Michigan shoreline in Muskegon County—so special it was once eyed for designation as a national park. In 2017, our generous supporters “doubled the dunes,” growing the preserve to 31 acres in size and creating more connected habitat for the rare plants and wildlife that call this unique environment home.
Now, with your help, we have a chance to protect the world of mystery on the other side of the dunes, and once again more than double the preserve’s size.
The property contains 43 acres of forested backdune habitat—75 percent of which is state-designated critical dunes. Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve contains undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline and towering, shifting dunes—habitat that is increasingly rare and difficult to protect. This property encompasses dune ridges and valleys that begin on the preserve and extend into the property. Protecting it would preserve the natural connection within the landscape. Together with Meinert County Park and Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve, this property would create a total of 255 acres of connected, permanently protected natural land in the area.
Steep dune ridges provide stunning views of the deep green, sloping forest landscape. Birds like pileated woodpecker, vireo, and American redstart soar in the overstory, while red fox and white-tailed deer quietly roam the understory. The property is forested with Eastern hemlock, red oak, maple and more. The forest floor is covered wildflowers such as spring beauty, trout lily and Dutchman’s breeches in spring and mushrooms of all varieties in fall.
The property has a rich history rooted in human connection with the land. In the late 1800s, the Huston family settled here and started a logging operation. A century later, the Rausches built a cabin along the nearby shoreline. In 1994, Doug and Gretchen Paprocki fell in love with the property’s natural character, purchased the land and later protected it with a conservation agreement. Now, they will sell it to the Land Conservancy as a key addition Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve.
Once acquired, the property will be part of Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve, enabling the Land Conservancy protect and manage the connected habitats as one unit—ensuring the continued health of the landscape and the diverse plants and wildlife that call it home.
Until it is purchased, the property remains private and closed to public access. But you can watch a virtual tour of the landscape below!
Anderson Woods Nature Preserve is a forested natural area near Muskegon, Whitehall, and Montague. A wheelchair and stroller accessible trail system leads visitors through a towering oak and white pine forest, interspersed with glades lush with blueberry and wintergreen.
Read MoreLocated in northern Muskegon County, Flower Creek Dunes Nature Preserve protects unspoiled dune habitat along the lakeshore. A boardwalk leading to an overlook provides panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding dunes.
Read MoreThere are no trails leading through this rugged dune property. Steep, forested ridges are interwoven with narrow valleys. Tucked in the dune hills are wetlands and a small pond.
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