Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy

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Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy We protect significant natural, scenic, and farm lands - and advance stewardship – now and for future generations. Get outside! www.gtrlc.org/preserves

We serve a regional community that includes Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Manistee counties in northwest Lower Michigan We've protected 46,000 acres of land including dozens of parks and natural areas for you to enjoy!

Just past Fife Lake, a gravel road winds past a long, unbroken stretch of state forest land, following a tree canopy tha...
10/20/2026

Just past Fife Lake, a gravel road winds past a long, unbroken stretch of state forest land, following a tree canopy that narrows as it draws closer to Whip-poor-will Hill. The Eberhardt cabin is easy to miss if you’re not watching for it. Situated on a hillside, it’s a rustic home tucked into a vast, forested landscape of private, protected land.

Inside, Laurie Eberhardt and her family can be found throughout the year, enjoying the view from a large front window that overlooks the land their family has known for more than 65 years.

"This place has been part of my life, my whole life," Laurie said. "So it’s very important to me."

Time and time again, people across northern Michigan describe how their love for the land took root: picking fruit at a local farm, spending summers at the family cottage or exploring woods walked by the same family for generations. Those experiences leave a lasting imprint and often inspire a desire to pass that connection on.

At GTRLC, we believe that people care for what they love. That’s why we protect public lands where people can connect with nature AND help landowners protect private lands through conservation easements.

Easements are a legal tool that permanently protects a property’s conservation values for the benefit of all while allowing landowners to continue owning, living on and enjoying their land.

Read how three generations of the Martin-Eberhardt family continue a legacy of land stewardship on their beloved easement-protected family property, Whip-poor-will Hill:
https://issuu.com/gtrlc/docs/landscript_fall_2026_vol-83-pages/14

Many are familiar with conservancy-protected lands open to the public. These are places where we connect with nature and...
10/14/2026

Many are familiar with conservancy-protected lands open to the public. These are places where we connect with nature and each other on the trails and in the landscapes that make this region special. But what about the land in between? It, too, contributes to the fabric and health of our region. Some is publicly owned, but much is privately owned and can be sold or developed at any time. Here today, gone tomorrow.

Some private landowners take the extraordinary step of working with GTRLC to protect the land they love forever through a conservation easement. This legal tool permanently protects a property’s conservation values while allowing landowners to continue owning, living on and enjoying their land.

But landowners aren’t the only ones who benefit. We all do. Conservation easements preserve scenic views, support access to fresh, local food and help protect clean air and water. They also provide vital habitat for wildlife. With fewer trails, infrastructure and visitors, private lands can offer undisturbed habitat that even nature preserves and other public lands can’t match. These spaces are critical for wildlife to feed, find shelter and raise their young.

GTRLC prioritizes protecting lands with high conservation value, including high-quality agricultural land and large, intact blocks of habitat, such as forests, wetlands and river frontage. Properties adjacent to other protected lands are especially valuable because they help maintain wildlife corridors and enhance ecosystem services across a larger landscape.

We are grateful to the landowners who have taken this extraordinary step. Together, they have protected more than 23,000 acres through 330 conservation easements, including 75 miles of shoreline and more than 12,000 acres of farmland.

Interested in protecting your land or wondering if your property qualifies? To learn more visit: https://www.gtrlc.org/land-protection-stewardship/information-for-landowners/

Have you ever wondered how we decide what to do with a property once we’ve protected it? The answer, in short, is that t...
09/24/2026

Have you ever wondered how we decide what to do with a property once we’ve protected it? The answer, in short, is that the land tells us. But what does that actually mean, and what does it look like?

Join us for a behind-the-scenes discussion with our land stewardship team about how we balance recreational access with wildlife protection, restore and protect ecosystems and adapt to challenges along the way.

Using examples from The Ridge Nature Preserve and beyond, GTRLC land stewards will illustrate how thoughtful, flexible management can help people, plants and animals in our region thrive together.

Join us for a panel discussion followed by a Q&A with GTRLC’s Chris Garrock, director of stewardship; Angie Bouma, senior conservation ecologist; and Steve Lagerquist, land steward: capital project management, recreation and infrastructure.

The discussion will be moderated by Vivian La, IPR’s climate solutions reporter.

Register here: https://gtrlc.my.salesforce-sites.com/es/event/home/plls09302026

The Maple Bay Natural Area and Petobego State Game Area are among our area’s most popular parks, in no small part becaus...
09/17/2026

The Maple Bay Natural Area and Petobego State Game Area are among our area’s most popular parks, in no small part because of their beautiful stretches of Lake Michigan shoreline. However, by 2024, increasing foot traffic had taken a toll on these properties’ sensitive dune ecosystems, leading to erosion and threatening species such as the federally and state-protected Pitcher’s thistle, or dune thistle, and Lake Huron tansy, a species of special concern.

In response, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC), with support from our partners at the state and Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation, installed a series of simple fences to help guide visitor use along the beach at Maple Bay and Petobego. Native plantings, as well as informative signage to educate visitors about the importance of protecting these sensitive habitats, were also installed.

Similar efforts had been successful in other high-traffic areas on critical dune landscapes, such as Arcadia Dunes: The C.S. Mott Nature Preserve and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. So, we were hopeful for a similar response, but you never know how the public will respond.

We are happy to report that almost two full years later, we are seeing remarkable progress with native dune vegetation, especially the pioneer dune species American beach grass. Before the fencing went up, surveys spotted only a handful of adult, flowering dune thistles. Today, we’re happy to share three brand-new nurseries of second-year rosettes are taking root! Nearby, our Lake Huron tansy, or dune tansy, population is also looking noticeably stronger and more robust than in previous years.

While official counts are still underway, this encouraging initial visual assessment shows what can happen when natural processes are given space to thrive. A huge THANK YOU to our partners, volunteers and, perhaps most of all, to all the natural area visitors who have respected the fenced boundaries. Your support and cooperation are directly helping bring this ecosystem back to life!

To learn more about dune habitats and beach etiquette at these beautiful and important natural areas, check out this quick video: https://www.gtrlc.org/field-notes/preserves-and-natural-area-beach-etiquette/

In 35 years, we’ve protected 50,000 acres of irreplaceable natural lands. The impact of our work can be seen throughout ...
09/17/2026

In 35 years, we’ve protected 50,000 acres of irreplaceable natural lands. The impact of our work can be seen throughout the landscapes you love—in our region’s farms and scenic vistas, and on our preserves and sanctuaries, where vital ecosystems thrive and countless residents and visitors experience the extraordinary beauty and restorative powers of our region’s lands and waters.

With so much riding on these decisions have you ever wondered how the Conservancy decides which land to protect? Or how we collaborate with community partners to extend our impact?

Join us for a presentation followed by Q&A with Claire Herman, Land Protection Specialist at Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and Matt Cowall, Executive Director of the Traverse City and Garfield Township Recreational Authority.

Please register here: https://gtrlc.my.salesforce-sites.com/es/event/home/plls09232026

With summer still a week away from its official close and the myriad of activities this time of year brings, hunting may...
09/14/2026

With summer still a week away from its official close and the myriad of activities this time of year brings, hunting may not be at the top of our minds. However, many bird hunting seasons are already underway and more seasons will open in the coming weeks.

With that in mind, we’d like to remind everyone that in the fall, hunting—just like hiking, birding, or biking—is an activity many people enjoy on GTRLC preserves. Hunting is also an important habitat management tool, helping keep animal populations at healthy levels, which in turn minimizes disease, over-browsing, and other harmful impacts on local habitats.

We encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with all Michigan DNR hunting rules and regulations, as well as GTRLC’s property rules.

If you’re looking for places to hike where hunting is not allowed, please visit our preserves page (https://www.gtrlc.org/recreation-events/preserve/) and select the “no hunting” activity filter.

Thank you—and let’s all enjoy a safe, respectful, and wonderful fall!

We invite you to come and hear an inspiring story about what’s possible when partners bring diverse perspectives, expert...
09/10/2026

We invite you to come and hear an inspiring story about what’s possible when partners bring diverse perspectives, expertise, and resources to a shared conservation goal.

Once featured in National Geographic’s 1996 article “Our Polluted Runoff,” the impaired Mitchell Creek Meadows watershed is experiencing a comeback, thanks to a robust partnership with our community partners.

Wednesday, September 16 at 5:30 p.m.
Restoring the Mitchell Creek Watershed: A Collaborative Success Story in the Making

Join us for a fascinating presentation followed by Q&A with
Chris Garrock, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
Christine Crissman, The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay
Brett Fessell, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
DJ Shook, Conservation Resource Alliance

Sign up here: https://gtrlc.my.salesforce-sites.com/es/event/home/plls09162026

We invite you to join us for our 2026 Priority Landscapes Learning Series at the McMullen Family Conservation Center. Hi...
08/26/2026

We invite you to join us for our 2026 Priority Landscapes Learning Series at the McMullen Family Conservation Center. Highlighting the Ridge Nature Preserve–which will open to the public in 2027–these engaging, expert-led discussions will give you an opportunity to learn more about how we fulfill our mission through a variety of lenses. We hope you will join the conversation.

Wednesday, September 16 at 5:30 p.m.
Restoring the Mitchell Creek Watershed: A Collaborative Success Story in the Making with GTRLC’s director of stewardship, Chris Garrock, and project partners from Conservation Resource Alliance, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay
Details & Registration: https://gtrlc.my.salesforce-sites.com/es/event/home/plls09162026

Wednesday, September 23 at 5:30 p.m.
Priority Landscapes: How We Identify and Protect “The Best of the Best” with Claire Herman, GTRLC land protection specialist, and Matt Cowall, executive director of the Traverse City and Garfield Township Recreational Authority
Details & Registration: https://gtrlc.my.salesforce-sites.com/es/event/home/plls09232026

Wednesday, September 30 at 5:30 p.m.
Listening to the Land: Management Decision-Making with Consideration to People, Plants and Animals a conversation with GTRLC land stewards Chris Garrock, Steve Lagerquist and Angie Bouma, moderated by Vivian La, IPR’s climate solutions reporter
Details & Registration: https://gtrlc.my.salesforce-sites.com/es/event/home/plls09302026

Thursday, October 1 at 10 a.m.
Culminating Hike at the Ridge Nature Preserve with GTRLC’s Angie Bouma, Steve Lagerquist, Charlie MacDonald and Kate Pearson
Details & Registration: https://gtrlc.my.salesforce-sites.com/es/event/home/plls10012026

We hope to see you!

Over a decade in, things are still growing strong in the organic garden at Maple Bay Farm! With the help of approximatel...
08/22/2026

Over a decade in, things are still growing strong in the organic garden at Maple Bay Farm! With the help of approximately 25 regular volunteers who invest hundreds of hours tending the 1-acre plot, they plant, nurture and harvest 6,000–7,000 pounds of produce annually. It’s then distributed to where it’s needed most across the region by our incredible partners at Food Rescue of Goodwill Northern Michigan.

As if this isn’t wonderful enough, there’s more to this story.

By using more sustainable crop management practices, the gardeners are building soil health and reducing the garden’s carbon footprint by avoiding petroleum-based fertilizers and other practices. Minimizing tilling and maintaining a composting program that utilizes leaves from the Village of Elk Rapids, bedding and manure from GTRLC’s invasive-species goat herd barn cleanouts, and other natural additives all contribute to improving soil composition.

Using non-toxic inputs means cleaner food and water, and as soil health increases, so does food production. Healthy soil also retains water, carbon and nutrients more effectively—another big plus, especially as we experience more extreme and drought-prone weather.

By any measure, the Maple Bay Farm organic garden is an asset in the community and we are grateful for the hard work and care these GTRLC volunteers contribute.

Visit Maple Bay Farm: https://www.gtrlc.org/recreation-events/preserve/maple-bay-farm-house-management-summary/

08/20/2026

GTRLC’s offices are located in the heart of Mitchell Creek Meadows: The Don and Jerry Oleson Nature Preserve, which puts us and our visitors in intimate contact with nature every day. There are innumerable practical benefits to this arrangement, but it’s also just really neat. For example, we share a wall with a demonstration dune garden that has hosted a good number of monarch butterflies this year. We were even able to capture one emerging from its chrysalis in this time-lapse video.

After a caterpillar forms a chrysalis, it takes roughly 12–15 days for an adult butterfly to emerge. At that magical moment, the butterfly hangs from the chrysalis shell and pumps fluid from its body into its wings to inflate them. This fluid is called hemolymph and is comparable to blood in vertebrates. Once inflated, a protein called chitin arranges into stiff structures needed for flight. Monarchs can make short flights after a couple of hours and are fully flight-capable within 24 hours.

This butterfly is likely a member of the monarch super generation, which can live up to eight months compared with summer monarchs, which live only a few weeks. This generation is beginning its incredible transnational odyssey to Mexico this time of year and we wish them safe travels!

Visit Mitchell Creek Meadows: https://www.gtrlc.org/recreation-events/preserve/mitchell-creek-meadows-the-don-and-jerry-oleson-nature-preserve/

Address

2846 3 Mile Road N
Traverse City, MI
49684

Telephone

+12319297911

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