In the beautiful Pigeon River country of Northern Michigan, an old farmstead had fallen into disrepair. The land had been overgrazed by cattle and what forests remained were stripped of high-quality timber. But the Little Traverse Conservancy (LTC) saw the incredible potential for this 640-acre property, including Pigeon River frontage and a mile-long stretch of Wilkes Creek.
With support from Jack and Tucker Harris, LTC purchased the property a few years ago and set about the business of healing the land and the diversity of habitats found there. The first two years involved clearing out trash and buildings to make way for habitat work.
In this very short video, we join Stewardship Director, Derek Shiels on a brief tour of the site and learn about the habitat restoration now underway. With a long-term plan in place and mindful of the changing climate, LTC is working to improve wildlife habitat with forest restoration work, new mast-producing plantings, and a re-work of the open fields to remove invasive species. Already a great place for wildlife, these improvements will build diverse habitat for lots of wildlife from golden winged warbler and rough grouse to wood turtle and elk.