Posted May 13, 2013: Summer Communications Internship

College students looking to gain some valuable resume-building experience working for a successful non-profit may apply for a full-time summer intern position with the Leelanau Conservancy.  This is a fast-paced, multi-tasking position and the intern will be given a lot of responsibility right away. In years past our communications interns have received valuable hands-on experience in marketing and communications, a chance to build a publication clip file and the satisfaction of helping to protect beautiful Leelanau County.

Job duties include helping to coordinate volunteers, working on the Conservancy’s Annual Picnic and Auction, as well as general office duties. The intern  Applicant must be college-age–preferably entering their junior or senior year–with own vehicle.  Housing is not provided.

Strong computer skills with basic knowledge of In Design and Word Press a plus; pleasant phone manner and team-work attitude necessary.  The intern will help to update the Conservancy’s website as well as the online auction bidding site. Good writing skills and website experience helpful. Candidate can start immediately and the position goes through mid-August. Please email cover letter and resume to cfaught@leelanauconservancy.org.

This job pays $8 per hour and is a 32-40 hour a week position.

There is no deadline for applications: Our aim is to fill the position as soon as a qualified candidate can be found.

]]> http://leelanauconservancy.org/2013/05/job-opportunity-summer-communications-intern/feed/ 0 http://leelanauconservancy.org/2013/04/water-and-the-future-of-the-great-lakes-sign-up-and-learn-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=water-and-the-future-of-the-great-lakes-sign-up-and-learn-more http://leelanauconservancy.org/2013/04/water-and-the-future-of-the-great-lakes-sign-up-and-learn-more/#comments Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:16:01 +0000 leelanau http://leelanauconservancy.org/?p=9937

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It is true that past is prelude. That means we will continue to protect wonderful natural land and some of the most scenic and productive farmland on the Leelanau Peninsula. But beyond that, what does the Conservancy’s leadership envision for the next 25 years? In what ways, however subtle, will our emphasis differ from the first 25 years? John Erb, in his Chairman’s column, talks of a group of kindergartners who hiked to the top of Whaleback. John asks, “What will Leelanau look and feel like when these children are ‘old’?”  This is basically the same question that a number of our Sustainers asked following our winter gathering. How will the work we are doing right now matter to our current Sustainers, and also to our children’s children?

Abraham Lincoln reportedly used to say “The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself.” While our Founders, Ed and Bobbie Collins, never referenced Honest Abe directly, they clearly believed in the principle he espoused. This organization is all about creating a better future for the Leelanau Peninsula, and doing it by taking action to harness the talents of many people in a way that allows them to accomplish much more than any one well-meaning individual could ever accomplish alone. So let’s try to answer John’s question in the most forthright way that we can.  

The Past Really is Prelude

In 1993, Ed Collins, in writing about our first five years, stated the reasons that he and his wife, Bobbie, founded the Conservancy. “Any person who has lived or vacationed in Leelanau County, no matter how short a time, becomes somewhat fused to this special place. All that seems required is brief contact with the gentle curve of the glacial landscape, the dramatic vistas over water and our small, distinctive villages.  When we leave, we long to return.”  Ed added that this longing and the desire to protect such beauty was the motivating principle behind the founding of the Conservancy.

The affirmation that the Leelanau Peninsula is a special place, and especially deserving of thought and care in its growth and development has been a theme that is echoed by virtually all of our publicly adopted planning documents, by our Leelanau Chamber of Commerce, and by those charged with mapping out a strategic plan for economic development.   

We don’t need public documents to tell us how much Leelanau means to each of us. To get a sense of what Leelanau means to people just take a look at the “Why Leelanau” blog on our website.  Consider the fact that on an average day hundreds of  people scattered across the globe wake up and check the Leland Report. They get a look at our weather and maybe a spectacular view of a familiar landmark. These are only two of the websites that keep people in touch with this place that they love to think about even when they are far away. Consider how many Leelanau devotees have a room or a wall set aside in their home in St. Louis or Phoenix or Tampa, with family photos taken in Leelanau, artwork depicting favorite places like Fishtown or the view from Empire Bluffs.

How much does it mean?   Recently we asked Larry Webb, an Ohio insurance executive and strong Conservancy supporter, to speak to a group in Cincinnati.  Larry said, “The house where I grew up in Lima, Ohio, has been sold.  The first house I bought myself has been sold.  But I don’t remember a time when our family didn’t come up to the cottage on Good Harbor Bay.  It’s the place that we make family memories, and that we plan to always return to.”

Toward a Vision of the Future

The Founders’ vision of protecting beauty is as valid today as it was in 1988. Over the years the Conservancy has worked to make sure that our definition of beauty is expanded to include the overall health of the landscape, a concept first proposed by Aldo Leopold in essays written in the 1930s. Our Board of Directors was in large part inspired by Leopold’s rule: “The first principle of intelligent tinkering is to save all the pieces.” Leopold’s Rule guided us when we identified the lands that best represent the natural communities of the Leelanau Peninsula. Those essential “pieces” included large tracts of waterfront wetlands like Mebert Creek, the Cedar River, and the DeYoung Natural Area; coastal dunes including Houdek Dunes and Cathead Point; and signature coastal bluffs like Whaleback and Clay Cliffs. We protect these places because they are scenic and represent the essence of Leelanau to us, but also because we understand that these types of environments must be preserved in order to have a functioning landscape where wildlife populations, healthy forests, and clean waters abound.

Increasingly as we enter our second 25 years a further motivation is at work.  Research on successful communities throughout the nation has shown that in today’s world the competitive advantage has shifted to places that can attract the best talent.  Quality of life – things like good schools, scenery, local foods and restaurants, and access to recreational amenities of all types – these are becoming the building blocks of any successful strategy to attract and retain employers. Key infrastructure used to be transportation networks which provided access to markets. Leelanau’s own Economic Development Corporation has increasingly stressed internet connectivity coupled with a clean and safe environment as the lynchpins in bringing jobs to the county. Instead of working to provide what we don’t have (such as rail connections or mass transit) the new model says we should focus on what we do have, and use that to drive growth.

What Leelanau has in spades is something that so many communities in the country would die for. Chip Hoagland, long-time Chair of the Leelanau Economic Development Corporation, says, “Leelanau should be the breadbasket and playground of the Grand Traverse region, then we can build from there.”  We have world-class scenery, a vibrant agricultural sector based on locally produced fruits and vegetables, and access to outdoor recreation in all four seasons. We have clean water, safe communities, and small local schools with great reputations. In short, we don’t need freeway interchanges to be successful.

Long ago Leelanau’s Chamber of Commerce and many of its supporters realized that attracting tourists involves much more than marketing.   Being successful entails making our villages more vibrant, preserving our scenery, protecting our lakes, and making these resources available for people to enjoy.   In a world where a person dropped along the roadside in any given American city (whether tourist destination or not) would not know where she was because it all looks the same, Leelanau will be successful only if it protects the unique charm and distinctiveness of the community.   The key is “authenticity,” that unique blend of history, culture and landscape that makes newcomers want to come back again and again.  

The Conservancy as both Protector and Economic Driver

The Founders knew from the beginning that a healthy environment and preserved landscapes don’t suppress economic growth, rather these qualities fuel a thriving economy. Our natural resources are the things that bring people here, and keep them coming back. Conserving our clean water, working farms and unique natural lands makes more sense than ever before.

As the Great Recession of 2008 slowly recedes, there is an explicit role for the Conservancy to play in building a vibrant local economy that keeps faith with our original vision. Increasingly we will now be asking ourselves:  how can we help our local communities capitalize on their assets, and play a greater role in creating a vibrant economy within the context of a healthy environment?

By partnering with local communities we can achieve significant conservation and enhance the attractiveness of our towns as places to do business. Look for these types of projects to increasingly be a big part of our future.

Protecting Natural Land:  We have protected some of the most ecologically rich lands on the Leelanau Peninsula.   There is much more to do, especially in making sure that we preserve the connections between protected natural areas, regardless of whether owned by the Conservancy or a unit of government.  Connecting the dots will require the voluntary cooperation of private landowners and the expanded use of conservation easements.

Farmland Protection:  Farming and food processing along with the interest in local foods and value-added products is a bright spot of our local economy. We have unique microclimates to grow high-value crops, and we increasingly have young entrepreneurs that want to turn the fruits of our soil into products that can compete with any in the world.  The Conservancy’s unique role is to provide expertise and access to capital that can permanently preserve family farms. 

Restoring Land Health:  Increasingly, we will be devoting resources to restoring land to a healthier condition.  We should not resist spending time and money on this effort, because the 2,000 acres currently owned or managed by the Conservancy represents some of the finest examples of our native heritage, and we should embrace the opportunity to improve the resilience and health of these lands.  By doing so, we lead by example, and can influence management decisions on many thousands of acres of privately-held lands.  The rise of invasive species like garlic mustard in our woods or Phragmites on our shorelines, are challenges that the Conservancy faces, as do scores of private landowners.   We will struggle with forest diseases that destroy ash trees and beech trees and challenge our ability to continue the healing of lands that were decimated by wholesale clear-cutting more than 100 years ago.  But in restoring native landscapes we honor Aldo Leopold’s vision of the expanded and “healthy biotic community” and his definition of “conservation as a state of harmony between men and land.” 

Access to Recreation: Working with local communities, we can assist in the expansion of parks and trails.  This is valuable because it helps to create the livable, walkable communities that are increasingly the places that young (and older) professionals are drawn to live and work.  We can’t do most of this work alone, but only by working in concert with units of government.

Projects that preserve community character:  The Conservancy helped Leland Township when it sought to expand public access to Van’s beach while at the same time preserving the south flank of Fishtown at Hall Beach.  We protected the Gateway to Empire, and over 3,000 feet of the Crystal River as it runs parallel to M-22 at Glen Arbor.  These types of projects help to define the edges of our compact coastal villages.

Partnerships of all types:  We will increasingly pursue projects with existing community groups.  School groups will use our lands for study and field trips.  Experimentation with new types of agriculture will be part of the mix at the DeYoung farmstead.  We will work with hunting and fishing interests to enhance access to recreation land.  And Saving Birds Thru Habitat is already a strong non-profit partner in restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat in our Natural Areas and Preserves. Watch for a new mobile device APP that we are collaborating with other non-profits to produce. The APP will guide visitors to recreational areas all over the region.

The Leelanau Conservancy was birthed as a response to what in the 1980s we thought would be inevitable growth.  As was stated by guest columnist Ed McMahon in our 1994 summer newsletter:  “Growth is inevitable.  The ugliness and destruction of community character that so often accompanies growth is not.  Community can grow without destroying the things people love.  Beauty, heritage, and environmental quality are good for business.” 

Our challenge for the next 25 years is to demonstrate that preserving the things we love can actually fuel growth and stabilize a sound and diversifying economy, while continuing to make strides in building the state of harmony between humans and land that Leopold envisioned some 80 years ago.   It will be a challenge to build a community that preserves its uniqueness and authenticity while growing.  We will do all this by harnessing the talents of the many people who care about our special peninsula.  We will, as Abe Lincoln would have suggested, predict the future by creating it ourselves.  ~ Brian Price

That same week, I received some of the most amazing photos of snowy owls taken this winter by Sheen Watkins, a nature photographer who submitted the photos for our Why Leelanau blog. Sheen had spotted the owls in an open field further north in LeelanauTownship at the tip of the peninsula.

Leelanau Township—particularly its northern-most reaches, contains some of the most outstanding bird habitat in Michigan. Thousands of birds pass through the tip of the peninsula during migration on their way to Canada. “From mid-April to mid-May, it’s one of the most fantastic birding spots anywhere,” says Ed Ketterer, an avid birder and Conservancy Board Member who is helping to organize the 2013 Leelanau BirdFest. (See our events page for a list of birdfest events.)

It’s been a top goal of ours to protect lands at the tip since we opened our doors in 1988. Now with the addition of two 20-acre parcels purchased at year end, we have protected nearly 700 acres “for the birds” and over a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline. The corridor of protected land at the tip includes our properties as well as land owned by the Leelanau State Park and privately owned lands protected by conservation easements

The latest project came about when two 20-acre parcels became available from the Haverberg family. The northern parcel is right across the street from our Lighthouse West Natural Area. “The views from here are spectacular; offering a panoramic look at Cathead Bay, Lake Michigan and West Grand Traverse Bay,” says Matt Heiman, Director of Land Protection. “It would have been a prime parcel for development.” The other 20-acre southern parcel abuts the Leelanau State Park near Mud Lake.

The project is one that we call a “transfer and assist” because we helped the Leelanau State Park to acquire it. The Conservancy worked with the landowner and provided a portion of the purchase price when it became evident that the State Park budget could not absorb the entire cost. In another project in 2008, the Conservancy helped the Park to expand by 51 acres and add 1,400 feet of shoreline by assisting with an application for funding to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.

“Our partnership with the Leelanau Conservancy has been amazing,” says  Al Ammons, Director of the Leelanau State Park. “Everyone all the way up the chain of command at Parks and Rec has been grateful for what we’ve been able to do together because we certainly could not have added these lands on our own.” The two latest additions (see map) “help the Park get closer to a long-time dream of connecting its campground area to the hiking trail area,” adds Ammons.

“Without the help of the Leelanau Conservancy, the Park would be less of a wonderful place to enjoy,” continues Ammons. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in visitors—40,000 in 2012 after the Good Morning America publicity. A lot of people come to see the birds. I expect to see a lot of returning visitors, which will be good for the Park and good for the local economy.”

With places like the Leelanau State Park and our own Lighthouse West Natural Area so close by, I’ve often thought that if I ever retire, becoming a serious birdwatcher is in my future. I’d be joining quite a flock; a 2008 U.S. Forest Service survey reports that 35 percent of people 16 years and older participate in birding. Some 82 million people spend at least 100 days a year bird watching. Thanks to the Leelanau Conservancy, and its great partnership with the Leelanau State Park, the unique habitat at the tip of the peninsula will always provide a critical stopover point for our migrating birds, and a spectacular show for those who travel north to see them.  — Carolyn Faught

Then last spring, Samantha and her husband Christopher Graves read about the Conservancy’s call for farming proposals for the DeYoung Farm, a 145-acre Natural Area and historical farm along Cherry Bend road owned by the Conservancy.  The couple had been searching for the right place to begin a lasting orchard project, and the DeYoung property seemed like a perfect fit.  Christopher, a graduate of The Conway School for Sustainable Landscape Design, and Samantha, a permaculture farmer and educator, shared their vision for the land with Conservancy board members and staff, and we are now pleased to welcome the Graves as our newest farmers at the DeYoung Natural Area.

Samantha and Christopher have plans to establish a permaculture demonstration orchard, market garden, and rotational pasture for small livestock (chickens and sheep) on twelve acres of the DeYoung Farm over the coming years.  Samantha says, “The DeYoung property is an excellent fit for what we want to do.  Because this land is owned by the Conservancy, we know that it will be preserved for generations: this is an ideal place for permaculture.  Also, we want people to feel welcome here.  By farming in a publicly accessible location, we hope to encourage people to walk through our orchard and gardens—to visit, ask questions, and learn with us.” 

At the heart of the farm will be the Graves’ permaculture orchard, including apple, mulberry, and nut trees.  A permaculture orchard includes a diverse planting of edible crops that naturally deter pests and disease, while creating and extending wildlife habitat.  The Graves will plant fruit-tree centered “guilds,” or groupings of plants such as perennial fruits, herbs, vegetables, and root crops designed to grow well together.  These companion plants do not complete at root level with the fruit trees but actually benefit them by suppressing grasses and deterring deer and rodents (as daffodils do, for example) or holding nutrients at leaf-level (bee balm, chicory, and dandelion).  Plants in a guild serve multiple functions: many of the species that the Graves intend to plant in and around their orchard and garden will be edible (chives, strawberry), medicinal (comfrey), and/or used for natural fiber dyes (yarrow, wild blue indigo).  Each plant selected for a guild must provide at least one benefit to the ecosystem and the fruit tree it supports.

Thriving guilds take years to establish and much of the Graves’ work in the initial years on the DeYoung property will entail soil building though mulching, composting, and planting appropriate nitrogen-fixing and nutrient-accumulating perennials.  Some apple trees will be planted the first year, Samantha explains, but the orchard will grow gradually over four years as the Graves get to know the site and enrich the soil.  As well as growing produce to sell and raising chickens for egg production, the Graves plan to host workshops and tours at the site.  They are already offering a series of ongoing permaculture design workshops, details on which can be found on their website: Healing Tree Farm.

Cherry Bend Farmers Meeghan Siera and Andy Hutchinson, our DeYoung neighbors, will also continue to grow vegetables on a portion of the DeYoung property.  The family has been farming along Cherry Bend Road since the mid-1960s; they know the land well and have been stewards of this beautiful property adjacent to their own for decades—well before the DeYoung Farm became a Natural Area in 2006.  Meeghan and her son Andy are farming partners.  Andy runs the farm, growing fresh market vegetables and corn, and Meeghan manages the Cherry Bend Market and Bakery.  Andy is active with the New FARM Group for young farmers organized by our partners at the MSU Agricultural Extension.  This spring, he will plant corn on three acres of the DeYoung property.  Andy and Meeghan are looking forward to continuing their relationship with the Conservancy.  Andy says, “I love what I do.  I’m going to be farming for as long as I can manage.” 

This is a truly unique combination of farming on a beautiful piece of land.  Jenee Rowe, Director of Conservancy Owned Lands, says, “We are grateful we can do our small part to continue the tradition of farming.  Both of our farming families, like Louis DeYoung in his day, embody the ingenuity, resourcefulness, and resilience demonstrated by Leelanau County farmers, by balancing natural resources with human needs.  We look forward to involving the community at the farm portion of DeYoung Natural Area over the coming years.”

Everyone who attends a hike, workbee and other Conservancy events in 2013 will receive a really cool gift! Check out our timeline on our special 25th anniversary page as well, and feel proud of the work we’ve done together!

This photo was taken at one of my favorite spots in Leelanau, with Whaleback in the distance and Hall Beach just a stone’s throw away-both properties protected by the Leelanau Conservancy in 1996. I often walk this beach at lunchtime to clear my head, or meet friends here to swim and watch the sunset with our kids. Many people are surprised to learn that we helped to protect this spot now owned by Leland Township.

Whaleback is one of those iconic landmarks that is etched in the minds of everyone who loves Leelanau’s majestic shoreline. This 10,000-year old geologic wonder has all the attributes that made it a must for preservation–spectacular views from its towering bluffs, a varied terrain with unusual plants and trees that shelter bald eagles. Whaleback is perhaps our most visited natural area. These are just two of the great places we have forever preserved, thanks to you!

~ Carolyn Faught, Communications Director

WE DID IT!!! THANKS TO YOU, WE HAVE MET OUR GOAL FOR CLAY CLIFFS! It has been so exciting to feel your overwhelming support and to know that we are now in the position to protect this spectacular property for all time. Clay Cliffs seems to have touched people from throughout the peninsula and from all over the nation (573 individuals/families made a gift to this project!). While we can’t be certain when Leland Township and the State will complete this transaction, we are hopeful that we will open a trail for you in the fall!

Closing out the fundraising on Clay Cliffs is just one of the many things we are grateful for. Thank you for gifts made to natural lands and farmland preservation, Leelanau Preservers, operations and stewardship. The Staff and Board of the Leelanau Conservancy is honored to translate your love for Leelanau into permanent protection of our most cherished landscapes. I hope that 2013 brings you and your family joy, peace, prosperity and good health. Thank you from all of us for your support!

Brian Price                                                        Anne Shoup
Executive Director                                            Director of Charitable Giving

Crary Property a Miracle Present

You won’t find a working oil well in Leelanau County, but you will find many of the benefits of petroleum extraction.

Twelve benefits, to be exact. That’s the number of projects funded by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund here since 1976. The Trust fund receives its revenues from oil and gas leases and extraction on lands owned by the state of Michigan.

Actually, make that 13 projects with news that the Trust Fund board has approved perhaps the most impressive project yet—purchase of the Crary property in northern Leland Township.

The property will quickly become a landmark destination in Leelanau County, we predict. How could it not? Its 104 acres stretch from north Lake Leelanau westward to a 200 foot bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, the Manitou and Fox islands, and seemingly the world. For the uninitiated, you really need to feel as much as see the Lake Michigan shoreline from such a vantage to understand the magnificent place we call Leelanau.

Now the property is close to being forever preserved, a miracle of some magnitude considering its value for development.

The Trust Fund is a miracle in itself resulting from a compromise forged in 1972 between environmentalists and what would properly be termed “big oil” in today’s terms. It will fund half of the property’s $5.8 million purchase. Some 25 percent was provided by the property’s owner, Rachel Crary, who will fulfill her father’s dream with the transaction. And the remaining 25 percent will be provided with grants and donations to the Leelanau Conservancy, whose talks with the Crarys started 16 years ago. The Conservancy is hoping to offset some of its cost through a federal grant being sought by Leland Township, which will end up as owners of the property. The Leland Township Board was also heavily involved, backing and then lobbying for the grant.

Some of the cost, of course, will be borne by everyone who pays property taxes. The land had a taxable value of $3.5 million—seventh largest in Leelanau County. We’ll all need to pitch in, to some extent, to make up for the loss of tax revenue.
It will be money well spent.

The people associated with the transaction felt deep in their hearts that the property is far too special to present to the generation of Leelanau County residents in a lesser form. We agree.

Miraculous things happen when people share a vision, and are willing to work for it. Considering the season, let’s call the impending purchase of the Crary property a Christmas present—a miracle present—for Leelanau residents, present and future.

December 2011–The spectacular Clay Cliffs property, with its 1,700 feet of shoreline on both Lake Michigan and North Lake Leelanau, is two steps closer to becoming a public natural area. Partners in the project, the Leelanau Conservancy and Leland Township, received two pieces of good news recently: 1) the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund awarded up to $2.9 million to the Township for the $6.2 million project; and, 2) the Carls Foundation awarded the Leelanau Conservancy a $1 million challenge grant, a portion of which may be used to help fund the Clay Cliffs project.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to preserve this shoreline while also giving the citizens of Leelanau and everyone who visits the chance to experience one of the most beautiful places on our peninsula,” says Conservancy Director Brian Price. “We still have work to do to raise the $1.8 million needed for the required local match to the Trust Fund grant. But with the Trust Fund committed, and the Carls grant providing a dollar-for-dollar challenge to private donors, we know we can raise the funds necessary to protect this truly unique property and create an incredible natural area. We’re grateful to the Trust Fund Board and to the Carls Foundation for their help. We are also grateful to Rachel Crary, the property owner, for agreeing to donate 25% of the land’s value.”

The 104.5-acre property lies between Lake Michigan and North Lake Leelanau and features sweeping views of both lakes. “This property has it all, natural shoreline on both lakes, rare plant communities growing on the steep clay bluffs, old-growth forest, and spectacular scenery. It is hands-down one of the best places on the peninsula for birding or spring wildflowers,” adds Price.

The high ridges and open meadows afford breathtaking views of North Lake Leelanau. Looking toward Lake Michigan, the sheer clay bluffs that tower above the lake at the forest’s edge provide magnificent views of the Manitous and South Fox Island. Much of the 58-acre mature hardwood forest has not been logged in nearly a century, allowing the trees the rare opportunity to approach their maximum size.

“This is great for Leelanau County and for our township,” says Harry Larkin, Leland Township Supervisor. “Our economy is closely tied to the beauty and recreation this area offers. Having public access to Clay Cliffs for hiking, bird watching and other quiet recreation will add to the mix, offering a unique experience to all who visit it. The community whole-heartedly supports this acquisition, and our Parks and Recreation Committee is really looking forward to working with the Conservancy staff to develop a great management plan for the property.”

The partners applied for a Trust Fund grant in 2010, but the request was declined, in part because the opportunity to purchase the property came so late in the application cycle. They reapplied in April 2011 with the continued cooperation of seller, Rachel Crary. It will be at least a year before the purchase will be complete and the public can be welcomed onto to the land. Initial plans call for a small parking area, loop trails, and an observation platform overlooking the Manitou Passage. Leland Township will own the land; the Leelanau Conservancy will manage it.

The good news of the Trust Fund grant came on December 7th.. A few weeks earlier, the Carls Foundation awarded a challenge grant to support natural land protection in high-priority areas of the Leelanau Peninsula. The grant will support a variety of projects under development by the Conservancy, one of which is the acquisition of the Clay Cliffs property.

“If we can raise $250,000 toward the Carls Challenge in each of the next four years, we can claim an additional $250,000 each year in matching funds for critical land protection projects,” says Anne Shoup, the Conservancy’s Director of Charitable Giving. “In this first year, we hope the Carls Challenge will spur donations to the Clay Cliffs project. We are excited and grateful for this timely opportunity for donors to double the impact of their gifts.”

The Conservancy has been in contact with the Crary family since 1995 about protecting the land. Sixteen years ago, the late Doug Crary told Price that one of the things he loved most was to drive over to what was then known as “Cherry Pickers’ Park” on North Lake Leelanau. From there, with a clear view of his land across the lake, he would watch the sun go down. “He loved to see that big expanse of land and how after dark there would be no lights,” says Brian. “He talked about how good that made him feel, how much he enjoyed his land, and that he wanted to see it protected one day.”

To make a gift to the project, please contact Anne Shoup (231-256-9665) or visit the Conservancy’s secure website at www.theconservancy.com.

About the Carls Foundation

Established in 1961, the William and Marie Carls Foundation was utilized by Bill and Marie Carls to implement their charitable activities. Mr. Carls felt privileged and proud to be an American citizen, and considered his funding of the Foundation as a way to return benefits to his community and country, and as an expression of his appreciation for the great opportunities that America afforded him. The Carls Foundation has supported specific conservation projects throughout Michigan, including projects of the Leelanau Conservancy and Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.

About the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) has been in place since 1976. It provides financial assistance to local governments and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to purchase land or rights in land for public recreation, or because of its environmental importance or scenic beauty. The Trust Fund also assists in the appropriate development of land for public outdoor recreation. The MNRTF is supported by annual revenues from the development of State-owned mineral resources, largely oil and gas. The Leelanau Conservancy has partnered with Elmwood, Bingham, and Leland Township to acquire locally important natural lands and parkland, and has assisted the state in expanding Leelanau State Park and state forest holdings in the Cedar River area.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE-all donations made by December 31, 2012 will be matched by an anonymous donor! (up to $200,000)

Leelanau Enterprise Praises Clay Cliffs Project