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Preserves

The Little Forks Conservancy also protects land through acquisition, by either gift or purchase, protecting it as a preserve. Staff and volunteers work together to manage and restore the conservation values on property we own, enhancing the natural features that merited protection. To become a Preserve Volunteer, visit the Conservancy's listing at 1-800-Volunteer and follow the steps to register.

Some preserves can provide opportunities for public recreation and access to unique resources in our region. Other more sensitive sites may require limiting public access to preserve native associations of flora and fauna.

The Conservancy currently holds two preserves.

Averill Preserve, Midland

In 2003, the Midland Area Community Foundation transferred 41.5 acres of property to The Little Forks Conservancy. The property was expanded to its current size in 2004, when an additional 32 acres were purchased from Dr. Kyung-Sik Ahn. The site, which is open to the public and can be accessed from the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail, was one of the world’s largest log banking grounds in the 1880s. The Averill Preserve features more than 6,000 feet of Tittabawassee River shoreline, 1,500 feet of Averill Creek and 40-50 acres of floodplain.

A map to our Averill preserve can be found by clicking here.
   

Steiner Preserve, Midland

The Little Forks Conservancy purchased our first preserve from Nancy Steiner for the bargain sale price of $10,000. Located at the confluence of Big Salt Creek and the Chippewa River, the 9.8-acre property features 2,000 feet of river frontage and native hardwood forest. Nancy and her father, Richard Stroebel of Saginaw, sought out the Conservancy so the property would remain “wild” and natural.


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