Sanctuaries

Sanctuaries | MNA Every Sanctuary Has a Story... Thornapple Lake Nature Sanctuary

Thornapple Lake Nature Sanctuary is one of MNA’s many inlandlake sanctuaries, protecting roughly 60 acres of lakeshore where the Thornapple River enters the Thornapple Lake in Barry County. The densely forested sanctuary would be a tempting destination for hiking and exploration if not for the wet terrain making trails impractical. This type of habitat, which floods every spring, is known as a floodplain forest (see feature story pg. 20).

The Thornapple River, a major tributary of the Grand River which drains into Lake Michigan, travels nearly 90 miles through primarily agricultural land, and is disrupted at several points by man-made dams built to control its frequent flooding. From the tributary east of Charlotte until it joins Thornapple Lake, the river flows freely though with the appearance of a creek.

This floodplain forest area is therefore an important part of the landscape. Floodplain forests serve an important role in maintaining natural water quality as pollutants get filtered out of the floodwaters through the soil. They also provide critical habitat for several rare birds, such as Baltimore Oriole, Cerulean Warbler and American Woodcock. The saturated soils of floodplain forests thaw earlier in the spring than surrounding soils, creating a unique opportunity for early migratory birds to find food on their way to summer breeding grounds.

The area around the lake, however, has become heavily developed over the years with waterfront homes and neighborhoods that intersect the shoreline. The development impacts the ability of waterfowl and other species to use the lake for feeding and breeding. Concerned with the overdevelopment of the lakeshore, Richard and Rosemary Shuster donated the land that has become Thornapple Lake Nature Sanctuary in 2009.

Many of MNA’s Nature Sanctuaries are known for being incredible destinations for hiking with spectacular overlooks, abundant spring wildflowers, and more. But sanctuaries like Thornapple Lake are a reminder that prioritizing the protection of Michigan’s rich natural heritage is just as worthwhile.

Every Sanctuary Has a Story... The Rookery: Black River Nature Sanctuary

There are few sights as magnificent to behold as watching a massive bird with a 6-and-a-half-foot wingspan emerge silently from the water’s edge, then float gracefully over the treetops and into the distance. The Great Blue Heron, North America’s largest heron species, is an unmistakable presence along Michigan’s rivers and lakes. Perhaps surprisingly, these massive waterfowl nest in trees – and it is for this reason that MNA’s Black River Nature Sanctuary was preserved.

An historical presence of a heron rookery along the Black River in Van Buren County prompted the Bouton and Mortensen families to donate the more than 100-acre sanctuary nearly 30 years ago. The floodplain and mesic southern forest habitats within the sanctuary provide excellent opportunities for herons to nest high in the tree canopy, safe from predators. The lack of human visitation to the sanctuary has resulted in minimal threats from invasive species and other ecological disturbances.

Although the surrounding land is primarily agricultural, the section of the Black River within the sanctuary remains in good condition with many meanders and several oxbow ponds. These hydrological features contribute to the sanctuary’s overall ecological diversity, providing habitat for both terrestrial and aquatic species including Cerulean warbler and Blandings turtle.

The state threatened Showy Orchid which is known to occur in both floodplain forests as well as mesic southern forests, may also be found among other more common spring ephemerals at this sanctuary, a testament to the undisturbed condition of the land.

In 2014 MNA worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service – Partners for Fish and Wildlife program to plant trees on 2.5 acres of the sanctuary.

A Great Blue Heron sits on its nest at an MNA Nature Sanctuary in Southwest Michigan. Photo by Fai Chen