LOVE OF THE LAND

Big Trout Lake

SIGNS OF SPRING

by ALLISON JARRELL

From birding to wildflowers, this nature preserve was made for May adventures.

Big Trout Lake

Nestled along the u.p.’s dudley bay just east of Cedarville, the 1,600-plus-acre Carl A. Gerstacker Nature Preserve boasts five miles of Lake Huron frontage across four bays—including one of the most stunning limestone bedrock shorelines in the state—as well as two small islands, Big and Little Trout Lakes and parts of two creeks. This preserve—established in 1993 and protected by The Nature Conservancy—also covers a large expanse of contiguous forest to support migratory birds and safeguards rare plant and animal species.

The month of May is one of the best times to visit, as migratory songbirds are resting en route to other destinations or settling on breeding territories for the summer (four species of warblers breed here, including the American redstart and magnolia warbler). Birders have a good chance of spotting loons, pileated woodpeckers, rubythroated hummingbirds, bald eagles and osprey. Spring also brings wildflowers—enjoy primrose, Calypso orchid, yellow lady’s slipper, butterwort, pitcher’s thistle and dwarf lake iris. For more info, including a guided audio tour, visit nature.org.

The big picture is even bigger than you know.

If you think wealth management is only a portfolio of assets that are balanced, diversified, and properly weighted, you’re thinking too narrowly. Because without a broader wealth management strategy that integrates performance with tax planning, trusts, risk management, cash flow, retirement, estate planning, charitable giving, family assistance and so on, ROI only goes so far. Clients of Greenleaf Trust (with over $15 billion in assets under advisement) are nearly always pleasantly surprised that their big picture is even bigger, and better, than they knew. Give us a call and we’ll help you see yours.

Client relationships begin at $2 million.