A beautiful and ecologically significant new nature preserve along Arbutus Lake opens to the public today.

The nearly 120-acre Turtle Cove Nature Preserve sits on the west side of the lake in East Bay Township. It’s the product of more than two years of fundraising by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, which raised about $2.4 million for the project.

“This is an incredible gift to everyone that loves the outdoors and cherishes the wild, unspoiled nature of what northern Michigan represents for so many people,” GTRLC Executive Director Glen Chown tells The Ticker. “I’m so proud of the community for how they stepped up and made this happen. They really put their money where their hearts are, and I’m overflowing with excitement knowing the community can finally get out there and enjoy this place.”

The new preserve has a 1.7-mile loop trail that allows visitors to explore the property. It's named The Beverly and Spencer Silk Trail in honor of lead donors to the fundraising campaign, which began back in 2021.

But for those at the Conservancy, the story goes back much further. Because of its exceptional ecological features, it’s been a top land protection target for two decades. Those features include substantial undeveloped water frontage, remarkable biodiversity and the significant biological production of its namesake shallow-water bay, which acts as nursery for the lake.

“We had our eye on this property for 20 years,” Chown says. “For us to be able to close the deal is a culmination of a legacy for the community, for everybody that loves not only Arbutus Lake, but the whole Boardman River watershed.”

The property is also adjacent to the Pines Park natural area owned by East Bay Township along with a tract of state land. Such connectivity is critical for wildlife movement throughout increasingly fragmented habitats, conservation advocates say.

Casey and Dana Cowell bought the property in 2021 and held on to it while GTRLC worked to raise money for the new preserve. The Conservancy – which has protected more than 47,000 acres of land in its five-county service area since 1991 – has been assisted by such “conservation buyers” multiple times in the past.

“The Cowells not only gave us a generous (discount), but they also gave us the gift of time to get this done,” Chown says.

Steve Lagerquist is a land stewardship specialist at GTRLC. He grew up less than a mile from the new preserve and was captivated by this special place. 

“When I was a kid, it was just such a magical place to wander through and see all of this completely undeveloped shoreline, the cove with all of this emergent vegetation, lots of turtles, tons of wildlife,” he tells The Ticker. “It’s really special to now have it protected and know that everyone else can have those same experiences.”

While it's not the season for it now, Lagerquist's hot tip is to head down on a summer morning and get close to the cove for a real (and rare) treat. 

"In the summertime, when the breeze is blowing off the lake – especially in the morning – you can smell the sweet smell of the pond lilies. They have a really nice fragrance. They open up in the morning, but by midday they start closing up a bit," he says. 

The trail was built largely by a crew from SEEDS with support and supervision from the Conservancy’s stewardship team, Lagerquist says. SEEDS is an environmental nonprofit organization that, among many other initiatives, provides development and leadership to mostly young people through its EcoCorps program.

“They rocked it – they really did an awesome job,” Lagerquist says. “It’s really hard work –  it’s hot, it’s miserable, you’re moving a lot of dirt. But almost to a kid, they all said it was the most fun thing they’d done all summer. And that’s pretty neat.”

In a more depressing note, the Conservancy had to remove hundreds of trees at the property after oak wilt – a lethal and rapidly spreading pathogen – was discovered there. It was “brutal,” Lagerquist says, but necessary to prevent the disease from spreading further.

To get to the preserve, head south from Traverse City on Garfield Road about 4.5 miles and turn left onto Black Bark Lane. Follow Black Bark Lane until its intersection with Yellow Birch Lane. Turn right and follow Yellow Birch Lane about a quarter mile until you see a sign for the trailhead on the left.

For more GTRLC preserves and natural areas to explore, click here.