WE’RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OUR 28TH NATURE PRESERVE!
The new Bulger Preserve is located in the Rivercrest Subdivision at the corner of Bluegrass Road and Cedar Drive in Deerfield Township, Isabella County. The 1+ acre property is entirely forested with a mix of upland and floodplain forest.
The preserve is bounded to the northwest by the Chippewa River with approximately 150 feet of river frontage. The property provides suitable habitat for a wide variety of resident and migratory birds, aquatic and terrestrial mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and insects. The previous owners reported numerous sighting of bald eagles and osprey perched in the trees along the riverbank. The preserve is likely habitat for the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta), a state threatened species, and the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), a state species of special concern, both of which have been observed on nearby CWC preserves.
The property was received as a gift from Scott McNaught and Janice Burke. They requested that it be named after former owners William and Margery Bulger who had preserved the property in its natural state. We’re very grateful to Scott and Janice for the opportunity to protect this property that includes crucial riparian habitat along the Chippewa River.
A public tour of the property will be scheduled for sometime this spring.
More information can be found at https://cwc-mi.org/bulger-preserve/
