GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A new bird-watching trail opened this weekend on Lake Michigan’s largest island.
The Beaver Island Birding Trail is on an island that is considered to be a prime spot for seeing hundreds of species of migratory birds as they head north in the spring to nest, according to The Grand Rapids Press ( https://bit.ly/SrENzH ).
The trail includes 35 birding sites on more than 12,300 acres. It starts at the Beaver Island Community Center where birders can get a free map and checklist of the almost 250 species that can be found on the island. Interpretive signs guide bird watchers along the way.
“As a bird mom, I want to save them for your kids and your grandkids,” said Kay Charter, a Leelanau County resident who helped develop the trail. “Birds are just amazing creatures, so why not look at them? They’re beautiful and fascinating. They’re tiny but they’re tough.”
The trail opened with the support of several groups, including the Beaver Island Association and Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said trail coordinator Pam Grassmick. The Charlevoix County Community Foundation contributed $9,000 to build the trail’s website.
“(We have) high-quality, diverse habitats and we also have great public access,” Grassmick said. “I’ve taken birders from the mainland and taken them for a day around the island and they’re astounded.”
Nesting sites like Beaver Island are crucial to protecting endangered species, Charter said.
Such trails also have economic benefits. Texas, for instance, brings in about $300 million every year through bird watching areas, she said.
“I think the most apparent benefit (of the trail) is economic, because birders are typically people who are probably in their 40s, typically have at least some college and have expendable income they can use,” Charter said. “They’ll spend money staying at hotels, eating at restaurants, renting cars, buying gas, flying over, paying the ferry.”
___
Information from: The Grand Rapids Press:MLive.com, https://www.mlive.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.