June Heartlands Project Updates From TNC
One More Reason to Love the Heartlands
Whether it’s an ATV ride, hunting or a quiet hike in the woods, we all have our reasons for loving the Keweenaw Heartlands. And we can all agree that access to the Heartland’s recreational opportunities is critical to protect. But The Nature Conservancy and the Keweenaw community aren’t just protecting the Heartlands for its recreation benefits. We’re doing it for nature too, and this spring is a great example of why.
Each spring, brightly colored birds of all shapes and sizes begin to make their way north. They congregate at birdfeeders and the marshy coastlines of the Great Lakes, looking for spots to rest and refuel. The rocky cliffs of the Keweenaw Peninsula just so happen to provide a critical resting spot for tens of thousands of raptors—birds like eagles, hawks, and owls—as they rest up to make the final push across Lake Superior.
Jutting into Lake Superior, the Keweenaw Peninsula’s globally unique geology offers cliffs and bald granitic outcroppings—at just the right elevation—that appeal to migrating raptors. It’s a vital launching point for birds looking to catch the winds that will help carry them over the world’s largest freshwater lake and to their summer home.
In fact, on any given day this spring you can see more than a thousand raptors soaring along the spine of the Keweenaw Peninsula, representing over half of the different species of raptors that exist in North America. It’s an incredible sight to see.
Read more about why the Keweenaw Heartlands are critical for migrating raptors.
Madeline Webb Joins TNC
The Nature Conservancy is excited to announce Madeline Webb is joining their staff as TNC’s Keweenaw forest restoration associate. She’ll be helping with restoration, forestry, land management, and natural communities work in the Keweenaw Heartlands and TNC’s other preserves in the region. Madeline graduated from Michigan Tech in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology. She’s returning to the area after a stint with the U.S. Forest Service as a botany survey technician in the Manistee and Huron National Forests. Welcome back to the Keweenaw Madeline!
In the News
Visit Keweenaw: Protecting A Legacy: Keweenaw Heartlands Project with The Nature Conservancy
Lake Superior Magazine: Around the Circle This Week: June 6, 2024 – Preserving the Peninsula
Keweenaw Report: Keweenaw Heartlands Use by Migrating Raptors Underscores the Nature Conservancy’s Goals to Preserve Lands