Protecting the environment at the Mackinac Bay Nature Preserve near Hessel, Michigan

This marsh near Hessel, Michigan may look pretty unassuming, but this plot of unspoiled land plays a really important role in the environment and assuring the biological diversity of this area in the state's Upper Peninsula.

The 22-acre Mackinac Bay Nature Preserve sits right alongside M-134 in the Les Cheneaux region and boasts 1,320 feet of Lake Huron frontage in the far eastern portion of the UP.

Freshwater marshes like this one are important because they allow for storage and cycling of organic material to support many different animal species, including mammals, birds, herptile, invertebrates and many types of Great Lakes fish. These marshes are also important in helping to sustain many migratory song birds as they pass through the area.

This particular preserve helps support at least 30 different species of wading and shorebirds, 27 species of ducks, geese and swans and several species of terns and gulls. It also provides an important hunting area for pairs of bald eagles in the area.

Many of the animals the marsh supports as habitat or for food are federally-listed threatened or endangers species. The marsh also provides a safe home for many rare species of plants

The Mackinac Bay Nature Preserve is one of the most biologically productive habitats in the state of Michigan.

The Nature Conservancy named the northern shore of Lake Huron as "one of the last great places" in the northern hemisphere and an excellent example of the increasingly rare freshwater marshes along the Great Lakes. The 36-island archipelago of Les Cheneaux Islands dot the 17-miles of particularly pristine shoreline along northern Lake Huron.

The preserve, established in 1994 in a partnership between the Les Cheneaux Foundation, The Little Traverse Conservancy and the Michigan chapter of The Nature Conservancy, seeks to encourage continued study and preservation of the natural habitat by protecting this land from the encroachment of development.

Much of the aquatic life in the marsh lies hidden below the water or vegetation, but visitors can often spot eagles, osprey and other marsh birds while listening for the croaking of a variety of frog species, especially during the early evening at sunset.

A small parking area off of M-134 and a large wooden overlook with benches make the preserve an accessible and comfortable place for visitors to sit and enjoy the serenity as they watch for wildlife.

The viewing platform directly overlooks Mackinac Creek and the grassy marshland leading out to Mackinac Bay, Les Cheneaux Islands and the big lake.

Interpretive signs explain the importance of this nature preserve.

Reach the Mackinac Bay Nature Preserve by heading north on I-75 after crossing the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula for 14 miles, then proceeding east on M-134 for another 13 miles.. The preserve is less than a half mile past Hessel on the right-hand side of the road.

Interested in learning more about the Great Lakes and their ecology? Check out The Once and Future Great Lakes Country: An Ecological History by John L. Riley or The Great Lakes: the Natural History of a Changing Region by Wayne Grady.