Description
This beautiful and varied natural area is managed by the Little Traverse Conservancy. The parking lot is at the edge of a large old field near an abandoned farm house. A two-track leads from the parking lot to a boardwalk trail through a cedar swamp. The trail then continues to a sandy beach that is excellent for swimming, making Little Sand Bay one of the most popular natural areas to visit on the island. Winter Wrens are common in the cedar swamp area, and Indigo Buntings and various sparrow species are found in the old field area.
Board transportation for this trip at the BIC Center. You’ll return there at the conclusion just in time for lunch. Options include the Concession Stand at the BIC Center, the Harbour Bodega and the Shamrock (both nearby) or Dalwhinnie’s Deli (about a 20 minute walk towards the Whiskey Point Lighthouse).
Please note our cancellation policy: Cancellations made by 5:00 p.m. on April 15, 2022 will receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be made for cancellations after that time.
Event Details
About the leader for this Field Trip:
Dr. Nancy Seefelt is a Michigan native who grew up in Sterling Heights, near Detroit. After high school, she enrolled at Central Michigan University (CMU) and discovered Beaver Island when she took a class at the CMU Biological Station after her freshman year. Nancy received her M.S. degree from CMU and her doctorate from Michigan State University and currently holds a faculty position in the Biology Department at CMU. During the summer field season, much of her research focuses on avian ecology, specifically the breeding biology of waterbirds (gulls, terns, herons and cormorants) in northern Lake Michigan and the stopover ecology of migrating songbirds along Michigan shorelines. The migration work involves censussing, mist netting, and remote acoustical monitoring; the acoustic monitors also track the sounds of migratory bats. In addition, Nancy monitors the breeding activities of the endangered Piping Plover as part of the recovery program for this species. As a vertebrate ecologist and evolutionary biologist, Nancy has been studying birds throughout the Beaver Island Archipelago for over 20 years.
The Beaver Island Birding Trail and Warblers on the Water events are projects of the Beaver Island Association. BIA is a volunteer organization that works to assure the environmental and economic sustainability of Beaver Island. Learn more about the BIA and keep up to date on island events at beaverislandassociaiton.org.


Date: May 29, 2022
Start time: 08:00 a.m. EDT
End time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
Venue: Depart from the BIC Center
Directions: The BIC Center is across the street from the Ferry Dock.
Phone: 231-448-2022
Email: WoW2022@beaverislandassociation.org
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