Leo Creek Preserve gifted to Inland Seas Education Association
Leo Creek Preserve photo by Mark Smith
From staff reports
Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) recently announced that Leo Creek Preserve has been gifted to them to serve as an outdoor learning laboratory for educational programming. This donation will allow ISEA to provide shoreside watershed-focused educational experiences while continuing to keep the property open to the public for all to enjoy.
Leo Creek Preserve is a nine-acre outdoor learning laboratory, nature preserve, and botanical garden located south of Suttons Bay along the Leelanau Trail. It features more than 1,000 feet of waterfront along Leo Creek, a groundwater stream that feeds into Grand Traverse Bay. The stream itself serves as an important habitat for fish, aquatic insects, and amphibians, while the surrounding forest is an ideal habitat for deer, mink, otters, and turkeys. This piece of property has long been beloved by people of all ages as a place to escape everyday life and reconnect with the natural wonders of Northern Michigan.
“We are honored to continue the stewardship of Leo Creek Preserve, ensuring that it remains a jewel of Suttons Bay for students and the public,” said ISEA executive director Fred Sitkins. “As ISEA continues to expand our year-round educational programs, Leo Creek, just a mile from our Suttons Bay campus, will play a large role in making our Watershed Exploration programs come to life for the students we serve.”
Leo Creek Preserve has been stewarded by Kate Thornhill since its purchase in 2016. The land was placed under a conservation easement with the Leelanau Conservancy to preserve its natural beauty for generations. Over the years, Thornhill and her team of dedicated volunteers developed the gardens to include a wide variety of native flowers and created educational stations to teach visitors about the importance of native species and biodiversity. During this time of transition, Thornhill will continue to lead efforts in caring for the preserve and work with ISEA to create a sustainable maintenance plan for the future.
Since 2021, ISEA has used Leo Creek as a natural classroom to facilitate its Watershed Exploration programs and they are thrilled by the many exciting opportunities the preserve will provide to program participants and the community of Suttons Bay. If you are interested in continuing Thornhill’s legacy of caring for and maintaining this land, please contact Fred Sitkins at fsitkins@schoolship.org or call 231-271-3077 x101.
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