Future plans include turning the Manor House at Lake Bluff Audubon Center (a.k.a. Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary) in Manistee into a retreat center. Photo courtesy of Lake Bluff Farms.
By Pat Stinson
MANISTEE TOWNSHIP – A portion of the Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary, between Orchard Beach State Park and Bar Lake Outlet, soon will be under new ownership, according to a spokesperson for Lake Bluff Farms, the receiver.
LBF Treasurer William “Bill” Zielinski said a deed for 7 acres of the 75-acre property is “in the mail” and transfers ownership of the smaller parcel and existing buildings from Michigan Audubon Society to Lake Bluff Farms, a nonprofit organization.
MAS currently retains ownership of the balance of the property, which includes more than 1,500 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline and a series of trails running through hardwood forest, fields and an old orchard.
Lake Bluff Farms was founded to respond to a request for proposals in 2018 from the Michigan Audubon Society. MAS sought to find an organization with the ability to maintain the buildings on the property.
LBF’s mission is to raise funds to restore and preserve Lake Bluff’s historic structures, to maintain the natural surroundings and to educate visitors. The organization was chosen as the best candidate to fulfill its conservation mission.
The Manistee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit is seeking donations from those who remember walking through the two-story home, arboretum, gardens and visitor center, or who recall seeing the Arabian horses in Manistee parades or taking riding lessons at the stable. Zielinski said funding and in-kind donations are critical to restore the structures to their former grandeur and preserve their historic importance to the community.
Lake Bluff Farms intends to transform the former Gray family home into a Retreat Center, with rooms for overnight guests and meeting space. LBF also plans to expand the parking lot adjacent to the stable building.
The 75-acre Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary (also known as Lake Bluff Audubon Center) was donated to Michigan Audubon in 1988 by M.E. and Gertrude Gray. The property is located along Lakeshore Drive, at the southern end of the Sleeping Bear Birding Trail, and is a designated Important Bird Area. The site is currently 1 of 19 bird sanctuaries in Michigan, 18 managed by MAS.
For more about Lake Bluff Farms, or to make a donation, go to lakeblufffarms.com or visit the organization’s Facebook page.
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