WLAC Receives $26,843 Grant for Fields Preserve Trail Restoration Project

The Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy (WLAC) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $26,843 grant from the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation to support important ecological restoration work at Fields Preserve.

This funding comes through the Little Traverse Bay Protection and Restoration Fund, which focuses on protecting and enhancing local water resources for future generations. Since its establishment in 2010, the fund has awarded more than $640,000 to projects addressing stormwater runoff, shoreline restoration, and invasive species management throughout the watershed.

WLAC’s Fields Preserve Trail Restoration Project will restore ecosystems, protect natural resources, and enhance the visitor experience. The project includes construction of a new timber trail bridge, removal of an undersized culvert near the headwaters of Schoof’s Creek, replacement of a failing boardwalk near a sensitive wetland area, and improvements to the trailhead parking lot. These upgrades are designed to reduce runoff into the Schoof’s Creek watershed and restore aquatic organism passage while maintaining safe and sustainable public access to the preserve.

This year’s grant awards from the Little Traverse Bay Protection and Restoration Fund total $148,958 across four projects funded by the Community Foundation. Grants also received additional support from the Robert Horner Fund for Natural Resource Conservation. Together, these investments reflect a shared commitment to protecting the health of the Little Traverse Bay watershed and broader Northern Michigan natural environment.

Fields Preserve is one of three WLAC Ambassador Preserves. The 114-acre Fields Preserve was acquired in 2000 and honors Earl and Helen Fields, George and Eva May Hibbler, and the long history of family farming here. The preserve protects fields, forests, and wetlands near the headwaters of Schoof’s Creek – one of two named tributary streams of Walloon Lake. The protected area has a popular hiking trail system used regularly by residents and visitors of Walloon Lake and Petoskey.

WLAC is grateful for the continued partnership and support from the Community Foundation in advancing conservation efforts that benefit Walloon Lake and its watershed.

Some of the Focus Areas at Fields Preserve