Baseline Bird Survey of Mashkiigaki:

A Brief Report to The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and New Community Vision

In May 2025, three experienced birders from Leelanau—Ed Ketterer, Greg Nobles, and Bert Thomas—spent three mornings a week, from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., taking note of the birds observed.

Walking the main trail of the Mashkiigaki site over the course of twelve visits, we identified 74 species. It is also worth noting that earlier observations in 2024 had seen an additional 4 species, including the Grasshopper Sparrow which is a species of Special Concern.  See the full consolidated list at the end of this report.

We submitted our daily observations to eBird, the community-science resource sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, via creating a place specific page for Mashkiigaki for such observation uploads. We have so far kept those lists hidden from public access, pending further discussion with GTB to ensure elaboration on the role of a public list in ongoing and future citizen scientist engagement.  While previous observers associated with the former Timber Shores owners had largely downplayed or dismissed the significance of the avian diversity and numbers at Mashkiigaki, we found the bird identifications there to be impressive, sometimes even surprising.

Among the surprises were several species not altogether unknown to the region, but comparatively uncommon: Alder Flycatcher, Bobolink, Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager. During our repeated visits, we also began to get a better sense of the landscape itself, with several small micro-climates, including grassy meadows, woodlands, wetlands, and of course the shoreline. Each of these provided valuable habitats for different species, and we increasingly came to know what to look for where. 

One of those locations provided us the opportunity to observe on a near-daily basis a Bald Eagle nest, with two adult eagles close at hand, typically one visible inside the nest and another flying and perching nearby.  We cannot attest to the success of the eagles’ producing offspring, nor can we rule out nest failure, and quick research is inconclusive about Bald Eagle behavior regarding a second nesting.  Sometimes when there is a nest failure, they will attempt to produce another clutch that same year, but ordinarily, with successful nests, eagles do not have a second nesting in one year.  Whatever the case here, it would not be unusual for eagles to return to a nest to make repairs, etc., so they could use it in subsequent years. Clearly, that bears watching in the future.

So, for that matter, does the entire Mashkiigaki site. We are grateful to NCV and the GTB for the opportunity to have made repeated visits to Mashkiigaki this May, and we hope such careful observation can continue in the future—and not just at the height of avian migration season in the spring, but throughout the year, including winter. The prospect of gaining a year-round, long-term understanding of the abundance of the bird species at Mashkiigaki can contribute to both the scientific and spiritual appreciation people experience at this remarkable place in our peninsula.

Background

In a few site visits over May -June 2024, local birders volunteering with New Community Vision (NCV), undertook preliminary birding notes towards establishing insights on the significance of the ecosystems of Mashkiigaki and raising community awareness.  They encountered 45 different species and proposed that the special habitats of Mashkiigaki were likely much more significant for bird diversity and species of concern.

Following the completed acquisition of Mashkiigaki, and in view of NCV’s future roles in ongoing community engagement and citizen scientist initiatives under the NOAA Restoration, Engagement, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge: An Indigenous Approach to Comprehensive Resiliency (RETEK) grant, GTB agreed to a proposal for three local birding experts to voluntarily undertake a more extensive bird survey during the prime May – June season in 2025 to help establish a baseline of the bird population.

As noted, the best tool for doing so is eBird, an app developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - https://ebird.org/home - that allows users to record bird sightings, by both species and number, and submit them to a larger database that helps scientists record bird populations over the longer term. By using eBird, ordinary people, including local school children, can participate in a valuable and exciting community science initiative and thus make a critical contribution to our understanding of environmental changes taking place around us—and not just to birds, but to plants, fish, mammals, and human beings.

Mashkiigaki bird identifications, May 2025

74 Species, Listed in Ornithological Order

Mute Swan

Mallard 

Common Merganser

Canada Goose

Mourning Dove

Ruffed Grouse

Sandhill Crane

Spotted Sandpiper

Killdeer

Ring-billed Gull

Herring Gull

Double-crested Cormorant

American White Pelican

Turkey Vulture

Osprey

Bald Eagle

Belted Kingfisher

Great Blue Heron

Broad-winged Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Hairy Woodpecker                                                                                                                            

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Northern Flicker

Least Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Winter Wren

Northern House Wren

Tree Swallow

Purple Finch

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

Eastern Bluebird

Wood Thrush

American Robin

Cedar Waxwing

American Goldfinch

Chipping Sparrow                                                                                                                                               

Field Sparrow 

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow                                                                                                                                

White-throated Sparrow

Vesper Sparrow

Bobolink

Eastern Meadowlark

Red-winged Blackbird                                                                                                                                         

Brown-headed Cowbird

Common Grackle

Nashville Warbler  

Pine Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Wilson’s Warbler

American Redstart

Magnolia Warbler

Black-and-white Warbler                                                                                                                                             

Bay-breasted Warbler                

Blackburnian Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Palm Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Ovenbird

Scarlet Tanager

Northern Cardinal

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Indigo Bunting

Notable Mashkiigaki bird identifications in May 2024 that were not identified in 2025

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

American Woodcock

Red-shouldered Hawk

Grasshopper Sparrow *

*As a species of Special Concern, the identification of Grasshopper Sparrows on Mashkiigaki upland fields in 2024 was reported by botanist Liana May to MSU:  https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/description/11220/Ammodramus-savannarum.  

Ed Ketterer leading a bird walk on the property in July 2024

NCV Attainable Housing Conceptual Planning

Highlights from Stakeholder Focus Group Sessions

Several ‘listening’ sessions were held from April through July 2025 by New Community Vision (NCV) and Urban Design Associates, a national affordable housing land planning firm with an office in Suttons Bay. Peninsula Housing, a not for profit land trust, also collaborated with us on these sessions.

We listened to several, different stakeholder groups to collate information to include in the conceptual site planning for the attainable housing envisioned for the 25 acres located at the corner of M-22 and Camp Haven Road that was preserved and reserved for this purpose.

These sessions attracted contributions from 75 people, divided into the following groups: 

1. Area Employers – including representatives from the school, village and township governments and business owners in the food and beverage, agriculture, tourism, and construction fields

2. Employees/Those in need of Housing - This group represented fields including education, emergency services, construction, agri-business, township office functions, and restaurants.

3. Neighbors/Nearby Property Owners - All neighbors within a .75-mile radius were contacted, representing: Lee Mann Rd, M22/N West Bayshore, Camp Haven Rd, and the three private roads off Camp Haven Rd.

4. NCV donors - included anyone who had contributed financially to the purchase of the property

These were the top themes conveyed from the four stakeholder groups:

Housing Needs

●      Employee/workforce housing, especially for year-round residents

●      Housing for various family structures such as families with children, couples without children, and young people wanting to return to the area;

●      Initial indications from employers and employees convey that a significant portion of local salary levels fall within the 60% - 120% AMI range, matching the income range that local non-profit developers are able to accommodate in bringing new housing units to the local market.   

Housing Types, Scale, and Style/Character

●     “Cottage cluster” neighborhood character and scale; with smaller scale buildings that blend into the surroundings; with single-family detached houses, duplexes and/or townhouses

●      Notable hesitation was expressed regarding 1-bedroom units; 2- and 3- bedroom units were seen as best, and the need for storage/garages/carports was a prominent theme 

Sense of Place/Values

●      A neighborhood of year-round residents that contribute to and participate in the greater Northport community

●      Environmental stewardship/sustainability; including as far as possible: net-zero, native landscaping, solar, dark sky, and bird friendly 

●      The need for a Housing Association was a recurring request; Mechanisms are important to maintain affordability, standards, and intent

Amenities/Services

●      Particularly popular ideas included: shared outdoor common space; and outdoor space for each unit such as porch, deck or yard; play areas and walking trail on site and perhaps also connecting to Mashkiigaki; Bus pull-out and shelter for school bus and perhaps also BATA; Landscaping, trees and native plants; Storage/basements and/or garages/carports

Updates from Donor Appreciation Event on June 25, 2025

New Community Vision celebrated the successful completion of the $10 million campaign to purchase 200+ acres between Omena and Northport at a donor appreciation event on June 25, 2025. A lovely summer evening was the backdrop for a tented event attended by 200 guests at Verterra Winery, which overlooks the majesty of the recently preserved property. 

John Sentell, NCV Board President shared the NCV Board’s deep appreciation to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) for their key partnership securing a major grant from NOAA--including $6.5 million for land acquisition--and to all the donors who generously contributed over $3.5 million additional funds that were needed to secure the property deal. This successful effort to acquire the property is also detailed in the Campaign Report released at the event, and that can be accessed here. 

As reported in the local press, the former Timber Shores property was acquired at the end of 2024 with the majority of the property permanently protected as a nature preserve. A smaller, 25-acre portion is set aside for local attainable housing. 

Listed below are the key updates shared by New Community Vision (NCV) and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) in the June 25^th donor appreciation event program. GTB now owns and is the steward of the majority of the acquired property that is now a nature preserve called Mashkiigaki. NCV owns the 25 acres of adjacent property which has been set aside to create attainable housing for Leelanau.

Key points on Mashkiigaki:

• Returning 188 acres of the former Timber Shores property to the Grand Traverse Band (GTB) is not just meaningful—it’s historic. For generations, these lands were shaped by indigenous stewardship that kept the land and water healthy. By conserving this place, the GTB is renewing a sacred connection as well as preserving nature.

• The protection of Mashkiigaki represents one of the most significant opportunities for our greater community to experience the importance of returning ancestral lands to Indigenous stewardship, and in many ways allows both the GTB and surrounding communities to work toward healing the relationship between people and place. By acknowledging and applying the lessons and wisdom of past generations and paying forward what we learn and restore today, future generations can find safety and comfort in coming home to the land from which they and their ancestors came from and had part in restoring. This landscape--restored by and for the Anishinaabek and for all beings to cherish and heal relationships to this place--was nearly lost to the sheer velocity of time and enterprise.

• The GTB anticipates federal funding for the restoration and planning phase to arrive in late 2025, which will allow the tribal-led visioning process to begin--a planning and visioning process which will include planning for public access. The GTB underlined the importance of taking time so that decisions consider the natural rhythms of the land and sustain the deep significance of the property. Patience will be needed as the current focus is on re-introducing the GTB community to their once lost space of Mashkiigaki.  

• Tribal stewardship is similar to other kinds of preservation work, but it is a deeper approach. Indigenous stewardship leverages the value of partnerships in stories like the one we are creating around Mashkiigaki. Powerful co-management involves authentic, respectful, and meaningful co-creation of decision making and responsibilities.

Key points on the 25 acres set aside for local attainable housing:

• A hybrid conservation development approach is planned for the 25-acres of land set aside for local attainable housing. Plans for creating housing for those who live and work in Leelanau are progressing, led by New Community Vision. The goal of the parcel located adjacent to Mashiigaki is to align community needs, right-sized housing and strong environmental standards.

• A 4-step, professional conceptual planning and community input process is underway to inform making this property available for future development. NCV has contracted national land planner Urban Design Associates (UDA) for this process. UDA has a proven track record in this area having worked with Peninsula Housing on a 10- acre parcel in Suttons Bay that is being developed for attainable housing. 

• Preliminary site analysis has been done on the 25 acres as part of the UDA process, and five stakeholder input sessions have been held with local employers, local employees, direct neighbors, and donors to the property acquisition campaign. There are also continued consultations with the GTB.  

• In broad terms, these stakeholder sessions have underscored the urgency of the need and significant appreciation for NCV’s work to contribute to local attainable housing needs with this site.

If you have questions or comments, please email info@newcommunityvision.org

Selection of photos from the June 25th Donor Appreciation event:

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