Michigan’s Environmental Legacy
The idea of conserving Michigan’s dune land was born in the 1960s when Sleeping Bear Dunes Park was first opened to the public in 1967. Now a National Lakeshore, the 7.4 miles of a self-guided auto tour gives the visitor an education in how nature makes a dune. It’s no small task.
The Sleeping Bear, called the great mother, looks out to two islands, the North and South Manitou, which look like 2 bear cubs floating out in Lake Michigan looking back at her. A whole legend has been born by the geography of the land, showing how nature inspires the poet in all of us.
Not only is the history of the area given in this park, but there is an abundant sampling of the vegetative communities found within it. To spend time in this pristine landscape is truly a wonder.
The foresight of saving the land came from the efforts of many people working together. The love of the woodland, along with the self-taught knowledge of nature, took Pierce Stocking into the Michigan forests. Wanting to share this beauty with others, he conceived of the idea of a road to the top of the dunes. This thought inspired hundreds of people working together to make it happen.
The pale champagne and burnt sienna in the sand are framed by a huge canopy of sky. Sunset is breath-taking on a good day; on a windy evening, it’s a real adventure.
Saving the environment comes from the relation of man to it and honoring it. In this case, it moved those positive feelings into preservation of a world-class vista, atop a dune, that could be another wonder of the world! Nature and all people can come together in a new harmony. Educating ourselves about the enviroment like this demands many return trips!
New Policy:
Only comments related to the wetland and environmental issues will be allowed.
footnote on August 13: Due to the recent controversy over a blog entry made on 7/24 and edited on July 25th, the comments proceeding from that event were diverting attention from the wetland issue and we were advised to remove them. We will accept comments that deal directly with the project, thus separting the issue from personalities. We ask in the future that you sign your given name to the comments. In retrospect, and in all fairness, we have removed all comments written during that controversial period as of today’s date.
