North Point Park in Onekama

by Michelle Ervin
May 2022

During a walk in North Point Park several years ago, bird song carried me along. Despite the beautiful, robust chorus, I knew songbird numbers were declining, and soon learned that we must all work to protect their threatened ecosystems. This is how that effort begins, with just one person, who teaches one person, who teaches another person, and soon an entire community becomes aware.

My first meeting with Dr. Brian Allen was—unexpectedly—so much fun. I didn’t know what to expect from this very serious birder, but his relaxed manner made me feel as entitled to be with the birds as he was. Brian is a board member of Saving Birds Thru Habitat, and he agreed to work with the Onekama Township Parks and Recreation Committee to host a regular Guided Bird Walk in North Point Park. Tourists and local people alike caught the fever as they saw the birds of the park through Brian’s eyes. His walks include various themes: nesting, night owls, migration, and birding by ear. Brian’s walks are now the talk of the town and reservations for them fill quickly.

Brian’s bird walks always include a discussion about birds’ habitat requirements. So I asked him: these birds are here because there is something attracting them—what can we do to support more birds? As a board member of Saving Birds Thru Habitat, he introduced me to Kay Charter, the organization’s Executive Director. Kay shared her bird habitat knowledge that I and the members of the committee lacked. We agreed to follow her recommendations. Habitat Certification from Saving Birds Thru Habitat was our first step in bringing out the best in our park. Because of the newly installed native plants, North Point Park qualified to be a Certified Bird Habitat.

Our 60-acre bird habitat presents a daunting management task. How did we begin? It started with partners who care. Brian, Kay, and Josh Shields of the Manistee Conservation District were willing to take the time to answer their phones and respond to many emails to educate us bit by bit. Our partners did not just educate; they also encouraged us along the way and kept us going.

In an incredible collaborative effort, the Onekama Garden Club, the Portage Lake Watershed Forever, and the Manistee ISD Special Education Department began to teach students about pollinators. The kids were captivated by our learning stations. A pollinator foods station displayed pollinator-dependent grocery items—the favorite was French fries! Each youngster then planted a native pollinator plant plug. Then the kids made their own thank-you notes. Some drew flower pictures, some colored butterflies, and several—with the boldness of true believers—wrote “BEES ROCK!”

The success of our events inspired us to do more. Our next step will be to complete our Welcome All Abilities Garden. After that, the committee will use a grant from the Wildflower Association of Michigan to build a garden of native pollinator plants. The excitement in our community is attracting attention. Our township is small, but the interest in native plants, pollinators, and birds is taking off beyond our borders.