Stewards of Bete Grise Preserve to hold Picnic, Dedication Aug. 23

The beach at the Bete Grise Preserve, known for its "singing sands," will be the site of a picnic hosted by the Stewards of Bete Grise Preserve on Sunday, Aug. 23. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

BETE GRISE -- Stewards of Bete Grise Preserve (SBGP) invite the public to their First Annual Picnic from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, at the Bete Grise Preserve on Lake Superior near Lac La Belle.

Here is the schedule:
1 p.m. -- Meet on the beach (the beach at Bete Grise South, within the Preserve)
1:30 p.m. -- Potluck Lunch. Bring a dish to share (something that does not need outdoor cooking), beverages and your own place settings.
2 p.m. -- Program featuring KBIC (Keweenaw Bay Indian Community) drummers
4:30 p.m. -- Dedication of new land (optional) on the water in boats at the sloughs area north of the channel near the Mendota Lighthouse. Bring your own boat, kayak or canoe (can be launched across from Lighthouse at the end of the road from Lac La Belle if you don't want to paddle from the Preserve Beach on Lake Superior). The Dedication will take place on the beach near the picnic if water is too rough to get to the sloughs easily.*

This aerial photo shows the wetlands and beach at Bete Grise South in relation to the Gay-Lac La Belle Road. Lac La Belle and some Lac La Belle sloughs are in the background. The Dedication on Aug. 23 will take place on the water in the sloughs. (Keweenaw Now file photo © 2003 Michael Jordan. Reprinted with permission.)

Other optional items to bring: beach toys, kites, chairs, towels, sunscreen. Some SBGP hats and t-shirts will be on sale at the picnic -- $15 each. A porta-potty will be available on the beach.

Map showing Aug. 23 picnic and dedication areas. Click on map for larger version. (Map courtesy Sue Haralson, Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District)

Directions from anywhere south of Lac La Belle: Travel north on U.S. 41. Turn right on the Lac La Belle Road. Continue 9.5 miles from U.S. 41 past Lac La Belle (right fork) toward Gay to the Bete Grise Preserve parking lot (note sign on left). (It is also possible to travel north on the Gay Lac La Belle Road from Gay and turn right into this parking lot.)

On the Gay-Lac La Belle Road watch for this sign, honoring the groups and individuals who have worked through partnership to create the Bete Grise Preserve. It marks the entrance to the parking lot for the Preserve. A short trail leads to the beach. No motorized vehicles are allowed in the Preserve or on the beach. (Keweenaw Now file photo © 2005 Michelle Manarolla) *

For more information call 906-482-0214.

The Bete Grise Preserve includes 1104 acres of pristine dune swale wetlands, 7500 feet of Lake Superior shoreline and significant frontage on the sloughs of Lac La Belle. This area will be preserved in its natural state in perpetuity, thanks to The Nature Conservancy, the Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District (HKCD), the Keweenaw Land Trust, South Shore Association, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and many generous individuals. Read more on the HKCD Web site.

*Editor's Note: Read about the first Dedication of the Bete Grise Preserve in the July 19, 2005, article, "Ceremony marks Bete Grise preservation," by Michele Manarolla.