The deadline for matched donations has been extended to August 29!

Earlier this year, Michigan Audubon launched an ambitious effort to fulfill our vision for the future of the Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary as both a protected habitat and a destination for environmental learning that will preserve its historical and ecological legacy for generations to come. 

With the generous support of Michigan Audubon members and donors, we are well on our way to completing numerous improvements at the sanctuary site, including the purchase of new kiosks and interpretive signage about the habitat, structural improvements to the Otis Cabin, and the installation of new benches, picnic tables, and a natural playscape for the youngest visitors to enjoy.

Preserving and caring for the habitat here goes hand-in-hand with educating the public — telling a compelling and important story of the landscape’s agricultural history, changes, ecological management, and resilience. We are so very close to reaching our fundraising goal, and in doing so, we will be able to fulfill the land management plans for this fall and beyond.

More funds are needed to provide and maintain high-quality grassland and oak savannah habitats at the sanctuary. Prescribed burns, pollinator plantings, and invasive species treatments in the months ahead will offer numerous benefits to species that will return to nest in the grasslands, hardwood stands, and shrubby habitat. Our land management efforts also include developing a new trail and more education focused on native plants, allowing us to deliver on our mission to connect birds and people for the benefit of both.

This month we are pleased to announce that all new gifts for the Otis Farm Bird Sanctuary received by August 29 will receive a direct match* toward habitat improvements at the sanctuary this year. That means your donation will go twice as far in supporting species of concern at the sanctuary and the spaces they need to thrive there. 

There is much to explore, celebrate, and achieve at this treasured site, and we are so close to achieving our goals. Make your gift and double your impact today at https://michiganaudubon.app.neoncrm.com/donation.jsp?campaign=58&.

*Gifts will be matched up to a maximum of $5,000.