09/10/2024
Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy and Barry County Parks are pleased to announce the
Bailey Nature Preserve as the newest Barry County Park
BARRY/CALHOUN COUNTY, MI โ Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) and Barry County Parks are excited to announce the addition of the Bailey Nature Preserve as Barry Countyโs newest park.
During the last two years, SWMLC, Barry County Parks and the City of Battle Creek have worked closely together to permanently conserve the 160-acre property formerly known as Metcalf Lake, located in Assyria Township in Barry County, just 7 miles north of downtown Battle Creek. The Bailey Nature Preserve includes the 35-acre Metcalf Lake and was donated by David and Eleanor Bailey in 1999 to the City of Battle Creek to serve the community as a public nature preserve.
To ensure that the Bailey Nature Preserve property will continue to function and be cared for as a natural area over the long term, the City of Battle Creek transferred ownership of the property to Barry County Parks earlier this spring. โWe were happy to assist in the transfer of this special Barry County property to Barry County Parks as the newest addition to its park system,โ stated Battle Creek City Manager Rebecca Fleury.
The Bailey Nature Preserve boasts beautiful, wooded ridges and wide ravines that lend themselves well to potential future trail systems. Groves of white cedar, eastern hemlock, and tamarack surround Metcalf Lake, giving parts of the nature preserve that lovely โUp Northโ feel. The property is also a vital headwater source for Waubascon Creek and a whole chain of downstream lakes (including Waubascon and Foster Lakes), all the way down to the Kalamazoo River.
An endowment fund has been created at the Barry Community Foundation to help care for Bailey Nature Preserve far into the future. Anyone interested in donating to the endowment fund or to spendable funds for the nature preserve are encouraged to do so by visiting the Barry Community Foundation website at barrycf.org or by contacting them at [email protected] or 269-945-0526 and asking to make a gift toward the Bailey Nature Preserve Fund.
โOver the next year, SWMLC will draft a conservation easement for the property, which will ensure that its natural areas will be protected in perpetuity,โ stated SWMLC President and Executive Director Mike Larson. โSWMLC is incredibly grateful to all of the partners who came together to bring this project to fruition, including the Bailey Family, Barry County Parks, the City of Battle Creek, the Barry Community Foundation, the Barry Conservation District, and the many neighbors and friends who attended the Metcalf Lake Community Day, completed surveys, and provided their feedback and ideas.โ
When they donated their land over 20 years ago, David and Eleanor Bailey envisioned a beautiful place where local people, especially children, would have access to a nature experience. With the support of the Baileysโ daughter Wendy Bailey Hamilton, who funded the master planning process for the Bailey Nature Preserve, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy and Barry County Parks are now considering potential future designs to enhance the natural area while providing safe public access. โOur parents loved this land and the community that surrounds it, and it holds a very special place in the hearts of our family,โ expressed Wendy Hamilton and her brother, David Bailey, Jr. โThis property helped to shape our familyโs love for nature, and now that it will be protected forever, we hope that it will do the same for many future generations of people in Battle Creek and Barry County.โ
โWe are thrilled to permanently conserve this beautiful property and we look forward to the Bailey Nature Preserve becoming a favorite local haven for people and wildlife,โ emphasized Barry County Commissioner Catherine Getty. โWe would not have been able to add this newest Barry County Park without the steadfast commitment and tireless dedication of Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy.โ
In the near term, Barry County Parks will be working on creating a safe entrance and parking area for the Bailey Nature Preserve off of Baseline Road on the southern boundary of the property. โThis is the first step in making this special natural area accessible for the community,โ stated Barry County Parks Director Dan Patton. โThe next step will be installation of signage for the property, which is anticipated for later this fall.โ
Both SWMLC and Barry County Parks look forward to a grand opening of the Bailey Nature Preserve later this fall, and they hope the community will be able to join. Please stay tuned for more details.
