Baker Sanctuary - Nearby Conservation Minded Properties

Larry Holcomb is a retired wildlife biologist who grew up in Olivet. He hunted, fished and roamed the lands that became Baker Sanctuary. He studied at MSU where he received a PhD; later he became a Certified Wildlife Specialist with the Michigan DNR. In 2008 this 476 acre property called Big Marsh Lake was up for sale. It borders Baker Sanctuary on the east. Big Marsh Farm has forested and prairie uplands along with 140 acres of wetland. The Holcombs purchased it. In 2017 working with Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, they secured a conservation easement for this special property. The Holcombs have another property just the other side of I-69 on which they previously placed conservation easement.

A person of note in important to this area, albeit not a land owner, is Lawrence H. Walkinshaw, 1904-1993. From Battle Creek he was an avid ornithologist and leading authority on cranes - or Guirformes (ah, we learn the technical term for cranes). Back in the 1930's Sandhill Cranes were a rarity. He knew the area well; here is where he did significant research on cranes that is still relevant.

Walkinshaw provides a detailed account of flora and fauna in his 1950 article  THE SANDHILL CRANE IN THE BERNARD W. BAKER SANCTUARY, MICHIGAN (unm.edu), Society for Ornithological Research Archives.

Mabelle Isham was a wildlife rehabilitator and Michigan Audubon board member. She owned 80 acres, Shagbark Trails, next to the sanctuary. Her daughter inherited the property and sold it to Audubon in 2016.