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The Teichner Preserve
The Teichner Preserve is a 41-acre parcel located on the northeast shore of Lime Lake, gifted to the Leelanau Conservancy in 1996. Open to the public, a trail and boardwalk lead through extensive wetlands and forested lowlands to the lake shore.
In 1996 Martha Teichner gifted 20 acres of this land in honor of her parents, Hans and Miriam. Her gift has kept this fragile forested wetland intact for creatures like woodcock, grouse, and turkey that call it home. Then, in 2005, more acreage became available, and with Martha’s help, along with the Jean Raymond Family, we were able to double the size of this preserve to nearly 41 acres!
The swampy lowlands are perfect for black ash and red maple. White ash and sugar maple grow in the upland areas. You can also see cottonwood clones, look for saplings that sprout in a ring around the trunk of their mother tree in the spring. Keep an eye out for broad heart-shaped leaves of basswood trees, shaggy-barked ironwood, and the interlocking diamonds on old ash trunks. Conifers such as balsam fir and hemlock abound as well.
Also on the property are an enormous elm tree and chestnut tree, unique among all Leelanau Conservancy properties. Early settlers likely planted today’s giants, while later inhabitants planted an orchard that partially remains.
Scan the under story for wild rose, fuzzy white pussy toes, and the rarer fern species such as rattlesnake, interrupted, and maidenhair. Of the 13 species of rare ferns in Michigan, nine appear in Leelanau County, and many can be found in the Teichner under story. Blue flag iris also appear in the marsh.
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