From the Creek to the ISEA

Jan. 18, 2025

Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) is best known for its Schoolship Programs, which help area students get to know the Great Lakes aboard the nonprofit’s fleet of schooners. This month, they announced a new arm of their education efforts with the donation of Leo Creek Preserve, a 9-acre outdoor learning laboratory, nature preserve, and botanical garden located south of Suttons Bay along the Leelanau Trail. Leo Creek Preserve was purchased in 2016 and placed under a conservation easement with the Leelanau Conservancy. Over the years, Kate Thornhill and a group of volunteers have developed native gardens and educational stations for visitors. ISEA has partnered with Leo Creek for its Watershed Exploration programs in the past and will now be stewards of the preserve, working alongside Thornhill to protect and maintain the property. Learn more at schoolship.org.

Photo by Mark Smith