Local Couple Partners with Area Land Conservancy to Preserve the Land They Love
- Lawrence Kodosky
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
Kirk and Sheri Falvay love the scenic beauty that surrounds their home in Groveland Township. These feelings prompted them to act and preserve a five-acre portion of it for generations to come by signing a conservation easement with the Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy (BHHC). Conservation easements are legal, cooperative agreements that enable landowners to retain ownership of their land. A land conservancy agrees to permanently protect the property’s ecological resources in exchange for the landowner's commitment to restrict or forgo future land development.
The protected portion of Kirk and Sheri’s property consists mostly of a wet meadow and some mature woodlands through which Duck Creek slowly meanders. Native plants are abundant, including seasonal Joe Pye weed, boneset, asters, tall blue lobelia, jack-in-the-pulpit, and white turtlehead. The conservation easement parcel is part of a larger, mixed-wetland complex. Only three 2017 Michigan Natural Features Inventory High-Quality Mixed Wetland Complex Habitat areas have been identified in Groveland Township. These habitats serve a vital ecological function, promoting natural flood control, water filtration, and groundwater recharge. They also provide a haven for native plants and wildlife. The Duck Creek area mixed wetland complex covers approximately 79 acres and is the township’s largest.
“We’ve always believed in being good stewards of the land,” said donor Kirk Falvay. “Duck Creek has brought us peace and joy for many years, and we want to make sure it continues to do the same for future generations. Working with Blue Heron Headwaters Conservancy made that vision possible.”
“We’re incredibly grateful to the Falvays for their vision and generosity,” said Jason Meekhof, Executive Director of BHHC. “Their conservation easement ensures that this land will never be developed and that Duck Creek will continue to flow clean and clear for generations to come. This gift strengthens our commitment to protecting the entire Flint River watershed, one property at a time.”
Duck Creek flows northeast from the Falvay’s property and merges with Kearsley Creek just south of downtown Ortonville. Prior Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) research classified Duck Creek and upper Kearsley Creek as “second quality cold-water streams”, two of only four streams in the Flint River watershed to receive this designation. This classification refers to a stream that can support significant trout populations through stocking. Kearsley Creek, at Oakwood Road in Brandon Township, is one of three Oakland County streams annually stocked with brown trout by the MDNR Fisheries Division. Duck Creek’s cool water input, coupled with the area's cool groundwater inflow, allows Kearsley Creek to remain cool enough to sustain trout during warmer spring and summer weather. A 2021 Trout Unlimited study identified all of Duck Creek and Kearsley Creek south of the Goodrich Mill Pond as a “restoration stronghold” for brown trout. “We’d love to partner with more landowners in the Kearsley Creek and Duck Creek corridors. These partnerships would increase the probability that our descendants will continue to enjoy the beauty of these natural resources and have the same nature recreational opportunities as we do today”, said BHHC Executive Director Jason Meekhof. “Their enduring commitment to environmental stewardship and long service history made partnering with the BHHC an easy choice for us”, said Kirk Falvay.
BHHC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1972 as the Independence Township Land Trust and was formerly called the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy. One of Michigan's first land conservancies, its mission is to protect the land, water, and wildlife in the headwaters region of the Clinton, Shiawassee, Huron, and Flint rivers through preservation, stewardship, and education. It currently preserves 61 properties totaling nearly 1,600 acres. The Oakland County Economic Planning and Development Services awarded its 2023 Oak Land Award to the BHHC for its dedication to preserving natural landscapes and promoting green infrastructure.
In addition to conservation easements, the BHHC also accepts land donations. For more information about BHHC and how to contribute to its mission, please visit its website at blueheronheadwaters.org.