Point au Sauble
by Andy Paulios, Graduate Student

Point au Sauble, a prominent peninsula located on the east shore of Lower Green Bay, has long been recognized as a valuable wetland by duck hunters and naturalists. Today it preserves one of the few unmodified estuarine wetlands in the entire Lake Michigan ecosystem. Each spring and fall, thousands of migratory waterfowl, gulls, terns, shorebirds, and passerines pass through Point au Sauble on their way south. Recent studies have documented over 200 bird species on or near Point au Sauble during a single year.

Duck hunters have been attracted to the point for many decades. Most of Point au Sauble has been privately owned as a hunting camp since the turn of the century, leaving it relatively undeveloped. According to historical maps, no public road has ever traversed the point, and residential development has stopped at the base of the peninsula.

During the 1990's The Nature Conservancy, under the leadership of Peter McKeever, acquired several important tracts at Point au Sauble for permanent protection as a nature reserve. The main portion of the point was donated by John Rose, a Green Bay businessman and member of the ownership group which has protected the Point for many years. During a public ceremony in 1999, Rose proclaimed that the Point was donated so that it would be held in perpetuity "for the birds." In order to promote responsible stewardship and appreciation for Point Sauble, the Fox River Group of paper companies created an endowment for UW-Green Bay researchers to conduct studies of the Point au Sauble ecosystem. This research will help guide policies for long-term protection of Point au Sauble and other coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes.

Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects

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Last updated on July 15, 2008