HUBBARD LAKE — An 80-acre nature preserve in Hubbard Lake is now open to the public.

A grand opening event celebrating the Hubbard Lake Nature Preserve, 720 Holiday Inn Road, was held Thursday. The park is now open for the public to explore from sunrise until sunset.

The preserve was donated to Huron Pines in summer 2018 by John and Wendy Frye, who previously owned the property but moved elsewhere. Huron Pines is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, restoring and conserving natural resources in the state.

Colby Chilcote, marketing director for Huron Pines, said visitors to the preserve will be able to hike trails, view wildlife and explore nature.

“We think the more that people are outside and in nature, the more inspired they will be to protect it and preserve it in the future,” she said. “Overall, we think it’s important for people to have access to outdoor spaces.”

The Hubbard Lake Nature Preserve was the first preserve to be acquired and opened by Huron Pines, according to Chilcote.

“The idea for us that makes it a little bit different than just a regular nature preserve is that we want to be able to host events and bring community members and local students out to the preserve to be able to do outdoor activities and environmental education,” she said.

There are plans to construct a building on the property to use as a community classroom, according to Chilcote. Monthly events will be hosted at the property from June through October.

Scheduled events include a nature exploration event from 10 a.m. to noon July 13, and a workshop on invasive species and how to remove them from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 21.

A trail run and beginner yoga is planned for Sept. 14 and a watercolor painting class instructed by Sarah Tule is planned for Oct. 5. Times for those events have yet to be determined.

Fundraising for the preserve continues. So far, the park received over $40,000 to support the initial programming, create public parking, clear the trails, and install signs.

To learn more about the preserve or the events offered there, visit the Huron Pines website at huronpines.org/hubbard-lake.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.