Every spring, the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve is a bustling, seasonal stopover for birds and butterflies on their annual migration northward. The 88-acre preserve, a former dredging containment facility reclaimed by nature, is now a unique, undeveloped park along Lake Erie.

Yet, while more than 280 species of birds have been spotted at this lush, wild site, many Clevelanders still don't know about the preserve, which was created earlier this year by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. The Port hopes to change that by introducing a few more Northeast Ohioans to the park this weekend at its twice-annual open house and Migration Mania event.

"This is the only nature preserve in Cuyahoga County," says Linda Sternheimer, Development Manager with the Port of Cleveland. "It's also one of the few places where you can look at the lake without the breakwall and get a sense of the enormity of Lake Erie, and it offers unobstructed views of downtown."

The open house takes place Saturday, May 19th from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve is located east of I-90 and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Visitors are invited to walk the 1.3-mile loop trail and enjoy guided hikes by naturalists and presentations on the history and ecology of the site.

Source: Linda Sternheimer
Writer: Lee Chilcote