Butterwort Cliffs SNA

43 Acres Located from Grand Marais 8 miles W on State Hwy 61 in Cascade River State Park. Cook County Twp 61N Rng 01W Sec 32 Type: Coniferous Forest ECS Subsection: North Shore Highlands

Description:

Butterwort Cliffs SNA consists of a narrow strip of wet rock shore natural community on Lake Superior and the aspen-birch forest that extends from the rock shore to the northern border of the SNA. A variety of colorful lichens, ranging from orange to green, cover much of the bedrock shoreline. The cool moist micro climate near the lake provides habitat for a unique assemblage of rare arctic-alpine plants, including butterwort and Hudson Bay eyebright. Butterwort, for which this SNA is named, grows in fragile mats, its sticky, yellow-green leaves trapping insects as a nutritional supplement. The eastern-most lot was received as a gift from The Nature Conservancy and dedicated as the Tom Savage Memorial Unit in honor of Tom's long-time advocacy for protection of critical lands along the North Shore.

Plant List

Visitor notes:

Closed May 1 through August 15 to protect a herring gull nesting colony.