The documented history of the Larry Wilebski Bird & Wildlife Sanctuary begins with the planting of 48,000 different varieties of trees on land that was under CRP contract. This was accomplished with help from family and neighbors. As of this year (2008) 100,000 trees have been planted in the Sanctuary.
At that time there were old stands of trees that had grown beyond their maturity and some of them had to be logged out. When the logging operation was finished, drivers left trails throughout the woods where they had hauled out the trees. These trails were enjoyed by the neighbors for horse back riding and by my family cross country skiing.
This grew into my hiring a bulldozer and winding trails through the mature woods new growth trees and the newly planted trees. In the first piece of land there is approx 4-5 miles of trails that intersect with each other. Shortly there after I met a couple of gentleman that were interested in bird watching and came out to visit me at the park.I went for a walk with them and I was hooked on Bird watching.
This is now my most enjoyable hobby and when I get time I spend most of it watching birds. Through the years I have quite a number of people anywhere between 75 and a hundred tour through the trails every year. Some have left a small donation; some have built bird houses and given them to me to set up on the paths. One lady found park benches at a rummage sale and donated them to me for the trails.
Now I have approximately 220 birdhouses that I maintain. The paths are mowed several times a year and are between 5 and fifteen feet wide. In a couple of areas we have park benches, so when people walk to enjoy nature they can sit and rest.
I guess the thing that makes the sanctuary unique is the absolute serenity. It's difficult to find that anymore in crowed, noisy state parks and campgrounds. If you visit the sanctuary to bird watch or take pictures of the wildlife or the wildflowers, or just to enjoy nature, you can be assured it will be in a peaceful and quite atmosphere. This first piece of property is approx 280 acres.
The measure for me is not in the people who come, but the ones who come back.
Some of the most rewarding times for myself are when kids and their parents come together to enjoy the sanctuary as a family. That's really the goal of all my efforts - to see people come to a place where they can reflect and have a quiet, relaxing, and memorable experience with nature. I think I have been blessed, and I intend to share my good fortune with as many people as possible in the months and years ahead. And each time a child looks down at a wildflower, watches a bird in flight, or gazes over a pond or meadow at sunset, I am rewarded once again.
Larry Wilebski
