North Sky Raptor Sanctuary plans major expansion in East Bay Township

Grand Traverse County residents who find a hawk, owl or eagle in distress may soon have a closer place to turn. North Sky Raptor Sanctuary is planning a major expansion at Camp Greilick in East Bay Township that would pair a 4,900-square-foot bird-of-prey hospital and public raptor center with a 5,000-square-foot reconditioning flight enclosure for birds recovering before release.

The project is designed to fill a regional gap in both rescue and education. North Sky says the nearest zoo or wildlife center offering native-species educational programming is nearly two hours away, even though the sanctuary treated patients from 32 counties across Michigan in 2025. That reach suggests the need is already wider than Grand Traverse County, with injured birds, volunteers and school groups coming from across Northern Michigan and beyond.

Education is a major part of the plan. North Sky’s public center materials also call for an outdoor interpretive trail featuring ten species of non-releasable ambassador raptors, turning the site into a place where students and families could see live birds while learning about rehabilitation, habitat and conservation. The sanctuary says it reached almost 10,000 educational-program participants in 2025 and has helped rehabilitate between 700 and 800 birds since it was founded in 2018.

The financial ask is substantial. North Sky lists $4.2 million for site improvements, infrastructure and equipment, along with another $2.2 million it is seeking for exhibits, educational installations, program development, launch costs and a sustainability endowment. The sanctuary says it operates without state or federal funding and relies on donations and grants, making the expansion dependent on private fundraising.

Camp Greilick gives the proposal a local anchor. Grand Traverse County acquired the former Boy Scout camp in August 2024 after years of vacancy and opened it to the public in December 2025 with trails, a disc golf course and a children’s area. County officials say they are working with North Sky to establish a raptor education center and rehabilitation facility at the park, adding a conservation use to the county’s phased redevelopment of the property.

If built, the campus would add nearly 10,000 square feet of dedicated indoor bird-care and recovery space, plus an interpretive trail built around live ambassador raptors. For county residents who now face a long drive to find comparable wildlife education or a place to bring an injured bird, the expansion would create a permanent local option at one of East Bay Township’s most visible public sites.