CMA Bird Sanctuary  

The Bird Sanctuary was established in 1930. It was developed by William C. Vogt. an international known sportsman and naturalist.

Located across State Road 10 north of the main campus It is 200 acres of ravine, woodland, streams, and uplands. In its day it was the one and only project of its scope and kind in the country.

From the Oct. 1, 1930 Culver Citizen newspaper:

IS BUILDING FINE BIRD RETREAT
ADAPTED FOR STUDY

William C. Vogt, Noted Nature Lover., Starts Work Under Sponsorship of E. R. Culver.

William C. Vogt, the international angler and nature lover, is at the academy, engaged in constructing an extensive bird and small game sanctuary, under the sponsorship of Mr. E. R. Culver, one of the trustees of the school.

This sanctuary will, when completed, occupy 200 acres of the present woods and fields, north of the Arenal road. It will extend northeast from the Arsenal a mile, varying in width from one eighth to one-fourth mile.

By degrees during the next three years, Mr. Vogt and his assistants will change the present tangled condition of the site into a well-ordered system of fields, woods, streams, and swamps, each fitted for a particular branch of animal life, but preserving as much as possible the natural aspect of the wilderness, and eliminating man-made works.

In a short time, Mr. Culver is going to import from the West, prairie dogs, rabbis, marmots, and beavers, and from the North porcupines, raccoons, woodchucks, snowshoe rabbits, black squirrels, and many other species of animals.

During the short period that he has been here, Mr. Vogt has progressed rapidly ‹ already 500 bird houses are under construction; numerous brush and log piles have been built; and many birds, rabbits and chipmunks have been enticed to food at regular hours.

Mr. Vogt states that of his many construction project in this line all over the country, this will undoubtedly be the finest and best equipped because of the admirable location and nature conditions. And to hear this from a man of Mr. Vogt¹s experience is indeed a tribute to Culver.

It had 600 birdhouses scattered around it.

The first photo showing completion of - proclaims; "Enter, Here All Lover of Birds!:

Those who are fond of birds and who would observe them at close range in the Culver Sanctuary may enter the refuge through this unique rustice lodge, one of the latest developments to add to the attractiveness of the area. The view shows the entrance lodge as it appeared recently on its completion. In fact the picture was taken the day the work was finished. Shrubbery and vines, when in leaf, will add to the appeareance of the structure. A cherry welcome awaits you as you pass through the gateway into the conofines of the Sanctuary.

Up-to-the minute improvements are enjoyed by the creatures of the wild who are flocking to the new Culver Sanctuary to make their permenate homes there. The view shows a small part of the equipment provided for the comfort and enjoyement of the feathered and furred inhabitants of the sanctuary. The scene is within the feeding-ground area, which is enclosed by high walls of brash and vines. Some of the convenient features of this part of the sanctuary are shown.

The logs at the base of the tree in the foreground are intended for the quirrels who certainly do use them to good advantage and have a glorius time dahing in and out. On the side of the tree is seen a feeding shelf for the wild creatures. One the second tree there are two boxes of bracket design. These are called "self-feeder" and, as the name indicates, automatically provided food for the bidds. In the background may be seen a brush shelter where the wild folk may feed in solid comfort during "unfair" weather.

Rustic Cabin Shelters Bird Observers

A shelter built of natural materials, from which birds may be observed, is the latest feature in the developement of the Culver Sanctuary. The observation cabin is there shown as it appeared recently when nearly completed. The picture was taken from the Eastern approach. On this side, facing the rising sun, there are no windows, the only opening being the entrance doorway on the otherside of the shelter facing the West, there is a long, narrow window the whole lenght of the cabin, through which observers may watch the birds in the feeding area. A partition through the center divides the cabin into two compartments.

1931 - June 3 —The development of the Culver Bird Sanctuary, a project sponsored by the Culver Military Academy, is progressing with rapid strides and is now about completed. William C. Vogt, noted nature lover, started the work on the 200 acre project. The observation cabin and entrance lodge were designed and built by Sgt. J. I . Rich

In 1933 brush and log piles were established through out the scantuary as shelters for various animals where the could hide and live.

This depicts the location of the Bird Sancuary is North of St. Rd. 10; east of the Baseball/Soccer fields on Redwood Road on the West and Queen Road - this area is highlighted in yellow - most of the area is wooded area, how much of it is or was the Sancuary is not fully known

Bird Sanctuary Lake [dam] was built sometimein the 1965; David Burns s part of the construction under a private contract. Some of the men working under him were Jake Johnson, Douglas Burns and David M. Burns Sr. Personal photos of David's show the views of the lake during construction of it and after.


The Culver Military Academy Vedette newspaper reported that a dam had been built at that time, following a decision the previous August, to create a "reservoir...to keep the stream on the western border of the Woodcraft Camp filled with water during the dry summer months." The water was eight feet at the dam and could be let out in eight-inch lifts.

It was known as "Beaver Pond", the man-made "lake" or pond occupied a large section of the sanctuary's valley, about 2 acres, beginning near the southeast entrance to the forest and fed by the stream which still runs east to west through the Sanctuary. It was named such because of the proliferation of beavers, whose dams occupied the eastern end of the stream.

When the new Woodcraft camp was built in 1963 the Bird Sanctuary fell into disrepair.

Some minor repair work of the dam in the early 1970's occured before David retired from the academy in 1974.

It also occupied an important role in Culver Academies' history as the temporary home of its hockey games in the early 1970s, before the present Henderson Ice Arena was constructed

The dam burst during a particularly severe rainstorm that led to flooding in the area, during the mid-1980s many seem to think that it was in June 1981 when heavy rains and flooding occured in the Culver area, draining the pond, which remains only a marshy valley today.