From the western shoreline of Burt Lake extends a peninsula of land commonly known as Colonial Point. The vast majority of this peninsula (over 450 acres) is now perpetually preserved in a natural condition thanks to a collaborative effort initiated by the local community. The west end of the property (about 175 acres) is protected as the Chaboiganing Nature Preserve, which is owned by the Little Traverse Conservancy. The east end includes over 291 acres owned by the University of Michigan Biological Station, and is now known as the Colonial Point Memorial Forest.
Today, the Biological Station uses the Colonial Point Memorial Forest for education and low impact ecological research. Both the Colonial Point Memorial Forest and the Chaboiganing Nature Preserve are open to the public for environmental education and outdoor recreation. Together these natural areas provide a diverse range of habitats varying from the open field in the heart of the Chaboiganing Nature Preserve to the old growth forest in the eastern region of the Colonial Point Memorial Forest.