Posts by Kristina Kennedy
On the Ground: A Year in Review
During the 2021-2022 fiscal year, On the Ground volunteers showed up to improve wildlife habitat and recreational access on Michigan’s public lands. Through 22 OTG projects, 546 volunteers spent more than 1,515 hours improving 255 acres of wildlife habitat throughout the state! In 2022, grade schools participated in 6 habitat improvement projects, making students a…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Students from Reese High School Improve Habitat In and Around the Cass River
On Wednesday, September 21, 2022, juniors and seniors from Reese High School joined MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program in cleaning-up public access sites along the Cass River in Vassar Township. Conservation students picked-up multiple bags of litter and removed large items of trash from the Cass River and surrounding access sites including tires, vehicle…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Year-to-Date Impacts and What’s to Come
With only about one week left until autumn, MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program is prepping for it’s short but sweet fall field season. This October, we’ll be planting mast-producing trees in Kalkaska County and then putting our rubber boots to the ground at Pierce cedar Creek Institute in Hastings to remove invasive woody vegetation…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Volunteers Celebrate the Life and Legacy of Dean Barnum by Improving Wetland Habitat at Kellogg Community College
On Friday, September 2, 2022, 41 volunteers joined MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program in partnership with Kellogg Community College to clean up the Linear Path and improve pollinator habitat on campus. Volunteers removed trash from Spring Lakes wetland area and performed trail maintenance around Linear Path at Kellogg Community College (KCC). Joining in on…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Volunteers Improve Accessible Hunting Blinds at Maple River State Game Area
On Saturday, August 27, 2022, a small but mighty crew of OTG volunteers gathered at the accessible hunting blinds in the Central Unit of Maple River State Game Area to clear shooting lanes and spruce-up the blinds in time for deer season. These accessible blinds are located near the intersection of S Smith Road and…
Read MoreOTG program unveils new logo, new look as it hopes to reach 21st-century conservationists
Next year marks the 10-year anniversary for MUCC’s award-winning stewardship program On the Ground (OTG). What better way to celebrate such a milestone than by giving the program a facelift to reflect its evolution and betterment of our natural resources? Michigan United Conservation Clubs’ OTG program was launched in early 2013 with the aim of…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
With only about a month left of summer, we look towards fall for crisper days, colorful trees and perfect weather for putting our boots to the ground to improve wildlife habitat and public land access throughout Michigan! There are multiple opportunities to volunteer with OTG through the month of October including planting trees for wildlife…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Volunteers Remove Trash from Beaches and Dumpsites in Bay Mills
On Saturday, August 6, 2022, 35 OTG volunteers gathered at the Riverside Playground in Bay Mills Indian Community and split into groups to clean-up dumpsites on trust land as well as the beach from Riverside to Gumshoes Campground. In total, volunteers cleaned-up 2 large dumpsites and about 1 mile of beach, removing and properly disposing…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Volunteers Remove Hundreds of Pounds of Trash from the Manistee River
On Saturday, July, 16, 2022, 52 OTG volunteers gathered in partnership with Steelhead Manifesto at the High Bridge Boat Launch in Brethren to clean-up trash from the Manistee River by boat, kayak, and on foot. Those with boats welcomed others onto the water and worked together to gather trash from Rainbow Bend in Manistee to…
Read MoreVolunteer with OTG at Verona State Game Area in August
Join MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program and Macomb County Pheasants Forever in assembling and placing an informational kiosk and planting wildflower seed for a 1/2 acre pollinator plot in the Verona State Game Area in Huron County. Verona State Game Area is located near the tip of Michigan’s “thumb.” In a landscape dominated by…
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