Posts by Makhayla LaButte
On the Ground: Impact by Habitat Type
Although the 2020 field season has been severely limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has provided a valuable opportunity to analyze program data that has been collected since the On the Ground (OTG) program’s inception in 2013. We regularly monitor volunteer numbers and volunteer hours dedicated to wildlife habitat improvement, as well as overall acreage…
Read MoreNational Pollinator Week: Pollinators and the OTG Program
The week of June 22-28, 2020 has been designated as National Pollinator Week. Thirteen years ago, the United States Senate unanimously approved that one week in the month of June be used to both celebrate pollinators and bring attention to their rapidly declining populations. Since the inception of National Pollinator Week, the initiative has grown…
Read MoreCitizen Science Opportunity: The Tick App
As tick-borne diseases continue to increase annually, researchers from Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin and Columbia University teamed up to create an app that allows individuals in regions of high-risk for tick exposure to track their tick encounters. The Tick App also provides an abundance of resources about tick prevention for humans and pets,…
Read MoreOn the Ground: How to Get Involved
Program Overview On the Ground (OTG) is MUCC’s volunteer wildlife habitat improvement program. The program is funded by a Memorandum of Agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division (DNR), and DNR wildlife biologists and technicians have been instrumental in developing and coordinating the 151 projects the OTG program has accomplished throughout the…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Program Updates, Future Projects
As the state begins to reopen and COVID-19 restrictions loosen, the On the Ground (OTG) program is beginning to evaluate field operations and future program goals and capabilities. While there are currently no OTG wildlife habitat improvement events scheduled for June, there are events scheduled for both July and August. Following the most recent direction…
Read MoreLearn About Michigan Flora on MUCC’s Instagram
Starting Monday, June 1, MUCC will be posting photos of Michigan flora and identification hints on their Instagram page to test their followers’ knowledge of Michigan plants. Every weekday for two weeks, photos of new plants will be posted alongside hints of what they may be. Followers are encouraged to put their answers or guesses…
Read MoreWhat is Responsible Recreation?
You may have seen hashtags popping up on your social media feeds that contain some variation of the phrase “responsible recreation”. These hashtags may have served as captions for images of people enjoying nature or recreating outdoors in some way, but the meaning of the hashtag goes far beyond just enjoying Michigan’s natural resources. Becoming…
Read MoreMUCC Continues to Promote Responsible Outdoor Recreation
Since social distancing orders were announced in March, the field team at Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) has been actively working to encourage Michiganders to continue to enjoy the outdoors while also following public health recommendations surrounding COVID-19. To accomplish this and to fill the gap left by our postponed field season, the field team…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Public Land Clean-Up Challenge Winners Announced
Spanning the month of April 2020, the On the Ground (OTG) Public Land Clean-Up Challenge gave individuals and families the opportunity to give back to their public lands while recreating outdoors and practicing social distancing. Many individuals shared photographs and short stories about why they have chosen to participate in the effort, often citing a…
Read MoreOTG Public Land Clean-Up Challenge Ends Tomorrow
After two weeks and an abundance of good public land stewardship shown by all participants, the OTG virtual public land clean-up challenge officially ends tomorrow, Friday, May 1. We have received lots of great entries and we appreciate everyone who has taken the time to take care of their public lands while continuing to social…
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