Invasive Species
New Brandon Road Lock and Dam plan price tag still negligible compared to what could be lost
The price tag to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes nearly tripled following an announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers last week. The Corps released their “final environmental impact and feasibility study,” which found the total cost of implementing the plan to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes at the…
Read MoreConservation Groups Thank Senators for Maintaining Protections to Keep Non-native Species out of U.S. Waters, Great Lakes
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION PRESS RELEASE Coast Guard bill maintains core clean water protections, but makes it harder for states to secure more stringent protections. ANN ARBOR, MICH. (November 14, 2018)—The National Wildlife Federation and state affiliates Indiana Wildlife Federation, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, Minnesota Conservation Federation, Prairie Rivers Network, and Wisconsin Wildlife Federation today thanked…
Read MoreMichigan Works Students Get Outside
To wrap up the fiscal year 2018 for OTG Jr, we had the opportunity to do some work close to home. We brought a group of students down to Camp from Lansing. Outreach Specialist Hunter Salisbury and I had a chance to work with some non-traditional students who participated in OTG Jr. and an outdoor…
Read MoreMUCC Outreach Update: Feral Swine
At Michigan United Conservation Clubs, a large part of what we do is education and outreach to combat the spread of invasive species. Funding for our outreach and communications on feral swine is made possible through a grant from the Michigan Invasive Species Program (www.michigan.gov/invasives). Our MSU Glassen Scholar Ian FitzGerald wanted to learn more…
Read MoreINVASIVE SPECIES | ASIAN LONG-HORNED BEETLE
The Asian Long-horned Beetle is an invasive insect which made its way to North America about 20 years ago, most likely hitching a ride in pallet wood coming from Asia. The beetle is a threat to hardwood trees, preferring to feed on maple trees which will ultimately kill those trees. The female beetle will lay…
Read MoreINVASIVE SPECIES | FLOWERING RUSH
Flowering rush has invaded the shores of Michigan waterways since the early 1900’s, affecting the Detroit River as early as 1918, but in recent years has become a much greater problem, and is listed as a restricted noxious weed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, flowering rush is a popular and common plant for…
Read MoreINVASIVE SPECIES WATCHLIST | NUTRIA
Nutria, is it a rat, a beaver or an unwanted pest? Most people think of them as a combination of all three, I like to think of them as a large rat or beaver with a small tail. Nutria, or as a wide portion of the world calls them Coypu have been around since the…
Read MoreORIENTAL BITTERSWEET OUT-COMPETING NATIVE SPECIES
The Oriental Bittersweet plant is known as Celastrus orbiculatus. According to the DNR, the oriental bittersweet plant is already established throughout Michigan. Celastrus Orbiculatus was brought to the states from Japan, China, Korea and other parts of Asia in the late 1800s. Their proliferation in Michigan is due to the dispersal of seeds by birds and pollinators. The invasive…
Read MorePURPLE LOOSESTRIFE AND MICHIGAN'S ECOSYSTEMS
Purple Loosestrife is such a pretty plant! Of course it’s pink/purple flowers catches the eye, but is it benefiting our Michigan ecosystems? The species was introduced to the states from various parts of Asia and this pretty plant has made its way into almost every state in the US. Read on to see the affects…
Read MoreMUTE SWAN AN AGGRESSIVE INVASIVE
It might look like your average Michigan swan, well it’s not! Mute Swan can often be perceived as native swan. The most noticeable feature which distinguishes the species from native swan species; has to be beak appearance. Trumpeter Swan usually have black beaks, while adult male Mute Swan has an orange beak. Michigan swan are…
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