On The Ground
Adopting a Piece of State Land
On Monday, Magazine Editor Nick Green and I joined Pheasants Forever and several other conservation partners at the Maple River State Game Area. We spent about 1.5 hours standing in a muddy parking lot overlooking a field of cool-season grasses, to highlight one of the newest habitat programs in the state. Spearheaded by Pheasants Forever with…
Read MoreOTG Launches New Interactive Map of Statewide Projects
After nearly a week and a half of staring at my computer screen inputting data on OTG projects, I’m elated to say that the interactive map has officially launched! There were a couple of factors that lead to making this, but I think the most important was visualization. For me, I can read all of…
Read MoreOTG: Interactive Map, Chainsaw Safety, and Upcoming Projects
It’s an exciting time of year for the On The Ground program, as I have been planning events and coming up with better ways for you to get involved in the work that we are doing. Check out (and start looking forward to) these three upcoming items: Interactive OTG Projects Map During the last fiscal…
Read MoreOTG: Deer Habitat and Venison Stew Recipe
On the eve of our unofficial state holiday, I decided to take a recipe from “Dixie Dave’s Wild Game Recipes” cook book for you to put to use after your successful harvest in the field. Who doesn’t love hot venison stew after a long, blustery day in the woods? This recipe is sure to warm…
Read MoreLooking Ahead with OTG
With so many hunters in the woods during this time of year, getting out on public land to work projects is tricky and troublesome. That’s why I’m taking this time to work hard behind my desk and with biologists to get projects planned for the upcoming season. If you’re a first-timer and interested in joining…
Read MoreOTG Jr. at Rose Lake
It was an early start to the morning on October 3 as students from Morrice Elementary rolled into the driveway of the Rose Lake State Game Area deer check station in their school bus. On board, there were 24 eager fifth-grade students lead by teacher Morgan Chapko ready to get their hands dirty and spend…
Read MoreOTG: Grand Traverse Academy at Petobego State Game Area
The morning of Tuesday, October 23 saw rain and cloudy skies about an hour before our project was about to start. With a little bit of luck and sunshine, the rain stopped and the temperature was cool and windy just in time for the 83 school kids, chaperones, and teachers to arrive at Petobego State…
Read MoreMichigan State Ducks Unlimited Range Day
Many of you probably spent the bow season opener 20′ up in the air or well concealed in a ground blind waiting for a nice deer to come through. Outreach Specialist Hunter Salisbury and I were at the Rose Lake shooting range working with a group of Michigan State Students. This group of students was…
Read MoreOTG: Rabbitat at Keeler State Game Area
In appropriate fashion, volunteers celebrated the official first day of Autumn on September 22 out in the field constructing rabbitat at Keeler State Game Area. It was a crisp, cool start to the morning as nearly twenty volunteers made their way to the meeting point for the morning. Under the direction of Nate DeVries and…
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…
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