On The Ground
Kick Off the New Year By Helping Wildlife
What’s a better way to start the new year than helping improve wildlife habitat on public lands near you? Join MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) on January 13th and January 27th to help remove invasive vegetation to make room for native plants to grow.…
Read MoreSarah Scheitz Joins MUCC as New Habitat Program and Partnerships Coordinator
Hello, My name is Sarah Scheitz and I am the new Habitat Program and Partnerships Coordinator at Michigan United Conservation Clubs. I was fortunate to have grown up in Roscommon, Michigan. Oftentimes, I could be found exploring the woods of northern Michigan identifying all species of plants and wildlife that I came across. I come…
Read MoreNerves of Stihl: On the Ground Volunteers Participate in Chainsaw Safety and Stewardship Day
Last Saturday, November 4th, 2023, MUCC’s On the Ground program partnered with Fenner Nature Center and Daisy Tree Care to host a Chainsaw Safety and Stewardship Day on FNC’s grounds. In total, 14 volunteers learned basic chainsaw maintenance and then got some hands-on experience cutting unwanted logs and trees in Fenner’s Maple Grove. The course…
Read MoreOn the Ground Volunteer Highlight: Zachary Dalton
Meet Zachary Dalton, local hunter, angler, outdoor enthusiast, and avid On the Ground (OTG) volunteer! Zachary is from Saginaw, but he has participated in six OTG volunteer events throughout Michigan during the past year. He attended his first OTG project back in October of 2022, where he worked alongside other volunteers to plant and fence…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Volunteers plant 100 mast-producing trees on public land in Kalkaska County
On Saturday, October 14, 2023, MUCC’s On the Ground program partnered once again with biologist Gib King of Land Ethic LCC to host volunteers at a mast-producing tree planting and brush pile building event in the Traverse City Forest Management Unit (Kalkaska County). In total, 23 volunteers planted one-hundred 5-6 foot trees including various crabapple,…
Read MoreOn the Ground: more than 4,000 volunteers engaged through statewide habitat improvement efforts
The final day of September marked the end of MUCC’s 2023 fiscal year. Last year’s volunteer turnout brought a lot of excitement for the On the Ground team as 771 volunteers joined us out in the field, marking the most volunteers in a single year since the program’s inception in 2013! On the Ground…
Read MoreVolunteers plant hundreds of native wildflower and grass plugs in an effort to restore one of Michigan’s most imperiled habitats
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, volunteers joined MUCC’s On the Ground program in partnership with Kent Conservation District at Cannonsburg State Game Area in Kent County to help plant native plugs in an active oak savanna restoration site. Historically, oak savannas were a dominant habitat type in the Midwestern region. Michigan has lost the majority…
Read MoreOn the Ground Junior: Students from the Mecosta-Osceola Career Center braved the rain to help improve wildlife habitat in their community
On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, high school students and instructors from the Mecosta-Osceola Career Center participated in MUCC’s On the Ground Jr. program in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to improve wildlife habitat at Haymarsh Lake State Game Area. During the morning portion of the project, students were divided into teams and…
Read MoreOn the Ground Junior: High School Students Build Brush Piles and Deploy Trail Cameras for Wildlife with MUCC and The Nature Conservancy in Luce County
On September 27, 2023, high school students and instructors from Lake Superior State University’s Career in Technical Education program participated in MUCC’s On the Ground Junior program in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to improve wildlife habitat in the Two-Hearted River Forest Preserve north of Newberry. During this stewardship project, students cut down overgrown…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Volunteers Join Conservation Partners in Enhancing Elk Habitat in the Pigeon River Country State Forest
On Saturday, September 23, 2023, a motivated group of volunteers put in some major sweat equity in the Pigeon River Country State Forest by improving habitat for elk and other wildlife. MUCC joined Michigan Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for their Annual Fall Rendezvous and Habitat Workday in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.…
Read More