On The Ground

Let’s take a look at what volunteers accomplished with MUCC’s Wildlife Habitat Program in 2016. A total of 300 volunteers, not including the DNR Wildlife Biologists or Technicians, dedicated 27,600 hours to improve about 350 acres of wildlife habitat on Michigan’s public land this year. The quota of coordinating and completing 20 wildlife habitat improvement…

This week, 74 volunteers helped wrap up MUCC’s Wildlife Habitat Program’s 2016 season by completing the final habitat projects to make a total of 20 habitat projects completed this year. On Saturday, a group of 24 volunteers partnered with Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) Ecologist, Jesse Lincoln, to help his work of restoring an oak-pine barren in…

This past weekend, volunteers built seven large brush piles in the Petobego State Game Area along the hunter access footpath. The group utilized downed trees from last year’s severe windstorm the impacted the area. The hunter access footpath extends one mile from the parking area to the lakeshore; volunteers were able to clear trees from…

MUCC’s Wildlife Habitat Program will be reaching the NW Region of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula for the first time on Saturday, September 17th. Volunteers will be meeting at 9am at the Petobego State Game Area to build brush piles for rabbitat. The Petobego SGA is composed of 629 acres in Grand Traverse and Antrim Counties.  It…

Last weekend’s wildlife habitat project was a great one in the Upper Peninsula’s Shingleton State Forest Garden Grade Rd Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS) area. There was a turnout of 21 volunteers, despite the rain, to plant 230 mast-producing trees and shrubs. The trees and shrubs planted included ninebark, American mountain ash, American hazelnut, and…

Last weekend’s weather couldn’t stop volunteers with MUCC’s Wildlife Habitat Program from improving wildlife habitat on public land.  A group of fifteen volunteers met at the Allegan State Game Area to remove a half mile of wire fencing between an open field and a pine-oak stand. This fencing was acting as a barrier between a…

Last weekend, seven volunteers improved wildlife habitat in the Barry State Game Area by building four new brush piles for rabbitat. Volunteers cut black locust trees from a stand that is due to be cut as it’s reached its 30-year regeneration cycle. The Barry SGA does not have a sustainable aspen population, so the regeneration…

This past weekend, volunteers with MUCC’s Wildlife Habitat Program collaborated with the Northern Lower Peninsula region’s National Wild Turkey Federation Biologist (NWTF), Ryan Boyer, to improve wildlife habitat in the Grayling State Forest. This project is part of a larger Wildlife Habitat Grant partnership involving NWTF, the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS), Whitetails Unlimited, and Michigan…

Volunteers with MUCC’s Wildlife Habitat Program completed the second phase of an elk habitat maintenance project in the Pigeon River Country State Forest last weekend. The first phase of this project was completed in mid-May. The four-acre opening has now been cleared of encroaching timber and will be ready to be disked and planted next…