Help Remove Invasive Buckthorn with On the Ground Next Weekend in Kalamazoo County!

Americorps • August 30, 2023

On Saturday, September 9, 2023, OTG will be co-hosting a stewardship work day with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the City of Portage Parks and Recreation Department at Gourdneck State Game Area in Kalamazoo County. Our goal is to remove invasive buckthorn from a unique prairie fen habitat.

Taken by Leslie J Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut

Invasive buckthorn is a woody shrub that has spread rapidly throughout Michigan. Common buckthorn is native to Europe and Western Asia and was introduced as an ornamental plant in the 1800s. Birds and other wildlife are attracted to their berries, which are eaten and distributed wide and far through their seeds. Common buckthorn blooms early in the season allowing it to outcompete our native species and affecting sensitive habitats such as the prairie fen. The most distinguishing feature of this buckthorn is the pointed spines at the tip of their twigs.

Please find more event details, meeting location, and volunteer registration HERE .

Volunteers are encouraged to bring extra layers, reusable water bottles, work gloves, and a camp chair to use during lunchtime. Bottled water and snacks will be provided throughout the day. These projects will take place rain or shine unless there is severe weather so please dress accordingly.

Please contact MUCC AmeriCorps member Tyler Lancaster at americorps@mucc.org with any questions regarding this event or the OTG program.

The post Help Remove Invasive Buckthorn with On the Ground Next Weekend in Kalamazoo County! appeared first on Michigan United Conservation Clubs.

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Uncommon Whitetails: Antlered Does

By Olivia Triltsch • November 20, 2025

If you have ever seen a deer with velveted antlers at strange times of the year, it may have been a rare sighting of an antlered doe. Unusual circumstances like this allow for the antlered and antlerless deer tags to still apply as imposed by the Michigan DNR deer regulations, as it can be difficult to identify a doe from a buck while in the field, aside from the presence of antlers. Often, hunters who tag an antlered doe do not find out it is a female until they go to field dress their kill.