MUCC Welcomes Our New Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member

lschultz • January 16, 2019

Hello, my name is Autumn Christenson and I am the new Huron Pines AmeriCorps member, serving with MUCC for the next 10 months as their Engagement Specialist. This blog aims to tell you a little bit about my background and my Huron Pines AmeriCorps service here at MUCC.

Although born in Indiana, I moved up to Michigan at a very young age so that my family and I could live closer to my grandparents, so I am technically a Michigander, right. I was very fortunate to grow up 5 minutes from Lake Michigan in a rural community, where my love for the outdoors was born.  I loved fishing and spending countless hours outside with my family while also being very active in sports. Soon, I was off to Michigan State University (MSU) on an athletic scholarship to play volleyball. In December of 2017, I graduated from MSU with a degree in Zoology and a concentration in Marine Biology.

As I am writing this now, sitting at my desk at MUCC headquarters in Lansing, clearly I am not on the coast pursuing my zoology/marine biology degree. However, I am exactly where I want to be. I had two very insightful internships and a newfound passion that changed my career path to what it is today. I was a Glassen Scholar with the Hal & Jean Glassen Foundation in the summer of 2017 working with the MSU Extension: Boone and Crockett Club.

In January 2018, I became the conservation intern for the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA). In addition, over the last 2 years, I took on hunting as a young adult and it has taken my heart. I am a strong supporter of gathering your own source of protein-rich organic meat. On top of that, I was blown away by all that hunting (and fishing) does for conservation. With the two internships under my belt and my new passion for hunting, I knew that I wanted my career path to be about educating others about conservation for our wildlife and their habitat.

This fall I was with the Barry Conservation District until being accepted as a Huron Pines AmeriCorps (HPA) member this winter. I looked into what HPA was all about, and I jumped into this opportunity. I was very impressed with how they built future conservation leaders. AmeriCorps is a national service program designed to help communities address their toughest challenges by engaging thousands of Americans. AmeriCorps in Michigan has 30 programs, and Huron Pines AmeriCorps is the only one that focuses on statewide conservation.

HPA collaborates with conservation organizations across the state, MUCC being just one service site. HPA focuses on building conservation leaders for the community, which is exactly what MUCC offers every day. Together HPA and MUCC created my service position as their new engagement specialist for the next 10 months.

My position will be mostly centered on the On the Ground program here at MUCC, assisting the coordinator of the program, Hunter Salisbury, with recruiting new volunteers and projects as well as creating new ideas for the program. I will also be joining the Education Department, engaging the youth on natural resources through environmental education and assisting Morgan Warda with Michigan Wildlife Cooperative tasks.   I am very excited to be here with MUCC and am looking forward to my service in conservation with Huron Pines AmeriCorps.

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught” – Baba Dioum

Recent Posts

MUCC Submits Public Comment in Support of Line 5 Tunnel Project

By Justin Tomei • June 30, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MUCC Submits Public Comment in Support of Line 5 Tunnel Project Lansing, MI — Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC), the nation’s largest statewide conservation organization, has submitted formal public comments urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve the Enbridge Line 5 Tunnel Project. In a letter submitted today, MUCC emphasized the need to move this critical infrastructure forward to protect the Great Lakes while maintaining safe, reliable energy transportation. “MUCC supports the tunnel project as the best available alternative to reduce the risk of an environmental disaster in the Straits of Mackinac while continuing to deliver essential energy products to Michigan families and industries,” said Amy Trotter, CEO of MUCC. “We believe the tunnel project strikes a balance between protecting the environment and maintaining energy security.” MUCC’s position is backed by a formal resolution passed by its membership, which includes thousands of hunters, anglers, trappers, and outdoor enthusiasts across Michigan. The resolution supports the tunnel as a long-term solution that replaces the aging and exposed pipeline segment currently crossing the Straits, offering greater environmental safeguards through secondary containment. The organization cited the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which acknowledges the tunnel’s benefits, including reduced spill risk and a controlled, buried environment for transporting light crude oil and natural gas liquids. MUCC also rejected the "no action alternative," which would allow the existing line to remain in operation without any new protective infrastructure. “Other alternatives, like transporting fuel by truck or rail, are inefficient and carry greater environmental and safety risks,” Trotter added. “Allowing the current line to operate exposed on the lakebed indefinitely is simply not acceptable.” MUCC’s comment stresses that the organization is not weighing in on the type of energy transported, but rather on the environmental risks and safety benefits of the tunnel itself. Originally approved by the Michigan legislature and governor in 2018, the Great Lakes Tunnel Project represents a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure and environmental protection. MUCC urges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue the necessary permits and move forward with construction without further delay. For Media Contact: Justin Tomei jtomei@mucc.org 517-346-6488 #####

Michigan Wildlife Conservation Month: MUCC's Impact

By Olivia Triltsch • June 26, 2025
Since its inception, MUCC has made great strides in the conservation of natural resources through advocacy, habitat, youth education, and communications.

On the Ground: Native Plug Planting at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute

By Katelyn Helsel • June 25, 2025
On Saturday, June 21, 2025, MUCC’s On the Ground program partnered with the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute (PCCI) for a native plug planting day in Barry County. Located on 850 acres, the institute offers both environmental education opportunities and serves as a biological field station for conducting research. Many diverse native communities from wetlands to prairies are present at PCCI, and many rare or threatened species in Michigan like the eastern box turtle call the institute home. 
More Posts