State Game Area Highlight: Petersburg SGA

lschultz • November 18, 2021

Located less than twenty minutes from the Ohio border and hardly an hour from the heart of Detroit, the 616-acre Petersburg State Game Area in Monroe County is a favorite location of many outdoor enthusiasts in Southeast Michigan.

Known for quality small game and upland game bird hunting opportunities, this state game area is also home to portions of the globally rare oak openings ecosystem that is found only in Michigan and Ohio. This area has received an abundance of attention in recent years as conservation and natural resource organizations work together to conserve and restore this ecosystem for native insect, wildlife, and plant species.

The Nature Conservancy, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Pheasants Forever, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, private landowners in the region, and others have all contributed to these habitat restoration and improvement efforts. Through partnerships and independent efforts, invasive species have been removed, native plants have been planted, and entire sections of the state game area have been restored to grassland and wetland ecosystems.

Such habitat improvement efforts not only benefit game species but also many rare birds and insects that rely on unique ecosystems like those found at the Petersburg State Game Area. Such species include but are not limited to Karner blue butterflies, blazing star borer moths, and lark sparrows.

A freshly-planted blazing star spp. at the Petersburg SGA in October of 2020.

Michigan United Conservation Clubs’ On the Ground program (OTG) has been partnering with The Nature Conservancy since October of 2020 to engage local volunteers in restoration efforts at the state game area. Between two partnership events in 2020 and 2021, 30 volunteers joined The Nature Conservancy and OTG in the planting of approximately 1,300 blazing star plants throughout four openings within the state game area.

The species of blazing star planted include dense blazing star ( Liatris spicata ) and rough blazing star ( Liatris aspera ), which are hosts to the state imperiled blazing star borer moth. These efforts, spearheaded by The Nature Conservancy, were made possible through funding they were awarded from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act.

  • To learn more about the rare oak openings region, please visit the Green Ribbon Initiate website HERE .
  • To learn more about the Peterburg State Game Area, please visit the MNFI document HERE or the DNR map HERE .
  • To read the MUCC blogs associated with the events described above, please visit the 2020 blog HERE and the 2021 blog HERE .

Recent Posts

The Legacy of Michigan Logging

By Olivia Triltsch • April 24, 2025
Historically, Michigan experienced a lumber era in which the state was a leading producer for 50 years starting in 1860.

MUCC celebrates a successful Clinton River Cleanup

By Katelyn Helsel • April 23, 2025
Rochester Hills, MI — On the Ground, MUCC’s volunteer stewardship program, celebrated its 250th habitat improvement project in Oakland County this past weekend. In partnership with Metro-West Steelheaders and the Clinton River Watershed Council , 62 volunteers removed more than 460 pounds of trash from the Clinton River watershed and surrounding areas, restoring more than 80 acres of fish and wildlife habitat. Volunteers focused on picking up trash and other debris in the river near Yates Park and along various walking trails near the Yates Cider Mill. Many different items were collected, including a couple of tires, fishing line, old cans, a sign, and even a car bumper. “We definitely wanted to clean up as much trash as possible because that's going to help the watershed as a whole, and it’s going to clean up the river for both humans aesthetically, and also the animals that live in it, and create safer drinking water” said Olivia Triltsch, MUCC’s Habitat Program and Partnerships Coordinator.

Mayflies, Stoneflies, and Caddisflies, Oh My!

By Olivia Triltsch • April 17, 2025
In addition to their impact on water quality, these three orders of insects are an important part of the diet of game fish, making anglers, especially fly fishermen, interested in the conservation of these small animals.
More Posts