On the Ground Volunteer Highlight: Tom Kelley

Meet Tom Kelley, local public land steward and active MUCC member and volunteer. Tom started volunteering with On the Ground (OTG) in March of this year and has already participated in five OTG events across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula! Tom earned a degree in fisheries and wildlife biology from Michigan State University in the early 90s,…

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Help FENd-off invasive buckthorn with On the Ground!

On Saturday, September 9, 2023, On the Ground (OTG) will co-host another stewardship work day with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and the City of Portage Parks and Recreation Department at Gourdneck State Game Area (SGA) in Kalamazoo County. Volunteers are needed on Saturday, September 9 from 9:00 AM to noon to help…

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July NRC Recap

July 2023 NRC Recap

It was a short Natural Resources Commission Meeting with no items for information or action in front of commissioners.  Attendees learned what to expect for the rest of 2023 at commission meetings. NRC Chair Tom Baird laid out an outline for the commission over the next few months and what topics to expect on the…

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July NRC Preview

September NRC Recap

The July Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting has no orders for commissioner action. The meeting at Lansing Community College West Campus is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 13.  Acting Department of Natural Resources Director Shannon Lott has three orders up for action: Land Use Order of the Director #2 of 2023…

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On The Ground Junior: Berkley School District Students Plant Native Trees and Build Brush Piles at Chesterfield Township State Game Area

On May 23 and May 24, 2023, sixth grade students and faculty from Norup International School participated in MUCC’s On the Ground Junior (OTG Jr.) program in an effort to improve wildlife habitat at the Chesterfield Township State Game Area (SGA) in Macomb County. Previously a mix of agricultural fields and forest fragments, this SGA…

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DNR Seeking Public Input on Forest Management Plans

DNR Seeks Public Comment on Forest Management Plan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) seeks public input on its 2025 Forest Management Plans. According to the DNR these plans are necessary “to keep Michigan’s nearly 4 million acres of state forest healthy and thriving.” A number of open houses are planned across the state. These open houses serve as informal meetings to…

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On the Ground: Volunteers remove thousands of feet of old barbed wire from Potterville State Game Area

On Saturday, May 20, 11 volunteers joined MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program in partnership with Eaton Conservation District and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to remove old, degraded barbed wire fencing at Potterville State Game Area in Eaton County. This small but mighty crew removed approximately 10,000 feet of barbed wire from the…

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On the Ground Spring Update

It’s been a busy spring field season for On the Ground! Since April 1, 267 volunteers have joined us in improving more than 69 acres of wildlife habitat on public land throughout the Lower Peninsula. On Saturday, April 29, volunteers gathered at Port Huron State Game Area to improve edge-habitat within woodcock openings in the…

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