Posts Tagged ‘michigan’
February NRC: Year-round Coyote Hunting in the Crosshairs
A proposal to close coyote season from mid-April through mid-July was debated heavily at the February Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. The proposal was borne from the Furtaker User Group in late 2023, where a majority of stakeholder groups present voted in favor. MUCC was one of only two organizations to oppose this change. The…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Volunteers Build “Rabbitat” at Bellevue Conservation Club
On Saturday, February 3, 2024, MUCC’s On the Ground Program hosted a brush pile-building event in partnership with the Bellevue Conservation Club. Brush piles are called “rabbitat” because they provide habitat for rabbits and many other species, including chipmunks, squirrels, mice, snakes, and ground-nesting birds. Brush piles are also used as hunting grounds for hawks,…
Read MoreGlacial History of Michigan: How did we get our Great Lakes?
It is well known that Michigan was once covered in glaciers, or huge slow-moving masses of ice that formed from the accumulation and compaction of snow. But how exactly did this happen, and how did the glaciers create the Great Lakes we know today? First, we need to take a trip back in time. The…
Read MoreNerves of Stihl: On the Ground Volunteers Participate in Chainsaw Safety and Stewardship Day
Last Saturday, November 4th, 2023, MUCC’s On the Ground program partnered with Fenner Nature Center and Daisy Tree Care to host a Chainsaw Safety and Stewardship Day on FNC’s grounds. In total, 14 volunteers learned basic chainsaw maintenance and then got some hands-on experience cutting unwanted logs and trees in Fenner’s Maple Grove. The course…
Read MoreHaving a Hard Time Identifying Woody Invasives in the Winter? On the Ground has your Back
As the leaves begin to fall and winter approaches, the need to remove woody invasives continues. Removing woody invasives during the wintertime is ideal as the species becomes dormant and easy to get access. The big issue then becomes how you can distinguish a woody invasive from a native plant when it’s just the bark.…
Read MoreDon’t Make a Rash Decision, Watch out for Poisonous Plants in the Winter
The thought of encountering a plant like poison ivy isn’t always on our minds when we’re recreating outdoors during the fall and winter months. I mean why would it? All the other plants are dormant or dead so why is a poisonous plant any different? The danger comes from the oil urushiol, which can remain…
Read MoreOn the Ground Junior: High School Students Build Brush Piles and Deploy Trail Cameras for Wildlife with MUCC and The Nature Conservancy in Luce County
On September 27, 2023, high school students and instructors from Lake Superior State University’s Career in Technical Education program participated in MUCC’s On the Ground Junior program in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to improve wildlife habitat in the Two-Hearted River Forest Preserve north of Newberry. During this stewardship project, students cut down overgrown…
Read MoreVolunteer with On the Ground to Help Restore One of Michigan’s Most Endangered Habitats: The Oak Savanna
Habitat improvement projects are always gratifying work, especially when they benefit rare habitats such as oak savannas. We often hear about how habitat restoration efforts impact charismatic species like white-tailed deer or wild turkeys, but many lesser-known species benefit from these projects just the same. Rare insects such as the dusted skipper, grizzled skipper, monarch…
Read MoreOak Savannas are more than OAK-ay: Volunteer with On the Ground in Kent County to Help Restore One of our State’s Rarest Habitat Types
Join MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program in partnership with Kent Conservation District for an oak savanna habitat restoration day at Cannonsburg State Game Area. Oak savannas can be defined as groups of scattered oak trees, acting as a transition system between prairies and woodland habitats. The scattered trees allow plenty of sunlight on the…
Read MoreYouth camp charity shoot raises more than $30k to support the next generation of conservationists
Michigan United Conservation Clubs held its annual Michigan Out-of-Doors Youth Camp Charity Shoot Friday, bringing together more than 160 shooters from across the state to support conservation and tomorrow’s outdoor leaders. Each year, the camp helps hundreds of Michigan youth learn about the benefits of conservation and lets them explore the world around them through…
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