Posts Tagged ‘On The Ground’
Garlic Mustard: The Edible Invasive
Have you ever heard of an invasive species that you can eat? Now you have! Garlic mustard, also called poor man’s mustard, hedge garlic, and garlic root, is an invasive species of plant found across the northern United States. It hails from Europe and Asia and was introduced to the United States in the 1800s…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Long-Term Partnerships
MUCC’s On the Ground program has been going strong since its inception in 2013. Funded by an MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division, On the Ground has been able to complete a variety of habitat improvement projects statewide. The program celebrated 10 years in 2023 with a total…
Read MoreOn the Ground: Volunteers improve Wood Duck Nest Boxes at Maple River State Game Area
On Saturday, February 17, 2024, MUCC’s On the Ground program partnered with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to maintain and install nest boxes for wood ducks at Maple River State Game Area. Wood ducks are one of the most stunning waterfowl in Michigan and are very popular among hunters and birders alike. They…
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 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 MoreOn the Ground: more than 4,000 volunteers engaged through statewide habitat improvement efforts
The final day of September marked the end of MUCC’s 2023 fiscal year. Last year’s volunteer turnout brought a lot of excitement for the On the Ground team as 771 volunteers joined us out in the field, marking the most volunteers in a single year since the program’s inception in 2013! On the Ground…
Read MoreOn the Ground Junior: Students from the Mecosta-Osceola Career Center braved the rain to help improve wildlife habitat in their community
On Tuesday, October 10, 2023, high school students and instructors from the Mecosta-Osceola Career Center participated in MUCC’s On the Ground Jr. program in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to improve wildlife habitat at Haymarsh Lake State Game Area. During the morning portion of the project, students were divided into teams and…
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 MoreOn the Ground: Volunteers helped deFENd unique habitat at Gourdneck State Game Area
On Saturday, September 9, 2023, 26 On the Ground 21 volunteers gathered at Gourdneck State Game Area in Kalamazoo County to remove woody invasives from a unique prairie fen habitat. In total, 2 acres of public land were improved by the removal of woody invasives like glossy buckthorn, autumn olive, and honeysuckle. Volunteers split up…
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