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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Working for Wildlife: On the Ground volunteers return to Kalkaska County to build habitat, connect with fellow conservationists

On Saturday, April 22, 2023, 56 volunteers joined MUCC’s On the Ground program in partnership with Land Ethics LLC in constructing brush piles and softening edge-habitat in the Traverse City Forest Management Unit. For this project, we were joined by MeatEater team member, author, and Wired to Hunt podcast host, Mark Kenyon, as part of…

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On the Ground: Volunteers Improve Small Game Habitat at Gourdneck SGA

Last Saturday, March 26, 2022, a group of 15 volunteers joined MUCC’s On the Ground program (OTG) and Kalamazoo Conservation District in a day of assembling brush piles to enhance wildlife habitat in Gourdneck State Game Area (SGA). Brush piles, also known as “rabbitat” (rabbit habitat), provide a variety of wildlife with shelter, nesting and denning…

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Volunteer with OTG at Gourdneck State Game Area

Join MUCC’s On the Ground program and the Kalamazoo Conservation District on Saturday, March 26, 2022, as we improve habitat for small game at the Gourdneck State Game Area. Volunteers will assist with bucking and limbing downed trees and stacking brush into piles. These brush piles will enhance habitat for wildlife such as woodcock, ruffed…

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On the Ground: Volunteers Improve Wildlife Habitat in Northern Michigan

On Saturday, March 27, Michigan United Conservation Clubs’ On the Ground (OTG) program returned to Kalkaska to continue to improve wildlife habitat on public land. A group of 18 volunteers constructed more than 40 brush piles (“rabbitat”) within openings along Johnson Lake Road that will be utilized by wildlife that ranges from rabbit/hare and ruffed…

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OTG at Gladwin State Game Area

On Saturday, July 20, eight volunteers came out to the Gladwin State Game Area in Harrison to improve habitat for rabbit and small game. This portion of the state game area was recently acquired by the DNR and is beginning to be managed for a variety of wildlife species. Saturday’s project gave volunteers the opportunity…

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On the Ground: Creating Safer Sawyers

For the fourth consecutive year, MUCC hosted a Chainsaw Safety Training course provided to members, volunteers with OTG, and the general public. In previous years, Chuck Oslund of Bay College has taught his safety system to groups of 15-35 participants with us. This year, there were 32 participants and instructors included Scott Peterson from SOS…

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On the Ground: Dansville State Game Area

Last weekend, a group of 12 volunteers improved wildlife habitat in the Dansville State Game Area. The project goals were to improve hunter access trails and build brush piles in the area for rabbitat. A total of ten large brush piles were built using the trees cleared from the pathway. The volunteers completed a project…

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On the Ground: Crane Pond SGA Annual Youth Rabbit Hunt 2018

Last weekend, I attended the Crane Pond State Game Area’s Annual Youth Hunt for the fourth year in a row. This year, there were over 30 participants and enough mentors and dogs for the entire group. The group split up into 5 smaller groups to hunt different sections of the state game area. Many of…

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On the Ground: Falconry in Improved Habitat Areas

At the latest On the Ground event in the Gratiot-Saginaw State Game Area, volunteers Christopher Martello and Kelly Haughn helped to build brush piles for rabbitat in the area. They also brought along their juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, Vesper, and Small Munsterlander, Kita, to hunt a few areas where brush piles have been previously built by…

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