Volunteer with On the Ground in Kalamazoo County this Weekend

On Saturday, January 7, 2023, OTG will be co-hosting a stewardship work day with MDNR and the City of Portage Parks and Recreation Department at Gourdneck State Game Area in Kalamazoo County. Volunteers are needed on Saturday, January 7 from 10am-2pm. We’ll be removing invasive woody vegetation in an effort to help restore a unique…

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On the Ground: Volunteers Improve Critical Reptile Habitat in Barry County with Pierce Cedar Creek Institute

On Saturday, October 29, 2022, 22 volunteers joined MUCC’s OTG program and Pierce Cedar Creek Institute (PCCI) in removing invasive woody vegetation from critical reptile habitat in Barry County. Volunteers gathered at PCCI’s Research Lab building in Hastings on the foggy and frosty fall morning. After signing-in, they got an introduction to their work site…

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Join OTG at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute

The last OTG volunteer event of 2022 is on Saturday, October 29. If you enjoy improving the habitat for multiple native species, consider joining MUCC at the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute. Imperiled species, such as the eastern massasauga rattlesnake and the eastern box turtle, rely on the habitat provided by Pierce Cedar Creek Institute. Unfortunately,…

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Reptiles of Peirce Cedar Creek Institute

Pierce Cedar Creek Institute is an amazing nature center focused on public education and environmental protection. On the 850 acres are native reptiles such as the eastern massasauga rattlesnake and the eastern box turtle. Learn more about these species below. The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake The eastern massasauga rattlesnake is Michigan’s only venomous snake. It occurs…

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On the Ground: A Year in Review

During the 2021-2022 fiscal year, On the Ground volunteers showed up to improve wildlife habitat and recreational access on Michigan’s public lands. Through 22 OTG projects, 546 volunteers spent more than 1,515 hours improving 255 acres of wildlife habitat throughout the state! In 2022, grade schools participated in 6 habitat improvement projects, making students a…

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October Volunteer Events

Countless amazing volunteers have joined the OTG program to improve habitat across Michigan allowing the On the Ground Program to celebrate many successful events of the fiscal year. With the help of over 500 volunteers, 22 projects affecting recreation, habitat availability, and wildlife health improved Michigan’s outdoor areas.  Even though the fiscal year is complete,…

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On the Ground: Students from Reese High School Improve Habitat In and Around the Cass River

On Wednesday, September 21, 2022, juniors and seniors from Reese High School joined MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program in cleaning-up public access sites along the Cass River in Vassar Township. Conservation students picked-up multiple bags of litter and removed large items of trash from the Cass River and surrounding access sites including tires, vehicle…

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On the Ground: Year-to-Date Impacts and What’s to Come

With only about one week left until autumn, MUCC’s On the Ground (OTG) program is prepping for it’s short but sweet fall field season. This October, we’ll be planting mast-producing trees in Kalkaska County and then putting our rubber boots to the ground at Pierce cedar Creek Institute in Hastings to remove invasive woody vegetation…

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