Blog Posts

Reconnected At Last: Huron Pines Restores ‘Pivotal’ Shingle Mill Site on E. Branch Black River

July 21, 2020

A pipe culvert that obstructed the East Branch Black River for decades is gone and with it the persistent problems it caused with erosion, flooding and fish passage. In its place, a shiny aluminum arch ushers wild brook trout to 20 miles of habitat upstream of County Road 622 — vital spawning and nursery grounds supporting the river’s famed fishery. … More Reconnected At Last: Huron Pines Restores ‘Pivotal’ Shingle Mill Site on E. Branch Black River

Read the River to Boost Fishing, Fun

June 29, 2020

There’s a story I tell my fishing friends to explain why they’re not catching anything in their “hotspot” when it was paying off just a week prior, and it involves 80,000 people dancing in the Tennessee countryside. For most of the year, a field outside Manchester, Tenn. sits undisturbed. In late spring, semi trucks and … More Read the River to Boost Fishing, Fun

Good Stewards Make Great Neighbors in Conservation

June 22, 2020

The reasons we each enjoy Northern Michigan are as varied as the landscape of our region but what connects conservationists, recreationists, tourists and wildlife enthusiasts is our love for this special place. There’s a lot to love. With access to thousands of acres of public land, there’s plenty of room to connect — with space for everyone. … More Good Stewards Make Great Neighbors in Conservation

Restoration Work to Begin on Gilchrist Creek

June 18, 2020

Huron Pines will break ground the week of June 22 on a project to correct seasonal flooding problems and improve fish passage on Gilchrist Creek at Harwood Road southeast of Atlanta. The roadway will be closed for an estimated six weeks as a set of three undersized culverts are removed and replaced with a new … More Restoration Work to Begin on Gilchrist Creek

Give Invasive Plants the Brush Off

May 19, 2020

It’s the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, and you’re jockeying for a spot on the bank of the Au Sable River where trophy trout lie in wait. Fishing June’s legendary “hex hatch” means staying up late and timing your trip just right for the moment Michigan’s giant mayfly, Hexagenia limbata, emerges … More Give Invasive Plants the Brush Off

Bring Out the Good Bugs With Native Plants

April 20, 2020

Picture a spring when mosquitoes and blackflies are free of predators. Swarms of biting bugs take over campsites and patios, unfettered by swooping swallows or dive-bombing bats because there are none. Chances are you’ve had a perfectly good camping trip or backyard picnic spoiled by bugs before but, in the absence of natural predators, they … More Bring Out the Good Bugs With Native Plants

Understanding and Protecting Vernal Pools

March 23, 2020

That chorus of frogs you hear erupting from the woods on spring evenings is coming from a special but fleeting place. One of those songs belongs to the wood frog, just a couple inches long but with a voice that fills the air with a warm reminder winter is over. These frogs hang out among … More Understanding and Protecting Vernal Pools

What Is Stormwater?

February 25, 2020

Welcome to the first installment of The Nature of Things, a monthly discussion with Huron Pines on environmental and conservation-related topics. This column is shared with newspapers across Northeast Michigan to help build an understanding within the communities we work in hopes of engaging future partners and volunteers in shared conservation goals. By Chris Engle … More What Is Stormwater?

Huron Pines Coastal Office Opens in Alpena

January 28, 2020

Ribbon cutting and open house slated for Feb. 19 Huron Pines, an environmental nonprofit organization based in Gaylord, has made a second home in Alpena where it will continue directing its conservation focus toward communities along the Lake Huron coastline. A ribbon cutting with the Alpena Chamber of Commerce will be held at 1pm Feb. … More Huron Pines Coastal Office Opens in Alpena

Letter of Appreciation – A Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Success Story

October 8, 2019

Huron Pines sincerely thanks the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the Michigan DNR for their commitment to and success in bringing the Kirtland’s Warbler back from the brink of extinction, and now to the point that it can be removed from the Endangered Species list. … More Letter of Appreciation – A Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Success Story