Gilchrist Creek is flowing freely once again since conservation nonprofit Huron Pines replaced two undersized crossing structures at Carter Road and Greasy Creek Road, reconnecting more than 40 miles of coldwater trout habitat and fixing long term issues with road maintenance. … More 40 Miles of Trout Stream Reconnected on Gilchrist Creek
While it’s trout that get all the attention on Northern Michigan’s river systems, there would be no trout to speak of without macroinvertebrates. We can use the presence and diversity of aquatic insects like mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies to gauge a stream’s health. … More What bugs tell us about water quality
Huron Pines teamed up with Consumers Energy Aug 19 for a day of hands-on stewardship and education at Mio Pond on the Au Sable River, including hand-pulling about 100 pounds of invasive purple loosestrife from the shoreline. … More Huron Pines, Consumers Energy Partner to Remove Invasive Plants at Mio Pond
The pink and purple spikes sprouting from roadside ditches right now might look pretty, but behind their floral facade lurks the potential for millions of seeds that can ride the wind and spread this highly invasive plant across Northern Michigan. … More Take on Invasives: Purple Loosestrife
Huron Pines and Alabaster Township have launched a public fundraising campaign to garner financial support and raise awareness to ensure the permanent protection of nearly a mile of Lake Huron shoreline as a public preserve south of Tawas City. … More Campaign Launched to Preserve Lake Huron Shoreline for Public Use
Huron Pines is breaking ground on projects at two road crossings of Gilchrist Creek in Montmorency County. Carter Road and Greasy Creek Road will get new crossing structures to restore the natural flow of one of the highest quality tributaries of the Thunder Bay River. … More Restoring Trout Habitat with Two Projects on Gilchrist Creek
A tiny, floating plant that can dominate entire shorelines of ponds, lakes and slow-moving rivers is here in Northern Michigan — and it is spreading fast. Mats of frog-bit make it difficult or impossible for fish, waterfowl and other wildlife to move through infested areas. … More Take on Invasives: European Frog-Bit
Huron Pines AmeriCorps members and staff were among 25 volunteers working in chest-deep water to remove invasive cattail from Alpena Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday, June 25. They joined community volunteers, wetland restoration crew from Loyola University, and board members for the sanctuary and Thunder Bay River Center in clearing narrow-leaf cattail from the kayak launch … More Gallery: Cutting Cattail at Alpena Wildlife Sanctuary
On May 22, a fleet of a dozen Huron Pines AmeriCorps members took to the Alpena Wildlife Sanctuary by kayak for training on how to identify and locate European frog-bit. The trip preceded an effort June 25 to remove frog-bit and narrow-leaf cattails within the sanctuary. … More Gallery: Surveying for Frog-Bit in Alpena Wildlife Sanctuary
Picture a carpet of vegetation so dense that your legs become lost in a sea of green as you wade through the forest. The woodland wildflowers that used to bloom here are no more, lost to a flood of invasive plants. Gone too are the diverse insects that once clamored over every blossom and propagated those beloved native flowers. What’s left are trees and an understory of nothing but garlic mustard. … More Take on Invasives: Garlic Mustard