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
Members of our water team — Amy Nowakowski, Josh Leisen and Samantha Nellis — surveyed six road/stream crossing sites in the watersheds of the Thunder Bay and Pigeon rivers last month. Their nets revealed a diverse assortment of aquatic insects, indicating healthy waters. Have a look at what they found in our gallery. … More Meet the Aquatic Insects of the Upper Pigeon, Thunder Bay Rivers
A desire to better protect Northern Michigan’s waters has encouraged Huron Pines, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay and Conservation Resource Alliance to form a partnership to strengthen protections for these valuable natural resources. … More Huron Pines Partners with Conservation Groups to Protect Water Resources
In areas where it takes hold, Japanese barberry outcompetes every other plant. This means the flowers, trees and shrubs that provide pollen, nutrients and habitat which support native wildlife don’t have a chance to grow. Left unmanaged, barberry forms a thicket, upwards of 6 feet tall, of snarled and thorny branches. Once it spreads, it grows without interference because its thorns keep deer and other wildlife at bay. … More Take on Invasives: Japanese barberry
Volunteers made quick work of planting 55 trees at Herman Vogler Conservation Area in Rogers City May 1. Huron Pines led the event alongside Presque Isle Conservation District, which manages the 270-acre recreation area northwest of Rogers City. Twenty-five volunteers planted trees to improve water quality and establish a forest that’s more resilient to climate change. … More Planting Trees for Water Quality, Climate Resilience
Huron Pines awarded $200,000 through the Consumers Energy Foundation’s Planet Award to help launch the Protect Wild Places program empowering Michigan communities to support land and water by partnering with Huron Pines to restore 5,000 acres of wildlife habitat and recreational land and 150 miles of waterways and Great Lakes shoreline. … More Huron Pines Receives $200,000 Consumers Energy Foundation Planet Award