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
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
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?
Restoration Milestones The Huron Pines staff has been getting their feet wet in the waterways of Northern Michigan for over 45 years. That’s over four decades of patching up waders, pulling trucks out of the mud and fighting off black flies to restore the highest priority stretches of stream in the region. Prioritizing each site … More Healthy Water 2019
If there’s a race to reconnect river miles, there’s one slow and steady neighbor watching the progress unfold. As part of the construction at Milligan Creek, Huron Pines had the opportunity to work alongside the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, who have been following wood turtles, monitoring their behavior in the area and relocating especially at-risk turtles. … More Monitoring Wood Turtles at Milligan Creek
Small dams are found on private and public lands throughout Michigan. Though some still serve a useful purpose, many were installed decades ago and may be in disrepair and at risk of failing. Heavy rains or extreme weather, can lead to complete blow out. Removing obsolete dams can eliminate a liability for landowners and enhance our rivers and streams for people and wildlife. … More Options and Opportunities for Michigan’s Small Dams
The success of healthy water projects built on community input and collaboration in Rose City and West Branch laid the foundation for the future of coastal stormwater work at Huron Pines. Community partnerships support clean water stewardship. … More Committed to Clean Water
Construction will begin on a project to reconnect 14 miles of upstream habitat on Milligan Creek, a large tributary of the Upper Black River. The health of Milligan Creek is important for supporting quality habitat and stream health in the region. … More Reconnecting 14 Miles of Upstream Habitat on Milligan Creek
Huron Pines is energized to meet our Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant goals to protect and restore 10,000 acres of priority lands and reconnect 50 high-quality trout stream miles. … More From Seattle to Niagara — Lessons in Watershed Management
Exciting news for the Pine River and Huron Pines! After more than a decade of work, preparation and collaboration, Buhl Dam is being removed on the Pine River. Removing this dam improves the river for fish and reconnects nearly 20 miles of the river. You can learn more about this project by visiting huronpines.org/water/dams and … More Buhl Dam Removal Is Underway