Plus, don't miss your chance to share input on proposed plans for public lands in 11 Michigan counties.



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"News Digest - Week of Oct. 2, 2023"

a few bright-gold and orange autumn leaves, with sunlight streaming through, hang amid a background of green leaves and branches


Here are just a few of this week's stories from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources:?


* Photo ambassador snapshot: Winter woodpecker [ #link_1 ]
* Consider wildlife and wildfire during fall yard cleanup [ #link_16 ]
* October events: Plenty of fall fun, learning [ #link_17 ]
* Help take care of, give input on your public lands [ #link_3 ]

See other news releases, Showcasing the DNR stories, photos and other resources at Michigan.gov/DNRPressRoom [ [link removed] ].

PHOTO FOLDER [ [link removed] ]: Larger, higher-res versions of some of the images used in this email are available in this folder.

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Photo ambassador snapshot: Winter woodpecker
red-headed pileated woodpecker, with black and white face striping, perches on a knotty, gnarled tree trunk, with a dusting of snow

Want to see more pictures like this, taken by Michigan state parks photo ambassador Blair Celano [ [link removed] ] at Ludington State Park in Mason County? Visit?Instagram.com/MiStateParks [ [link removed] ]?to explore photos and learn more about the photo ambassadors! For more on the photo ambassador program [ [link removed] ], call?Stephanie Yancer <[email protected]>?at 989-274-6182.

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Consider wildlife and wildfire during fall yard cleanup

A raked-up heap of golden and russet fall leaves on a green lawn

Yard looking a little disheveled with sticks, fallen leaves and dead plants hanging around? Don?t worry too much; nature likes it a bit on the wild side. When it comes to annual fall cleanup, follow these tips to help wildlife and prevent wildfire.

First, the easy part: Move a fall task to your spring to-do list. Hold off on clipping dead plant stems until 50-degree days return. If left over winter, they?ll provide protection for perennial plants. The hollow spaces in stems will give small critters and pollinators places to hibernate. Learn about the benefits of ?leaving the leaves. [ [link removed] ]?

Although some local ordinances allow fallen leaves to be burned or removed curbside, why not use dead leaves as free mulch? They will insulate plants and slow erosion, keeping garden soil in place. Turtles, toads, salamanders, moths and butterflies all spend winter tucked under leaves.

You could even use leaves to enrich next year?s garden.



?To tidy fallen leaves, rake them into a bin or pile to turn into nutrient-rich compost,? said Aaron Hiday, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy compost coordinator. Get composting tips from EGLE [ [link removed] ].

If you plan to burn yard waste, check whether conditions are safe for fire, and know your local fire ordinances. Even if the weather is cold, you?ll need a burn permit any time the ground isn?t fully covered in snow.

?Most wildfires start when people lose control of burning yard waste,? said DNR wildfire prevention specialist Paul Rogers. ?Always keep a fire manageable, don?t burn on a windy day and never leave a fire unattended, even for a minute.?

Only burn natural materials like sticks, branches and dried leaves. Burning trash is illegal and releases harmful chemicals into the air. Learn about open burning [ [link removed] ].

Get a burn permit

Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula residents can view conditions at Michigan.gov/BurnPermit [ [link removed] ] or call 866-922-2876 (866-922-BURN). Southern Michigan residents should check with their local municipality or fire department. Be mindful of local smoke and fire ordinances, which can be stricter than state ordinances.

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October events: Plenty of fall fun, learning

a young girl places a puzzle piece on a gray and black vase puzzle, which is upright on a wooden table

If you?re looking for ways to get out and enjoy Michigan?s natural and cultural resources, here?s a glimpse at the month ahead! Find a complete list of events at Michigan.gov/DNRCalendar [ [link removed] ].

Harvest festivals

Fall harvest festivals [ [link removed] ] at state parks ? with hayrides, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, costume contests, haunted trails, nature programs, horse-drawn carriage rides and other family-friendly activities ? continue throughout October. Activities in state park campgrounds are typically open only to registered campers, but some parks also offer events for all visitors to enjoy.

Archaeology Day

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an archaeologist? Check out Michigan Archaeology Day [ [link removed] ], Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Michigan History Museum in Lansing. This free event for all ages celebrates the investigations and artifacts that tell the stories of 14,000 years of Michigan history. You can see and learn about the work of Michigan archaeologists, make a clay pinch pot, watch a flintknapper make stone tools, try throwing a spear using an atlatl, join a scavenger hunt, see in-depth special presentations and more.



little girl in purple coat and leggings and orange vest smiles while running on paved trail; an adult lifts up a small child in background
Outdoor Adventure Center

October at the Outdoor Adventure Center offers a variety of fall fun for all ages, including archery, nature education programs for kids, family hikes and much more:


* Learn more about our feathered friends with birding programs at Belle Isle Park in Detroit Oct. 8 [ [link removed] ] and an off-site event at Sterling State Park in Monroe Oct. 15 [ [link removed] ].
* Don?t miss the Michigan DNR showcase at the Detroit Harvest Fest and Food Truck Rally [ [link removed] ]?Oct. 7-8 ? find us near the Franklin Street entrance of this event to learn about Michigan?s natural resources, parks, trails and more.

That's just a sampling of what?s happening this month at the OAC. Find more info about these and other programs on the Outdoor Adventure Center events calendar [ [link removed] ].

Snowshoe making

Learn to weave a pair of traditional wooden snowshoes, which can be used for winter hiking, gift-giving or home d?cor, during the DNR Outdoor Skills Academy?s snowshoe-making class at Ludington State Park [ [link removed] ]?Oct. 28-29.

The class will be offered again in November, along with a venison processing and cooking clinic. Get more details about these and other "how to" programs at Michigan.gov/OutdoorSkills [ [link removed] ].



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Help take care of, give input on your public lands

small group of adults in jeans and long-sleeved shirts hold bright green garbage bags as they walk single-file down a forested, dirt trail

Every month, there are a variety of ways you can get involved in caring for our state?s natural and cultural resources, including millions of acres of public lands that belong to Michigan residents.

Read on to learn about opportunities around the state this month.?For more ideas on how to volunteer, contribute and provide input to make a difference, visit Michigan.gov/DNRVolunteers [ [link removed] ].

Volunteer workdays at state parks, hatcheries

Several state parks in southern Michigan will host volunteer stewardship workdays. Volunteers are needed to help restore natural areas by removing invasive plants that threaten high-quality ecosystems. Workdays will take place at:


* Waterloo Recreation Area (Washtenaw County), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7.
* Yankee Springs Recreation Area (Barry County), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7.
* Island Lake Recreation Area (Livingston County), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8.
* Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Oakland County), 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Oct. 14.
* Ludington State Park (Mason County), 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct. 15.
* Muskegon State Park (Muskegon County), 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 21.
* Fort Custer Recreation Area (Kalamazoo County), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22.
* Belle Isle Park (Wayne County), 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Oct. 28.
Warren Dunes State Park (Berrien County), 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 28.
* Pinckney Recreation Area (Washtenaw County), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29.

Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center in Van Buren County also will host a volunteer stewardship workday [ [link removed] ] 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18. Volunteers will help with invasive species removal, trail and visitor center maintenance, seed collections and much more.

Fall Volunteer Day [ [link removed] ] at Mears State Park in Oceana County is Saturday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteers will help get the park ready for winter by putting up snow fence, taking down benches, grills and tables, painting tables and more. Volunteers who work all day can camp for free for the weekend (camping isn?t a requirement to volunteer ? all are welcome).

More details about each workday and how to register can be found on the DNR volunteer events calendar [ [link removed] ].



On the Ground opportunities to improve wildlife habitat

a young woman digs shovels dirt aroiund a newly planted sapling as a man kneels by the tree to help plant and stabilize it

Join On the Ground, Michigan United Conservation Clubs? volunteer wildlife habitat improvement program in partnership with the DNR, for two projects in October.

Saturday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. to noon, volunteers are needed to spread native grass seeds and remove invasive vegetation to help restore oak savanna habitat at Canonsburg State Game Area in Kent County. Volunteers will plant mast-producing trees ? an important fall and winter food source for a wide variety of Michigan wildlife ? in the Traverse City Forest Management Unit in Kalkaska County Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Find more details and registration info on the On the Ground webpage [ [link removed] ].

Weigh in on state land review plans

There?s still an opportunity to review and share feedback on DNR staff recommendations on whether to keep, exchange or sell state-managed land in 11 counties ? Baraga, Benzie, Clare, Clinton, Genesee, Ionia, Manistee, Mecosta, Newaygo, Shiawassee and Wayne. Comments on the latest round of the state land review process [ [link removed] ] will be accepted through Oct. 11.



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THINGS TO DO [ [link removed] ]

Whether you love to hike, paddle, run or ride, Michigan's trails are calling! Start at the DNR's trails webpage [ [link removed] ] for maps, closures info, etiquette tips, merchandise and more.?




BUY & APPLY [ [link removed] ]

Do you or someone you know need to learn about lumber grading? Sign up for the four-day workshop (Dec. 4-7) [ [link removed] ] at Kirtland Community College's Grayling campus.




GET INVOLVED [ [link removed] ]

Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger [ [link removed] ] helps provide food for people who need it most. Hunters can donate deer, and anyone can donate dollars to support processing.



Download the new Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app [ [link removed] ]
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This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Natural Resources ? Constitution Hall, 525 W. Allegan St., PO Box 30028 Lansing MI 48909 ? 1-800-439-1420