Plus, check out our new "Wildtalk" podcast by Oct. 15 and you could win a camp mug!



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"News Digest - Week of Oct. 9, 2023"

two young girls in brightly colored jackets and jeans run across a fence-covered bridge crosswalk, with bright gold autumn trees behind them

Crisp air, brilliant colors ... it's beginning to look a lot like fall!



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


* Photo ambassador snapshot: Pondering the Porkies [ #link_1 ]
* Natural Resources Commission heading to Escanaba [ #link_16 ]
* It's the final round of state land review recommendations [ #link_17 ]
* DNR staff, associates earn honors in outdoor education [ #link_2 ]

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 the images used below, and others, are available in this folder.

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Photo ambassador snapshot: Pondering the Porkies
a young child in a teal sweatshirt and green brimmed hat leans his face on his hands, staring out at the vast orange, gold forest below

Want to see more pictures like this, taken by Michigan state parks photo ambassador Jamie Ball [ [link removed] ]?at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties? 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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Natural Resources Commission heading to Escanaba

a little brown bat hangs upside down from the ceiling of a craggy, tan-colored cave

The next meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission ? Thursday, Oct. 12, in Escanaba ? leads off with a Fisheries Committee agenda that includes a discussion on pike regulations in the Upper Peninsula and inland lakes, as well as a look at the status of lake trout populations at offshore reefs in Lake Superior. The Wildlife Committee follows with an overview of the DNR's Grouse Enhancement Management Sites, better known as GEMS.

The meeting also will include presentations of Lifesaving Awards from the DNR's Law Enforcement and Parks and Recreation divisions, updates on white-nose syndrome in bats and the status of wolves in Michigan, a DNR legislative report and several land transactions.

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the JHUC 952 Conference Room of?Bay College,?2001 N. Lincoln Road. Before the meeting, at 8 a.m., the public is invited to enjoy Coffee with the Commissioners, an opportunity to speak with commission members in a less formal setting.?

See the draft meeting agenda at Michigan.gov/NRC [ [link removed] ].?For more information about the meeting, email [email protected] <[email protected]>.



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It's the final round of state land review recommendations

a forested area with tall, mature trees with lush green leaves, and a clearing with a worn dirt path area

With approximately 4.6 million acres of public lands to care for on behalf of Michigan residents, the DNR literally has a lot of ground to cover!

The state land review is one way the department stays on top of those resources and makes decisions about?whether to keep, exchange or sell individual parcels. As the ninth round of land review gets underway, the DNR will host?virtual public meetings later this month to share information about the process and gather public feedback about land managers' recommendations.?

This ninth and final round is different from the first eight, which focused on groups of 10 or 11 counties at a time. Group 9 is more of a catchall category that includes parcels ? totaling nearly 4,000 acres ? from 67 different counties that weren't captured in the first eight rounds due to the parcels' small size or the need for additional research to verify the accuracy of location or ownership.

The state land review stems from the 2013 DNR-managed public land strategy [ [link removed] ] and involves review of certain parcels of state land to determine whether they are contributing strongly to the department?s mission. The review process involves DNR-managed lands that are 200 acres or less in size or that, due to an irregular boundary, may be difficult to manage.

Meeting details

* *Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m. [ [link removed] ]* ? Join Microsoft Teams meeting or call (for audio only) +1 248-509-0316, 282107743#, Conference ID: 282 107 743#
* *Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m. [ [link removed] ]* ? Join Microsoft Teams meeting or call (for audio only) +1 248-509-0316, 662784152#, Conference ID: 662 784 152#

Participate in either meeting by following the given Microsoft Teams link. You don?t have to have Microsoft Teams on your computer or smart device to join, but please note that each link is specific to its meeting date and time; the links will not be live or accessible until each meeting is ?opened? by the moderator. Anyone without access to a computer may call in using the phone number provided.

Questions? Visit the DNR?s land review webpage [ [link removed] ] for more information or contact Kerry Heckman <[email protected]> at 517-643-1256.



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DNR staff, associates earn honors in outdoor education

a bald, smiling man in a pale, striped shirt holds a miniature etched wooden oar, in front of a blue and green banner on the wall

At its annual conference Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Alpena, the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education [ [link removed] ] handed out honors to several DNR employees and associates:


* Jon Spieles, chief of the DNR Marketing and Outreach Division (shown here).
* Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck, faculty member at Ferris State University.
* Aja Edwards, an educator at the Detroit Zoo.
* Andrea Stay, DNR Forest Resources Division engagement specialist.

Spieles received the Julian Smith Award, Michigan?s highest honor in outdoor education, named for the national pioneer in outdoor education and Michigan State University faculty member. Spieles began his career as a park interpreter at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in 1994 and had been DNR?s field manager for interpretation from 2002 until his recent elevation to marketing and outreach chief.

Under his direction, DNR education efforts in state parks and fish hatcheries have reached more than a million students and campers, and his emphasis on outdoor education has enabled the department to connect more than 25,000 people a year with archery and fishing programs.



Ferris State University?s Fitzwilliams-Heck took home MAEOE?s Bill Stapp Award, the state?s highest honor for environmental education. She has been on the DNR?s Academy of Natural Resources planning team since 2013 and co-facilitated more than 15 ANR programs. Bill Stapp was a University of Michigan faculty member and a renowned leader in environmental education, his work revered across the planet.

The Detroit Zoo?s Edwards won MAEOE?s Rising Star Award for a young professional entering the field of environmental and outdoor education. Her work as a DNR intern in the Education Services Section was highlighted in the award presentation. From fall 2022 through July 2023, she assisted ESS staff with Salmon in the Classroom, conference exhibits and more.

Stay?s efforts and impact are sure to reach beyond the DNR Forest Resources Division. She earned her state Environmental Educator Certification from MAEOE, and Michigan is only one of five states whose certification process has been approved by the North American Association of Environmental Education.

Questions? Contact Kevin Frailey <[email protected]> at 517-974-7941

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THINGS TO DO [ [link removed] ]

The DNR's?October "Wildtalk" podcast [ [link removed] ] is out, with lots to learn about screech owls, striped skunks and more fur and feather facts. Give it a listen!?




BUY & APPLY [ [link removed] ]

If you caught a mighty big fish in 2023, you may be a Master Angler [ [link removed] ] in the making! Apply for the Master Angler title and state record by Jan. 10, 2024.




GET INVOLVED [ [link removed] ]

Do you know your beech from your birch? Don?t be stumped! We?ve got the deets you need (with pictures) on our Michigan tree species info page [ [link removed] ].



Download the new Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app [ [link removed] ]
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