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"News Digest - Week of Jan. 15, 2024"

small group of brown and white birds with red-tipped heads, feeding on the ground in bright white snow

Common redpolls, wintering in Michigan, feed in the crisp, white snow.



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


* Nature Center Summit, Wildlife Weekend set for February [ #link_16 ]
* Keep, swap or sell? Weigh in on land review by Feb. 7 [ #link_17 ]
* Prune, plan, plant ? get a jump on tree season [ #link_2 ]
* New season of Outdoor Channel's 'Wardens' starts Jan. 26 [ #link_3 ]
* Photo ambassador snapshot: Snowy smile at Belle Isle [ #link_1 ]

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 many of the images used in this email are available in this folder.

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Nature Center Summit, Wildlife Weekend set for February

Nonformal nature educators looking for hands-on nature learning and inspiration, don?t miss next month?s *Nature Center Summit* in northern Michigan.?

The one-day seminar ? Friday, Feb. 9, at the DNR?s Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on Higgins Lake in Roscommon ? brings together nature center interpreters, zoo staff, conservation district educators, higher education faculty and K-12 teachers interested in the latest updates and trends in Michigan natural resources management and environmental issues.

The summit generally welcomes about 100 people to learn from the state?s top authorities in their areas of expertise. Stay for the day (lunch included) or stay later and network with your education colleagues; the choice is yours. Find full event and registration details on the Nature Center Summit webpage [ [link removed] ].

Wildlife Weekend (open to everyone)

snow-dusted chairs and snowshoes around a gray concrete firepit in front of a fieldstone and steel lodge-style building

Sponsored by the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education, Wildlife Weekend takes off when the Nature Center Summit concludes. Beginning that Friday evening and running through noon Sunday, Feb. 11, Wildlife Weekend offers three course options:


* Snowshoe Making: Learn the step-by-step process to lace your own Green Mountain snowshoes, and join a trail adventure at Hartwick Pines State Park.
* Geology Potpourri: Explore a billion-year timeline, learn how Native Americans used and traded rocks and minerals, and make your own jewelry.
* Finding Your Way: Learn about navigation with the use of maps, enjoy a navigational road trip and see how the Land Ordinance of 1785 shaped today?s world.

Wildlife Weekend is designed for anyone who wants to learn, so bring a friend or partner and enjoy the food, fires and ambience of a winter weekend at the RAM Center. For more information and to register, go to the Wildlife Weekend webpage [ [link removed] ].

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



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Keep, swap or sell? Weigh in on land review by Feb. 7

tall, slender mature trees with bright green foliage stand close together in a thickly forested area with a rough dirt trail cutting through

DNR staff recommendations on whether to keep, exchange or sell state-managed land in the ninth and final round of the land review are nearing DNR director approval, but there?s still plenty of time for anyone interested to review them and share feedback; public comments are due Feb. 7.?

An updated, interactive web map [ [link removed] ] reflects those recommendations since the initial public comment period closed, making it easy to see what has changed throughout the department?s ongoing review process.

Implemented as part of the 2013 Managed Public Land Strategy [ [link removed] ] (later updated for 2021-2027 [ [link removed] ]), the state land review looks at DNR-managed lands that are 200 acres or less in size or that, due to an irregular boundary, may be difficult to manage. 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.



?This county-by-county review process gives us the opportunity to evaluate and make decisions about how well the current land portfolio supports our mission of protecting natural resources while providing broad public access to quality outdoor recreation opportunities,? said DNR forest land administrator Kerry Heckman. ?It?s critical that people who enjoy and use these lands are part of the discussion, and we appreciate everyone who has taken the time to get involved so far.?

Comments left on the web map or emailed to [email protected] <[email protected]> by Feb. 7 will be compiled and provided to the DNR director. A final decision on recommendations is expected at the Feb. 8 meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission [ [link removed] ].

Follow updates on the state land review process [ [link removed] ] at Michigan.gov/PublicLands. [ [link removed] ]

Questions? Contact Kerry Heckman at [email protected] <[email protected]>.

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Prune, plan, plant ? get a jump on tree season

Closeup of a person's hand using pruning shears to remove a tree twig

Even in the middle of winter, it's not too early to be thinking of ways to be a good tree tender. One way is to prune your trees and shrubs to boost their health. Looking ahead, you can research and plan for new trees in your space, planting them once the ground thaws. See our quick tips to get your plant on!

*Prune:* Late winter is the best time to prune most types of trees. This is especially important for oaks to reduce the risk of spreading oak wilt disease. Pruning is used to improve a tree?s structure, remove weak or dead limbs and increase airflow, helping to ensure health during the growing season. This December 2022 Showcasing the DNR story has details on basic techniques [ [link removed] ]. If you have fruit trees, which require specialized care, see a winter fruit tree pruning article [ [link removed] ] from Michigan State University Extension.

*Plan:*?Are you adding more trees in 2024? Think about whether you want a tree that will benefit pollinators, attract your favorite birds and wildlife or provide magnificent fall color. Take your growing zone, site conditions and nearby infrastructure (buildings, power lines and underground cables) into account to pick trees that are perfect for your location.

Once you?ve made your picks, it?s time to order them from your local conservation district [ [link removed] ] or tree nursery. You can also purchase trees online from the Arbor Day Foundation or a reputable nursery. Don?t delay ? many tree sales start in midwinter with spring pickup.?If you?re planning to plant many trees on a large area of land, check out our resources for private forest land owners [ [link removed] ].

*Plant:?*Plant one tree, or many! Download a copy of our tree planting and care guide [ [link removed] ] or the U.S. Department of Agriculture Tree Owner?s Manual [ [link removed] ] for tips to help your trees thrive. Once your tree is in the ground, add it to our Mi Trees planting map [ [link removed] ] to help us reach a statewide pledge to plant 50 million trees by 2030.

Questions? Contact DNR urban forester Lawrence Sobson <[email protected]>?at 313-316-4137.



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New season of Outdoor Channel's 'Wardens' starts Jan. 26

a woman in a DNR conservation officer uniform and hat examines a duck in the back of a pickup while checking a hunter's license info.

Another season of the Outdoor Channel?s ?Wardens? [ [link removed] ] ? featuring the Michigan DNR ? begins Jan. 26. It?s a unique opportunity for a closer look at how our dedicated conservation officers, biologists, foresters, park employees and many others work to conserve, protect and manage Michigan?s natural and cultural resources.

This year?s episodes take viewers to locations across the state, including a walleye patrol on the Detroit River, the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program in the Upper Peninsula and a charity event hosted by Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow at the Bald Mountain Shooting Range in Lake Orion. Check out a sneak peek of the season's first episode, "Firearm Season Whitetails & BOW." [ [link removed] ]?

The DNR initially partnered with the Outdoor Channel [ [link removed] ] on production of the television show in 2016. ?Wardens? viewership via the Outdoor Channel in 2023 was over 2 million households.

Since the show began featuring the Michigan DNR:


* Total viewership is more than 36.6 million households.
* 78 episodes have aired over 1,000 times.
* ?Wardens? continues to be available Sunday mornings on WLUC FOX UP TV6.
* Previous episodes have been repackaged on basic cable as ?Wardens of the North? and ?Michigan Wardens? on Animal Planet.
* Outdoor Channel is accessible via cable and mobile platforms including MyOutdoorTV and Amazon Prime Video.

Episodes appearing on Animal Planet made an immediate public impact. The DNR doesn?t have ratings information but reports that public feedback was noticeable.

Commercial spots within the show feature recruiting opportunities for new officers and promote accessible recreation opportunities at Michigan state parks, hunting areas, beaches, fishing piers, historic sites and other destinations.

Questions? Contact Dave Haupt <[email protected]> at 517-420-0819.



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Photo ambassador snapshot: Snowy smile at Belle Isle
a young girl, brown hair spilling out from her hood, in a navy blue winter coat, smiles as light snow falls around her in a wooded area

See more pictures by Michigan state parks photo ambassadors [ [link removed] ] at Instagram.com/MiStateParks [ [link removed] ]. For more on the program, call Stephanie Yancer <[email protected]> at 989-274-6182. (This photo is by Samantha Hageman Gaina [ [link removed] ], for the Michigan DNR, at Belle Isle Park in Wayne County.)

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THINGS TO DO [ [link removed] ]

Michiganders know the fishing doesn't stop when the snow starts to fly. Get all the ice fishing [ [link removed] ] information you need and get out there!




BUY & APPLY [ [link removed] ]

Buy licenses and permits, check drawing results, report harvests and check regulations; do it all at the DNR's eLicense webpage [ [link removed] ].




GET INVOLVED [ [link removed] ]

Count birds, collect water samples, find Michigan's biggest trees ... how can you support community science [ [link removed] ] efforts in 2024?




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