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Here are a few of this week's stories from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources:
See other news releases, Showcasing the DNR stories, photos and other resources at Michigan.gov/DNRPressRoom.
PHOTO FOLDER: Larger, higher-res versions of some of the images used below, and others, are available in this folder. All photos in this digest courtesy Michigan State Park Photo Ambassadors. See more photo ambassador images at Instagram.com/MiStateParks.
Across the state, the Perseid meteor shower will also be visible on clear nights at many of Michigan's state parks. Peaking in mid-August, this meteor shower is the best of the year, offering the opportunity to see up to 100 shooting stars per hour. To view the show, you will need a location away from light pollution and a clear view of the sky to the northeast.
Recently, Indian Lake State Park guide Leah Saxton hosted a "S'more and Meteor" event to celebrate the Perseid shower, drawing in dozens of park visitors. Situated along the shores of Indian Lake in the Upper Peninsula, the park is an ideal spot for stargazing because of its clear night skies. Here, visitors can frequently enjoy meteor showers, views of various constellations and phenomena such as the Northern Lights. If you can’t make it to the U.P. but still want to enjoy the night sky, Van Buren State Park near South Haven will host a program about the Sturgeon Moon Aug. 16 at 10 p.m., complete with a telescope for guests to use.
Events like these are part of the Explorer Guide program, which offers free educational programs to campers and day-use visitors at over two dozen state parks, with topics ranging from orienteering, wildlife identification and survival skills to basic fishing lessons and scavenger hunts.
“Someone shared with me that feeling connected to a natural resource is like ownership, which carries the responsibility of caring for the park environment,” said Saxton. “Working with park educators is an incredible opportunity, and being with park guests is a privilege. I really love connecting guests to our park’s environment and teaching visitors about the night sky.”
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If your Labor Day weekend travel plans include crossing the Mighty Mac Monday, Sept. 2, keep in mind the Mackinac Bridge Authority closes the bridge 6:30 a.m. to noon for the Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk.
Want to join the Bridge Walk? It's free (and registration isn't required). There's plenty to do on both sides of the bridge, like visiting Mackinaw City or Ocqueoc Falls in the Lower Peninsula or exploring St. Ignace or Fayette Historic State Park in the Upper Peninsula.
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In this episode of the award-winning "Wildtalk" podcast, we talk to Heather Shaw, wildlife biologist with the DNR’s Shingleton Management Unit, and Tom Seablom, the DNR’s western U.P. district forest manager, about habitat work on GEMS – grouse enhanced management sites – in the Upper Peninsula, fly away with a discussion about the ruffed grouse and wrap up the episode with a chat about the eastern and least chipmunk.
Pete Kailing, senior wildlife biologist in the southwestern Lower Peninsula, also stops in to talk about hunting and trapping opportunities available in August, including the application period for reserved waterfowl hunts in DNR-managed waterfowl areas, timing for bear baiting by management unit, and early crow season, which runs through Sept. 30.
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If you have a passion for the natural world and want to learn more about how to care for it and inspire others to do the same, consider signing up for Michigan State University Extension’s Michigan Conservation Steward Program. You can enroll now for a hybrid program that pairs online learning with field learning in Berrien, Macomb, Marquette or Newaygo counties.
You’ll explore the history of conservation in Michigan, basic ecological principles, ecoregional classifications, current conservation issues, making informed choices that benefit natural resources and how residents can get involved in community science. The program is a great opportunity to better understand natural communities in your area and to complete (with the guidance of a local mentor) a stewardship project important to you.
The eight-week program runs September to November and includes self-paced, weekly online course content and up to three hours of weekly, in-person lecture and field instruction with the other participants in your local cohort. Registration closes Aug. 18.
You’ll learn about forest land, grasslands, wetlands, lake and stream environments. Professional-level instruction is provided by MSU Extension, Michigan Natural Features Inventory and experts from local conservation organizations.
Interested? Learn more about the program – including how to sign up for updates – at www.canr.msu.edu/csp.
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 See more pictures by Michigan state parks photo ambassadors at Instagram.com/MiStateParks. For more on the program, call Stephanie Yancer at 989-274-6182. (This photo is by Aubry Healy, for the Michigan DNR, at Ludington State Park in Mason County.)
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