Join a webinar (Oct. 7 or 8) and take a survey to share you feedback and learn about the Michigan the Beautiful initiative.



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"DNR News"



Sept. 26, 2024
Contact: Scott Whitcomb, DNR Office of Public Lands director, [email protected] <[email protected]>

DNR wants to know: What do Michiganders want in the outdoors?

Man in a navy blue jacket and Detroit Tigers ballcap and a little girl in a ballcap both smile as she shows off her caught fish and pole.

Michigan’s outdoors means many things to Michiganders: camping under the full fall colors, the tug of a fish on the line, hiking or biking a rail-trail, barbecuing in the park, the point of a good bird dog or paddling a pristine river, to name just a few.

Right now, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is digging a little deeper to find out which outdoor experiences and places residents want to prioritize for conservation in the years to come.

Michiganders are invited to learn more and share input at one of two webinars, Oct. 7 or 8, or through an online public survey, open now, to tell the DNR about the outdoor places and conservation work that are important to them. All public feedback – from the webinars and survey, plus the targeted focus groups that took place this summer – will help shape collective priorities for an initiative called Michigan the Beautiful.



What is Michigan the Beautiful?
blond little girl in a pink shirt and shorts sits on a sand dune, sand streaming from her hand, against bright blue sky and Lake Michigan

Michigan the Beautiful, or MtB, is a challenge to conserve, restore and connect at least 30% of Michigan’s lands and waters by 2030. It is a journey to engage with residents, organizations and local units of government from diverse communities across the state, to identify the outdoor values that unite Michiganders and better understand our shared priorities for land and water conservation. By finding common ground, this more inclusive, locally led approach to conservation can build on past and current efforts to collaboratively address a changing climate, inequitable access to the outdoors and the loss of wildlife and habitat.

“Time spent in the outdoors means different things to different people, and these unique or shared experiences are what make Michigan special and what is at the heart of Michigan the Beautiful,” said Shannon Lott, DNR natural resources deputy director.

The MtB initiative seeks to:


* Conduct a statewide baseline assessment and create an online, GIS-based conservation viewer that tells a clearer, visual story of conservation in Michigan.
* Create spaces – input sessions, a webpage, informational materials and more – for the public to connect with the effort.
* Produce a “Pathways to Michigan the Beautiful" report that outlines a suite of conservation actions on natural and working lands that contribute to Michigan the Beautiful goals and the overall health of our lands and waters.

“Michigan the Beautiful is not just a DNR planning exercise,” said Scott Whitcomb, director of the DNR’s Office of Public Lands. “It’s building a shared vision together, one that Michiganders can get behind, and ensuring there is room in the tent for everyone – from conservation organizations prioritizing restoration activities to local township parks planning renovations, from state and federal agencies planning public land management to the people next door planting native plants and trees.”

How to get involved
young men and women in outdoor gear and orange knit hats work in a grassy, reedy, forest field to collect seeds from native plants

The nature that defines Michigan is facing extraordinary challenges – challenges that can only be solved if we partner in creative, new ways to find solutions that ensure our children and grandchildren can continue to enjoy, appreciate and benefit from nature like generations before.

“Michiganders know nature is one of our most precious resources because we live it every day. From the Great Lakes and wetlands to extensive forests and farms, Michigan’s natural landscape touches our work, recreation, community and family time in ways large and small,” Whitcomb said. “Everyone is invited to play a role in this collective journey to steward the future of Michigan’s nature.”

There are simple ways to get involved. You can:


* *Join a webinar.* Learn about Michigan the Beautiful and tell us what Michigan’s nature means to you and your friends and family, and how we can support conservation in your community. Register for one of two webinars [ [link removed] ]: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7 or 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8. 
* *Take the survey.* Take a few minutes to complete the Michigan the Beautiful survey [ [link removed] ] and share your ideas on how, together, we can better protect and enhance Michigan’s natural beauty for everyone to enjoy.
* *Commit to one new conservation action over the next year.* Restore a habitat in your backyard, plant a pollinator garden, learn about invasive species or volunteer at a local park or natural area – every action helps.
* *Connect locally.* Find your local conservation district, land conservancy, conservation club or environmental organization for ideas and inspiration.
* *Share your outdoor stories.* Write to us at [email protected] <[email protected]> and tell us about one (or more!) of your favorite Michigan the Beautiful moments. Where did you go? What did you do? What do you most remember about the experience?

Learn more about this statewide initiative at Michigan the Beautiful [ [link removed] ].

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*Note to editors:* Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows. Credit to Michigan Department of Natural Resources unless otherwise noted.


* Dunes [ [link removed] ]: A little girl enjoying the sand dunes at Silver Lake State Park (Oceana County). Photo credit to Tyler Leipprandt and Michigan Sky Media LLC, in partnership with the Michigan DNR.
* Native seed collection [ [link removed] ]: Volunteers and DNR staff collect native seeds during a stewardship workday at Fort Custer Recreation Area between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo; it's one way to protect natural areas in Michigan.
* Family fishing [ [link removed] ]: A little girl shows of her catch after some family fishing at Detroit's Palmer Park.
* Relaxing [ [link removed] ]: Sharing a laugh at Pinckney Recreation Area in southeast Michigan.

 


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