Whether they consist of a couple acres in a suburb or hundreds of acres in a rural area, school forests are a perfect setting for hands-on learning about plants, trees, wildlife and how ecosystems work.

The Michigan School Forest Guide offers plenty of advice on school forests, from how to set one up, how to make the most of an existing school forest and even how to introduce students to public forests if a school forest isn’t available. It has been awarded the Thomas Say Award for Outstanding Publication by the National Association for Interpretation.

Who was Thomas Say, by the way? He was an early 19th-century naturalist who identified more than 1,500 insects and wildlife species native to North America. The awards program honors naturalists whose work inspires greater understanding, awareness and stewardship of natural resources.

“Once, there were more than 600 school forests in Michigan,” said Ada Takacs, DNR department specialist, who created the guide along with DNR staffer Mike Smalligan, AmeriCorps volunteers Rachel Straughen and Angel Squalls, and naturalist Maureen Stine. “If your school has a forest, that’s a plus. If your school doesn’t have a forest, there are still ways to get kids into this rich learning environment.”

Want a forest for your own school? A PDF copy of the guide is available Read more

2020 survey shows at least 186 wolves across the Southwest

The wild population of Mexican wolves in the United States saw its fifth consecutive year of growth in 2020. According to the recent count, the U.S. population of Mexican wolves has increased by 14% since last year, raising the total number of wolves in the wild to a minimum of 186 animals. From November 2020 through January 2021, the Interagency Field Team (IFT) conducted ground counts in Arizona and New Mexico that concluded with aerial counts of Mexican wolves in January and February. According to the IFT, the 186 wolves are distributed with 114 in New Mexico and 72 in Arizona. In 2019, the team documented a minimum of 163 wolves, which was a 24% increase from 2018. This population has nearly doubled in size over the last five years. Read more

Changing habitat now can help prevent human-goose conflicts later.

Once Canada geese have started using a site, it can be difficult to discourage them from staying there through the season. Preventive action is the best way to deter Canada geese.

Many breeding pairs of Canada geese start looking for nesting locations this time of year. Geese frequently return to areas where they’ve been successful nesting before. They prefer areas within 150 feet of open water that are surrounded by turf grass, which is their favorite food.

If geese are being fed by people, this only encourages them to congregate in large groups and renders attempts to manage them useless. Feeding Canada geese — or any other wildlife — causes the animals to lose fear of humans, increasing the likelihood of conflicts with humans, especially those who have no food for them. Read more

Changing habitat now can help prevent human-goose conflicts later.

Once Canada geese have started using a site, it can be difficult to discourage them from staying there through the season. Preventive action is the best way to deter Canada geese.

Many breeding pairs of Canada geese start looking for nesting locations this time of year. Geese frequently return to areas where they’ve been successful nesting before. They prefer areas within 150 feet of open water that are surrounded by turf grass, which is their favorite food.

If geese are being fed by people, this only encourages them to congregate in large groups and renders attempts to manage them useless. Feeding Canada geese — or any other wildlife — causes the animals to lose fear of humans, increasing the likelihood of conflicts with humans, especially those who have no food for them. Read more

DNR partnerships, sponsorships offer chance to connect with outdoor enthusiasts

The Department of Natural Resources, this year celebrating 100 years of caring for Michigan’s outdoors and history, invites businesses and organizations to get involved as sponsors and partners in conserving natural and cultural resources, while connecting with the millions of people who enjoy these resources.

With less than 15% of the DNR’s annual budget coming from general tax dollars, new and creative revenue sources are vital to fulfilling the department’s mission.

“We are open to a wide variety of sponsorships and partnerships to help people enjoy and appreciate Michigan’s natural and cultural resources and, at the same time, highlight the many businesses that are growing the outdoor recreation industry and the state’s economy,” said Kristin Phillips, DNR Marketing and Outreach Division chief. “It’s also the DNR’s centennial year, which brings additional opportunities.” Read more

Statement from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Supporting the Introduction of the Abandoned Mine Land Reauthorization Act

Washington D.C. – The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies strongly supports the introduction of the Abandoned Mine Land Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund, which is set to expire in September 2021. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) and Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15) introduced this bill today in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.

“On behalf of our state agencies and the public they serve, I applaud Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Thompson for championing reauthorization of this critical program,” said Sara Parker Pauley, Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation and President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “These lands represent billions of dollars in unfunded projects and continuing the Trust Fund is now more important than ever. These projects are exactly the type of future-focused investments we count on Congress to support, enabling our agencies to accomplish even more in their work to ensure healthy fish and wildlife while providing thousands of jobs to hard working Americans.” Read more