After consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department captured and relocated an adult male grizzly bear on May 2, 2025.

The grizzly bear was captured in association with conflict management efforts for cattle depredation, this bear was not the bear responsible for depredation and was released away from the calving pasture. In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Shoshone National Forest, the grizzly bear was relocated to the Ghost Creek drainage approximately 60 miles northwest of Cody. Read more

In the weeks ahead, ducks, mergansers, herons, terns, gulls and more will fly through Portage Marsh State Wildlife Area in Escanaba – one of Michigan’s premier Wetland Wonders and an Audubon Important Bird Area – as they migrate north back to their breeding grounds.

Join the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and partners from Common Coast Research and Conservation and the Laughing Whitefish Bird Alliance for a guided birding tour along the coastal wetlands of the state wildlife area.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 17. The meeting place will be at the Portage Marsh State Wildlife Area, at the dead end of Portage Point 11.4 Lane (Lat: 45.706675, Long: -87.079639). Read more

The chance to observe the nesting activities at a Great Gray Owl nest site in Montana will attract even more attention after the nestlings become visible.

It’s especially interesting to take a look at a few of the early nesting birds featured on a number of live cams that feature larger birds, mostly owls and raptors. Starting with the Cornell Lab’s live streaming nest cams – you can see large nestlings of a Great Horned Owl in Texas and Barred Owls in Indiana; plus recently hatched Red-tailed Hawk nestlings being attended by adults in Ithaca, New York. There is also a trio of live nest cams in western Montana provided by the Owl Research Institute in association with Explore.org, including an incubating Great Gray Owl, young Great Horned Owls that are about to leave the nest, and an incubating Osprey.

Each of the nest sites has its own pair of adults, eggs or nestlings, and a story that began earlier this spring, which is provided for each nest site. In the case of the 3 Cornell live cams, you can also view video clips of recent highlights recorded at each nest site. It’s always interesting and fun to look in on what’s going on at each nest location.

Wait! Did we forget to include the Peregrine Falcon eyrie cam? Yes, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is also providing a live camera feed from inside an artificial nesting eyrie on a skyscraper in St. Paul, Minnesota. The female is presently incubating 4 eggs that should begin hatching any minute now, and there is an interesting story behind that uptown falcon nest site too.

Direct links to each of the live cams are provided below, and we hope you enjoy the show!

Great Gray Owl Nest – live owl camera from Montana | Explore.org

Great Horned Owl Cam – live owl camera from Montana | Explore.org

Osprey Nest Camera – live from Charlo Montana | Explore.org

Barred Owls | Cornell Lab Bird Cams (allaboutbirds.org)

Red-tailed Hawks | Cornell Lab Bird Cams (allaboutbirds.org)

Great Horned Owls | Cornell Lab Bird Cams (allaboutbirds.org)

DNR FalconCam | Minnesota DNR (state.mn.us)

By providing a full menu of bird foods, you create the opportunity of attracting new birds to your yard (photos by Paul Konrad).

Similar to orioles, migrating hummingbirds could be enticed to stay and nest in your yard or nearby in your neighborhood when they find a reliable source of food, water, and nesting cover within their nesting range.

This is something of a last call to make your yard the most attractive little oasis for migrating songbirds. We all want attract the greatest variety of birds to our yards, and this is the best time of the year to attract new migrants as they arrive for a stopover or an extended period that may include nesting. The most important thing we can do is to provide a predictable source of favorite foods and fresh water on the edge of backyard habitat to benefit migrating birds. And you may be able to attract new birds to stop and stay a while – to nest in your yard or nearby. Read more

The Michigan Army National Guard’s 107th Engineer Battalion will conduct engineer construction projects next month at Rockport Recreation Area north of Alpena and P.H. Hoeft State Park in Presque Isle County.

Soldiers assigned to the 1430th Engineer Company, based in Traverse City, Michigan, will participate in Innovative Readiness Training projects to assist the unit with building readiness. The projects offer opportunities for hands-on experience for guard personnel in construction and maintenance, while also providing a benefit to the parks and community.

At Rockport Recreation Area May 2-15, the Michigan Army National Guard will improve multi-use (horseback, biking, hiking) trails to mitigate standing water resulting from spring run-off and heavy rains. They will also construct a 10-foot by 12-foot maintenance shed that will be used by Michigan Department of Natural Resources staff.

At P.H. Hoeft State Park May 2-15, the Michigan Army National Guard will undertake construction of two Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible pathways, from the day-use parking lot to the Sunrise Pavilion and a ramp at the Pavilion, ensuring all visitors access to this historic structure. They will also renovate the office space at park headquarters for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources staff. Read more

Utah’s Great Salt Lake is drying up, foretelling a dire future for residents of Salt Lake City and the surrounding region if something isn’t done soon to reverse the lake’s decline. An unprecedented coalition of state leaders, agencies, conservation organizations, foundations and private philanthropists have assembled to head off what some are warning could be an environmental disaster on a scale America hasn’t seen since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

A key part of that effort is to make people across Utah and the globe aware of Great Salt Lake’s importance and the urgent need to save it. After nearly two years in production, Secrets of Great Salt Lake is set for release in giant screen theaters worldwide, including a destination theater and interpretive center currently under construction at Utah’s Antelope Island State Park located near Salt Lake City.

To read the rest of the column click here

Whitetails Unlimited has granted $334,643 to various mission-related projects in the state of Michigan over the past fiscal year. More than 130 different organizations received grants pertaining to outdoor education, habitat enhancement, and hunting and shooting sports preservation. This was done in large part with the help of Whitetails Unlimited’s 47 Michigan chapters.

Whitetails Unlimited supports hunter rights and the Second Amendment. Hunting is a wholesome family activity that provides outdoor recreation and healthy food for millions of people. Major initiatives of WTU focus on increasing hunting opportunities and providing outdoor experiences for youth, women, veterans, and those with disabilities. Large portions of these funds were granted to several shooting sport groups throughout the state that include funds to offset cost of clay targets, ammo, and safety equipment, as well as well as the purchase of bows for underprivileged youth. Along with managing hunts to control the deer population on and around nature center property, funds were also granted to repair food plot equipment that is available for use by all area WTU members. Read more

Two trails in the northern Lower Peninsula are recipients of the 2025 Pure Michigan Trail designation, an annual recognition that spotlights some of the state’s best trail experiences.

The Betsie Valley Trail, a 22-mile pathway extending from Frankfort through Elberta and Beulah to Thompsonville in Benzie County, and Chain of Lakes Water Trail, a 100-plus mile inland water trail made up of 12 lakes and interconnected rivers in northwest Michigan, are this year’s Pure Michigan Trail recipients.

The announcement was made during this week’s Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

“The Betsie Valley Trail and Chain of Lakes Water Trail offer exceptional hiking, biking and paddling experiences while also connecting residents and visitors to local communities and businesses,” said Kelly Wolgamott, vice president of Pure Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “Pure Michigan Trails represent the best of Michigan’s trail opportunities, and these extraordinary resources exemplify that designation.”

The Pure Michigan Trail and Trail Town Designation Program is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Pure Michigan and is designed to help boost the state’s position as the “Trails State.” Read more