April 14, 2026

Contact: Michelle Beloskur, Midwest Invasive Plant Network Director

Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), sometimes known as fig buttercup, is a short, perennial plant that is spreading in the Midwest. It is a watch list species in Michigan, meaning it has a limited known distribution in the state. It has shiny, dark green, heart-shaped leaves and small, bright yellow flowers. Natural resource professionals are asking for your help to prevent the spread of this invasive plant and protect our landscapes.

Lesser celandine is a spring ephemeral, meaning it emerges in early spring (March – April), then dies back when our native deciduous trees start to leaf out.

“There is only a short window of time when lesser celandine has emerged and is identifiable, so it’s critical to be on the lookout for this plant now” advises Michelle Beloskur, Director of the Midwest Invasive Plant Network. Read more

Here are some highlights of land transactions from the first quarter of 2026. To view the full details, click the View more button below.

Michigamme Highlands

The DNR purchased conservation easement rights over approximately 73,063 acres across Marquette, Baraga, and Iron Counties. The property contains environmentally important private forest lands that were threatened by conversion to non-forest use. The private landowner will manage the property under the terms of the Conservation Easement, which will be enforced by the DNR. The acquisition of the conservation easement prevents subdivision of the land, provides permanent public access to these unique lands, and requires the property to be sustainably managed as a working forest, which will provide wood fiber to the market and help to support the local rural economy. Acquisition of the rights in land was made possible by a United States Forest Service Forest Legacy Program grant of $15,075,000, a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant of $4,200,000, and a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant of $1,00,000. For more information, see our showcasing story: Showcasing the DNR: Protecting the wildest of Michigan’s wild places

Verdant Recreational Trail

The DNR purchased approximately 15 miles of recreational trail easements in Keweenaw and Houghton Counties. Acquisition of the easement rights permanently secures and connects trail access in perpetuity, providing public recreation opportunities and securing trails for future generations. The trails are dedicated to U.P. Snowmobile Trail No. 3 and provide dual use for trail ORV B. The easement rights were purchased with the Michigan Permanent Snowmobile Easement Fund.

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Contact: Cameron Dole, 906-226-1352 or Matt O’Neill, 989-865-6211Michiganders can still explore wild wetland habitats with two birding tours at Nayanquing Point and Portage Marsh state wildlife areas

A birding tour planned for Saturday, April 11, has been canceled due to floodwater making the Shiawassee River State Game Area in St. Charles inaccessible, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reports. Read more

Come witness the dazzling display of the American woodcock mating dance April 23 near Gladwin in mid-Michigan.

Join the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Ruffed Grouse Society for this free, guided woodcock walk at the Lame Duck Foot Access Area, a DNR-managed Grouse Enhanced Management Site (GEMS).

Participants will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, at the corner of Bowmanville Road and Lame Duck Truck Trail, 15 miles northeast of Gladwin. All ages are welcome. Bring binoculars and a headlamp or flashlight. Be prepared to navigate muddy, uneven ground; the trails are not considered accessible under Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

RSVP by calling 989-426-9205, Ext. 2267630. Leave a message with your name, contact number and number of participants.

The American woodcock is a plump little migratory shorebird with a long bill for probing earthworms in the forests and fields of eastern North America, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Michigan is a premiere state for woodcock hunting and viewing.

“The male woodcock’s evening display flights are one of the magical natural sights of springtime,” the Cornell Lab notes. “He gives buzzy peent calls from a display area on the ground, then flies upward in a wide spiral. As he gets higher, his wings start to twitter. At a height of 200–350 feet the twittering becomes intermittent, and the bird starts to descend. He zigzags down, chirping as he goes, then lands silently (near a female, if she is present). Once on the ground, he resumes peenting and the display starts over again.”

The makeup date in case of rain for the Gladwin woodcock walk is Thursday, April 30.

Michigamme Highlands conservation easement established

By KERRY HECKMAN
Forest land administrator, Forest Resources Division
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Deep in the Upper Peninsula’s Huron Mountains, among the wildest of Michigan’s wild places, the rugged Michigamme Highlands is comprised of vast forests, remote lakes, cold trout streams, moose-inhabited swamps and granite outcroppings.

Now, 73,000 acres of what is arguably some of the most important forest land in the Great Lakes region has been protected and is available for Michigan’s residents to enjoy – forever.

With funding entirely from grants and donations, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has acquired a working forest conservation easement to secure these rights for the public while also supporting the state’s forest products industry.

The property The sweeping views are spectacular from the top of Mt. Arvon, which, at 1,979 feet above sea level, is Michigan’s highest natural elevation. Rolling forests stretch for miles until they meet the dark blue waters of Lake Superior. On a clear day, the Abbaye Peninsula can be seen jutting out into the lake in the foreground while the Keweenaw Peninsula dominates the horizon. The Huron Islands can also be seen rising out of the cold Lake Superior waters. Check out a map of the lands the easement covers. Read more

Western birders will enjoy attracting Bullock’s Orioles to your yards (photo by Nancy Christensen).

April is an exciting month when the birds we see changes dramatically from wintering birds to new birds making migration stops – brief or extended – plus the arrival of favorite summer residents like orioles and hummingbirds. April is also a good time to look ahead in a general way to assess our yards with respect to birds, to consider what we can do to improve things ranging from landscaping to feeders to flower gardens. Preparing for birds like orioles and hummingbirds also requires a change of feeders and foods to attract and benefit these popular birds.

It’s not too early to prepare for the arrival of orioles and hummingbirds, which begins later this month in many regions of the country and extends into May in more northern latitudes. Read more

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s a beautiful spring day, so you decide to go for a nice walk around your neighborhood. You are strolling along the sidewalk when suddenly you hear loud chirping near your feet. You look over and see a baby bird lying on the ground near a tree trunk. What should you do? The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has a few tips.

It is not unusual to find a baby bird on the ground during this time of year. Many birds are hatching and often leave their nests before they are able to fly. Some may also be blown out of nests during spring thunderstorms.

“Baby birds usually chirp and call from the nest, waiting for their parents to bring food to them — and sometimes they get excited or agitated, which results in them falling from their perch,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Migratory Game Bird Coordinator Jason Jones said.

The most common baby birds that people find are robins (which nest in trees) and swallows (which build their mud nests in eaves and on the sides of houses).

If you find a baby bird on the ground, here is what to know:

Put it back in the nest if it doesn’t have feathers

If the bird is very small and still featherless, you should place it back in its nest. If you can’t find the nest, put the bird on a branch safely out of reach of dogs and cats.

“The baby will squawk, and its parents will find it,” Jones said.

Unlike with some other wildlife species, you don’t need to be concerned about leaving your scent on the bird. Most birds do not have a good sense of smell so if you pick up a baby bird, its parents won’t even know you’ve handled it. Read more

Gear up, grab a friend and download a map before hitting the open roads: Thousands of miles of state forest roads are open to hikers, off-road vehicles and adventure seekers!

Each year on April 1, following the annual road inventory and review, the DNR updates state forest road maps to keep them as accurate as possible. Available in both an interactive online format and as printable PDFs, these maps make it easier to plan your next outing.

Listed here by region are 11,841 miles of Michigan’s forest roads and trails open to ORVs:

• Upper Peninsula: more than 5,752 miles (about 98% of the total mileage).
• Northern Lower Peninsula: more than 6,080 miles (about 84% of the total mileage).
• Southern Lower Peninsula: about 9 miles (about 2.5% of the total mileage).

This is an increase of 31 miles from the state forest roads open to ORVs in 2025. Read more