Tuesday, February 24, 2009

DNR stewardship at an IBA and several other sites

The purpose of the IBA program is to identify and protect those sites most
critical to bird conservation. This includes many sites owned and managed
by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). MDNR is currently
soliciting help removing invasive species from one current IBA, Waterloo
Recreation Area, as well as several other sites. Please consider helping
in this effort! If you can spare some time in the month of March here is
the information:

What:
Join the DNR, Parks and Recreation Division, Stewardship Unit in a
hands-on approach to removing invasive shrubs (glossy buckthorn, autumn
olive)from high-quality native ecosystems within the parks. This is a
great opportunity to get outside with your kids or to relieve some of your
winter blues.

Where & When:
Sunday, March 1, 2009, Algonac State Park, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 7, 2009, Island Lake Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 8, 2009, Highland Recreation Area, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 14, 2009, Bald Mountain Recreation Area, 9 a.m. to noon
Saturday, March 21, 2009, Waterloo Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 22, 2009, Pinckney Recreation Area, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 28, 2009, Brighton Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 28, 2009, Highland Recreation Area, Barn Course Field
Trial Area, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

How:
For workday details, additional dates, to get directions, and to register:
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10366_10871-162412--,00.html
or
www.michigan.gov/dnrvolunteers; click on "Calendar of Volunteer
Stewardship Workdays" under "Current Volunteer Opportunities".

Getting connected with the DNR Stewardship Network:
If you would like to receive an email from the DNR Stewardship Network
with information on up coming workdays or have questions, please email or
call Laurel Malvitz-Draper at 248-359-9057 or malvitzl@michigan.gov

Hope you can join us!
Laurel Malvitz-Draper
Natural Resource Steward
Stewardship Unit, Parks and Recreation Division
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Monday, February 9, 2009

Satellite tagged Osprey journeys to Michigan

In November I received an email from N.C. Osprey researcher Rob Bierregaard (U.N.C. Charlotte) who is conducting satellite telemetry research on at least seven of these fascinating highly-migratory raptors. He informed me that one of his birds, a young male originally tagged in the nest at Martha's Vineyard, MA, had spent the summer of 2008 wandering the northeast, including the U.P. He was especially fond of Pellissier Lake near Marquette, and was on its way to his neotropical wintering grounds via N.C. as of November 2008.

You can track the incredible journeys of this bird, named Meadow, here. This is yet another example of the astounding, often unpredictable journeys made by migratory birds.