Conservancy's Projects Gaining Momentum
Winter 2015
The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy is kicking several exciting projects into “third gear” in 2015 as encouraging preliminary results are fueling expanding efforts. The Conservancy’s long-running work to help bring back the lake sturgeon, a state-listed threatened fish species, is among the projects and programs gathering momentum.
In fall of 2014, a contractor put the finishing touches on an important sturgeon spawning reef in the St. Clair River, the last of four sites in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers where the Conservancy played major roles as a funder or contract administrator. Principal partners in the reef-building projects, which involved the strategic placement of rocks in carefully-selected spots, have included the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan Sea Grant (U of M & MSU), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy and the DNR.
Lake sturgeon are indeed using the reefs for spawning, and fisheries biologists are confident the spawning grounds will make a difference. So, more are in the works. The Conservancy will likely play a role in 2015 in construction of a spawning reef at the Grassy Island site in the Detroit River. The project is awaiting construction permits.
The Conservancy will also continue its experimental wild rice planting at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County. Background research, construction of fenced plots, and initial seeding were completed in 2014, and there will be considerable follow-up work over the next two years. The Conservancy hopes to obtain information about the factors that influence wild rice planting success that will help future restoration efforts. The area planted at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge once had rice beds before flooding, sedimentation, and other forces wiped them out prior to World War II.
Like the effort to provide sturgeon spawning grounds—something many conservationists weren’t sure was feasible—wild rice restoration is quietly gathering momentum. Native American tribes and other organizations have been involved in projects in Northern Michigan for years, and this fall, volunteers planted wild rice at the Maple River State Game Area in Clinton County with seed purchased by the DNR. Wild rice stands can be extremely attractive to waterfowl and non-game birds such as sora rails.
The Conservancy is moving forward with a familyoriented summer education program in 2015 based on encouraging results from a pilot project completed last year. The organization’s “Becoming Outdoors Smart in Summer (BOSS) Program aims to help youth gain nature observation and monitoring skills, and awareness of conservation issues through ten carefully-developed education units.
BOSS is based on the notion that the family is an important educational resource, especially if parents and children share learning experiences. The Program targets those entering 4th, 5th, or 6th grades, though younger or older siblings, or friends are not necessarily excluded. BOSS provides resources and experiences that are typically not available to students during the school year and allows kids and families to set their own paces.
BOSS has no requirements to travel to a specific site or follow a fixed schedule. The Conservancy provides a well-illustrated guidebook and kids and parents (and grandparents and other relatives and friends) can also tap the Conservancy’s expertise by phone or on-line. However, the idea behind BOSS is that families can study nature one step at a time in areas around their homes or while on vacation without an instructor. The ten educational units cover topics from migration to tree identification to pollination and more exploration. Time spent outdoors is emphasized rather than simply reading about conservation issues or watching documentaries.
The Conservancy will have two other exciting efforts in the planning stages in 2015. The organization is taking a hard look at establishing fishing sites for wounded vets and physically disabled citizens at its 259-acre Bengel Wildlife Center. Related projects will explore the development of areas where special equipment for outdoor access can be tested and/or demonstrated.
The Conservancy will be seeking to boost interest in the conservation of rare Michigan mammals—an initiative close to our core values. There are several species for which population surveys and/or action to restore populations were called for in the late 1980s. However, little has been done in the 25 years since. The organization is exploring better ways to identify research needs and educate citizens about these rare species.
The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy is kicking several exciting projects into “third gear” in 2015 as encouraging preliminary results are fueling expanding efforts. The Conservancy’s long-running work to help bring back the lake sturgeon, a state-listed threatened fish species, is among the projects and programs gathering momentum.
In fall of 2014, a contractor put the finishing touches on an important sturgeon spawning reef in the St. Clair River, the last of four sites in the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers where the Conservancy played major roles as a funder or contract administrator. Principal partners in the reef-building projects, which involved the strategic placement of rocks in carefully-selected spots, have included the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan Sea Grant (U of M & MSU), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy and the DNR.
Lake sturgeon are indeed using the reefs for spawning, and fisheries biologists are confident the spawning grounds will make a difference. So, more are in the works. The Conservancy will likely play a role in 2015 in construction of a spawning reef at the Grassy Island site in the Detroit River. The project is awaiting construction permits.
The Conservancy will also continue its experimental wild rice planting at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County. Background research, construction of fenced plots, and initial seeding were completed in 2014, and there will be considerable follow-up work over the next two years. The Conservancy hopes to obtain information about the factors that influence wild rice planting success that will help future restoration efforts. The area planted at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge once had rice beds before flooding, sedimentation, and other forces wiped them out prior to World War II.
Like the effort to provide sturgeon spawning grounds—something many conservationists weren’t sure was feasible—wild rice restoration is quietly gathering momentum. Native American tribes and other organizations have been involved in projects in Northern Michigan for years, and this fall, volunteers planted wild rice at the Maple River State Game Area in Clinton County with seed purchased by the DNR. Wild rice stands can be extremely attractive to waterfowl and non-game birds such as sora rails.
The Conservancy is moving forward with a familyoriented summer education program in 2015 based on encouraging results from a pilot project completed last year. The organization’s “Becoming Outdoors Smart in Summer (BOSS) Program aims to help youth gain nature observation and monitoring skills, and awareness of conservation issues through ten carefully-developed education units.
BOSS is based on the notion that the family is an important educational resource, especially if parents and children share learning experiences. The Program targets those entering 4th, 5th, or 6th grades, though younger or older siblings, or friends are not necessarily excluded. BOSS provides resources and experiences that are typically not available to students during the school year and allows kids and families to set their own paces.
BOSS has no requirements to travel to a specific site or follow a fixed schedule. The Conservancy provides a well-illustrated guidebook and kids and parents (and grandparents and other relatives and friends) can also tap the Conservancy’s expertise by phone or on-line. However, the idea behind BOSS is that families can study nature one step at a time in areas around their homes or while on vacation without an instructor. The ten educational units cover topics from migration to tree identification to pollination and more exploration. Time spent outdoors is emphasized rather than simply reading about conservation issues or watching documentaries.
The Conservancy will have two other exciting efforts in the planning stages in 2015. The organization is taking a hard look at establishing fishing sites for wounded vets and physically disabled citizens at its 259-acre Bengel Wildlife Center. Related projects will explore the development of areas where special equipment for outdoor access can be tested and/or demonstrated.
The Conservancy will be seeking to boost interest in the conservation of rare Michigan mammals—an initiative close to our core values. There are several species for which population surveys and/or action to restore populations were called for in the late 1980s. However, little has been done in the 25 years since. The organization is exploring better ways to identify research needs and educate citizens about these rare species.