​The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy is in the third year of a long-term research/demonstration project to examine the potential for wild rice restoration in areas with high waterfowl numbers. It's being conducted in Saginaw County at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and the Shiawassee River State Game Area. The project has been supported by the Shiawassee Flats Citizen and Hunter Association and a donation by Robert Beckman. The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa has cooperated in obtaining seed for the project, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Michigan Department of Natural Resources are permitting the work which is all on public land.

The effort is already yielding important clues about how best to restore this unique species. The effect of browsing by waterfowl and muskrats is a strong focus of the research. 

• First Year Progress
​• Second Year Progress
• Project Slideshow