Northern Michigan Conservation Network

by Kay Charter Early last month, I had the great pleasure of hearing Douglas Tallamy speak. Doug is the author of every conservationist’s must-have book, Bringing Nature Home (Timber Press, 2007). I heard him twice, actually, as he presented two programs at the Michigan Association of Wildflowers Conference in Lansing. These presentations represented numbers seven […]

Next year will commemorate the centennial of the passing of Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon, who died on September 1, 1914 in the Cincinnati Zoo.  Most Americans who only have only a passing knowledge of wildlife conservation are at least generally familiar with the demise of the species. What few in our northern Michigan region are […]

Last Friday, the Michigan House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources approved a budget package which did include a hunting and angling license fee package which is generally consistent with that advanced by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) as a part of the Governor’s FY 2013-2014 budget proposal.  For those who have […]

A 30-year study on cliff swallows which was conducted by researchers from the University of Nebraska has recently garnered considerable mainstream media attention. This is somewhat surprising since coverage of wildlife-related matters is more often limited to home videos of deer found in living rooms during their annual rut. Before we discuss those lessons learned from the […]

As the wolf management debate here in Michigan escalated in recent months, increasing references have been made to what is known as the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation.  Most notably, Dr. Russ Mason, Wildlife Division Chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, recently found it necessary to respond to assertions that if hunting […]

By Frank Krist, NMCN Contributing Editor There have been several legislative hearings completed reviewing the Governor’s DNR budget proposal and the hunting and fishing license fee restructuring.  A few adjustments have been suggested, but overall support has been expressed for the proposal with many organizations backing it.  This package still has not been approved by the […]

In what is the latest effort to conduct a legislative flogging of a caricature of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources which does not exist, SB-0078 prohibits the Director of the DNR or the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) from designating or classifying an area of land specifically for the purpose of “achieving or maintaining biological diversity.”  […]

As we approach another spring wildlife breeding season, it is probably worth reminding ourselves that when it comes to nature photography, the end doesn’t necessarily justify the means.  Most people who are drawn to such activities and possess a connection to wildlife recognize that clear boundaries need to be established and maintained when it comes […]