Our managed waterfowl hunt areas, or Wetland Wonders, in southeast Michigan will host open houses in October. It's a great way to meet the staff, take a driving tour of the area and learn how the managed hunt drawings work – perfect for experienced waterfowl hunters and those who may not have hunted these areas before. There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and familiarize yourself with these locations before the regular waterfowl season opens.

All open houses will start at 6 p.m.

• Oct. 2 – Crow Island State Game Area, 1888 River Road, Saginaw.  
• Oct. 8 – Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area, 1570 N. Tower Beach Road, Pinconning.
• Oct. 9 – Fish Point State Game Area, 7750 Ringle Road, Unionville.
• Oct. 9 – St. Clair Flats State Wildlife Area, 3857 Columbine Road, Harsens Island.
• Oct. 10 – Pointe Mouillee State Game Area, 37025 Mouillee Road, Rockwood.
• Oct. 10 – Shiawassee River State Game Area, 225 East Spruce St., St. Charles.

Gather around the campfire to hear tales of Michigan’s great outdoors. As part of the Michigan state parks centennial, the Campfire Storytelling Project interweaves storytelling and 100 years of state park memories. The events are appropriately held around a campfire, where seasoned storytellers share their personal park tales and attendees are invited to share their stories – all in the name of this time-honored tradition.

The last event of the series will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11 (rescheduled from Sept. 21), at Yankee Springs Recreation Area in Middleville. Please meet at the Roosevelt Beach Pavilion and bring your camp chairs. Picnics welcome. The event is free.

Listen to our May and June storytellers and experience a few of the spoken stories already shared.

Learn more about the centennial Campfire Storytelling Project, the memory map, Michigan state parks’ rich history, a special geocache tour and much more at Michigan.gov/StateParks100.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an archaeologist? Here's your chance to talk to archaeologists about investigations and buried artifacts that tell the stories of Michigan.

Join us for the 2019 Archaeology Day, a free event for all ages, Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Michigan History Center in Lansing. Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., this popular annual event features demonstrations, presentations, artifact displays and hands-on activities, plus a scavenger hunt complete with opportunities to win great prizes!

The Michigan Freedom Trail Commission is hosting its second annual gathering for individuals, organizations and communities interested in our statewide Underground Railroad heritage Saturday, Oct. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Michigan History Center in Lansing.

Building off last October's gathering that aimed to create a collaborative regional effort, this year's event includes keynote presentations on what is new in Underground Railroad studies, as well as an afternoon of breakout sessions on researching local Underground Railroad history, crafting Network to Freedom nominations and more.

The event is $10 per person and includes a boxed lunch. Get more details and register for the 2019 Michigan Underground Railroad Heritage Gathering.