Calling all fans of Michigan’s state parks and recreation areas! You're invited to the special two-part "Inside Michigan State Parks" webinar series highlighting a few of the exciting projects in the works around the state.

Each webinar features DNR team members and the partners who are helping bring these projects to life. Two webinars are coming up in December. 

"Creating a Sense of Place"
Monday, Dec. 2, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Space Haus and the DNR are creating interpretive experiences at Muskegon, Orchard Beach, Dodge #4 and Sterling state parks this year. Hear about curating the stories that make each place special and the creative process for telling the stories in a way that is compelling for many generations. You'll also explore examples of how this has been done successfully around the country.

Did you know that turkeys not only gobble, they also cluck and purr? And in addition to flying, wild turkeys can even swim when they need to! Thanks to collaborative conservation, these incredible birds are thriving across Michigan.

In the early 1900s, overhunting and habitat loss nearly wiped out the state’s population, but the DNR and partners including the National Wild Turkey Federation worked together to reintroduce wild turkeys to the state and restore habitat they need to flourish.

Michigan’s oak-savannah habitats are of particular importance. These lightly forested grasslands with abundant oak trees provide turkeys with acorns to eat and habitat to build their nests at the base of trees, under shrub or in the tall grass. Oak-savannah habitats also support the nesting needs of migratory birds, such as the blue-winged warbler and eastern towhee. In addition to forests, Michigan’s wild turkey population can be found in fields, wetlands and urban and suburban parks.

The resurgence of wild turkeys is a conservation success story and a reminder of the impact that partnerships can have in protecting wildlife. Ongoing support and awareness of habitat conservation are essential to maintaining this progress. Learn more about Michigan’s wild turkey conservation efforts.

Michiganders can help by volunteering with the DNR on public lands stewardship efforts, establishing food plots on their property, or participating in community science initiatives like turkey population monitoring each summer.

While it might seem counterintuitive, regulated hunting of wild turkeys also supports their conservation and management. Hunting license fees and excise taxes on hunting equipment support the DNR’s Wildlife Division. A portion of turkey hunting license fees also goes into the DNR’s “turkey fund,” which is used for habitat management on public lands to conserve populations and critical habitat. Learn more at the DNR turkey webpage. Turkey hunting season is closed for 2024 and will open in the spring and fall of 2025.

MI Birds is a public outreach and engagement program presented by Audubon Great Lakes and the DNR that works to build and bring together wildlife enthusiasts across the state to engage with and conserve Michigan's birds and public lands.

Questions? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453.

While we don’t yet know what winter has in store, state-designated snowmobile trails are open Dec. 1 to March 31, and trail grooming occurs when there is enough snow on the ground. Now is a good time to prep for the season (think snow!), starting with purchasing your snowmobile trail permit.

Michigan is home to 6,000-plus miles of DNR-designated snowmobile trails, public roads and public lands (only where riding is authorized).

Did you know that nearly 1,900 private landowners allow use of their land to create the trails network? Their generosity allows the DNR to offer trails that connect communities and bring snowmobilers to special places of interest that otherwise wouldn’t be available to them.

“We’re incredibly grateful to these property owners and their partnerships with their local snowmobile clubs,” said Jessical Roehrs, statewide motorized trails analyst for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “It’s important for all of us to give thanks to these landowners and to remember to be respectful of the land, wherever we ride.”

Here is ride-related info to keep in mind:

• Always Ride Right: Ride sober, ride at safe speeds and ride on the right side of the trail. Get more tips at Michigan.gov/RideRight.
• Your $52 snowmobile trail permit is valid for one year, which begins Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30 of the following year. Buy permits online through eLicense (your sticker will be mailed within seven to 10 days) or the Michigan Snowmobile ORV Association (which processes permit orders daily Monday through Friday) and in person at DNR license agents and dealers.
• Residents must also register snowmobiles with the Michigan Secretary of State (unless sleds are used solely on private property). Registration is good for three years, and those registration dollars support the purchase of easements, law enforcement on trails and safety education.
• The snowmobile program is 100% funded by trail permit and registration dollars that are directly reinvested into the program to benefit snowmobilers. The funds pay for grooming, signage, maintenance, bridge and culvert construction, purchase of new equipment, liability insurance, maintenance of trailhead amenities (signage, bathrooms, plowing of parking lots) and other snowmobile-related expenditures.
• Remember that some snowmobile trails may not be open Dec. 1 due to trail conditions or other factors such as in-progress maintenance projects. Know before you go by checking the DNR’s closures webpage.

Learn more at Michigan.gov/Snowmobiling. Questions? Contact Jessica Roehrs at 517-331-3790. 

Now that most trees across the state have dropped their leaves, tree maintenance may not be top of mind. When it comes to your oak trees, however, you might want to reconsider!

Oak trees in areas of the Lower Peninsula, as well as in Dickinson, Iron, Marquette and Menominee counties in the Upper Peninsula, are dying from oak wilt. One of the best ways to help prevent oak wilt from infecting trees on your property is to avoid wounding them during the high-risk infection period, April 15 to July 15. In fact, the safest time to prune oak trees is the winter season. In case you missed it, this recent DNR news release explains more about oak wilt, covers the benefits of off-season pruning and gives other useful information.