Is there a favorite lake where you love to swim, boat or fish? Do you want to take part in protecting the water quality of that lake? If so, you’re invited to become a volunteer lake monitor for the MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program.

For more than 50 years, CLMP volunteers have collected valuable data on inland lakes statewide. This information is used by residents, local communities, researchers and state agencies like the DNR to better protect and manage Michigan’s 11,000 inland lakes and the fish and wildlife that rely on them.

This community science opportunity gives an inside look into what’s happening in your favorite lake. Volunteers receive detailed instructions, training and equipment to collect this data. You choose which lake to sample and which measurements to take. You can collect data on water quality (water clarity, nutrients, dissolved oxygen and algae), invasive species, native plants and shoreline conditions.

Free training is available May 1 and May 7. There is a small fee to cover the costs of supplies and analyzing samples, but volunteers often can collaborate with local lake associations or other organizations to help pay for these costs.

The MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and is administered in partnership with Michigan State University Extension, the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association and the Huron River Watershed Council.

Visit the CLMP enrollment webpage for more information or contact Erick Elgin (MSUE) at 218-340-5731 or Joe Nohner (DNR) at 517-599-6825.

Gear up, grab a friend and download a map before hitting the open roads: Thousands of miles of state forest roads are open to hikers, off-road vehicles and adventure seekers!

Each year on April 1, following the annual road inventory and review, the DNR updates state forest road maps to keep them as accurate as possible. Available in both an interactive online format and as printable PDFs, these maps make it easier to plan your next outing.

Listed here by region are 11,841 miles of Michigan’s forest roads and trails open to ORVs:

• Upper Peninsula: more than 5,752 miles (about 98% of the total mileage).
• Northern Lower Peninsula: more than 6,080 miles (about 84% of the total mileage).
• Southern Lower Peninsula: about 9 miles (about 2.5% of the total mileage).

This is an increase of 31 miles from the state forest roads open to ORVs in 2025.

“While significant progress has been made to clear debris from state forest roads, some roads remain closed due to extensive damage from last year’s severe ice storm,” said Amy Livermore, DNR forester. “Cleanup efforts are ongoing, and we appreciate the public’s patience as crews continue working.”

State forest road maps are regularly updated to reflect changing road conditions and data cleanup. Changes include feedback from residents. These maps show which state forest roads are open or closed to off-road and conventional vehicle use. Staying on these roads is essential to protecting wildlife and preventing erosion to surrounding landscape and habitat.

April 1 marks the start of Michigan’s 2026-27 ORV season — a great time to purchase your license and trail permit. An ORV license is required to ride eligible county roads, frozen surface of public waters, state forest roads (open to ORV use) and eligible national forest roads. A trail permit is required in addition to your ORV license when operating on state-designated ORV trails and scramble areas.

Review ORV rules, regulations, closures and more at Michigan.gov/ORVInfo. Find updated maps and other information at Michigan.gov/ForestRoads.

Questions? Email DNR-RoadInventoryProject@Michigan.gov. Direct media inquiries to Amy Livermore at 906-287-5376.

Steelhead fishing and beekeeping are on the April agenda for the DNR Outdoor Skills Academy, which offers in-depth, expert instruction, gear and hands-on learning for a range of outdoor activities at locations around the state.

• Steelhead Fishing Clinic, April 11-12. This two-day experience is designed to help you hook into Michigan’s legendary "chrome torpedoes," covering proven tactics, gear setups and river strategies that will increase your success this season.
• Beekeeping Clinic: A Beginner's Guide to Starting Your Hive, April 25. Learn everything you need to know to get started with beekeeping, from bee biology and equipment to bee health and seasonal tasks, and about the vital role pollinators play in our environment.

Both classes will take place at the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center, located within Mitchell State Park in Cadillac.

See a full schedule of classes – with more being added throughout the year – at Michigan.gov/OutdoorSkills.

If you’ll be in the Detroit area in April, the Outdoor Adventure Center activity schedule is filled with fun and learning for all ages, including programs especially for seniors, kids and families, like archery, yoga, birding, fishing and more. A few highlights:

• Farm and Garden Expo, April 12. The OAC archery range will be transformed into a “barn” where you can get close to some of our farm animal friends. Then, have a field day exploring our building and meeting partner organizations to grow your knowledge about all things farm and garden.
• Grown-Up Gatherings: Nature Journaling, April 17. Dive into the world of nature journaling and discover the natural world through a combination of art, writing and science. For ages 21 and older.
• Nature at Night: Evening Woodcock Walk, April 23 at Belle Isle Nature Center. Learn all about the American woodcock, a unique bird that performs a "sky dance" on early spring nights just after sunset in preparation for the spring breeding season. We'll take a walk to listen for and observe this fascinating sign of spring.

Join On the Ground, Michigan United Conservation Clubs’ volunteer wildlife habitat improvement program in partnership with the DNR, for a tree planting and trash cleanup event from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 25, in Crawford County.

MUCC and the DNR will partner with the Ruffed Grouse Society and National Wild Turkey Federation to plant trees and clean up trash sites on public land within the Grayling Forest Management Unit. Attendees will gather at the DNR Grayling Field Office. All registered volunteers will get lunch and a volunteer appreciation gift.

Register for tree planting and trash cleanup event.

Invasive species pose a threat to Michigan's environment, economy and sometimes even human health. Want to learn more about what’s at stake, what’s being done and how you can help?

The NotMISpecies webinar series explores how agencies, universities and locally led organizations work together to protect Michigan's natural resources through the Michigan Invasive Species Program. If you’re concerned about the impacts of invasive species or interested in the techniques used to control them, join us to examine species-specific actions, innovations in research and technology, and programs designed to help communities prevent and manage harmful invasive species. A Q&A period follows each presentation.

At 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 15, it’s “Rock Snot on the Radar: Tracking Didymo in Michigan Rivers." Following detections in four Lower Peninsula coldwater rivers from 2021 to 2024, has didymo fallen off the radar? Not for Lake Superior State University’s Ashley Moerke and Trout Unlimited’s Bryan Burroughs. In this webinar, the pair will provide an update on didymo status and trends based on survey data from across the state and discuss the relationship between water chemistry and didymo blooms. Learn about Trout Unlimited’s community science program and how you can get involved in expanding didymo monitoring efforts. 

Learn more about other upcoming webinars and see recorded versions of all previous webinars on the NotMISpecies webpage.