If you love fall color but don’t think there's enough of it in your yard, fix it now for next year! Fall is a great time to plant trees.

When you’re done, pin your tree on the DNR’s interactive map and help us reach our goal of planting 50 million trees across the state by 2030. Check out program info and get tree-planting tips at Michigan.gov/MITrees.

“Fall is an ideal time to plant trees in Michigan,” said Kevin Sayers, the DNR's Urban and Community Forestry Program manager. “The cooler temperatures and moist soil give roots a chance to establish before winter, setting trees up for healthy growth in spring.”

As waterfowl hunting season begins, the Michigan Invasive Species Program is asking hunters across the state to take extra precautions to prevent the spread of invasive species.

Several aquatic invasive plants tend to grow in slow-moving waters — just the kind of places that ducks and geese flock to. Those plants’ seeds and turions (buds capable of growing into plants) are ripe for distribution, and they easily can attach to boats and gear, including decoys, straps and trailers.

Hunters may be familiar with invasive phragmites, a now-widespread, reedlike grass that takes over shorelines and shallow-water areas. In recent years, another, similar invasive grass called Glyceria maxima has been detected in the Upper Peninsula, likely arriving from infested areas in Wisconsin. Both plants spread by seeds and plant fragments.

Invasive European frog-bit, resembling small water lilies, is widespread along the coastal areas of lakes Erie and Huron up to the eastern Upper Peninsula and has been found in inland lakes and ponds in areas of Michigan. Easily spread by its seedlike turions, it forms dense mats of vegetation that can hamper the movement of diving ducks and reduce the availability of snails, mollusks and other food sources.

A significant infestation of hydrilla, considered one of the world's most invasive aquatic plants, was detected in 2024 in Ontario, Canada’s Hillman Marsh Conservation Area, popular with waterfowl hunters. In 2023, hydrilla was first detected in Michigan in private ponds in Berrien County.

Hydrilla’s long stems and short green leaves resemble both native and invasive elodea plants. If hydrilla is chopped by boat motors, its fragments can drift to new areas to start new populations. Fragments left on boats or gear can be transported to new rivers and lakes.

To protect Michigan’s waterfowl habitat, hunters are urged to take the following precautions:

• Clean equipment (including waders, decoys, straps, anchors, boats and trailers) thoroughly between trips to keep from transporting undesirable plant fragments, seeds or organisms from one site to another.
• Drain all water from boats, trailers and equipment.
• Dry boats, gear and equipment for five days (if possible) before transporting to another body of water.
• Inspect all gear and equipment, including anchors, decoys and lines, blinds, waders and clothing, before and after use. Don’t forget to check dogs and their gear! Remove any plants, debris or soils.

Remember that Michigan boating laws require boaters to pull plugs, drain water and remove plants and debris from boats and trailers before getting on the road.

Hunters are encouraged to use synthetic materials to camouflage boats and blinds or choose known native species like cedar to avoid accidental selection of invasive plants.

A brief video outlining what waterfowl hunters need to know about invasive phragmites and other helpful information about invasive species can be found at Michigan.gov/Invasives.

Questions? Contact DNR invasives communications species specialist Joanne Foreman at 517-284-5814.

Duck-calling contests, a huge outdoor trading post, a dog jumping championship, a layout shooting contest, kid-friendly archery and BB shoots, an art tent filled with wildlife wares — in case you missed it, the Pointe Mouillee Waterfowl Festival is back! Head to the Pointe Mouillee State Game Area in Brownstown Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19-20, for a weekend of outdoor fun, learning and competition.

First held in 1947, the festival celebrates Pointe Mouillee as a world-class waterfowl hunting destination and an important wetland refuge for thousands of migratory birds. With 4,000-plus acres of wildlife habitat, Pointe Mouillee SGA is one of the largest ongoing freshwater marsh restoration projects in the world.

The festival runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Event admission is free, but some contests require entry fees. A Sunday highlight is the 78th Michigan Duck Hunters Tournament, with registration beginning at 9 a.m. Organizers describe this tradition as “the most unique and oldest shooting event around,” inviting hunters to test their skills in a fun, family-friendly event. Boats and steel shells are provided.

Want to learn more? Visit ptemouilleewaterfowlfestival.org or call Bob Whitwam (festival contact) at 734-587-3221 or Zachary Cooley (DNR contact) at 734-379-9692.