For Friday, April 8, 2022

…audio…

1 – This month, Huron Pines officially launched Protect Wild Places. 

It’s a program to engage communities across the state in conservation efforts through volunteer, education and training opportunities. 

The program has been in the works since May 2021 when the Gaylord nonprofit received a $200,000 Planet Award Grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation.

Huron Pines says the program will allow the nonprofit to work directly with local residents, municipalities and conservation partners to drive the long-term health of the environment. 

Participants will learn about natural resources and be encouraged to put their new skills and knowledge to work on surrounding lands and waters. Topics to be covered include invasive species prevention, leave-no-trace principles, native habitat restoration, forest management and waterway monitoring.

With the help of partners and volunteers, the nonprofit plans to restore 5,000 acres of wildlife habitat and recreational land, and 150 miles of waterways and Great Lakes shoreline.

Protect Wild Places events will be posted at huronpines.org/events.

…

2 – April 22 is Earth Day.

Local events include a Great Lakes Challenge at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Saginaw County. It’s a Kahoot trivia challenge focused on the refuge and the Great Lakes.

It begins at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 22. Details will be posted on the site’s Facebook page at ShiawasseeNWR.

There’s also an Earth Day Presentation planned for 5 p.m. on April 22. This year’s theme is “Invest in our planet,” so the talk will cover how we can take care of the Great Lakes. A craft activity and short hike will follow. 

…

3 – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking anglers to report tagged walleye. 

The DNR will jaw tag 3,000 walleye across multiple Saginaw Bay tributary rivers. Anglers are asked to report tagged fish to assist with data collection efforts.

Anyone catching a tagged fish is asked to report information using a tag return form that’s posted online. 

Once a fish has been successfully reported, the angler will receive a letter detailing the fish’s history.

The DNR has tagged more than 100,000 walleye in the Saginaw Bay area since 1981. 

Jaw tagging is part of a long-term research project to monitor survival and harvest rates and learn about walleye movement.

About 10 percent of the tags include a $100 reward for reporting. 

For more information see Michigan.gov/TaggedFish.  

…

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM (listen live). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

-30-