BOARDWALK BIRDING TOUR -- Saturday, May 18:
Over 100 species of birds migrate through or make their home near the Manistique Boardwalk every spring. On Saturday, May 18 Joe Block will be giving a presentation about migratory birds and leading a birding tour along the boardwalk. The event is free and begins at 9:30 AM at First Baptist Church. After the short indoor presentation, participants will head to the boardwalk in search of a variety of migrating species. Block says that he usually begins his walks by going through the wooded areas on the north side of the boardwalk. Mid-May will be a good time to see a variety of warblers there. The group will continue on to the boardwalk and the beach to view a wide variety of migrating waterfowl and other birds. Block says, “The Manistique Boardwalk is a gem; Seney Wildlife Refuge is the only place in Schoolcraft County where you can see this many migrating species.”
Block is a 2014 graduate of Manistique High School and graduated from Lake Superior State University with a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management. Last summer, he studied the diversity of migratory birds in three different habitat types at the Manistique Boardwalk. The study divided the boardwalk into mixed woods, marsh and beach/shoreline habitats. The data from his research, completed as part of a college project, can help ornithologists understand bird migration behavior and how they can manage different habitats to benefit migratory species.
The event is being sponsored by the Schoolcraft Conservation District and will be of interest to both beginner and expert birdwatchers. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars if they have them, wear boots (the wooded areas are quite wet) and be prepared for bugs and weather conditions. In the event of bad weather, the indoor presentation will go on as planned, and the tour will be rescheduled to a different time. Pre-registration is helpful, although not required. Call the Conservation District at 341-8215 to register, or visit the District’s Facebook page @schoolcraftconservationdistrict or website, www.schoolcraftcd.org.
LAST CHANCE: May 14 -- A repeat of the May 7 workshop that will list and explain the many ways to save money, and financial assistance to manage your woodlots. This seminar is geared toward forest landowners of tracts of any size. This program starts at 7 pm in the Multi-Purpose room of the First Baptist Church. Forestry and NRCS reps will be on hand to present what programs are available to help you get a Qualified Forest Plan written for your forested property, and what programs are available that will save you money! Please let the Conservation District know if you plan to attend, so that adequate materials are available. Phone 906-341-8215, or email the SCD office.
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The Schoolcraft Conservation District is seeking input from the public about their perceived needs for work on properly managing the county's natural resources, soil, water, plants, wildlife, etc. This is to aid the District in developing their next long-range plan of work later this year. If you have thoughts on what issues the District should concentrate their efforts, please contact the Conservation District office, or complete the Resource Needs Assessment survey in our tree sale catalog.
Over 100 species of birds migrate through or make their home near the Manistique Boardwalk every spring. On Saturday, May 18 Joe Block will be giving a presentation about migratory birds and leading a birding tour along the boardwalk. The event is free and begins at 9:30 AM at First Baptist Church. After the short indoor presentation, participants will head to the boardwalk in search of a variety of migrating species. Block says that he usually begins his walks by going through the wooded areas on the north side of the boardwalk. Mid-May will be a good time to see a variety of warblers there. The group will continue on to the boardwalk and the beach to view a wide variety of migrating waterfowl and other birds. Block says, “The Manistique Boardwalk is a gem; Seney Wildlife Refuge is the only place in Schoolcraft County where you can see this many migrating species.”
Block is a 2014 graduate of Manistique High School and graduated from Lake Superior State University with a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management. Last summer, he studied the diversity of migratory birds in three different habitat types at the Manistique Boardwalk. The study divided the boardwalk into mixed woods, marsh and beach/shoreline habitats. The data from his research, completed as part of a college project, can help ornithologists understand bird migration behavior and how they can manage different habitats to benefit migratory species.
The event is being sponsored by the Schoolcraft Conservation District and will be of interest to both beginner and expert birdwatchers. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars if they have them, wear boots (the wooded areas are quite wet) and be prepared for bugs and weather conditions. In the event of bad weather, the indoor presentation will go on as planned, and the tour will be rescheduled to a different time. Pre-registration is helpful, although not required. Call the Conservation District at 341-8215 to register, or visit the District’s Facebook page @schoolcraftconservationdistrict or website, www.schoolcraftcd.org.
LAST CHANCE: May 14 -- A repeat of the May 7 workshop that will list and explain the many ways to save money, and financial assistance to manage your woodlots. This seminar is geared toward forest landowners of tracts of any size. This program starts at 7 pm in the Multi-Purpose room of the First Baptist Church. Forestry and NRCS reps will be on hand to present what programs are available to help you get a Qualified Forest Plan written for your forested property, and what programs are available that will save you money! Please let the Conservation District know if you plan to attend, so that adequate materials are available. Phone 906-341-8215, or email the SCD office.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Schoolcraft Conservation District is seeking input from the public about their perceived needs for work on properly managing the county's natural resources, soil, water, plants, wildlife, etc. This is to aid the District in developing their next long-range plan of work later this year. If you have thoughts on what issues the District should concentrate their efforts, please contact the Conservation District office, or complete the Resource Needs Assessment survey in our tree sale catalog.
