DNR - DNR Stories and Photos

Most fawns, though by themselves, have not been abandoned. According to the DNR, people are more likely to see baby animals alone in the springtime, and it's best to leave them right where they are.

DNR advises leaving wildlife in the wild As springtime brings an increase in sightings of baby animals, the Department of Natural Resources reminds Michigan that it's best to leave baby animals in the wild. Fawns and other baby animals may seem to be abandoned, but usually they're not, and they are better off left alone.

View of cross vane and rapids at the former Jonesville Dam site (July 2012).

Restoring fish, flow in the St. Joseph River watershed It took more than a century for humans to construct all the barriers in the St. Joseph River watershed. With help from a wide range of partners, the DNR has begun the process of reconnecting stream reaches and restoring fish populations in this major river system. Over time, fish movement in the St. Joseph River system will return to a more natural state of affairs.

Along with volunteers, Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division employees take out an overgrown fence row between two grassy fields at Lake Hudson Recreation Area.

Volunteers make Lake Hudson Recreation Area a better home for pheasants, other wildlife Michigan's Pheasant Restoration Initiative got a boost recently as about a dozen volunteers from the Lake Hudson Pheasant Cooperative showed up to work with Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division employees to take out an overgrown fence row between two grassy fields at Lake Hudson Recreation Area. The goal is to create a large block of habitat that will be more hospitable to pheasants and other grasslands residents as well.

This rare 1899 diary from the Philippine-American War written by a Michigan soldier is just one of the historically significant items kept at the Archives of Michigan. The Archives is celebrating its 100th year in 2013.

State Archives captures, cares for 'Michigan's memory' The Archives of Michigan holds more than 120 million records that tell the story of Michigan from the encounters of Europeans and Native Americans to records of former legislators. The vast majority of materials at the Archives is available to the public for research, including 1.2 million records online at www.seekingmichigan.org.

DNR wildlife biologist Sara Schaefer readies a bird to be boxed and shipped to a release site near Baldwin, as part of the Department of Natural Resources' turkey trap-and-translocation outing in Barry County.

Trap-and-transfer effort boosts northern Michigan turkey population The DNR has embarked on a mission to rebuild Michigan's northern wild turkey populations. Over the last two years, Wildlife Division staff members have been trapping and transferring birds from thriving southern Michigan populations to northern Michigan.

A handful of volunteers used chainsaws to drop marked trees for the brush piles. The trees used for brush included dead or dying ash, aspens encroaching on open fields, and invasive species such as autumn olive and scotch pine.

Volunteers boost wildlife habitat improvement efforts in big way Recent changes in state law allow for volunteers to work alongside DNR staffers on habitat improvement projects on state-managed land. Volunteers partnering with the Wildlife Division are making a significant difference that translates into increased on-the-ground improvements for the state's woods and water.