The Department of Natural Resources has joined the social networking community, utilizing the power of Twitter and Facebook to interact with a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts. Office of Communications staff are now posting content daily to keep followers up-to-date on outdoors-related news, while also uploading pictures from the field and providing quick answers to questions from followers.

The hundreds of people already following the DNR's Facebook page and two Twitter accounts are testament to the fact that social networking is an effective way to distribute natural resources information to the general public in a fun, interactive format that is not dependent on media coverage or deadlines, said DNR Public Information Officer Mary Dettloff.

DNR posts on Twitter include headlines from daily press releases, wildfire updates, the weekly fishing report, events from the DNR calendar, and answers to questions from those who sign up to become Followers. Two Twitter accounts have been created; one main account for the entire state, along with an Upper Peninsula-specific account.

The DNR's Facebook page also provides links to news releases, along with expanded information on DNR events, photo albums and a forum for answering questions from Facebook Fans, which has created an online conversation directly between the DNR and its Facebook Fans.

Answered questions on the Facebook page have included how to find hunting license lottery results and what to do about tent caterpillars. People who sign up to be Fans of the DNR's Facebook page will receive invitations to DNR events and can post their own stories and photos from their outdoor adventures.

The DNR has created two interactive photo albums for outdoor enthusiasts to share their photos of having fun in the outdoors -- Catch of the Day and What Did You Do Outside Today.

The Catch of the Day album will feature photos from DNR fans showing off their catch while out fishing in Michigan. The What Did You Do Outside Today album will feature photos of fans participating in their favorite outdoor activities -- hunting, camping, hiking, mountain biking, trail riding, birdwatching, kayaking and canoeing -- just to name a few.

Photos can be e-mailed to Debbie Munson Badini, the DNR's UP communications representative and Facebook coordinator, at munsonbadinid@michigan.gov for inclusion in the albums. Photos also can be posted directly by fans to the DNR's Wall on Facebook.

"Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are changing the way companies and governmental agencies communicate with their audiences, and we are embracing these changes at the DNR," Dettloff said.

To see DNR updates on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/mdnr for the main DNR page, or www.twitter.com/mdnrup for the Upper Peninsula page. These Twitter updates, known as "Tweets," can be seen without an account, but to automatically receive updates, it is necessary to sign up for an account and choose to "follow" the DNR Twitter accounts.

To find the DNR on Facebook, go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michigan-Department-of-Natural-Resources/88660114244. The DNR's Facebook page can be viewed without signing up for a Facebook account, but to post comments or photos, an account is needed.