Showcasing the DNR

The tiny, gray-and-yellow bird known as the Kirtland’s warbler is a lot of things: extremely rare, a conservation success story and a life-list must for birdwatchers who flock to Michigan to see or hear the bird each season.

A reflection on changing populations of birds and other wildlife and appreciating what is here to enjoy today.

On May 14, 2003, an earthen dam burst on the Silver Lake Basin at the head of the Dead River in Marquette County, setting loose an estimated 9 billion gallons of water. What has followed in the two decades since the devastating Dead River flood has been a concerted effort to restore the river course in the upper reaches near the Silver Lake Dam and to direct compensation for damages toward worthwhile projects benefitting natural resources and public outdoor recreation.

The Saginaw Bay/River fishery rivals that of any walleye fishery in the state and ranks up there with Lake Erie, the South Dakota impoundments, Dale Hollow, Lake of the Woods and Green Bay.

A reflection on the sights and sounds of nature's power as the Upper Peninsula transitions from winter to spring.