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Topics range from fishing and hunting to history and outdoor recreation. This is a weekly feature story sent on Thursday.

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Water and woods: A real estate listing fish are fans of

Everything from furniture to paper to the homes we live in are made from renewable forest materials. One that doesn’t always come to mind? Clean water.

Water and woods: A real estate listing fish are fans of
A lush, marshy creek flows gently through a forest.

Bucket brigades bring trout to Tahquamenon River

Bucket brigades, where firefighters pass buckets of water along a human chain, were an important method of fighting fires before hand-pumped fire engines were invented. The technique is still valuable in some situations, such as stocking brown trout in the Tahquamenon River.
Bucket brigades bring trout to Tahquamenon River
A group of students and one adult stand in waist-high water and release brown trout from a white bucket into the river.

Celebrating 75 years of making boating better

In 2022, Michigan celebrates the 75th anniversary of boating our waterways the way we enjoy it today – a modern concept involving the access and infrastructure needed for boating; launches, marinas, gas docks, locks and dams and the maintenance to keep these destinations accessible and operational.

Celebrating 75 years of making boating better
Red and yellow streaks of light blend into a calm blue skey over a placid lake.

Nature's intangibles

A meditation on the temperament of lakes and the history they've been witness to.
Nature's intangibles
A placid lake reflecting a clear blue sky with puffy clouds. A large ripple from a trout splash breaks the reflection of dark evergreen trees on the far bank.

New services coming to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

Park shuttles, sea kayak rentals and other amenities are coming soon to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the western Upper Peninsula.

New services coming to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
Vintage sign advertising the ski hill at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

One tree can make a difference

One of most satisfying ways to welcome the return of nature’s greenery, birdsong and blooms to the Midwest is to take part in the time-honored tradition of planting a tree around the Arbor Day holiday, which falls on April 29 this year.

One tree can make a difference
spruce grouse on a tree branch

Recalling the Duck Lake Fire a decade later

In fire danger terms, the spring of 2012 was almost a perfect storm: a mild, dry winter and a March with daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s. And then, lighting struck, igniting the Duck Lake Fire on May 24, 2012.
Recalling the Duck Lake Fire a decade later
An aerial photo of a wildfire raging in an evergreen forest.

Unassuming heroes

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, with businesses, schools and churches closed, record numbers of people in Michigan began heading to the outdoors for recreation, exercise and relaxation. Amid this backdrop of record visitation and the associated demands placed on the state’s park system, an unassuming group of heroes showed up on the scene, ready and able to work.
Unassuming heroes
Three young people shovel dirt from a large pile into a bright blue wheelbarrow.

Bucket list

“I’m trying to rock while I can rock, I’m trying to roll while I can roll,” – Steve Forbert
Bucket list

Stepping up to the plate

Most recreationists are unaware of the 5,000-plus volunteers who work in tandem every year with DNR employees protecting our resources. Volunteers are unpaid and driven by their connection to the natural environment. They are some of Michigan’s most dedicated members of the “work force.”
Stepping up to the plate
group of tree-planting volunteers carrying shovels in a field

Prepping for spring fire season

Michigan’s wildland fire season is on. DNR firefighters and equipment are stationed strategically across the state to protect Michigan’s 20 million acres of forest land, which includes nearly 4 million acres of state forest.
Prepping for spring fire season
An aerial shot of a recently-burned area with multiple fire response vehicles on the scene.

Morgan's industrious beavers

There's an old trout pond, named for Lewis Henry Morgan, in Marquette County sometimes clogged with sticks and other materials put there by working beaver.
Morgan’s industrious beavers
Beavers shewing on tree limbs on a riverbank.

Winter's fading dance

A meditation on the beauty of winter and the power of nature.
Winter's fading dance
A view of the bright winter sky framed by snow-covered trees.

What's in a name?

Creatively naming timber sales is a tradition passed down through the history of logging. While some government entities that sell timber have dull naming conventions that include locations and numbers only, DNR foresters get more leeway to follow tradition and exercise their creativity.
What's in a name?
An old birch trunk marked with red spray paint.

More than patrol - how the ranks of conservation officers protect Michigan's natural and cultural resources

There's much more to conservation officers than driving in a patrol vehicle or walking in the woods, checking hunters and anglers, or issuing tickets.
More than patrol - how the ranks of conservation officers protect Michigan's natural and cultural resources
A conservation officer talking to two hunters in wintertime.
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