Read below as Little Forks Conservancy staff share what they are thankful for this 2024 year. 

Another major project that took place over this year was trail building at Nelson Woods. Trail work is a passion of mine, and the timing of my service term aligned perfectly with the creation of trails at the new preserve. Some of my favorite workdays this year were spent out at Nelson Woods building trails with volunteers. There's something incredibly satisfying about seeing a day of hard work laid out before you in the form of a new trail. I can’t wait for people to get out there and enjoy it! ​

I also had the opportunity to dive into the world of conservation easements and land protection. There are so many unique properties that are protected in perpetuity by the conservancy and I loved being able to explore them during monitoring season. These properties protect vital wildlife habitat, provide a diversity of ecosystems, and ensure that the land will be protected from future development. I had so much fun seeing the variety of ways that landowners practice sustainable land management. A big thank you to Shelby who taught me so much about this important method of conservation and shared her passion for land protection with me. ​

Renars may be a new volunteer with Little Forks Conservancy, but his love of nature really started earlier, during his time as a student-athlete at Northern Michigan University. Being so close to Lake Superior and the surrounding wildlife of the Upper Peninsula, Renars spent what little free time he had, in the great outdoors. He mentions, "Whether it was a simple short hike with my wife or teammates or an ice-cold swim across the Straits of Mackinac, I was always there for it." Renars is also a dad to three girls and one of his big goals as a father is to keep them engaged in nature, whether that be a hike or cycle on local trails, a round of golf, or time spent in their backyard. 

​Renars is also closely tied to the environment in his work, at SPACE Inc. as the lead for Marketing and Sustainability efforts. He jokingly says that his job is to "make sure my grandkids know what a polar bear is through innovative and circular efforts in the commercial and government furniture market." The passion for environmental and community sustainability that SPACE President Paddy Hobohm demonstrates drew him to the role and actually introduced him to the work that we do at Little Forks Conservancy.​

​Little Forks Conservancy (LFC) has been performing stream monitoring of invertebrates for multiple years as an extension of the MICorps program. Macro-invertebrates are collected in spring and fall at designated survey sites along the Cedar River each year, and specimens are identified to taxonomic family level. Since different families of aquatic invertebrates have various water quality requirements and sensitivities, this monitoring provides insights into river system health and changes.
 
Fortunately, the specimens are preserved in alcohol for potential future review. This is where we, as managers of the Michigan Odonata Survey (MOS), come in. The goal of the MOS project is to document all the species of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) in Michigan by county, based on voucher specimens; the current Michigan list stands at 170 species. The project began in 1996 with a compilation of vouchers from major university collections. We have been involved with MOS for over 20 years, took over the project in 2018, and have recently been working on locating and collecting data on nymphs and exuviae (the shed exoskeletons of odonates left behind as they transition from aquatic nymph to flying adults). While adult odonates may range far from water, nymphs and exuviae are found where they breed, important for determining habitat requirements.
 
Given the number of samples collected in the Cedar River by the LFC surveys, we suspected it was possible to find some significant records. We examined 66 vials from six survey sites in Gladwin and Clare Counties. The oldest samples were from 2015 and the most recent were from fall 2023.

​We looked at 272 nymphs, generating 138 records. Each record represents a unique taxa (but possibly multiple individuals) at a particular location. Of those 138 records, 137 were identified to species, and one just to genus. Of the species identified, there were two 1st county records, four 2nd county records, and four 3rd county records.  The first county records brought the total number of Odonata species vouchered in Gladwin county to 64 and Clare county to 48.
 
Significant records included:
- Zebra Clubtail (Stylurus scudderi): 1st county record for Gladwin county.  This is southernmost voucher of this species in Michigan.
- Twin-spotted Spiketail (Cordulegaster maculata): 1st, 2nd, and 3rd county records in Clare county.
- Rusty Snaketail (Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis): 2nd and 3rd county records in Clare county.
- Dragonhunter (Hagenius brevistylus): 2nd and 3rd county records in Gladwin county.
- Fawn Darner (Boyeria vinosa): 2nd and 3rd county records in Clare county.  With the addition of the LFC data, MOS surpassed the 40,000 record mark and it was likely one of the Boyeria vinosa specimens.
 
The Odonata identification exercise was a success given the number of significant finds in the LFC collection.  We hope to continue collaboration with LFC by reviewing future samples.  No doubt there are more discoveries to be made.
 
You can learn more about the Michigan Odonata Survey at our website michodonata.org, and our broader work with insects, particularly dragonflies and damselflies, at our blog Urban Dragon Hunters (urbanodes.blogspot.com).

As we enter into the new year, staff at Little Forks Conservancy reflects on what we are looking forward to in 2024. Read through our highlights and feel free to share below what you are excited about experiencing with Little Forks this upcoming year!

Shelby Gentle, Land Conservation Specialist​

As my service term as a Huron Pines AmeriCorps member with Little Forks Conservancy ends, I’ve been thinking about all that I have accomplished. Overall, it’s hard to sum up all of the great experiences I have had in my 10 months in the Midland area. From kayaking down the Cedar River to meeting Joey Chestnut to learning to fly fish and restoring habitat for the endangered Michigan Monkey Flower, and even having a live TV interview with WNEM, I can say I did it all, or a whole heck of a lot at least. 

​I also got to participate in vernal pool monitoring, something I had not been familiar with before. It was so exciting to have an entire community suddenly revealed to me that I had no clue existed. I loved collecting data and getting into the vernal pools. I saw fairy shrimp for the first time while hearing wood frogs and discovering salamander egg masses. It is the most scientific I have felt while simultaneously feeling like a child playing in a giant puddle. 

​Another part of my service was planning the biannual MiCorps Stream Sampling events and the Cedar River Cleanup. Getting to engage community members as citizen scientists and seeing the results of their work was extremely gratifying. However, some of my favorite parts were simply meeting volunteers while exchanging stories about how our love for nature grew. 

​My service with Little Forks Conservancy will always mean a lot to me. I was able to gain invaluable skills and experience in the conservation world, but I also met even better people. It simply would not be the same without the amazing staff who supported me and the welcoming board who made me feel right at home. Not to mention the volunteers that made me realize the importance of passion and the need for volunteering in our communities. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and I know anyone who decides to spend time with Little Forks, whether it be a hike at one of the preserves or as a volunteer, will share that sentiment. 

​Keith Hartman started as a volunteer for the Conservancy earlier this year. As part of his Delta College associate’s degree, Keith needed to obtain some volunteer hours so he reached out to the Little Forks Conservancy. His interest in the outdoors and recreation activities, such as hiking and biking, led him to Little Forks. 

After meeting with staff and discussing some potential volunteer opportunities and projects, Keith got right to work. For multiple weeks, he was busy with different tasks to help the Conservancy improve its preserves, for both visitors and wildlife.
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His first project was repainting and refinishing the trail signs at the Averill Preserve. After years of being exposed to the elements and some signs being vandalized, they were looking rough and needed some work. Keith ventured out to gather the signs and then spent hours fixing them up. Once they were refinished, he went back out to the property to reinstall them.

​While out gathering signs at Averill, Keith noticed some of the birdhouses were damaged. He took the initiative to ask Little Forks if he could fix them up or replace them with new birdhouses. After a few more days of work, Keith had reattached the fallen birdhouses and made three brand new ones to install. 

​In addition to the work at the Averill Preserve, Keith also spent a day in the field with Little Forks’ staff and AmeriCorps member removing invasive shrubs along the Tittabawassee River at Riverview Natural Area. “The whole experience has been wonderful.” Keith said, “My favorite was clearing the invasive species near the river. It was nice to work alongside like-minded people and learn more about invasive plants and the local ecosystem.”

When asked what he would say to others that are interested in volunteering with the Conservancy, Keith said, “I can't recommend them enough! They have a very friendly and accommodating team, and the work can be really fun and interesting.” We are incredibly grateful for our volunteers, they are a crucial part of the work that we do. If you are interested in volunteering and getting involved with our work, you can fill out a volunteer form on our website.

​Little Forks Conservancy invites you to participate at Riverview Natural Area and see how many observations you can make by the end of the month!

We also have created a few guides to aid in your exploration! A species of interest list and a daily observation challenge calendar can help you find more organisms specific to Riverview Natural Area. Click the buttons below to access our guides.

​To read more about MSU Science Festival's BioBlitz and to see other participating organizations, click the button below.​

On my last day as the AmeriCorps Member at Little Forks Conservancy I’ve been reflecting over these past ten months. I’ve been thrilled to assist with a wide variety of projects.

By far my favorite project has been the biannual MiCorps Stream Sampling. Learning to collect macroinvertebrates, identifying them, and then watching volunteers participate in collecting data has been a very rewarding experience!

My experience at Little Forks Conservancy has been wonderful and I appreciate the community at Little Forks that made this possible! ​

​On July 28th Little Forks Conservancy’s AmeriCorps Member, Erin Dodd, assisted with the release of Galerucella (pronounced gala-ru-sell-a) beetles in Sanford. This project was coordinated by Matthew Lindauer from the Central Michigan Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area. Galerucella beetles are small light brown beetles that are native to Europe and Asia. They have been introduced to the U.S. to help control purple loosestrife, which is also native to Europe and Asia.

Purple loosestrife is an invasive species that can outcompete native vegetation and reduce biodiversity. It grows in wetland habitat and flowers from July to October. Purple Loosestrife is a tall plant that can grow over 5 feet tall. For small patches of purple loosestrife, it can be pulled (remove all of the roots) before the flower petals start to drop and disposed of in plastic bags. Trying to control large areas of purple loosestrife with chemical and mechanical methods can be expensive and require years of follow up. It can also result in spreading the seeds to new areas if people aren’t careful. 

Biological control with the Galerucella beetles is much easier. The beetles eat the purple loosestrife and researches have not found any detrimental effects since their introduction to America in 1992.

The beetles we received for release were kept in netted pots of purple loosestrife. These plants also had Galerucella larvae. About 40 of these pots were split among five locations in Sanford to release the Galerucella. Pots were placed in areas full of purple loosestrife where Galerucella could easily move from the potted plant to neighboring plants. Larvae and beetles caught in the net were also shaken out and removed by hand to ensure the maximum number of Galerucella were released. 

​Galerucella can overwinter and females lay a couple hundred eggs each year. Hopefully the small population we released July 28th can spread to control purple loosestrife in areas we did not reach.