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. 

​The Michigan Outdoor Writers Association (MOWA), in partnership with Enbridge, has selected Little Forks Conservancy as its recipient of the MOWA Clean Waterways Award for 2022.

Little Forks Conservancy received the award, which recognizes and rewards organizations that demonstrate continuous, voluntary efforts to protect, preserve, and enhance the lakes, rivers, and streams of Michigan, and in particular for Little Forks' efforts to improve the overall health of the Cedar River watershed in Gladwin and Clare counties, and land adjacent to the Tittabawassee River between Midland and Sanford.

“The award means so much to Little Forks. As an organization founded on a goal to protect lands along our local rivers and streams, being recognized for our work to improve water quality is an honor and lets us know our work is making a difference”, said Little Forks Conservancy Executive Director Elan Lipschitz.
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Lipschitz was presented with a plaque and $500 at MOWA’s annual conference in the Dow Conference Center in Hillsdale Michigan. “The funding will help us with our efforts to protect and improve land within the Cedar River watershed”, added Lipschitz.

Threats to Michigan’s waterways are on the rise and it’s more important than ever to protect our most vital and treasured assets. While stewardship of our waterways is everyone’s responsibility, MOWA is specifically seeking to reward local or regional organizations operating within the state of Michigan in their voluntary stewardship efforts.
Detailed information about the award can be found by visiting the Clean Waterways Award section of the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association website: http://www.miowa.net/clean-waters-award/

About MOWA
Founded in 1944, MOWA is a non-profit organization comprised of outdoor communicators with a passion for communicating about nature, the environment, and outdoor recreation. MOWA’s members communicate on various outdoor subjects including hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, backpacking, the environment, education, trapping, travel, humor, natural resources, conservation, ecology, bird watching, boating, canoeing, kayaking, shooting sports and more.
Have an organization in mind for next year contact: Jeff Nedwick (jeffsoutdrs@gmail.com)

We reached out to Mary to see what she enjoys most about volunteering with Little Forks Conservancy. “I enjoy volunteering with LFC because land conservation in mid-Michigan is important to me, and Little Forks is a great steward of the lands they protect. Also, it's fun to meet other volunteers and to spend the day outside making improvements to a beautiful natural area.”
A fond memory Mary has while volunteering happened during the Spring Stream Sampling in 2021, which took place on a beautiful sunny day. While at the George and Sue Lane Preserve, picking macroinvertebrates from a tray, Mary recalls being impressed by the amount of life in the Cedar River. However, finding a small trout upon emptying the bucket brought back from the collector, added to the excitement of the event! The young trout was returned to the river quickly.
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​Mary thinks others should become a volunteer at Little Forks because “there's something that everyone can do. It's great for families, businesses, and retirees to sign up and provide much-needed muscle for improvement projects.” With a small organization of only three full time staff, volunteers are essential to getting projects completed.
Mary emphasized that “For those who prefer to show their support through a donation, it's important to know that Little Forks is a careful steward of their finances, and is always striving to make their dollars deliver the best value. Little Forks appreciates their volunteers, so it's enjoyable to get involved in any way you can!”

Little Forks Conservancy is participating in the MSU Science Festival BioBlitz event for the entire month of April!
Host sites, such as Little Forks, invite people to come to their property and photograph different species for iNaturalist. This year’s theme is to look for signs of spring, such as birds returning from migration and flowers blooming, but observations of all kinds are welcome!

​Little Forks Conservancy is pleased to announce the completion of two conservation projects at the end of 2021. This takes our total of protected lands over 4,000 acres. We are grateful for the landowners that helped make this possible.

​For over 15 years we have been working with landowners in the Cedar River Watershed to protect and improve this amazing resource. ​Stay tuned for more details on these exciting new conservation projects.

​Head over to the Land Protection page to learn more about conservation options in your area.  ​

Keeping a bird feeder or bird bath is one of the easiest ways to enjoy and support the wildlife in your backyard. In 2021 birds in several states around the country, including Ohio and Indiana, started to show signs of illness. Luckily cases weren’t reported in Michigan, but cleaning your bird feeders and baths and observing the birds using them is critical to keep them healthy.

To learn more about bird disease in our area and the latest news visit https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/animals/diseases/avian/avian-influenza

Martha from Nature Niche did an in depth video about this topic - watch the Mondays with Martha episode below.

The month of November when the weather cools down and the work outside slows down we take a breath and reflect on what we accomplished this year and the years prior. This November is a big deal for Little Forks Conservancy as we celebrate 25 years as an organization. Staff wanted to share with you what they appreciate most about Little Forks.  

​This January I will be entering my fifth year at Little Forks Conservancy. I am most grateful for the organizations participation in the Huron Pines AmeriCorps program, without that program I would not be where I am today. During my 10 months of service, I was able to demonstrate my abilities and grow professionally which gave me a great advantage when a full time position was created. In addition, continuing to work alongside AmeriCorps members helping to create the next generation of conservationist.

Secondly I am grateful for the community connections nourished by Little Forks Conservancy. The role we get to play connecting organizations and people to make projects and passions come to fruition. Whether that is a large scale habitat project in the watershed or an eagle scout project at a natural area.
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Lastly, I am grateful for the volunteers that take interest in helping Little Forks with citizen science efforts, controlling invasive species and keeping the watershed clean.

The one thing I am most grateful for is all the people who have played a part in Little Forks Conservancy over the years. It all started out with a handful of forward-thinking community members who were inspired to find a way to protect our local rivers and streams. This inspiration led to the creation of Little Forks. Our founding board members helped guide me early in my career to turn their vision into on the ground conservation.

I am grateful for the many community members whose financial support both large and small has helped us carry out our work. These contributions helped pave the way for successful projects including the acquisition of Riverview Natural Area, creating a universally accessible trail at the Averill Preserve, supporting community programing, or helping to improve the lands we manage.

I am also grateful for the many landowners that we have worked together with to protect rivers, forests, fields, farmland, and wetlands. Their actions will have a lasting impact in our community for current and future generations.

Our work would not be possible without our amazing staff and board members past to present. They have gone above and beyond to help Little Forks succeed. The many faces that have led programs, built community connections, improved habitat, and promoted our work far and wide. I am grateful for their hard work and dedication in carrying out our mission.
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Lastly, I am immensely grateful to live in a community that cares about conservation and working together to improve the quality of life for all.  I am not just grateful today, but all days that I spend working to protect, improve, lead, and inspire. 

Volunteers can make or break an event and having reliable fun volunteers that come back each time really improves the whole dynamic. The stream sampling of the Cedar started in Fall 2015 with 23 volunteers and has continued with an average of 30 volunteers involved at each event from a mixture of Midland and Gladwin County. It is a joyous moment seeing the teams come back from sampling with laughter and good conversation as they enjoy a lunch talking about the day or something that was brought up while at the sampling site. 

​Sara Huetteman Preserve and Volunteer Manager says "Greg is one of those volunteers the brings a positive experience to his group, making conversation with everyone attending. Outside of stream sampling Greg represents Little Forks by telling other people about our properties and the work we do. He attends workshops and other activities we plan on the Cedar River such as the Cedar River Clean Up."