​Whether you are an avid runner or just starting out — Little Forks wants you to know that our preserves are a perfect way to mix up your routine. Trail running has become increasingly popular. The Outdoor Industry Association reported in 2018 that there are more trail runners than there are off-road bikers – about 9 million!
 
Going to a nature preserve, instead of a track or treadmill, adds variability to your routine with the added mystery of what creatures and sights you’ll come across. With temperatures climbing and the sun shining you can hear a chorus of frogs, spot sunbathing turtles or snakes (harmless garter snakes usually) and a herd of deer running off in the woods. What better way to enjoy nature and avoid those pesky mosquitoes than by getting in some cardio? To help start your journey, we took the guesswork out of adding up miles and outlined a few options at our preserves that will compliment your short or long-distance running needs.

Congrats to Karen Habeck for capturing the most items on our Winter Scavenger Hunt in February! Check out her photos below.

Congratulations to Rebecca and Chuck Neal for capturing the most items on our Winter Scavenger Hunt! Check out their photos below and don't forget to submit your photos for a chance to win some Little Forks swag!

Join the Little Forks Conservancy for snowshoe hikes at some of our natural areas. We will have adult and teen sizes available for use, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer. Space is limited to 15. If there is not enough snow to use the snowshoes, we will go for a regular hike instead. Dress warmly and in layers, wear waterproof and warm boots, bring your own water bottle, and email Andrea with any questions, comments or concerns.

Covid regulations apply, please bring and wear your own mask.

Event dates/times:
January 18th at 2pm - Forestview Natural Area
​February 15th at 4pm - Riverview Natural Area
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Snowshoes available for events:
4 - size 21 (80-150lbs)
14 - size 25 (120-200lbs)
2 - size 30 (220-300lbs)

Little Forks invites you to visit any of our five public properties this winter and partake in a photo scavenger hunt. Participate at your leisure and submit photos of listed items throughout the winter months for a chance to win a prize! 

Submit your photos to info@littleforks.org

Scavenger hunt details and rules below.

As my service ends, I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on the year and all that I have done as a Huron Pines AmeriCorps member serving at the Little Forks Conservancy in 2020. I never expected this year to turn out the way it did, as I am sure many others did not either.  A global pandemic and a 500-year flood in the same year? I definitely did not sign up for that. Serving remotely for many months was challenging. When I first started, I was expecting to be spending most of my service outside and working with other people. Instead, I spent a good portion of my service on my couch and became very familiar with using Zoom. However, even with all of the challenges that I faced – I was still able to get things done, take part in lots of exciting opportunities, and learn so much. 

Throughout my service, I was tasked with recording the visitor data from our preserves. The conservancy tries to keep track of how many visitors they get so that they can better understand how people are utilizing their properties. Most of my service occurred as the COVID-19 pandemic was taking place. We began to see increases in the number of visitors that were using the preserves. ​I decided to analyze the data and compare it to previous data from 2019. All of the preserves saw greater numbers of visitors in 2020. It was interesting to view just how much people were going outside during a time when they were not able to do much else. Being out in nature is so important for our physical, mental, and emotional health.

​Since many of our in-person events were canceled this year, we had to get creative and come up with some virtual alternatives. I became very familiar with using different types of software and programs to do outreach. I assisted with our virtual Garlic Mustard Pull where we encouraged the public to go out with their families to remove the invasive species. 

Later in the season, once we were able to start working on our preserves and with volunteers, we held some work days doing things like trail building, invasive species removal, habitat restoration, and flood remediation. The 500-year flood damaged three of the conservancy’s preserves along the Tittabawassee river and their office. Forestview Natural Area in particular was affected. Boardwalks were shifted, the floodwaters caused the bridge to move off of the creek (getting damaged in the process), and piles of debris were deposited all over the land along the river. I helped plan a Huron Pines AmeriCorps service event at Forestview during which we spent a day rebuilding the bridge and removing flood debris from the property. 

​During some of my final weeks of service I took the lead on a scout project at Riverview Natural Area where were thinned some trees and removed invasive species. Having too many trees in one area can lead to overcrowding issues where the trees will compete with each other for resources. By removing some, we can establish healthier forests and increase growth in those that were left. The cut trees were used to create piles of brush that will serve as habitat for critters in the area. 

​Conservation easements are agreements with landowners that protect their properties and resources. Little Forks conservancy has over thirty easements and each one must be monitored annually. Over the past few months I learned about easements, various conservation practices, and communicating with landowners. My site supervisor, Elan, taught me how to complete a monitoring visit and create a monitoring report after. I spent many days hiking around some gorgeous properties in Mid-Michigan. I have seen farm fields, wetlands, forests, rivers and lakes. Getting to see firsthand how the conservancy has been able to protect land, resources, and habitats in the surrounding areas was amazing. 

​Now is the time of the year when the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and the birds are chirping. I don’t know about you, but I have been waiting for some nice, warm weather for months. As you are visiting Little Forks’ preserves and other natural areas you are probably seeing many exciting things. Maybe it is an animal that you came across when strolling down a path. Or perhaps it is a beautiful flower that you have seen before but can’t quite identify. Lucky for us, there are plenty of useful resources that can be used to help identify and record what we see when we are out in nature! 

​iNaturalist and Seek:
iNaturalist is website that allows users to record what they observe and share their finds with others. It covers a range of taxa: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, plants, insects, and more! It also has an app that can be downloaded onto your phone through the app store. This is great if you struggle to identify things yourself. If you are unsure of the species it will offer suggestions based on similar postings to help you narrow it down. I took an entomology class last year and I used iNaturalist quite often when I was having trouble identifying an insect. It is very helpful and offers lots of information about each species including a general overview of the animal, where they are found globally, their taxonomy, and their conservation status. Seek is an educational and entertaining identification app that was also created by the iNaturalist team. With seek, users can earn badges and participate in challenges as they observe the organisms around them. Seek can be used to identify plants, animals, and fungi.  It is simple to use and is fun for people of all ages. The apps can be downloaded in the app store.  I highly recommend checking them out. 

MISIN:
MISIN (Midwest Invasive Species Information Network) is used to detect and identify invasive species. This is really important for invasive species management. If we don’t know where invasive species are then how can we control them? Along with their website, MISIN has an app that can be found in the app store. MISIN has a lot to offer users. Not only are you able to report the invasive species that you find, but you can also explore and learn more about species that you may not be familiar with. You can look up a specific invasive species if you are interested in learning more about it. Or you can search geographically to find which invasives are present in a particular area. They also offer free training modules, once you pass the short quiz you will receive a certificate of completion. If we want to stop the spread of invasives in our area then we need to do our part by reporting what we find! Megan Garrett from our local Central Michigan Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area has created a video teaching you how to use the website and app from start to finish.

​eBird and Merlin Bird ID:
Do you love birds? If so, eBird and Merlin Bird ID are just for you! Created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, these resources have tons of information that will help you on your journey to becoming an expert birder. eBird allows users to share birds that they find, explore and learn about other birds, and find hotspots near them. Our preserves in Midland County are hotspots for many species of birds, where visitors have recorded tons of observations.  eBird will keep track of the birds you find, the photos you take, and even the sounds that they make! Merlin Bird ID is very useful if you see a bird but don’t know what it is. You can answer a few simple questions about the bird you saw or upload a photo and the app will suggest possible birds that it could have been. If you visit the app store and search for “eBird” and “Merlin Bird ID” you will be able to find their mobile apps. 

 
MI Herp Atlas:
Another resource you may be interested in is the Michigan Herp Atlas. This is where you can enter information for herps, amphibians and reptiles, that you see on your adventures. You can upload information about your observation as well as photos of what you saw. You can view previous records that have been posted and learn more about Michigan’s amphibians and reptiles. This resource has descriptions about the characteristics, behaviors, and habitats of the animals. The Mobile Mapper can be downloaded in Google Play or the iTunes Store. Recording the herps that you see helps by documenting how their populations change over time.

​I encourage you all to get out to our properties and try some of these resources! When visitors use them, it gives us valuable information and a better understanding of the land that we manage. If you post anything to social media use the hashtag #LFCtrailfinds or you can email us at info@littleforks.org with some of your observations. We love hearing from our preserve users and are interested to see what you find!

Shelby Cain - Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member 

During these past few weeks, I have been trying to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors while practicing social distancing. Being stuck inside all day can really take a toll on a person and I feel like it is important to take a break every once and awhile, stretch your legs, and get some fresh air. I have visited Little Forks’ Riverview preserve a few times recently since it is close to where I live. At Riverview, I enjoy walking the trail along the river, it has a great view (hence the name). My dog loves going for walks there. She did not, however, love the bath that she got afterward since she was so muddy. Some of the trails are still pretty wet so I would recommend boots or waterproof shoes if visiting that preserve. 

The other day, I visited the Chippewa Nature Center, which is only a few miles away from my house. I was walking across a boardwalk on the rustic River Point Trail when I spooked a herd of deer. There were quite a few deer that were not very far away from me. They must have heard or smelled me as I was coming towards them. I had no idea that the deer were there until they started to run away. It was a nice surprise, they didn’t seem too scared of me and took their time jogging away. One of my favorite parts about being in nature is getting to see wildlife. I find animals extremely interesting; I enjoy learning about them and their environments.

​I have also been going on adventures in my own backyard and exploring our property. My family has lots of woods, trails, and ponds on our land. The other day it was sunny, beautiful, and got up to 60 degrees. My sister and I took advantage of the nice weather and went on nature walk out back behind our house. We could hear frogs making noises all around us as we walked. When we would come up to a pond the frogs could be seen jumping or swimming away. We spent some time catching a few and releasing them back into the water. There were also a few areas where we found large amounts of frog eggs. We did not see any tadpoles, but very soon the ponds will be filled with hundreds of them. I really have enjoyed spending some extra time outside lately. During my AmeriCorps service, I look forward to exploring all the preserves that Little Forks has to offer and getting to visit other natural areas nearby. Nature is incredible and has so much to offer; which is why we need to do our part and take care of it. 

Shelby Cain
Huron Pines AmeriCorps Member

Andrea has also been the force behind Andrea's Field Studies, a Little Forks Conservancy web series focusing on nature, outdoors, mental health, and wildlife! Checkout the full series on our YouTube channel!

Fall is a gorgeous time to explore Little Forks Conservancy’s nature preserves. You can enjoy the last lingering autumn leaves. 

Many people cut back on hiking during this time because of hunting season. But, hiking during hunting season can be just as enjoyable as any other time of year! Here are a few tips to help you discover our trails in the fall.

1. When is hunting season?
Although many of us are most familiar with deer hunting season, there are actually a number of hunting seasons in Michigan. You can see the full list of hunting season dates by clicking here.

2. Is there hunting on the preserves?
Little Forks Conservancy does not allow hunting on the Averill Preserve and Forestview Natural Area. The George and Sue Lane Preserve and parts of Riverview Natural Area are open to bow hunting and spring turkey through a permit system. The Albert & Virginia Szok Preserve is located within Pine Haven Recreation Area which does allow hunting. If you’re planning on visiting the two preserves with hunting on the property, signage will be placed in the parking lot. 

3. Is there hunting nearby at the other preserves?
Yes, some of our neighbors do hunt their properties. For your safety, please stay on the trail and obey any “No Trespassing” signs. Also, please respect neighboring hunters by minimizing loud noises or disturbing wildlife.

4. Do I have to wear orange?
Wearing a bright orange hat or vest is a great way to make sure you’re seen by hunters! Since they wear it themselves, they will know that means you’re there. If you’re walking your dog, make sure he or she remains on a leash – and you can also pick up an orange vest for your dog at local pet supply stores!

If you’re out during dawn or dusk when light is dim, a headlamp or flashlight is also recommended.

5. What if I encounter a hunter?
If you see a hunter on a Little Forks' preserve each hunter should have a permit given to them by Little Forks Conservancy signed by Sara the Stewardship Coordinator. If a preserve that does not allow hunting, contact our office at 989.835.4886.
You may see hunters along the preserve boundary. If you do, quietly continue along the trail within the preserve.
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If you follow these tips, you should be able to safely enjoy a great hike at one of Little Forks’ preserves! If you encounter any problems or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office at 989.835.4886 or email Sara.