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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.
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 Not too far from the Chippewa River is a seven-acre property that was once part of a small family farm in Homer Township. This past summer, the Little Forks Conservancy accepted the donation of this property in honor of the family that owned it for generations. The decision to donate the property was an easy one for John Anderson, as he and his late wife, Ursula, had discussed wanting to see it preserved for the education and enjoyment for the people of the Midland area. Ursula’s family had owned and lived near the property for years and to commemorate that legacy, John contacted Little Forks to preserve the family’s legacy.
The newly protected Anderson property will become the conservancy’s seventh nature preserve. Management objectives are being developed, but options include an outdoor learning space for Little Forks’ Nature/Nurture program as well as a small park area for the community. The property has been routinely mowed for hay, keeping invasive species just to the edges.
“This allows us to have a blank slate to work from and create something truly enjoyable for the community,” commented Sara Huetteman, preserve and volunteer manager. Traditionally, as a student in August attending Michigan State University, I would be getting ready for my fall semester classes and preparing to move into a dorm room on campus. College is supposed to be an exciting time for young people to grow and learn about all that life has to offer, but that would be during a normal year. 2020 is far from normal, and while I am looking forward to my courses beginning, plus spending time with my new MSU friends, all of this is going to be conducted virtually at home. Like many other students, my classwork will be completely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so I will be staying in my hometown of Midland, MI during the coming months. One may think this means that opportunities to learn and grow will be very limited since the virus continues to impede society. Even though change is occurring to everyone’s day to day living, students like myself and their families can still enjoy their lives during this era of social distancing. Nature is the best medicine for society’s struggles, because it has the unique ability to restore one’s sense of normalcy during this pandemic and the ongoing uncertainty it brings. This year, 2020, is when the importance of community sustainability is coming to the forefront. Family and friends are riding their bikes more, neighborhood parks and gardens are being visited at greater rates, and more people are working virtually from their homes. COVID-19 has brought tremendous loss and suffering. This is especially true for families like my own who have lost someone to the novel coronavirus. However, it has also allowed people to realize how important social connections are, as well as appreciating the natural world which surrounds and soothes them. Families are now spending more time together and seeing the beauty of their hometowns. Personally, every time I walk or bike ride in my local neighborhood this summer, I give thanks to Mother Nature for being a steady, grounding force of normalcy during this truly abnormal time.
Appreciating and caring for those closest to you is perhaps more important now than ever before, so what better way to spend quality time with family and friends than going outside (with masks on) and enjoying nature. I’ve seen families, friends, and neighbors make it a point to walk together on an almost daily basis. Others travel to metro parks in their region or take a mini family vacation to areas up north and kayak with their loved ones while properly social distancing. Personally, my family and I love viewing the beautiful monarch butterflies and hummingbirds outside our breakfast room windows. Seeing them flying effortlessly to feed on nectar provides us with peace and joy when those are especially difficult emotions to feel right now. My family makes it a point to plant and nurture beautiful wildflowers and trees on our property. These simple acts of stewardship bring the natural world into our everyday lives, giving us comfort. Like I said before, I am staying home since my classes are completely virtual this coming semester which allows for greater protection from COVID-19. As an incoming senior this fall, I have had my fair share of college experiences and know that this new academic year will be unlike anything seen before. I love exploring campus and all of its natural marvels. Let it be going to the university’s botanical gardens, the woodland trails, Red Cedar River walkways, or various other sustainable green spaces on campus, I am always eager to see and appreciate the seasonal changes which make the campus beautiful.
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  The Little Forks Conservancy is working to kick start the invasive exotic species control season by encouraging homeowners to remove garlic mustard from their homes between April 24- May 31st. Garlic mustard is an invasive plant that spreads rapidly through woodlots out-competing our native vegetation. It can also be established in residential areas. Check out this quick video from the Director of Land Conservation: Garlic mustard is a biennial flowering plant which grows low to the ground in the first year and then flowers in the second year. During the second year, garlic mustard will develop white flowers and grow up to 2 or 3 feet tall with the ability to disperse numerous seeds by wind and water.  “With folks spending a little more time at home this spring has inspired to create the Stay Home Garlic Mustard Pull where residents of our community can take a little time to help eradicate this unwanted plant from their yards” commented Elan Lipschitz, Director of Land Protection. “We are all in this together to help improve our local environment and working together we can have an impact on controlling this unwanted plant from our backyards and neighborhoods” commented Lipschitz. It's important to bag these plants in trash bags and leave in the sun to fully kill the plant. Garlic Mustard has the ability to continue to grow and seed even out of the soil!  “We have created tags that can be downloaded for your trash bag, the tags identify the plant and explain that it is an invasive species to be disposed of”, commented Shelby Cain, Huron Pines AmeriCorps member. “This is a great opportunity of a little thing you can do safely at home that can make a difference. One consideration for the pull is if you have a large infestation on your property to limit the number of bags per week to one or two to be considerate to our refuse collectors during the time of heavy hard waste collection. For more information regarding disposal of invasive species check out this guide. With the ability to still get outside during the Stay Home. Stay Safe. order, our staff have been checking out nearby outdoor spaces! We've asked each of them to document their experience -- take a look below to see where we've been exploring! While I do enjoy the extra minutes in bed and conducting work in the comfort of my home, but like many, this new normalcy has certainly required more mental decompression and some much-needed fresh air. Living on the east side of Bay City there are a few nearby spots that I’ve visited. Hewitt Park The first being the park across the street from my house. The sidewalk square surrounding it measures out to be about a third of a mile. When it’s fairly warm or the sun is shining I like to walk or jog a few laps around the square. A few weeks back, one of the neighboring families made a sidewalk chalk display that featured some positive messages. I appreciate having this public space literally outside my door and well taken care of by the city and my neighborhood.
Early on in the Stay Home order, I visited the Golson Nature Area which is owned and primarily maintained by the city with consulting and invasive removal in partnership with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy. The nature area is a little over 40-acres with trails surrounding a large wetland area. This space is a hidden gem in Bay City, not many locals realize its existence. I may however be biased as this space has personal significance with it being the sight where I had my wedding photos captured last fall!
With the ability to still get outside during the Stay Home. Stay Safe. order, our staff have been checking out nearby outdoor spaces! We've asked each of them to document their experience -- take a look below to see where we've been exploring! As Preserve and Volunteer Manager my job is working outdoors ensuring trails are safe and improving the habitat that surrounds those trails. The stay home to stay safe order came when spring was awakening, and it’s the time of year where my job gets to the exciting part putting the plans we’ve been thinking and writing out all winter in action and seeing the results. For the safety of the community, I happily work from home and I was thrilled to see outdoor recreation was still okay as long as we remain a safe distance from people outside our home; there are natural areas in the country that have become so crowded they needed to be shut down. Mid-Michigan is lucky to have a huge variety of natural spaces that even if one place has a full parking lot there is another spot nearby that we can explore and enjoy the sounds of spring. I live in Mount Pleasant so I am unable to enjoy Little Forks’ trails but let’s face if I were to live closer I would totally be caught working and really when you work in nature it’s hard to stop thinking about ways to improve an area while out walking around. Mount Pleasant is home to a wide array of natural spaces from the paved network of trails in the city parks to the rustic trails in County parks and Chippewa Watershed Conservancy preserve; I am taking the time to enjoy them all! Deerfield Nature Park is managed by Isabella county west of Mount Pleasant is 591 acres with 8 miles of trail with Chippewa River flowing through it. It is a great spot for a day hike and large enough to walk without constantly running into other users. My dog, Lola, loves walking here with all the smells, briefly running into the water before realizing how cold it is still and meeting some other pups on the trail! Chippewa Watershed Conservancy has 8 preserve with established trails open to the public. My two favorites are Sylvan Solace and Bundy Hill. Sylvan Solace has beautiful views of Chippewa River and great spaces for birding. Bundy Hill is the highest point in Isabella County just ¼ mile above sea level. Walking up the hill side has very neat ridges and rock formations. I am lucky to live a stone’s throw away from the Mount Pleasant city parks that follow along the Chippewa River with the trail named Gregory K. Baderschneider Riverwalk Trail; it stretches from Pickard Rd better known in Midland as M-20 all the way almost to Broomfield Rd which for those unfamiliar is the southern road for CMU campus. I can simple walk out my door and walk the length of Mount Pleasant! This area is utilized for our daily walks with our dog and sometimes our cat!
Stay Healthy. Be Safe. Explore Nearby! Sara Huetteman Preserves & Volunteers Manager With the ability to still get outside during the Stay Home. Stay Safe. order, our staff have been checking out nearby outdoor spaces! We've asked each of them to document their experience -- take a look below to see where we've been exploring!
On some mornings, I head towards the Tittabawassee River and explore Dahlia Hill which has a nice view from atop the hill and you can glance in the windows at the wonderful artwork. From there, I walk along the Pere Marquette Rail Trail to visit the new overlook in Upper Emerson Park. Then I head downstream along the the river crossing Currie Bridge entering Chippewassee Park and setting foot on the Tridge. There are so many wonderful areas to explore within the City of Midland. That being said, I still enjoy visiting out nature preserves, but trying to limit my travels has opened up a whole new perspective on what nature abounds staying close to home.
Elan Lipschitz Director of Land Conservation With the ability to still get outside during the Stay Home. Stay Safe. order, our staff have been checking out nearby outdoor spaces! We've asked each of them to document their experience -- take a look below to see where we've been exploring! Riverview Natural Area - Little Forks Conservancy 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. River Point Trail - Chippewa Nature Center 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. Shelby's backyard! 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 With the ability to still get outside during the Stay Home. Stay Safe. order, our staff have been checking out nearby outdoor spaces! We've asked each of them to document their experience -- take a look below to see where we've been exploring!
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!
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