Residents in Southeast Michigan are invited to join in the effort to protect high-quality forests. The Department of Natural Resources recently announced a schedule of volunteer stewardship activities.
Volunteering for these workdays is a great way to Go Get Outdoors in many of Michigan’s state parks, breathe some fresh air, have fun and get a bit of exercise - all while enjoying beautiful scenery with the spring wildflower display.
Help is needed to hand-pull garlic mustard, an aggressive, invasive, non-native plant that grows in a wide variety of ecosystems, soils and light conditions. Garlic mustard is originally from Europe and threatens many of Michigan’s ecosystems by crowding out native plants and wildflowers like trillium and May apple. Removal, similar to weeding a garden, is an enjoyable way to spend time outdoors. May is a great time to pull this plant because it will be flowering and easy to find. Volunteers of all ages are invited to participate - including youth and scout groups, service clubs, etc.
Volunteers should wear appropriate clothing for outdoor work (including long pants and sturdy, closed-toe shoes) and bring gloves and drinking water.
Workday dates, locations (counties) and times are:
- Saturday, May 4 - Island Lake Recreation Area(Livingston), 9 a.m. to noon
- Saturday, May 4 - Waterloo Recreation Area (Washtenaw), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Saturday, May 4 - Proud Lake Recreation Area (Oakland), 10 a.m. to 1p.m.
- Sunday, May 5 - Algonac State Park (St. Clair), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Sunday, May 5 - Highland Recreation Area (Oakland), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Saturday, May 11 - Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Oakland ), 9 a.m. to noon
- Saturday, May 11 - Waterloo Recreation Area (Washtenaw), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 15 - Highland Recreation Area (Oakland), 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 15 - Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Oakland), 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, May 16 - Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Oakland), 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday, May 18 - Island Lake Recreation Area(Livingston), 9 a.m. to noon
- Sunday, May 19 - Pinckney Recreation Area (Washtenaw), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Saturday, May 25 - Brighton Recreation Area (Livingston), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The DNR’s Volunteer Steward program is part of the Parks and Recreation Division, Stewardship Unit’s mission to “preserve, protect and restore the natural and cultural resources present within Michigan state parks for this and future generations.”
To get information about the activities at each workday, find directions or park information, or check the Volunteer Steward program calendar of events, visit the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/dnrvolunteers and link to the Calendar of Volunteer Stewardship Workdays.
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