Michigan

Experts from Michigan, Wisconsin and New York recently traveled to New York’s Irondequoit Bay on Lake Ontario and to Buffalo, New York on Lake Erie to conduct aquatic invasive species (AIS) surveys. 

You might think we know everything there is to know about our Great Lakes—a focus of science and management for many years—but we still have a lot to learn. Especially underneath the surface. This is the case for Great Lakes reefs. 

A team of scientists at TNC are using data to connect people to nature and science. Learn how they selected social and economic indicators for coastal conservation to track progress toward our goals in Michigan. 

Have you heard of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)? Bailey Conservation Fellow Matthew Jurjonas, Ph.D. explores his work researching the human well-being aspects of GLRI during this guest blog.

In honor of Earth Day, community scientists gathered to collect observations of nature at the Nan Weston Nature Preserve at Sharon Hollow. Explore their findings in this blog post. 

Michigan is home to a variety of nature-based activities all year long. From hiking, fishing, skiing and birding, Conservation Fellow Autumn McGowan explores how outdoor recreation plays a big part in our individual lives and provides value to the Michigan economy.

As a conservation fellow with TNC, Autumn McGowan has the opportunity to participate in a lot of projects over her two-year term. From reef monitoring to a field trip to a fen, here's a behind-the-scenes look at her experience. 

When TNC purchased the 32,541-acre Keweenaw Heartlands in late 2022, we did so recognizing that we would need to learn much more about the property in order to manage it effectively. To fill this information gap, we designed an inventory more comprehensive than any in the history of TNC in Michigan, covering ecological and cultural features, infrastructure, and timber and carbon assets.