Learning opportunities abound in the wilderness of Midland County

From backpacking to bats, stream sampling to forest management, the Little Forks Conservancy has a range of activities set for the great outdoors of Midland County this summer.

Beginning June 7th, the 2018 Stewardship Series kicks off with a workshop on the Leave No Trace method of backpacking. Led by a current AmeriCorps member, the workshop will demonstrate backpacking tips and tricks, and especially how to not disturb the surrounding wildlife.

The Stewardship Series is a way to promote responsible stewardship of the wilderness of Midland County and beyond, and to promote the Little Forks Conservancy, as well.

“We put out these events online, people come across them, and they become interested. Maybe they’ve never heard of us before,” says Sara Huetteman, stewardship coordinator for Little Forks, and founder of the stewardship program.

“The workshops give people a chance to learn who we are and about the properties they can explore. They might not know about all these places that are just outside the city.”

These properties Huetteman speaks of are the nature preserves that Little Forks either owns or manages, including four in Midland County and a new one in Gladwin County. One of the services the Little Forks Conservancy provides is to establish and manage conservation easements as requested by landowners.

Huetteman plans on leading one of the stewardship workshops herself, a July seminar on Michigan bats and diseases. Remaining workshops include one on stream sampling, where volunteers learn how to monitor and determine stream health, and a September workshop on forest management at the new Gladwin preserve.

Click here to learn more about the Little Forks Conservancy and its Stewardship Series, as well as other volunteer and outdoor activity opportunities in Midland County.

Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.