2025 Aldo Leopold Festival

A festival pass is REQUIRED for each participant to attend all workshops, classes, tours and events hosted by the Aldo Leopold Festival. All events have a nominal fee to attend unless otherwise specified as a free event. Tickets are refundable up to 3 days prior to the opening of the festival. After the festival opens, all tickets are non-refundable.

Youth passes are for children ages 6 - 17 years of age. It is not recommended to register children ages 5 and under. Youth pass holders must be accompanied by an adult festival pass holder to attend and participate in events. A festival pass is REQUIRED for each participant to attend all workshops, classes, tours and events hosted by the Aldo Leopold Festival. All events have a nominal fee to attend unless otherwise specified as a free event. Tickets are refundable up to 3 days prior to the opening of the festival. After the festival opens, all tickets are non-refundable.

Saturday, May 31 • 6:00 - 8:00 PM Level: Easy Join us for a delightful evening of connecting with fellow festival attendees while you savor a picnic dinner on the Hessel School House lawn (or indoors if inclement weather). Enjoy a picnic dinner with all the trimmings while you immerse yourself in the enchanting melodies of Americana music experts Mark & Carol Palms, Bruce Gartner and Bear Berhens. We will also be announcing the raffle and contest winners, plus a few special awards. It’s an event not to be missed—reserve your spot today for an unforgettable experience of great food and fantastic music. Reservations for the picnic close on May 15th. Be sure to get your tickets early and save! Space is limited. If available, Picnic Tickets purchased after the reservation deadline will be $35 each and reservations will be taken by phone only.

Wednesday, May 28 • 8:00 am -2:00 pm Level: Moderately Difficult This session is for real adventurers! Join Tom Walker for an eight-mile hike (approx. 4 hours) on the North Country Trail where you will enjoy the varied terrain and forest types as well as an abundance of flora to be discovered. Geologist, Libby Ives will be joining you on the journey to point out many geological features along the way. The North Country National Scenic Trail is a 4,800 mile long trail that crosses 8 states from Vermont to North Dakota with 1,150 miles of it is in Michigan. Walk along the outcropping of the Niagara Escarpment, cross streams, and seeing a beaver dam are just a few highlights of this adventure day. A trail sack lunch and snacks are included in this tour.

Wednesday, May 28 • 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Difficulty: Moderate Join Steve Baker, Rob Routledge, Kevin St. Onge and Ken Drenth as they take you on a spring hunting trip in the forest. You will hunt for vernal pools, salamanders, bird nests of various species, wildflowers, especially orchids, and be treated to a great luncheon at a not-so-traditional hunting camp. NOTE: If you took this adventure in previous years, please consider doing a different trip to allow others to participate.

Wednesday, May 28 • 9:00 am -3:00 pm Level: Moderate Tour Guides: Bob & Sheridan Haack We'll first visit the Drummond Island Tourist Association (DITA) office. You'll have an opportunity to carpool from there if you wish. Then we'll drive to The Nature Conservancy's Maxton Plains Preserve, which is a globally rare area of exposed limestone bedrock and shallow soils, known as an Alvar. These harsh environments are dominated by grasses, sedges, and unique/rare wildflowers like early buttercup, early saxifrage, and prairie smoke. We'll also see some fossils exposed in the calcareous bedrock. A luncheon will be provided by the Pins Restaurant at the Drummond Island Resort. Next, we’ll visit the Forslund Dix Point Nature Preserve, recently established by the Little Traverse Conservancy. It is a “limestone bedrock lakeshore” community on the St. Mary’s River. A rich forest, additional fossils and shoreline plants await. *You will need to be on the 8:40 AM Ferry in Detour to reach Drummond Island by 9:00 AM. More details will be emailed to all participants about the ferry schedule and where to meet. All participants are responsible for covering the cost of the ferry ride, currently $20 roundtrip per carload, or $10 if the driver is 65 or over.

Wednesday, May 28 • 9:00 am -2:00 pm Level: Moderate Instructor: Steve Veatch Come and explore the fascinating world of rock collecting with us! Our program combines educational fun with an exciting outdoor adventure, leading to amazing rock discoveries. We’ll kick things off with a captivating lecture on the essential concepts and methods to make a rock collection. Next, try your hand at identifying and classifying rocks using hands-on activities, just like a geologist. To finish, join a guided beach walk to find specimens and learn about the local geology. This workshop includes lunch.

Wednesday, May 28 • 9:30 am -2:00 pm Level: Easy Guides: Russell Aiken and Robin Pendery Our Native Whitefish population is nearing a dangerously low level. An attempt is being made to raise whitefish by the Sault Tribe. Learn why and how they are addressing this situation. Enjoy lunch at a local eatery before heading to your next stop - the new Maple Hardwoods Inc. This a second-generation timber company built and operates a new $10 million sawmill on 20 acres of land down the road from its original site. Both tours are sure to impress. Saw Mill located north of Hessel. This brand new, state of the art mill. In the afternoon enjoy a trip to and through this amazing plant. Lunch included.

Wednesday, May 28 • 11:00 am -2:00 pm Level: Easy Instructor: Wayne Pope This informative session will explore the strengths and weaknesses of three prevalent photography tools used in nature photography. During this workshop led by Wayne Pope, Adjunct Associate Professor of Photography, participants will learn how to effectively utilize digiscopes, DSLRs, and mirrorless cameras, gaining insight into their unique features and ideal use cases. Whether you're just starting your photography journey or looking to refine your skills, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge to capture stunning images of the natural world. Join us for this exciting opportunity to elevate your photography techniques and connect with fellow nature enthusiasts! Lunch will be included.

Thursday, May 29 • 5:30 -9:30 am Level: Moderate Guides: Duane Utech & Cliff Utech Enjoy the sunrise and dawn chorus of birds led by a couple of Les Cheneaux’s great bird lovers - Duane and Clifford Utech.

Thursday, May 29 • 7:00 am - 10:00 am Level: Moderate Guides: Wil & Sarah Reding The Woolham Preserve’s Narnia Trail is a favorite and easy trails through a mixed deciduous and conifer forest with 4,300 feet of stunning glacial erratic shoreline. It affords a wealth of migratory birdlife and flowering native plants to please the eye.

Thursday, May 29 • 8:00 am - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guide: Brad VonBlon Nearly 800 species of lichens in Michigan and at least 200 species of mosses. The limestone substrate of the Les Cheneaux region is especially rich in these tiny wonders. Join Brad, the famous story teller, on a tour to identify many common species of this notoriously difficult group of organisms. He will fill you with all sorts of facts about these underappreicated species that we take for granted.

Thursday, May 29 • 8:30 - 11:30 am Level: Moderate Guide: Sue Fruchey The eastern Upper Peninsula is home to many nature preserves with various habitats. This field trip will visit a few special places searching for blooming wildflowers, such as Dwarf Lake Iris, gaywings, Bird’s-eye Primrose, and Lakeside Daisy. Early season orchids may be seen, including Yellow lady’s slipper, Pink lady’s slipper, Striped Coralroot, Early Coralroot, Ram’s-head lady’s slipper, and the tiny Heart-leaved Twayblade.

Thursday, May 29 • 8:30 - 11:30 am Level: Moderate Guide: Steve Baker The lakeside fens and wetlands along Lake Huron’s shores are home to an amazing variety of plants that actually “eat” humans insect. This adaptation provides the nitrogen which allows these plant to live and thrive in these sandy and marly nutrient poor soils with little competition from other plants. We will see four types of carnivorous plants (butterwort, bladderworts, sundews, and pitcher plant) and learn each plants’ strategy for attracting, capturing, and digesting their prey.

SOLD OUT - Call for Wait List (906) 484-1333 or sign up for our waiting list online https://forms.gle/HTDNx2gzgDPLPyEZ7 Thursday, May 29 • 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Level: Moderate (Paddle) Guide: Derek Sheils When you want to go look for wildflowers, you probably don't think about going to a pond. Yet, aquatic plants are more than just "pond weeds" and there are plenty of wildflowers beyond pond lilies to look for. This foray will be a botanical foray via kayaks on Loon Lake at Little Traverse Conservancy's Birge Nature Preserve. Though most aquatic plants are not flowering by the end of May, there will be plenty for us to look at and/or discuss including carnivorous plants and the world's smallest flowering plants. This is a paddling tour on an inland lake. Kayaks and PFDs provide by Little Traverse Conservancy.

Thursday, May 29 • 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Level: Moderate Guide: Amy Lipson Join Amy Lipson, Little Traverse Conservancy's Conservation Specialist, on a walking tour through the Derby Preserve named after the Derby family that farmed the area and provided much of the summer and fall food for residents of the Les Cheneaux Club. Discuss what plants can be found here and view the large glacial erratic boulders that this preserve is known for.

Thursday, May 29 • 9:30 am - 12:30 pm Level: Easy Guide: Dr. Libby Ives and Jeni Roosen The landscape of the Les Cheneaux area is shaped by a long, geologic history - 400 million years in the making, when the area was a warm, shallow sea, then later scraped by mile high glaciers. Gain a deeper understanding of what is literally underfoot by visiting this working quarry with a geologist who can explain how this limestone deposit came to be. Meet at the Hessel School House for short video before being bussed to the Carmeuse Quarry for this exciting tour. Minimal hiking involved. Must be able to board a school bus. Participants are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes and bring binoculars to look more closely at quarry walls.

Thursday, May 29 • 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Level: Easy (Lecture) Presenter: Jill Sklenar Ticks have changed our enjoyment of the outdoors due to the diseases they can host. Using chemistry and pharmaceutical methods and family illnesses, and now leading support groups for those with Lyme’s Disease, we will explore how to take the “bite out of ticks”.

Thursday, May 29 • 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Level: Easy (Lecture) Presenter: Tony Alderman & Dave Fielder Research has shown a direct correlation between the managing of cormorants with the rise and fall of the local perch population. Tony Alderman, US Dept. of Interior and Dave Fielder, MDNR Biologist will share their research and how the two different departments are cooperating on controlling the numbers of both species.

THIS CLASS IS FULL - To be placed on a wait list, call 906-484-1333 or add your name to the list at https://forms.gle/bJxdFVva3sLA7SbCA Thursday, May 29 • 2:00 - 5:00 pm Level: Moderate Guide: Amy Lipson The Mertaugh Preserve recently added 77 acres to the Birge and Mertaugh Preserves, now boasting nearly 900 contiguous acres. The property has been in private ownership for decades, therefore, it was not accessible to the public. With the lower water levels, you will hike the shoreline looking for the unique plants that have adapted to this ecosystem.

Thursday, May 29 • 12:00 - 1:30 pm Level: Easy Instructor: Lillian LaCross Invasive species are a problem we all face. Whether it be a large infestation of Hydrilla in your marina or a big patch of Garlic Mustard where trilliums used to grow in the woods, we want to help you learn more about invasive species and how they can be prevented! We will be using models of some of the most prevalent invasive species throughout the Les Cheneaux area to create sun prints that you can use for decoration, handkerchiefs, or even identification! Come learn and create with us to celebrate Aldo Leopold and all he taught and created!

THIS CLASS IS FULL - To be placed on a wait list, call 906-484-1333 or add your name to the list at https://forms.gle/bJxdFVva3sLA7SbCA Thursday, May 29 • 2:30 - 5:00 pm Level: Easy Instructor: Carol Hubbard This nature journaling workshop features fun and engaging activities that build the skills of a scientist, naturalist, artist, and observer. This program will connect science, language arts, visual arts, and mindfulness through a series of fun and engaging activities. Bring your camera or smartphone to capture nature during a short walk through the storybook trail then return to the classroom for sketching, coloring, and interpreting the world you explore. All materials will be supplied.

THIS CLASS IS FULL - To be placed on a wait list, call 906-484-1333 or add your name to the list at https://forms.gle/bJxdFVva3sLA7SbCA Thursday, May 29 • 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Level: Moderate Guide: Duane Utech & Cliff Utech Exploring for the more rare birds of the EUP. No, you won’t be blindfolded as you will have to caravan but you will be visiting private property where many birds of the more rare birds like Golden-winged Warblers, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Upland Sandpipers, Mourning Warblers, Rails & Soras are often found.

Thursday, May 29 • 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Level: Easy Presentation: Matt Herbert and Jason Smith "All Too Clear" uses cutting-edge underwater drones to explore how quadrillions of tiny invasive mussels, known as quaggas, are re-engineering the ecosystem of the Great Lakes at a scale not seen since the glaciers. To capture this epic change, the Canadian husband-and-wife filmmaking team of Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert spent more than 150 days filming underwater, making it the most ambitious underwater film ever made about the Great Lakes. Much of the filming takes place right here in the Les Cheneaux Area. Part scientific exploration, part natural history adventure – the film showcases freshwater wildlife and environments like never before. Following the showing, we will have a panel discussion with local experts.

Friday, May 30 • 5:30 -9:30 am Level: Moderate Guides: Duane Utech & Cliff Utech Enjoy the sunrise and dawn chorus of birds led by a couple of Les Cheneaux’s great bird lovers - Duane and Clifford Utech.

Friday, May 30 • 7:00 - 11:00 am Level: Moderately Difficult Guides: Rob Routledge This field trip will explore the plants found within fens and adjacent conifer swamp. Site-specific vascular plant rarities will be highlighted along with an introduction to specific Sphagnum moss species (non-vascular plants) with contrasting, and often extreme, site nutrient and pH affinities. Due to the vast diversity of flora present, a working plant check list will be provided along with a list of terms used specific to the vegetation communities we’ll be exploring. Waterproof boots or old tennies recommended. Short walk through thick coniferous understory then hummocky, wet terrain.

THIS TOUR IS FULL - To be placed on a wait list, call 906-484-1333 or add your name to the list at https://forms.gle/bJxdFVva3sLA7SbCA Friday, May 30 • 7:00 - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guides: Elliot Nelson Munuscong Bay provides a shining example of the massive and sprawling Great Lakes marshes and wetlands that were once found across every region of the Great Lakes. The two-mile round-trip hike to the dikes on Munuscong Bay is a great place to see birds that love the wetlands and make it their favorite place to nest and call home. Black terns, sedge wrens, rails, and a variety of ducks and warblers are seen most years.

Friday, May 30 • 8:00 - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guides: Steve Baker The eastern Upper Peninsula is home to many nature preserves with various habitats. This field trip will visit a few special places searching for blooming wildflowers, such as Dwarf Lake Iris, gaywings, Bird’s-eye Primrose, and Lakeside Daisy. Early season orchids may be seen, including Yellow lady’s slipper, Pink lady’s slipper, Striped Coralroot, Early Coralroot, Ram’s-head lady’s slipper, and the tiny Heart-leaved Twayblade.

Friday, May 30 • 8:00 - 12:00 pm Level: Moderate Guides: Jason Garvon In 1986 Piping Plovers were listed on the Endangered Species list. Since then they have gone to 13 breeding pairs to 80 in 2023. Intense monitoring, net protection, captive rearing and citizen science are responsible for this success. This session will discuss the history of Piping Plover conservation, in the EUP and include how citizens can become involved in making reports of Piping Plovers they see. After an indoor presentation we will travel to the north shore of Lk. Michigan, just west of St. Ignace, where a new pair of Piping Plovers were discovered and learn what happened in 2024.

Friday, May 30 • 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Level: Moderately Difficult Guides: Kevin St. Onge EUP SMSTEM Regional Director Kevin St. Onge will facilitate a freshwater ecology field experience to engage participants in a hands on scientific investigation involving the use of biotic and abiotic parameter sampling to assess the health of a local stream. Through this investigation, participants will experience Place-Based Learning, which is aimed at solving community problems while seeking learning opportunities derived from the cultural, economic, environmental, and geographical aspects of a community. Along the way, participants will learn about how community partnerships have enabled 30 years of citizen science in the Les Cheneaux Islands.

Friday, May 30 • 9:30 am - 12:30 pm Level: Moderate Guides: Dr. Rachel Hackett Dr. Rachael Hacket is Michigan’s leading expert on the dwarf lake iris(Iris lecustris). Learn about biology, and natural history of the iris including review of recent studies and reports related to the iris including seed dispersal and establishment, population genetics & viability, and ongoing canopy manipulation experiments. After the indoor presentation you visit one of the local dwarf lake iris sites protected and managed by the Michigan Nature Conservancy.

Friday, May 30 • 1:30 -5:30 pm Level: Moderate Guides: Rob Routledge This trip will explore a diversity of ferns along with the closely related lycopods and horsetails as we see them. Our focus will be upland. Tolerant hardwood forests but also some seasonally wet sites might be explored. Exploration of exposures of the Niagara Escarpment should yield some interesting fens, notably those restricted to calcareous rocks, Field characters, useful for identifications at species and genus levels are highlighted. The trip will involve some short hiking in rocky terrain, thus sturdy running shoes or hiking boots are recommended.

Friday, May 30 • 2:00 - 3:00 pm Level: Easy Presenter: Sherry Kruch Because of our remoteness, sparse population, and large geographical area, we in the EUP face many challenges in providing consistent, area-wide recycling services to our residents at an affordable cost. Recent changes in Michigan's Part 115 laws, which govern waste management, offer us an opportunity to examine our current situation and implement improvements that will benefit all of us. In this presentation, we'll discuss answers to the following questions: What recycling services are available now, and where are they located? Where does all the “stuff” go? How could services be improved, and what are the challenges of making those improvements?

Friday, May 30 • 2:00 - 4:00 pm Level: Easy Presenter: Lauren Holbrook Are you familiar with sea lampreys - prehistoric fish that feed on the blood and body fluids of other fish and entered the upper Great Lakes through shipping canals in the early 1920s? These fish quickly became, and remain, one of the worst invaders to have entered the Great Lakes and are now controlled through a program coordinated by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. A communications associate from Hammond Bay Biological Station will present on these fascinating creatures as well as the control methods that are in place to protect our invaluable Great Lakes fishery – plus, live sea lampreys will be on-hand so attendees can get a closer look!

Friday, May 30 • 2:00 - 4:00 pm Level: Easy Presenter: Susan Affholter Join fellow nature enthusiasts and Leopold admirers for a heartfelt reading of selections from A Sand County Almanac. Together, we’ll explore Leopold’s timeless reflections on land ethics, conservation, and the beauty of the natural world. Whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering his work for the first time, this gathering offers a chance to connect, reflect, and celebrate the wisdom of one of America’s most influential environmental thinkers.

Friday, May 30 • 2:00 - 5:00 pm Level: Moderate Presenter: Marquita Mullen Natural sounds of the environment around us can make for a meaningful meditation experience. This session will introduce participants to sound vibration and its healing properties. Using bird songs and other nature sounds this session will provide a guided sound meditation session led by Marquita Mullen from the Chippewa Luce Mackinac Conservation District. This will lead its way to an understanding of how nature, music, and bird songs can bring our bodies into relaxation and harmony. After the meditation session, participants will create screen tray bird feeders to take home with the intention to invite birds into your backyard so you can practice sound meditation at home.

Friday, May 30 • 2:00 - 5:00 pm Level: Moderate Guide: The Nature Conservancy staff member The Carl A. Gerstacker Preserve spans over 1,600 acres, 5 miles of Lake Huron shoreline, two inland lakes, and nearly 3 miles of trail. While it is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, this particular trip is intended more as a general overview, rather than a detailed search for particular species. Participants will have the opportunity to see both Big and Little Trout Lakes, enjoy some moderate difficulty hiking across multiple trail routes and elevations, and gain a greater understanding of the unique geology that underpins this large expanse of contiguous shoreline forest.

Friday, May 30 • 3:00 - 4:00 pm Level: Easy Instructor: Linda Smith, Michigan Audubon Join us for an introduction to the Bird City Michigan program, which recognizes communities that prioritize bird conservation, habitat preservation, and environmental education. Whether you're a local leader, bird enthusiast, or conservation advocate, learn about the steps to earning the Bird City Michigan designation, the benefits it brings, and how you can get involved in making your community more bird-friendly. Bird City Michigan is led by Michigan Audubon and is part of Bird City Network, a program led by American Bird Conservancy and Environment for the Americas.

Friday, May 30 • 3:30 - 5:00 pm Level: Easy Presenter: Jason Kronemeyer Join Jason Kronemeyer for an informative session on upcoming internet service upgrades in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Learn about the options, timelines, costs, and funding history of these upgrades, and discover the pivotal role of the EUPConnect Collaborative in ensuring 1Gbps connectivity to every 911 address in the region. This presentation will provide valuable insights for locals on how these advancements will impact their communities.

Friday, May 29 • 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Level: Moderate Guide: Duane Utech & Cliff Utech Exploring for the more rare birds of the EUP. No, you won’t be blindfolded as you will have to caravan but you will be visiting private property where many birds of the more rare birds like Golden-winged Warblers, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Upland Sandpipers, Mourning Warblers, Rails & Soras are often found.

Friday, May 29 • 7:00 - 9:00 pm Level: Easy Presenter: Tom Bailey, Retired Exe. Director of Little Traverse Conservancy Join us for an insightful presentation on the history, significance, and conservation efforts behind the Aldo Leopold Preserve. Tom Bailey, retired Executive Director of the Little Traverse Conservancy, will share the story of how this special landscape was protected inspiring the Aldo Leopold Festival, and the lasting legacy of Leopold’s land ethic. Tom will highlight the challenges and successes of preserving this unique natural area, inspiring a deeper appreciation for conservation in the Great Lakes region.

Saturday, May 31 • 5:30 -9:30 am Level: Moderate Guides: Duane & Cliff Utech Enjoy the sunrise and dawn chorus of birds with Duane & Cliff Utech.

Saturday, May 31 • 7:00 - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guides: Chace Scholten Munuscong Bay provides a shining example of the massive and sprawling Great Lakes marshes and wetlands that were once found across every region of the Great Lakes. The two-mile round-trip hike to the dikes on Munuscong Bay is a great place to see birds that love the wetlands and make it their favorite place to nest and call home. Black terns, sedge wrens, rails, and a variety of ducks and warblers are seen most years.

Saturday, May 31 • 7:00 - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guides: Rob Routledge This trip will explore a diversity of ferns along with the closely related lycopods and horsetails as we see them. Our focus will be upland. Tolerant hardwood forests but also some seasonally wet sites might be explored. Exploration of exposures of the Niagara Escarpment should yield some interesting fens, notably those restricted to calcareous rocks, Field characters, useful for identifications at species and genus levels are highlighted. The trip will involve some short hiking in rocky terrain, thus sturdy running shoes or hiking boots are recommended.

Saturday, May 31 • 8:00 - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guides: Steve Baker The eastern Upper Peninsula is home to many nature preserves with various habitats. This field trip will visit a few special places searching for blooming wildflowers, such as Dwarf Lake Iris, gaywings, Bird’s-eye Primrose, and Lakeside Daisy. Early season orchids may be seen, including Yellow lady’s slipper, Pink lady’s slipper, Striped Coralroot, Early Coralroot, Ram’s-head lady’s slipper, and the tiny Heart-leaved Twayblade.

Saturday, May 31 • 9:00 - 11:00 am Level: East Guides: Sarah Reding Vernal Pools are here one day gone the next. These seasonal depressional wetlands provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. Become a Citizen Scientist! Explore these pools and learn about how to become part of Michigan State University and Michigan Natural Features Inventory Pool Patrol.

Saturday, May 31 • 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Level: Moderate Guides: Talus Rutgers Join us for an enchanting nature hike as we explore the world of precious pollinators: butterflies! Often overlooked as pollinators, butterflies play a crucial role in our ecosystem. During this event, we will embark on a journey to spot various species of butterflies and discover the host plants they rely on for survival. Get ready to be amazed by the beauty and importance of these delicate creatures.

Saturday, May 31 • 9:30 am - 12:30 pm Level: Moderate Guides: Peek-A-Book Trail Representative Join a hike to the top of Peek-A-Hill, one of the highest points in the Les Cheneaux area. Learn how this partnership with MDNR, Clark Township, Peek-A-Boo Committee members and the area school was established. This new Mt. Bike and Hiking trail offers great views and natural history of the area. Even though the trail is not finished, hikers have given it rave reviews.

Saturday, May 31 • 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Level: Easy Instructor: Carol Hubbard This nature journaling workshop features fun and engaging activities that build the skills of a scientist, naturalist, artist, and observer. This program will connect science, language arts, visual arts, and mindfulness through a series of fun and engaging activities. Bring your camera or smartphone to capture nature during a short walk through the storybook trail then return to the classroom for sketching, coloring, and interpreting the world you explore. All materials will be supplied.

Saturday, May 31 • 1:00 - 3:00 pm Level: Easy Instructor: Sue Bakkila Aldo was an avid personal map maker throughout his life and you'll discover that maps don't have to be fancy or even precise to be useful at capturing important information like your favorite hike, a road trip, how a place evolves, or even your garden in a meaningful way. We will look at examples of personal maps and then, fresh with ideas, you will be guided through starting your own personal map making project. Basic supplies provided.

Saturday, May 31 • 1:00 - 4:00pm Level: Moderate Tour Guides: Bob & Sheridan Haack We'll first visit the Drummond Island Tourist Association (DITA) office. You'll have an opportunity to carpool to The Nature Conservancy's Maxton Plains Preserve, which is a globally rare area of exposed limestone bedrock and shallow soils, known as an Alvar. These harsh environments are dominated by grasses, sedges, and unique/rare wildflowers like early buttercup, early saxifrage, and prairie smoke. We'll also see some fossils exposed in the calcareous bedrock. Travel time from Hessel to the Drummond Island Ferry dock in DeTour Village is approximately 35-40 minute. Round Trip ferry fee is $20 per carload and is NOT included in you registration. Payable upon boarding the ferry.

Saturday, May 31 • 1:30 - 5:30 pm Level: Moderately Difficult Guides: Rob Routledge This field trip will explore the plants found within fens and adjacent conifer swamp. Site-specific vascular plant rarities will be highlighted along with an introduction to specific Sphagnum moss species (non-vascular plants) with contrasting, and often extreme, site nutrient and pH affinities. Due to the vast diversity of flora present, a working plant check list will be provided along with a list of terms used specific to the vegetation communities we’ll be exploring. Waterproof boots or old tennies recommended. Short walk through thick coniferous understory then hummocky, wet terrain.

Saturday, May 31 • 2:00 - 4:00 pm Level: Easy Guides: Dave Ewert Following an overview of how and why birds sing, we will play bird songs and calls of common breeding birds in Les Cheneaux. By playing these songs, along with photos of each species, this will be an opportunity for you to either renew you memory of the songs or learn the songs of our local birds and better interpret what they are communicating. The chorus of bird song will take on even more special meaning as we expand our knowledge of these amazing vocalists.

Saturday, May 31 • 2:00 - 5:00 pm Level: Moderate Guide: Brad VonBlon Nearly 800 species of lichens in Michigan and at least 200 species of mosses. The limestone substrate of the Les Cheneaux region is especially rich in these tiny wonders. Join Brad, the famous story teller, on a tour to identify many common species of this notoriously difficult group of organisms. He will fill you with all sorts of facts about these underappreicated species that we take for granted.

Saturday, May 31 • 2:00 - 5:00 pm Level: Moderate Guides: Talus Rutgers Join us for an enchanting nature hike as we explore the world of precious pollinators: butterflies! Often overlooked as pollinators, butterflies play a crucial role in our ecosystem. During this event, we will embark on a journey to spot various species of butterflies and discover the host plants they rely on for survival. Get ready to be amazed by the beauty and importance of these delicate creatures.

Sunday, June 1 • 7:00 - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guides: Chace Scholten and Tallus Rutger Munuscong Bay provides a shining example of the massive and sprawling Great Lakes marshes and wetlands that were once found across every region of the Great Lakes. The two-mile round-trip hike to the dikes on Munuscong Bay is a great place to see birds that love the wetlands and make it their favorite place to nest and call home. Black terns, sedge wrens, rails, and a variety of ducks and warblers are seen most years.

Sunday, June 1 • 7:00 am - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guides: Dave Elliot The Woolham Preserve’s Narnia Trail is a favorite and easy trails through a mixed deciduous and conifer forest with 4,300 feet of stunning glacial erratic shoreline. It affords a wealth of migratory birdlife and flowering native plants to please the eye.

Sunday, June 1 • 8:00 - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guide: Steve Baker The lakeside fens and wetlands along Lake Huron’s shores are home to an amazing variety of plants that actually “eat” humans insect. This adaptation provides the nitrogen which allows these plant to live and thrive in these sandy and marly nutrient poor soils with little competition from other plants. We will see four types of carnivorous plants (butterwort, bladderworts, sundews, and pitcher plant) and learn each plants’ strategy for attracting, capturing, and digesting their prey.

Sunday, June 1 • 8:00 - 11:00 am Level: Easy Guide: Sarah Reding This trip will explore a variety of local hot spots by carpool, starting with the local wastewater lagoons as well as a few nearby protected bays and marshes, which are great spots for amazing breeding bird species. We will also look for breeding waterfowl, shore birds, marsh birds, and warblers. This trip will include easy, short hikes to view birds at each location. Please bring your own binoculars, observing birds without them will be very difficult.

Sunday, June 1 • 8:00 - 11:00 am Level: Moderate Guide: Elliot Nelson Join us for an early morning trip to the marsh! On this field tour, we will share an introduction to the secretive marsh birds that call the Les Cheneaux Islands home in the summer. We will visit examples of Great Lakes marsh communities and discuss the importance of wetlands for secretive marsh birds such as rails, bitterns, and pied-billed grebes. We will broadcast marsh bird calls and listen for these secretive marsh dwellers. Muck boots or rubber boots are highly recommended for this field outing.

2:00 PM -5:00 PM Thursday, May 29 , 2025 Level: Moderate (Paddle) Guide: Derek Sheils When you want to go look for wildflowers, you probably don't think about going to a pond. Yet, aquatic plants are more than just "pond weeds" and there are plenty of wildflowers beyond pond lilies to look for. This foray will be a botanical foray via kayaks on Loon Lake at Little Traverse Conservancy's Birge Nature Preserve. Though most aquatic plants are not flowering by the end of May, there will be plenty for us to look at and/or discuss including carnivorous plants and the world's smallest flowering plants. This is a paddling tour on an inland lake. Kayaks and PFDs provide by Little Traverse Conservancy.