Michigan Nature Association

05/29/2026

Michigan Nature Magazine is here!

Michigan Nature Magazine features stories on exciting conservation projects, dives into the fascinating peculiarities of our favorite flora and fauna, and provides updates on science, stewardship and education! Featured side-by-side with a gallery of stunning nature photos, come check out our latest edition to learn more about Michigan's endangered habitats and wildlife, as well as the people, projects and organizations working to conserve and protect them.

If you would like to make sure you receive a printed copy of this or future editions, please consider making a donation. Your gift will help advance the places, programs and people that make Michigan Nature magazine possible. And if you're already a contributor, thank you for your continued support!

To make a donation, or to download the magazine's available PDF version, check out our website at the links below.

Donate: https://michigannature.org/donations.html

View PDF: https://michigannature.org/news/article/Michigan-Nature-Magazine-is-Back.html

05/28/2026

05/27/2026

Welcome back to the latest installment in our Michigan turtles series!

This week, we’ll be looking at the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). Native to eastern North America, this omnivorous turtle is found primarily in the eastern U.S., including across much of New England and the midwest. It is Michigan’s only truly terrestrial turtle, and is the official state reptile of both North Carolina and Tennessee.

Eastern box turtles are typically active from late April to late October, and prefer deciduous forested habitats adjacent to a body of water such as a stream, lake, or swamp (though they are also occasionally found in thickets, pastures or open fields). They are known to burrow in leafy brush or debris, and during periods of extreme heat will sometimes bathe in shallow water or submerge themselves in mud, though due to their terrestrial nature they are unable to survive in deep bodies of water.

Eastern box turtles have hinged shells, which allow them to retreat inside the protection of a fully-enclosed shell structure – the “box” from which their name derives. These turtles’ shells grow continuously (though at varying rates) throughout their lifespans, and will form growth rings as a result; they are also able to regenerate their shells when damaged.

While eastern box turtles are somewhat common in certain parts of their range, many of their populations have faced rapid decline. Classified as a state-threatened species in Michigan, eastern box turtles face the biggest threats from habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as road traffic collisions and removal for the pet trade.

Photo Credit: Dan Burton

05/22/2026

Come join us this Sunday, May 24th at the Dolan Nature Sanctuary, where we'll be pulling garlic mustard out of the high quality floodplain forest! We'll also be able to enjoy watching spring migrants flying through, as Dolan is a favorite migratory stopover.

To view the full calendar and registration details, please visit our website here: https://www.michigannature.org/menus/calendar.html

We hope to see you there!

Photo Credit: Leona Addie

05/20/2026

We are excited to announce the return of the Michigan Nature magazine! After an extended hiatus, we are thrilled to once again resume MNA's signature publication, which will be releasing biannually.

Michigan Nature Magazine features stories on exciting conservation projects, dives into the fascinating peculiarities of our favorite flora and fauna, and provides updates on science, stewardship and education! Featured side-by-side with a gallery of stunning nature photos, come check out our latest edition to learn more about Michigan's endangered habitats and wildlife, as well as the people, projects and organizations working to conserve and protect them.

If you would like to make sure you receive a printed copy of this or future editions, please consider making a donation. Your gift will help advance the places, programs and people that make Michigan Nature magazine possible. And if you're already a contributor, thank you for your continued support!

To make a donation, or to download the magazine's available PDF version, check out our website at the links below.

Donate: https://michigannature.org/donations.html

View PDF: https://michigannature.org/news/article/Michigan-Nature-Magazine-is-Back.html

05/18/2026

Welcome back to the latest installment in our Michigan turtles series!

This week, we’ll be looking at the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta). Native to northeastern North America, this semi-aquatic freshwater turtle is found primarily in the eastern U.S. and southern Canada, including across much of New England and parts of the midwest.

Wood turtles are typically active from late April to mid-October, and prefer to stay close to flowing water, frequenting the rivers and streams of forest or wetland habitats such as forested floodplains, swamps, and wet meadows. During especially hot periods in the summer months, wood turtles will sometimes go into estivation, or a period of prolonged dormancy to wait out the heat. This is in addition to their normal hibernation period spanning November through March, during which they will bury themselves in the mud beneath a flowing river, either alone or as part of a larger group.

When it comes to reproduction, female wood turtles do not raise their offspring once hatched. Instead, they put care into building their nests in protected, elevated areas, covering them in leaves and debris to hide their hatchlings from predators. The mothers then leave the nest soon after, though it is not uncommon for them to return to the same nesting sites multiple years in a row. As for the hatchlings, wood turtles typically reach maturity at around 14-18 years old, and can live for upwards of 60 years, though higher lifespans are more common in captivity.

Classified as a state-threatened species in Michigan, wood turtles face the biggest threats from habitat destruction, road traffic, and illegal poaching for the pet trade. Under order from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, these turtles should not be collected, harmed, or handled by the general public.

Photo Credit: Abby Pointer

05/15/2026

Come join us next Saturday, May 23rd for a stewardship workday at Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary, MNA's largest sanctuary in the southern Lower Peninsula!

Dowagiac Woods contains 384 acres of beech, maple and floodplain forest, where we'll be continuing our hunt for invasive garlic mustard in some of the areas that are full of native spring ephemerals.

To view the full calendar and registration details, please visit our website here: https://www.michigannature.org/menus/calendar.html

We hope to see you there!

Photo Credit: JoAnn Barrett

05/13/2026

Want to join MNA in the field this May? Come join us for one of this month's weekend workdays!

Stewardship workdays are open for everybody and guided by our knowledgeable conservation staff, who begin each workday with a rundown of the day. All levels of experience are welcome and necessary tools will be supplied by MNA. You'll learn about the conservation value of the sanctuary, some local ecology, and stewardship techniques.

To view the full calendar and registration details, please visit our website: https://www.michigannature.org/menus/calendar.html

05/11/2026

As we enter into May, we would like to introduce the subjects of our next spotlight series – turtles! This week, we will be looking at the spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata). Native to Eastern North America, this semi-aquatic turtle can be found across parts of southern Canada and the eastern U.S., including the eastern Great Lakes region and east of the Appalachian Mountains.

Spotted turtles are typically active from mid-March to mid-October, and thrive in semi-aquatic habitats with clean, shallow bodies of still or slow water, such as marshes, bogs, sedge meadows and vernal pools. Sporting dark, typically black shells, these turtles are recognizable by their characteristic yellow spots; while new hatchlings tend to have one spot per plate of their carapace (shell), fully-grown spotted turtles can have up to a hundred spots, though some will go their entire lives with no spots at all.

When it comes to reproduction, female spotted turtles will typically travel onto land to lay their eggs, which then have an incubation period estimated to range between 70 to 83 days. Interestingly, these turtles are one of several species that engage in a process known as temperature-dependent s*x determination, in which the temperature surrounding the eggs during their incubation influences the s*x of the hatchlings. In this case, warmer temperatures will result in female hatchlings, while colder temperatures will result in males.

Spotted turtles are classified as a state-threatened species in Michigan, and are listed as endangered in many of the other states in which they occur. This is the result of several factors, including the effects of climate change and invasive species on the degradation of wetland habitats, poaching, collection for the pet trade, and road mortality.

Photo Credit: Andrew Myers

05/07/2026

Come join us on Saturday, May 16th at Zahrfeld Nature Sanctuary for a bird and wildflower hike! The hike will be hosted from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm by both MNA and the Hartland Audubon.

To view the full calendar and registration details, please visit our website here: https://michigannature.iescentral.com/menus/calendar.html

We hope to see you there!

Photo Credit: Kyra Worsham