Help baby wildlife: Leave them alone

Help baby wildlife: Leave them alone

 
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DNR News

Spotted white-tailed fawn hidden in grassy nest
May 21, 2025
Contact: Caitie O’Neill, 989-459-8918

How can you help baby wildlife this spring? Leave them alone

Baby wildlife make springtime in Michigan feel like a fairy tale, but the best way to be a friend to wild animals is to keep them wild. That means leaving them outdoors where they have the best chance for survival.

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, wildlife are well-adapted to live in the wild, and baby animals will be at much greater risk of dying if removed from their natural habitats.

“Many wild animals hide their young for safety. These babies are not abandoned; they have been hidden by their mother until she returns,” said DNR Wildlife communications representative Rachel Lincoln. “So, if you find a baby animal, leave it be.”

Only licensed wildlife rehabilitators may possess abandoned or injured wildlife. Unless a person is properly licensed, it is illegal to possess a live, wild animal in Michigan.

Here’s a look at what you can expect to see outdoors as young animals get acclimated to their world.

Birds

Mourning dove nestBirds build their nests in all kinds of places, so if you find one near your home, be a good neighbor: Leave it alone and keep pets and children away. Bird nests and eggs are protected under federal law. It is illegal to touch, move or possess any part of the nest or eggs without the proper permit.

Baby birds sometimes fall from their nests while learning to fly, but their parents will continue to feed and care for them even when they are on the ground. A baby bird on its own is not abandoned; its parents will be back. If you move a baby bird, the parents may be unable to find it. You can help by keeping dogs, cats and kids away from baby birds.

Mallards often build nests in landscaping and gardens. If you find one, take it as a compliment to your cozy backyard habitat. A hen mallard will lay her eggs over several days and then start to incubate them once they have all been laid. They’ll hatch in about a month, and mom will immediately lead her ducklings to the nearest water.

Canada geese are highly adaptable and will also build their nests near houses, parks or other human development. They are attracted to short grass where they can easily find bugs to eat. Canada geese are protective parents and aggressively guard their nests and goslings during the breeding season. People should try to avoid nesting areas, but if that’s not possible, you can carry an umbrella and gently scare the birds away by opening and closing it.

Fawns

White-tailed deer are excellent mothers, and they start out by hiding their fawns in out-of-the-way places for the first few weeks after birth. Fawns are well-camouflaged by their spots, and they have very little scent, so the mother stays away for up to eight hours at a time to keep the fawn hidden from predators.

If you find a fawn alone, do not touch it, and leave the area quickly. If you leave your scent behind, it may attract predators.

Fawns on their own are rarely abandoned. The mother deer will return to her fawns when she feels it is safe. If people or dogs are nearby, she will stay away longer. The best way you can help a fawn survive is to leave it alone.

Bunnies

Like mother deer, mother rabbits also leave their nests unattended to avoid attracting predators. Bunnies on their own are rarely abandoned. The mother will be back when she feels safe to return.

Bunnies are well-adapted to survive in the wild. You can help by keeping cats, dogs, children and other predators away.

Enjoy from a distance

Encountering baby wildlife can be a magical experience – just remember that keeping your distance is the best way to keep baby animals safe. You can use binoculars or the zoom function of a camera to enjoy the view while keeping wildlife wild.

Other steps you can take to help baby wildlife include growing beneficial native plants near your home, refraining from using harmful pesticides and teaching children how to be good neighbors to wildlife.

Keep wildlife wild ►


Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.

  • Hidden fawn: A spotted white-tailed fawn is curled up in a grassy nest, hidden by its mother for safekeeping. If you find a fawn like this, leave the area quickly so you don’t leave your scent and expose the fawn to predators.
  • Mourning dove on nest: A mourning dove sits on a nest in a crabapple tree.
Residents urged to take action to prevent tick bites this season

Residents urged to take action to prevent tick bites this season

 

 

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Press Release


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2025

CONTACT: Laina Stebbins, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

Residents urged to take action to prevent tick bites this season
Lyme disease cases up 168% in last five years

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is encouraging Michigan residents to take steps to avoid tick bites while enjoying the outdoors. Tick-borne diseases, particularly Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, are increasing across the state.

Lyme disease cases in Michigan have increased by 168% over the last five years. The state recorded 1,215 cases in 2024, as compared to 452 cases in 2020. Anaplasmosis cases in Michigan have seen an almost fivefold increase over the last five years, with 82 cases in 2024 compared to 17 in 2020.

“Preventing tick bites is the best way to prevent tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease and anaplasmosis,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. “If you find a tick attached to your body, promptly remove it. Monitor your health, and if you experience fever, rash, muscle or joint aches or other symptoms, or if you suspect a tick has been attached for more than 24 hours, consult with your medical provider.”

Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne disease in Michigan. Anaplasmosis, caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is the second most common tick-borne disease and cases are increasing, particularly in the northern parts of the state.

Both Lyme Disease and anaplasmosis are transmitted by Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the blacklegged or deer tick. The blacklegged tick is well-established in parts of Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas and has been expanding its range over the years. 

Signs and symptoms of tick-borne disease typically begin one to two weeks after a tick bite, often after being in wooded or brushy areas where ticks commonly live. Early symptoms can be non-specific and include fever or chills, rash, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. Early treatment with appropriate antibiotics can decrease the risk of serious complications.

People can protect themselves against Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases by following these tips:

Avoid tick-infested areas. 

  • As ticks live in grassy, brushy and wooded areas, individuals should walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass, brush and leaf litter at trail edges.
  • Dogs and cats can encounter ticks outdoors and bring them into the home. Talk with your veterinarian about the best tick prevention products.

Use insect repellent.

  • Apply an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin. Find a repellent product that is right for you.
  • Treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes) with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact or buy clothes that are pre-treated. Do not use permethrin directly on skin.
  • Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when applying repellents.

Perform daily tick checks.

  • Always check for ticks on yourself and your animals after being outdoors, including in your own yard.
  • Inspect all body surfaces carefully and remove attached ticks carefully with tweezers.
  • To remove a tick, grasp the tick firmly and as closely to the skin as possible. With steady, even pressure, pull the tick’s body upward and away from the skin. Cleanse the area with an antiseptic.

Bathe or shower.

  • Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks.
  • Wash clothing in hot water and dry on high heat to kill ticks in clothing.

Not all ticks spread the same germs. MDHHS can help to identify ticks you may encounter. Residents can email photos of ticks to [email protected] for identification.  Michigan citizens can also submit ticks to MDHHS for identification free of charge.

For more information on Lyme disease and other tickborne conditions, or how to submit your tick and/or photo of a tick, visit Michigan.gov/Lyme.

Additional information nationally is available at CDC.gov/Lyme.

Food Safety Tips for Memorial Day Weekend

Food Safety Tips for Memorial Day Weekend

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For immediate release: May 21, 2025

Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel, 517-290-1734

Sizzle Safely: MDARD Presents Food Safety Tips for Memorial Day Weekend

Don’t Let Foodborne Illnesses Crash Your Cookout

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) encourages Michiganders to keep food safety top of mind as they fire up the summer barbecue season this holiday weekend.

“Nobody wants foodborne illnesses at their picnic or cookout,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring. “The recipe for safe summer gatherings begins with thorough hand washing, sanitizing surfaces, cooking meats to the proper temperature and keeping prepared foods chilled.”

MDARD offers the following tips to help keep outdoor eating safe and fun:

  1. Safe food begins with proper hand washing: Everyone involved in cooking or eating should wash their hands with soap and water. If water is not available, use disposable handwipes or hand sanitizer. Dry your hands with a clean paper towel.
  2. Keep food at the appropriate temperature: Bacteria grow most rapidly in temperatures between 40°F and 140°F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. This range of temperatures is often called the “Danger Zone.” It’s especially important to keep cold foods cold when it’s hot outside. When transporting food to a picnic site, pack food on ice to keep it cold so bacteria can’t grow and spoil it. Don’t leave perishable foods out in the heat all day. Pack leftovers back in the cooler with plenty of ice to cool hot foods quickly and keep everything out of the danger zone.
  3. Pack beverages in a separate cooler from perishable foods: The beverage cooler will be opened more often, letting in the hot air, while the food cooler will keep contents cooler longer.
  4. Pack raw meats separately: Keep raw meat away from prepared salads, fresh fruits and vegetables and condiments. The juices from the raw meats can contaminate foods that will be eaten without cooking.
  5. Cook all meats at the proper temperature: Bring a meat thermometer and test your meats for doneness to assure they are properly cooked. Don’t rely on time or the color of the juices as an indicator of doneness.
  6. Pack clean soapy towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands: Use a table cover for picnic tables whenever possible. Picnic tables are usually exposed to weather and wildlife and may not be clean even if they look clean. Wipe down the picnic site before you set up for your gathering and before you go home as a courtesy for the next picnickers.

For more food safety tips, visit www.foodsafety.gov or www.Michigan.gov/foodsafety.

Stoney Creek has a new Boys Basketball Coach

Stoney Creek has a new Boys Basketball Coach

Stoney Creek has a new Boys Basketball Coach.

Written Tuesday May 20th at 1:15 PM

The Cougars will have a new boys basketball coach this winter.

Stoney Creek named Marko Tomich as their new boys basketball coach according to the D-Zone basketball who confirmed the news. Tomich takes over for Coach Jeff Olind who was let go last month.

Olind went 19-47 in his three years with the program. This is what Tomich will be tasked with in turning around but the competition will be a lot more tougher.

Tomich was an assistant at Royal Oak Shrine under Coach Mike Maryanski but he is well known with in the basketball community.

Tomich will have a huge challenge awaiting him at Stoney Creek. He has to get on the same page with the parents. The parents demand a lot from the coaching staff. Tomich will have a ton of proven talent in KJ Schuster, Anthony Arlinghaus, Quentin Rangi, Jack Fredenburg, Charlie Carson, and Joey Miller coming back. Program strength looks to be solid for the Cougars but the challenge will be at the Junior Varsity and Varsity levels with the program.

Stoney Creek will be in the White after a rough go in the Blue the last three years. They will have Adams, Rochester, Waterford Mott, Oxford, and Lake Orion in the division. The districts have not been announced yet but it is likely they could have Romeo, Utica Eisenhower, and their city rival schools (Adams and Rochester) in them.

It will be really interesting to see how Tomich handles the transition period.

Stay tuned to OAA Now on the latest on this developing story.

Here is the tweet from Stu Carrolton of the D-Zone

https://x.com/TheDZoneBBall/status/1924829705372397914

Plan to combat harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie Basin

Plan to combat harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie Basin

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
May 20, 2025 
Jeff Johnston, EGLE Public Information Officer, [email protected], 517-231-9304 
Lynsey Mukomel, MDARD media contact, 517-290-1734 
Michelle Selzer, MDARD program contact, 517-599-3073
Ed Golder, DNR media contact: [email protected]

State agencies update plan to combat harmful algal blooms in the Western Lake Erie Basin

EGLE joins departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources in targeting phosphorus runoff

LANSING, Michigan – The State of Michigan today released an update to its Domestic Action Plan (DAP) for combatting harmful algal blooms in western Lake Erie.

The DAP contains measures to reduce phosphorus runoff into the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) that drives algal blooms by a sustained 40% from a 2008 baseline. The Michigan departments of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE); Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD); and Natural Resources (DNR) review and revise the DAP regularly based on progress and changing needs in the region.

“Challenges remain for keeping nutrients from farmland from entering western Lake Erie,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring. “Under the updated Domestic Action Plan, MDARD is partnering with the scientific and farming communities in a more proactive way to monitor water quality, understand soil health, and implement regenerative agriculture practices that keep nutrients on fields and out of waterways.”

“Functioning wetlands act as natural filters, intercepting nutrients from fields and streams before they enter Lake Erie,” said DNR Director Scott Bowen. “The DNR’s continued investment in wetland restoration, enhancement, and protection, especially in areas with high nutrient loads, can put natural processes to work to improve water quality in the basin.”

“From regenerative agriculture to enhanced water quality monitoring, this plan continues momentum toward healthier, cleaner lakes and streams,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos. “There is no one silver bullet that solves Lake Erie’s nutrient issues, but taken together, these efforts are substantial.”

The new DAP will be on the agenda for discussion at Michigan’s 2025 State of the Western Lake Erie Basin Conference, hosted by EGLE in partnership with MDARD, DNR, and the University of Michigan Water Center.

The June 26 conference at the Adrian Tobias Center in Adrian will draw conservation districts, watershed councils, local and state officials, researchers, farmers, and community members to focus on nutrient reduction goals and tracking progress.

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient to grow crops. It’s applied to farmland through fertilizers and manure. Phosphorus can leave farms and enter waterways during rain events or floods and ultimately enter Lake Erie, where it causes algal blooms each summer.

The DAP update is a status report on progress made since the release of the previous action plan.

Key strategies highlighted in the DAP include:

  • EGLE’s continued work with WLEB communities to tighten sewage treatment facility permits.
  • EGLE’s implementation of a new Soil Health Investment Program in partnership with the conservation districts in Hillsdale, Lenawee, Monroe and Washtenaw counties focusing on precision nutrient management and supporting strategic watershed management planning and implementation efforts.
  • EGLE’s collaboration with MDARD and partners to develop agricultural conservation practice implementation strategies to reduce phosphorus loads.
  • MDARD’s support of new innovative approaches and partnerships with a focus on regenerative agriculture principles and practices.
  • MDARD’s partnership with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, LimnoTech, and Michigan State University’s Institute of Water Research (MSU-IWR) on a major expansion of the water quality monitoring network.
  • MDARD’s funding of the Great Lakes Watershed Management System – Nutrient Tracking Dashboard. This online platform, developed in partnership with MSU-IWR, tracks conservation practices and water quality outcomes, providing greater transparency and accountability to the public.
  • MDARD’s funding of the WLEB Performance-based Conservation Adoption Program. This new partnership with MSU-IWR, the MSU Center for Regenerative Agriculture, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and others will allocate funding on the basis of the nutrient loss reductions achieved by the implementation of conservation practices. In 2017, MSU piloted this approach in the River Raisin Watershed and found it to be seven times more cost effective than traditional efforts to reduce phosphorus runoff.
  • The departments’ partnership with the University of Michigan Water Center to form the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) Community Advisory Group and Science Panel to develop projects, identify policy and research gaps, and design an adaptive strategy to move the state toward its phosphorus management goals.
  • Use of state and federal American Rescue Act funding by the DNR, conservation group Ducks Unlimited, and partners to restore more than 300 acres of wetlands in the Stony Creek and South Branch River Raisin subwatersheds to capture nutrient runoff from fields and improve local water quality conditions.

For more information on what Michigan is doing in the Western Lake Erie Basin or to view the DAP update, visit Michigan.gov/MDARD-WLEB.