Allowable e-bike operation expands under DNR land use order change

Provisions of change in effect immediately after today’s approval

By HEATHER JOHNSON DUROCHER
Trails and resources writer, Parks and Recreation Division
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Allowable use of Class 1 electric bicycles on state-managed, nonmotorized bicycle trails/pathways has expanded following approval of a proposed Michigan Department of Natural Resources land use order.

DNR Director Scott Bowen approved the land use order change today during the Michigan Natural Resources Commission’s monthly meeting, which was held at the Cadillac Place Building in Detroit.

“This decision opens our trails to be even more inclusive, providing opportunities to those unable to bike without assistance who want to continue riding and enjoying the outdoors,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division. “We anticipate all bikers and trail users will continue to practice appropriate trail etiquette so all users can be safe and enjoy the expansive natural-surface trail system.” Definitions and details An electric bicycle (or e-bike) is a bicycle that has a small rechargeable electric motor that can give a boost to the pedaling rider or can take over pedaling completely. To qualify as an e-bike in Michigan, the bike must meet the following requirements: It must have a seat or saddle for the rider to sit. There must be fully operational pedals. It must have an electric motor of no more than 750 watts (or 1 horsepower). Whether you can ride an e-bicycle on a trail depends on several factors, including the e-bike’s class, the type of trail and whether the authority that manages or oversees the trail allows the use. The DNR land use order approved today goes into effect immediately and expands operation of Class 1 e-bikes so that they are now allowed on improved-surface trails, such as linear trails (paved or gravel/asphalt) as well as natural-surface, nonmotorized bicycle trails/pathways in state parks and recreation areas and on state forest pathways and roads.

The prevailing concern about allowing electric bicycles on trails is the question of safety – particularly related to speed. Class 1 e-bikes are pedal-assisted and can go up to 20 miles per hour In addition, the change now allows operation of Class 2 e-bikes, which are throttle- and pedal-assisted and can travel up to 20 miles per hour, on those trails/pathways open for Class 1 e-bike use for mobility purposes as long as a cyclist had applied for and received a no-cost permit to do so. Prior to the land use change, Class 1 e-bikes were only allowed on improved-surface trails and roads on state-managed land. “Today’s director approval makes trail riding easier for people who may not have the physical ability to ride a traditional bike,” said Tim Novak, the DNR’s state trails coordinator. “This includes individuals living with disabilities, older adults and really anyone who wishes to experience some assistance as they ride a bicycle. Class 1 e-bikes require pedaling, providing a great health benefit to riders.” The DNR is installing signs at trailheads indicating allowable e-bike use. E-bikes remain prohibited in state game and wildlife areas, on Congressionally authorized trails such as the North Country National Scenic Trail or on these three pathways in the Pigeon River Country in the northern Lower Peninsula: High Country, Shingle Mill and Pickerel Lake. Class 3 e-bikes, which are pedal-assisted and have a maximum speed of 28 miles per hour, remain prohibited on any state-managed nonmotorized trail.

Current law allows for local entities to expand or further regulate e-bike usage in their respective communities. Informed decision-making process The land use change comes after many months of research as well as conversation and collaboration among DNR staff and trail user groups, including the League of Michigan Bicyclists and the Michigan Mountain Bike Alliance. The DNR also gathered feedback on the then-proposed change through a public survey that was open earlier this year. The League of Michigan Bicyclists and Michigan Mountain Bike Alliance support the land use order change, according to Matt Penniman, who serves as the organizations’ communications and advocacy director. “Theodore Roosevelt once wrote, ‘I believe in power, but I believe that responsibility should go with power.’ We believe in the power of e-bikes to help more people access Michigan’s incredible mountain bike trails,” Penniman said. “We also believe in the responsibility of riders to follow the rules, practice good trail etiquette and treat our trails with respect. “Over the past year and a half, the DNR has engaged well with the mountain bike community on this change. We expect a continued responsible approach from the DNR to increase resources for education, enforcement and trail maintenance, in parallel with increased use.” Nicole Hunt, regulatory unit manager with the DNR, said e-bike use is indeed continuing to grow across the country, with many states approving areas for their use. “The DNR’s decision to move forward with this land use change wasn’t based on a desire to be trendy, but rather on providing individuals with more recreation options while also being conscientious of our state’s natural and cultural resources,” Hunt said.

Considering federal government recognition of e-bike use also was part of the process. “The federal government, recognizing the benefit of e-bikes for trail recreation, updated its federal grant funding regulations for nonmotorized, natural-surface trail development to no longer prohibit use of e-bikes on trails developed with federal funds,” Hunt said. Novak said the DNR also researched how other states are allowing e-bike usage. “We have benchmarked other states and local trail systems that allow e-bikes on natural-surface, nonmotorized trails, and what we found was there haven’t been issues with conflicts or injuries or unnecessary wear and tear on our natural resources which would cause any reservation in expanding e-bike use,” Novak said. Hunt said the Arkansas state park system stood out, as it has a vast number of trails, including mountain biking trails, and has allowed e-bikes for years with no issues. The DNR plans to monitor e-bike usage in the coming months. This will include sharing a new public survey as well as speaking with riders on the trails and with trail user groups during to-be-scheduled virtual public meetings. More details on these events will be shared soon. Learn more about e-biking in Michigan, the current e-bike policy on state-managed park land and upcoming e-bike public meetings at Michigan.gov/DNR/Ebikes.

Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories in our archive at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNREmail.

Note to editors: Contact: John Pepin, Showcasing the DNR series editor, 906-226-1352. Accompanying photos and a text-only version of this story are available below for download. Caption information follows. Credit Michigan Department of Natural Resources, unless otherwise noted.

Text-only version of this story.

Charging: An open charging compartment is shown on an e-bike. It takes about 3.5 hours to fully charge and e-bike with a dead battery.

Class-1: A Class-1 e-bike is shown. These bikes can travel up to 20 miles per hour.

Class-3: A Class-3 e-bike is shown. These bikes have a maximum speed of 28 miles per hour.

Label: A label on an e-bike shows which type it is, how many watts and maximum speed. Such labels are required for e-bikes.

Motor: A motor compartment is shown on a Class-1 e-bike.

Shop: Jacob Douglas, co-owner of Lakeshore Bike in Marquette, moves an e-bike back into a selection of e-bikes at his shop.

• Explore the night: Meteors, the moon and more at state parks
• Mackinac Bridge closed to vehicle traffic Labor Day morning
• Relax with the August ‘Wildtalk’ podcast episode
• Get certified as a Michigan Conservation Steward: Sign up now for fall
• Photo ambassador snapshot: Soft sunset skies

See other news releases, Showcasing the DNR stories, photos and other resources at Michigan.gov/DNRPressRoom.

PHOTO FOLDER: Larger, higher-res versions of some of the images used below, and others, are available in this folder. All photos in this digest courtesy Michigan State Park Photo Ambassadors. See more photo ambassador images at Instagram.com/MiStateParks.

Explore the night: Meteors, the moon and more at state parks

From spine-tingling campfire tales at Muskallonge Lake State Park to a Bat Hike at Maybury State Park, and even Yooperlight rock hunting at Harrisville State Park, there’s a nighttime adventure for everyone this month! Across the state, the Perseid meteor shower will also be visible on clear nights at many of Michigan’s state parks. Peaking in mid-August, this meteor shower is the best of the year, offering the opportunity to see up to 100 shooting stars per hour. To view the show, you will need a location away from light pollution and a clear view of the sky to the northeast. Recently, Indian Lake State Park guide Leah Saxton hosted a ”S’more and Meteor” event to celebrate the Perseid shower, drawing in dozens of park visitors. Situated along the shores of Indian Lake in the Upper Peninsula, the park is an ideal spot for stargazing because of its clear night skies. Here, visitors can frequently enjoy meteor showers, views of various constellations and phenomena such as the Northern Lights. If you can’t make it to the U.P. but still want to enjoy the night sky, Van Buren State Park near South Haven will host a program about the Sturgeon Moon Aug. 16 at 10 p.m., complete with a telescope for guests to use. Events like these are part of the Explorer Guide program, which offers free educational programs to campers and day-use visitors at over two dozen state parks, with topics ranging from orienteering, wildlife identification and survival skills to basic fishing lessons and scavenger hunts. “Someone shared with me that feeling connected to a natural resource is like ownership, which carries the responsibility of caring for the park environment,” said Saxton. “Working with park educators is an incredible opportunity, and being with park guests is a privilege. I really love connecting guests to our park’s environment and teaching visitors about the night sky.” For more information and weekly schedules for the 25 Explorer Guide parks, visit Michigan.gov/NaturePrograms. Questions about the DNR’s Explorer Guide Program? Contact Shaun McKeon at 989-370-0789.

Mackinac Bridge closed to vehicle traffic Labor Day morning

If your Labor Day weekend travel plans include crossing the Mighty Mac Monday, Sept. 2, keep in mind the Mackinac Bridge Authority closes the bridge 6:30 a.m. to noon for the Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk. Want to join the Bridge Walk? It’s free (and registration isn’t required). There’s plenty to do on both sides of the bridge, like visiting Mackinaw City or Ocqueoc Falls in the Lower Peninsula or exploring St. Ignace or Fayette Historic State Park in the Upper Peninsula.

Relax with the August ‘Wildtalk’ podcast episode

In this episode of the award-winning “Wildtalk” podcast, we talk to Heather Shaw, wildlife biologist with the DNR’s Shingleton Management Unit, and Tom Seablom, the DNR’s western U.P. district forest manager, about habitat work on GEMS – grouse enhanced management sites – in the Upper Peninsula, fly away with a discussion about the ruffed grouse and wrap up the episode with a chat about the eastern and least chipmunk. Pete Kailing, senior wildlife biologist in the southwestern Lower Peninsula, also stops in to talk about hunting and trapping opportunities available in August, including the application period for reserved waterfowl hunts in DNR-managed waterfowl areas, timing for bear baiting by management unit, and early crow season, which runs through Sept. 30. Visit the “Wildtalk” webpage for the latest episode, as well as show notes and links to past episodes. Questions about the podcast? Email [email protected].

Get certified as a Michigan Conservation Steward: Sign up now for fall

If you have a passion for the natural world and want to learn more about how to care for it and inspire others to do the same, consider signing up for Michigan State University Extension’s Michigan Conservation Steward Program. You can enroll now for a hybrid program that pairs online learning with field learning in Berrien, Macomb, Marquette or Newaygo counties. You’ll explore the history of conservation in Michigan, basic ecological principles, ecoregional classifications, current conservation issues, making informed choices that benefit natural resources and how residents can get involved in community science. The program is a great opportunity to better understand natural communities in your area and to complete (with the guidance of a local mentor) a stewardship project important to you. The eight-week program runs September to November and includes self-paced, weekly online course content and up to three hours of weekly, in-person lecture and field instruction with the other participants in your local cohort. Registration closes Aug. 18. You’ll learn about forest land, grasslands, wetlands, lake and stream environments. Professional-level instruction is provided by MSU Extension, Michigan Natural Features Inventory and experts from local conservation organizations. Interested? Learn more about the program – including how to sign up for updates – at www.canr.msu.edu/csp.

Photo ambassador snapshot: Soft sunset skies

See more pictures by Michigan state parks photo ambassadors at Instagram.com/MiStateParks. For more on the program, call Stephanie Yancer at 989-274-6182. (This photo is by Aubry Healy, for the Michigan DNR, at Ludington State Park in Mason County.)

DNR urges ‘safety first’ approach to time on the water

Summer is in full swing, and the water is the place to be! Though there are many ways to enjoy Michigan’s waterways – swimming, fishing, paddling, boating and more – the Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to ensure that your first priority is safety in and around the water. “Michigan’s waters, from the Great Lakes to our inland lakes, can be deceptively dangerous,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “With several drownings already reported on inland lakes and the Great Lakes this season, this underscores the importance of practicing and reviewing water safety each and every time you’re on the water.” Although most tips apply to all situations in and on the water, there are a few distinctions between general water safety, Great Lakes beach safety and boating safety.

General water safety tips

• Before leaving home for any beach outing, check local weather reports and lake conditions.
• Always swim with a buddy or an observer on shore, regardless of swimming abilities.
• When near the water, keep small children in a U.S, Coast Guard-approved life jacket, even when playing on shore in the sand. Always watch and never turn your back to children in or near the water.
• Have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device readily available in case you or another swimmer needs help.
• When visiting a state park, swim in buoyed swim areas. These areas are equipped with additional safety features, such as buoys or markers that identify water depth less than 5 feet (inspected approximately every two weeks), a beach flag warning system (found in buoyed swim areas in state parks along the Great Lakes) and rescue equipment. It’s important to remember that not all state parks have designated swim areas.
• Avoid swimming near the outlets of rivers – either upstream from the outlet or where there are “no swimming” signs – because these currents can be extremely hazardous. Swimmers can be quickly swept out into the Great Lakes.
• Swimming near moored or anchored boats? Boats coming and going can create turbulent water strong enough to exhaust even strong swimmers.
• Especially in the spring and fall, please be cautious of cold-water temperatures. Sudden immersion and/or sustained time in cold water can cause cold shock, making it hard to breathe and increasing your risk of drowning.
• Keep in mind that DNR staff start removing swim buoys, beach warning flags and other visual markers that denote buoyed swim beaches at state parks along the Great Lakes after Labor Day.
• Please be aware that there are no beach guards in state parks. Visitors must swim at their own risk and are asked to always prioritize safety.

Great Lakes beach safety tips

• If you get stuck, remember these important steps: flip, float and follow. Flip over to get your mouth out of the water, float by filling your lungs with air and follow the current to determine where it’s taking you. Once you establish where the current is taking you, swim perpendicular to the current to get out of it.
• When you arrive and throughout the day, check beach flags in buoyed swim areas (double red flags = water access closed, red flag = high hazard, yellow flag = medium hazard, green flag = low hazard) in state parks along the Great Lakes. By law, you cannot enter the water from the beach when double red flags are flying or if otherwise directed. Please note that different flag systems are used at non-state park beaches.
• Do not swim near piers and breakwalls because dangerous structural currents can form.
• During certain weather conditions, the force of water and waves crashing over the surface can easily wash someone off a pier.

Boating safety tips

• Wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket, especially when kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddle boarding.
• If boating (or fishing) alone, wear a life jacket, tell someone on shore where you’re going and when you plan to return and schedule a check-in time.
• Make sure you’re boating with a sober operator who has completed a boater safety course approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators.
• Before you leave shore, ensure your vessel is in good operating condition and packed with a life preserver for each person on board, a fire extinguisher, tow lines, a throwable flotation device, anchors, a communication device and a basic first aid kit.
• Jumping in the water from a boat? Make sure the motor is off before getting into the water. Always swim a safe distance away from the motor and stay in direct communication with the operator so they are aware of where you are.
• If you are swimming or boating in unfamiliar water, ask DNR staff or locals about the conditions, depth and any obstructions (such as sand bars, rocks or fallen trees) that may be hiding under the surface.

In Michigan, boaters born after June 30, 1996, and most personal watercraft (Jet Ski) operators who operate a vessel in Michigan must have a boater safety certificate, and children under the age of 6 must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while riding on the open deck of any vessel while underway.

Learn more about these and other top tips, including information on the benefits of buoyed swim areas, the beach flag warning system, how to spot (and escape) Great Lakes currents and more at Michigan.gov/BeachSafety.

Note to editors: An accompanying photo is available below for download.

• Pontiac Lake Recreation Area buoyed swim area

• Explorer guides give good nature at dozens of state parks
• Volunteer at state parks, game areas, UP State Fair
• Get safety-certified during Hunter Safety Education Week
• Summer fun: August is packed with things to do
• Photo ambassador snapshot: Port Crescent perfection

See other news releases, Showcasing the DNR stories, photos and other resources at Michigan.gov/DNRPressRoom.

PHOTO FOLDER: Larger, higher-res versions of some of the images used below, and others, are available in this folder.

Explorer guides give good nature at dozens of state parks

More than 100 people gathered along the banks of Ionia State Recreation Area’s Session Lake earlier this summer to enjoy an “Underwater Zoo” program from first-year explorer guide Cathy Lawrence. The Explorer Program is the DNR’s way of providing engaging seasonal environmental education in over two dozen state parks that don’t have full-time visitor centers, and Ionia’s “Underwater Zoo” is just one option offered to campers and day-use visitors. The program involved an electroshocking demonstration by DNR fisheries biologist Addie Myers. Electroshocking is a humane technique widely practiced in fish sampling, where a small electrical current is used to temporarily stun fish. This doesn’t harm the fish but does cause them to float to the surface of the water, where they are scooped into a net and studied to monitor the overall health of the water system and the biodiversity within it.

Visitors at this event had the opportunity see a wide range of fish up close and to learn more about the bluegill, bass and trout that inhabit the local streams and lakes within the park, which is located about halfway between Grand Rapids and Lansing.

“I enjoy being an explorer guide and putting on programs like this because I have a passion for connecting people to the natural world around them,” Lawrence said. “All of my programs focus on the birds, insects, native plants and fish at my park, and it’s rewarding to be there, alongside our visitors, learning more about these natural marvels.”

Visitors to Ionia State Recreation Area can enjoy this program when it is offered again Friday, Aug. 9, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Get programming information and weekly schedules for this park and the other 25 explorer guide parks, with topics ranging from orienteering, wildlife identification and survival skills to astronomy, basic fishing lessons and scavenger hunts, at Michigan.gov/NaturePrograms.

Questions about the DNR’s Explorer Program? Contact Shaun McKeon at 989-370-0789.

Volunteer at state parks, game areas, UP State Fair

Each month, there are a variety of opportunities to get involved with the DNR’s work – here are a few coming up next month!

Help natural areas in state parks

Several state parks in southern Michigan will host stewardship workdays, where volunteers are needed to help high-quality ecosystems thrive. Workdays will take place at: Island Lake Recreation Area (Livingston County), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, and 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11. Waterloo Recreation Area (Washtenaw County), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4. Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Oakland County), 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Yankee Springs Recreation Area (Barry County), 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 10. Highland Recreation Area (Oakland County), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. Grand Mere State Park (Berrien County), 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 17. Muskegon State Park (Muskegon County), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18. Fort Custer Recreation Area (Kalamazoo County), 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 24. Saugatuck Dunes State Park (Allegan County), 9:30 a.m. to noon Sunday, Aug. 25. Pinckney Recreation Area (Washtenaw County), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25. Warren Dunes State Park (Berrien County), 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 31. More details about each workday and how to register can be found on the DNR volunteer events calendar.

Improve habitat at state game areas

On the Ground, Michigan United Conservation Clubs’ volunteer program in partnership with the DNR, will host two habitat improvement events in August. Lunch, gear and volunteer gifts will be provided for both events.

Invasive species removal stewardship day at Gourdneck State Game Area (Kalamazoo County), 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 3. Help remove woody invasives like glossy buckthorn to make room for native plants to grow.

Cleanup at Pointe Mouillee State Game Area (Monroe/Wayne counties), 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10. Volunteers will remove trash from the state game area to help enhance the quality of fish and wildlife habitat on public land.

Share the outdoors at U.P. State Fair

Mentors are needed to help staff the DNR’s Pocket Park during the Aug. 12-18 Upper Peninsula State Fair in Escanaba. Activities volunteers assist with include helping kids catch and release bluegills in the U.P.-shaped pond and shoot pellet guns or bow and arrow, staffing the fire tower and greeting visitors. Volunteer training for all activities is provided. A variety of three- to four-hour shifts are available. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old (unless under preapproved circumstances) and pass a background check. A meal and T-shirt will be provided. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Jo Ann Alexander at 906-786-2351, ext. 0, or Kristi Dahlstrom at 906-226-1331. Give us your input on state forests Prescribed burns, timber harvests and other activities are carefully planned to keep Michigan’s nearly 4 million acres of state forest thriving. Plans for these activities are currently being made for 2026, but public input is welcome now. Find out what activities are planned and how to share your ideas at Michigan.gov/ForestInput. You can submit online comments during designated 30-day periods or attend an open house or compartment review meeting, where plans are finalized. See all scheduled comment periods, open houses and compartment review meetings for the 2024 season. For more opportunities to volunteer, contribute and provide input, visit Michigan.gov/DNRVolunteers.

Get safety-certified during Hunter Safety Education Week

Fall hunting is right around the corner, but you can get safety-certified now during the DNR’s Hunter Safety Education Week, Aug. 12-18. More than 60 in-person classes and/or field days are being offered in 40 counties throughout the state as additional opportunities to obtain your hunter safety education certificate. To purchase a hunting license in Michigan, anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1960, is required to successfully complete an approved hunter safety education course. These classes are commonly offered in the spring, ahead of spring turkey season, or in the fall before the firearm deer season. Hunter Safety Education Week is being offered in addition to the already planned fall classes. “Just like preparing for school and fall extracurriculars, hunting season needs to be considered in advance,” said Lt. Tom Wanless, DNR recreational safety, education and enforcement supervisor. “We don’t want to see people wait until the week before they want to hunt to try locating a class, at which point classes are often full,” he said. “We hope that by offering an influx of in-person classes during a particular week each year, it will give people enough notice to prepare for hunting season.” There are four options for completing hunter safety education in Michigan, all of which require at least four hours of in-person instruction: Traditional classroom-based course. Online course followed by an in-person field day. Interactive online course (with animations and videos that put students in virtual real-life scenarios) followed by an in-person field day. Take-home study course followed by an in-person field day. Hunter safety education helps the next generation of hunters learn how to safely and responsibly enjoy hunting and understand the importance of wildlife management. The DNR-managed program teaches lifelong skills, such as firearm safety, basic first aid and how to use a map and compass, to an average of 15,000 students per year. Learn more or register for a class at Michigan.gov/HunterEducation. Questions? Contact Sgt. Cary Foster at 616-262-9532.

Summer fun: August is packed with things to do

Ready to discover Michigan’s great outdoors and stories? We’ve got you covered! Here’s just a sampling – see a full list at Michigan.gov/DNRCalendar.

Classes on bear, deer, mushrooms and more

The DNR Outdoor Skills Academy offers several opportunities in August to get started with, or get better at, hunting, fishing and foraging. Classes include: Wild mushroom clinics Aug. 3 in Oden and Aug. 18 in Cadillac. A bear hunting clinic Aug. 4 in Cadillac. A fly fishing clinic for beginners Aug. 10-11 in Cadillac. Hunting Whitetails Naturally, a class on successfully transitioning from bait hunting to trail hunting deer, Aug. 17 in Cadillac. A waterfowl hunting clinic Aug. 24 in Cadillac. Birds, bats, kayaking with the OAC The Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit offers fun programs for all ages, with an August calendar featuring archery, education programs for kids and seniors, yoga, fishing and much more. OAC educators will also lead adventures at other area destinations including Kayaking Belle Isle Aug. 11; a bat hike at Maybury State Park in Northville and Nature at Night on Belle Isle, both Aug. 22; and Birding Belle Isle Aug. 24.

Pheasants, turkeys and shooting sports

On Pheasant Fridays, join representatives from Pheasants Forever and learn about firearm safety and the organization’s effort to restore habitat for these beautiful birds. Participants will get an opportunity to shoot a BB gun with expert instruction in a safe environment. There will also be hands-on activities to learn about grasslands and pollinators. Pheasant Friday will take place Aug. 2 at Sleeper State Park in Caseville and Aug. 9 at Seven Lakes State Park in Holly. The National Wild Turkey Federation State Park Turkey Tour is coming to several state parks, with a BB gun range and NWTF members on hand to share information about wild turkey conservation and hunting heritage. State Park Turkey Tour locations include Silver Lake State Park in Mears (Aug. 8), Mears State Park in Pentwater (Aug. 9) and Clear Lake State Park in Atlanta (Aug. 16).

History happenings: baseball, lumberjacks, Smokey Bear and more

Step back in time and learn more about our state’s past at Michigan History Center sites, with events including: At Hartwick Pines Logging Museum in Grayling, a musical tribute to Michigan Lumberjacks Aug. 2; Forest Fest, a chance to meet Smokey Bear and learn about Michigan’s forests with fun activities and crafts, Aug. 10; and Black Iron Days, Aug. 24-25, with demonstrations by blacksmiths and other artisans and a steam-powered sawmill in operation. A Tree Party at Higgins Lake Nursery and CCC Museum in Roscommon Aug. 3, where guests can celebrate Smokey Bear’s 80th birthday with cake, a bounce house, historical reenactors, “touch-a-truck” and more. An Aug. 24 vintage baseball tournament and a farmers market Aug. 4, 11 and 25 at Cambridge Junction Historic State Park in Brooklyn. A series of Tuesday afternoon presentations at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee – “Michigan Mining Scrip” Aug. 6, “Researching Misinformation and Disinformation in U.P. Lore” Aug. 13 and “Paternalism and Welfare Capitalism on the Marquette Iron Range” Aug. 20.

Free ORV Weekend, Aug. 17-18

Taking place twice a year, Free ORV Weekend – coming up Aug. 17-18 – is a great time to see, experience and test out Michigan’s off-road vehicle trails. Residents and out-of-state visitors legally can ride Michigan’s 4,000 miles of off-road vehicle trails and routes and the state’s six scramble areas on two back-to-back days without an ORV license or trail permit. The entrance fee at Holly Oaks ORV Park in Oakland County also will be waived this year. All other ORV rules and laws still apply, and you must supply your own ORV.

Photo ambassador snapshot: Port Crescent perfection

See more pictures by Michigan state parks photo ambassadors at Instagram.com/MiStateParks. For more on the program, call Stephanie Yancer at 989-274-6182. (This photo is by Karen Allmond, for the Michigan DNR, at Port Crescent State Park in Huron County.)

Showcasing the DNR: Summer’s dog days

“Summertime and the living is easy, fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high,” – George Gershwin

By JOHN PEPIN
Deputy public information officer
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Out under the powdery blue morning skies, the sun was already beating down like someone had left the woodstove door wide open.

I was surprised at how intently I could feel the sun’s rays through the long sleeves of my shirt – seemingly penetrating deep into my skin, perhaps all the way to the bone.

The day would certainly become what people familiar with ironing clothes would call a scorcher. I tend to wilt like a daisy in these conditions.

Despite my affinity for California, after living there for many years, the hot summer sun can slow me down quickly without some shade, a place to rest and a cool drink.

I saw a picture a few days ago that showed the temperature at the Death Valley National Monument at 130 degrees.

The highest temperature I’ve experienced was 112 degrees while driving through Las Vegas on a summertime trip headed back to California from Michigan.

On another occasion, during a late May birding trip to southeastern Arizona, we had to get up quite early to do our hiking and birdwatching before wildlife activity would drop off and the temperatures would jump up into the mid-90s by 10 a.m.

Thank goodness the heat out there in those Arizona and New Mexico deserts is dry. Under those temperatures, coupled with midwestern humidity, it would be unbearable.

I walked along, just inside a line of trees where the shade of the forest cloaked me in coolness and respite from the bright and glaring sunshine.

There was no dry heat here on this Michigan morning.

The humidity was high, making it feel like being in a sauna with no cupped hands filled with cool water to breathe from. The seemingly thick air was tight up against my nose and mouth, like a furry mitten.

For me, it’s an interesting time of year, one when the forest creatures tend to be quieter and less visible while the human activity and associated noise levels are greatly increased.

I tend to be like the deer that retreat to the quiet forests to rest and relax during the daytime swelter, or some of the birds that have already done their breeding and are likely already anticipating their approaching migration south before wintertime.

The days between July 3 and Aug. 11 are typically the warmest of the year – famously referred to as the “dog days” of summer.

They are called that because the star Sirius, which is nicknamed “the Dog Star” and is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (that resembles a dog), appears during this time each year in the same place in the sky as the sun.

“In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the sun. On July 23rd, specifically, it is in conjunction with the sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of sultry weather. They referred to this time as dies caniculares, or ‘dog days,’” according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

“Thus, the term Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the sun.”

To me, the summertime activity in the forest passes by like a Fourth of July parade.

Here come the deer. They are showing off their new fawns, like the sandhill cranes presenting their colts along the shoulders of highways and across farm fields.

In fact, many species of birds of highly varied stripe and color are tending to their young at this time of the season. Some, like robins, may hatch two, three or even four broods in a single summer – with three to four eggs in each. Wow.

At home, there are families of downy woodpeckers and northern flickers, chipping sparrows, red-eyed vireos and ruffed grouse around our yard.

The lupines are done blooming, while the black-eyed Susans just started. Green apples are already on the trees. Blueberries and raspberries have ripened, and it won’t be long before the black and thimble berries will be ready to enjoy.

I make my way down to the creek, where those high temperatures of late have competed with passing thunderstorms in raising or lowering water depths and temperatures.

In some places, it looks like the contest has been a tie. In others, the water is low and warm, moving only sluggishly. Grass growth from the bottoms of these low-flow creeks is high – wavy and green, like a witch’s hair.

I walk upstream along the banks of a stream that always seems to have enough water to make its rapids and small waterfalls chatter. Today, the water flow is nearly bank full. I’m guessing an artesian well or spring is the source of its strength.

I get a physical itch in the palms of my hands as I see the deeper holes where trout are no doubt hugging the stream bottom waiting for food. I am not fishing today, just out walking, trying to stay cool while enjoying the scene.

I kneel at the river’s edge and plunge my hand into the fast water. It is very chilly and refreshing. I follow with my other hand. I lift a small amount of water up to my face and rub it across my nose, mouth and eyes.

It feels as though I am removing two saddle bags worth of sand from my skin. The water makes my face feel so clean, especially with the light breeze moving across it.

The heat and intermittent rains of these days of late have really allowed the plants to grow thick and deep with greenery. Everything along the stream is so lush and heavy with vegetation growth.

It fills in all the blank spots where winter and early spring would have allowed a passerby like me to gaze far into the forest through bare trees, downed limbs and almost no plants growing up from the forest floor.

I keep moving upstream along a small informal trail. Before long, I come to a pool at the bottom of a rapids where the creek turns on a sharp bend.

There are big boulders here to sit on, where I can feel misting spray from the water being sloshed between the rocks.

Animal tracks are covering an expanse of mud at the trail’s edge. Drag marks from a beaver’s tail are here too.

These remnants of activity represent actions taken likely under the cover of darkness or in the early and cool confines of the morning hours. A beautiful mourning cloak butterfly stops here too for a drink.

Kneeling against one of the rocks, I enjoy my shady spot along the water, listening to hear what my surroundings, along with my head, heart and soul, might have to say to me.

I am continuously surprised by how being deliberate about focusing and listening without and within can produce valuable insights that I might often carry with me for months or years later.

Today, I can hear piano music from a quiet and otherwise empty room in a large and vacant house. The furniture and the windowsills are dusty and old. It’s not a haunted house, just a lonesome house.

A staircase twirls up toward more empty rooms and an attic that is no doubt hot and uncomfortable; maybe one of those attic vents spins slowly in circles.

I sense an acquaintanceship and alignment with this house somehow, not that I ever lived here, but more that I can feel what it feels. There’s a usefulness outlived, a carrying on that’s been carried away and an understated but palpable obsolescence.

A blue jay swoops into the branches of a leafy maple on the far side of the creek and disappears. His loud crying calls announce my presence to anyone in the woods who will listen, popping the spell bubble cast around my reverie.

I return to the sound of the water moving over the rocks and the pleasant sights along this woodland waterway.

In not too long a walk, I reemerge at the edge of the trees and follow the line to a clearing where I move into the open under the still-hot sun.

Guideposts mark the distances to several locations on an old wooden sign. All these destinations are too far for me to reach today under these jungle-like conditions.

Another day, with cooler temperatures, will entice me to wander down these trails to new and unexplored places within this aged and knowledgeable forest.

I am the interloper here, the stranger, the searcher appearing silent and shadowy at the gate, looking for reason, truth and reconciliation.

With bowed head and heart, I will again return to enter nature’s grand sanctuary.

Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNREmail.

Note to editors: This feature previously issued as part of the DNR’s weekly Outdoors North column series. Contact: John Pepin, Showcasing the DNR series editor, 906-226-1352. An accompanying photo and a text-only version of this story are available below for download. Caption information follows. Credit Michigan Department of Natural Resources, unless otherwise noted.

Text-only version of this story.

Hawkweed: A field of summer grasses and blooming red hawkweed is shown from the Upper Peninsula.