The Nature Conservancy Outlines Ways Michiganders Can Do Their Part on Earth Day, or Any Day

LANSING — The Nature Conservancy in Michigan (TNC) is encouraging Michiganders to do their part this Earth Day, Saturday, April 22—or any day—to help mitigate the effects of climate change in Michigan.

“There are simple things people can do every day to reduce their carbon footprint, from using reusable grocery bags and water bottles to composting and recycling,” said Helen Taylor, state director of TNC in Michigan. “From extreme weather events to reduced ice cover on the Great Lakes, climate change is having an impact here in Michigan. But, if we all work together, we can head off this crisis before it gets worse and ensure future generations can enjoy everything Michigan has to offer.”

There are other small changes Michiganders can make to reduce their impact on the environment, including reducing paper use, shopping at local farmers markets and buying secondhand or donated used goods so they don’t wind up in landfills.

Other ways Michiganders can make a difference include:

• Volunteer at Ives Road Fen and help remove invasive species from a habitat critical to all sorts of plants, animals, amphibians and more.
• Plant a native garden that supports insects like the endangered monarch butterfly and pollinators. 
• Urge your elected representatives to support conservation programs like the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act that will provide funding to states, territories and Tribes to help them put conservation measures in place for species. 

To celebrate Earth Month, The Nature Conservancy in Michigan — in conjunction with the Michigan State University Science Festival — is holding a BioBlitz at the Nan Weston Nature Preserve at Sharon Hollow. Visitors to the preserve can become scientists for the day and use the iNaturalist app to take photos of the different plants, animals, and insects they spot. The iNaturalist community then works together to identify the images that were uploaded.

So far this month, visitors have made more than 60 observations and identified 43 different species. Those species range from a wood frog to blooming wildflowers including colt’s-foot, dutchman's breeches and white trillium.

“Whether you decide to ditch plastic bags for reusable ones, join us for a Saturday of invasive plant removal to Ives Road Fen or plant a native pollinator garden, just remember that every little bit helps,” Taylor said.

More information on things to do and places to visit in Michigan are available online.