2022 Annual Report

50 Years of Huron Pines

Annual Report 2022

Healthy Water. Protected Places. Vibrant Communities.

Board of Directors Staff

Greg Bator Chair

Jennifer Hill Vice Chair

Meaghan Gass Secretary

Chip Erwin Treasurer

Ned Caveney

Alex Code

Rich Castle

Joe Jarecki

Kim Margherio

Dan O’Connor

Tony Pitts

Jerry Rucker

Donette Spiekerman

Brad Jensen Executive Director

Lisha Ramsdell Associate Director

Shelby Bauer Stewardship Program Coordinator

Julia Butch Land Protection Coordinator

Tonya Clayton Office and Data Manager

Chris Engle Communications Associate

Abigail Ertel Community Program Director

Logan Hawley Coastal Restoration Team Lead

Amber Hubbard Coastal Stewardship Coordinator

Heather Huffstutler Development Director

Maddie Khuri

Community Education Project Manager

Paige Lackey Communications Manager

Josh Leisen Senior Project Manager

Samantha Nellis Water Program Director

Amy Nowakowski Coastal Project Manager

Nick Theisen Water Program Technician

Amanda Vanaman AmeriCorps Program Manager

Steve Woods Conservation Stewardship Director

Jennie Zoll

Finance and Administration Director

Dear friends,

I recently found a musty folder from the earliest days of Huron Pines deep in the recesses of our office. Inside was a letter from Governor Milliken, dated 1973, urging Huron Pines on as we were just getting started 50 years ago. The top projects were laid out in those old pages — protecting wildlife corridors, restoring streams, improving forest health and helping communities develop recreational opportunities.

Those remain high priorities for Huron Pines. While our organization has accomplished so much in the last 50 years, the work does not cease and the complexity of environmental challenges continues to grow. We are facing a loss of biodiversity, persistent groundwater contamination, the effects of a changing climate, and increased demands on land and water. Over the years we have grown our staff and board, built our donor base and strengthened our partner network to meet these demands and prepare for the future.

In 2023, we’re looking to become a full-time staff of 22, with a summer stewardship crew of eight. We continue to administer an AmeriCorps program with another 25 people who give a year of their lives in service of conservation. We’ve strategically chosen board members who lend their time, skills and expertise to create a successful and dynamic organization. We’ve expanded our base of generous donors engaging new individuals, foundations and corporations each year from Michigan and beyond who make this all possible. We continue to build relationships with community partners, businesses and fellow land conservation organizations through our growing land protection, stormwater management and community engagement programs.

Huron Pines’ vision is about long-term stewardship of natural resources and with that long view in mind, we continue to do work like remove dams to restore streams, protect land for sustainable management, create nature preserves, increase our community learning opportunities, re-establish native ecosystems and build our portfolio of endowment funds to help keep this work going long after we’re gone.

Having been with Huron Pines for nearly half its history, the daily reward of seeing all the preparation that staff put into their work in order for projects to come to fruition never ceases to amaze me. I get to work with some of the most talented, gritty, funny and marvelous people who are driven to protect, improve and restore all the best that Northern Michigan has to offer.

I have so much gratitude for everyone who has had an impact on Huron Pines these last 50 years and I hope you are excited to continue with us in this important land and water conservation journey. It’s a time to celebrate what’s been accomplished and also prepare for the next generation of environmental challenges.

Brad Jensen Executive Director

The mission of Huron Pines is to conserve and enhance Northern Michigan’s natural resources to ensure healthy water, protected places and vibrant communities.

Conservation driven by engaged, empowered communities.

Greetings,

Stepping into the Board Chair role after dedicated service from past chairs — Joe Jarecki, Jerry Rucker, and Connie Schrieber — gave me a true sense of how far the impact of Huron Pines could really reach. I saw firsthand what good ideas, secure funding and talented people can accomplish not only for Northeast Michigan but for the entire Great Lakes region.

My journey with Huron Pines began in 1995 after buying a lakefront cabin in Lewiston. A legendary conservationist, Pete Petoskey, encouraged me to attend a Huron Pines meeting in Gaylord. I was impressed that my modest contribution could be leveraged ten-fold by Huron Pines to protect and restore the woods, fields and waters that were becoming my second home.

When taking a seat on the Huron Pines Board, I realized that my time and efforts were actually leveraged 100-fold thanks to an incredibly talented staff led by a great Executive Director, Brad Jensen.

Huron Pines’ work allows brook trout the freedom to traverse cold, unimpeded streams, gives migratory birds safe stops on their way south and back north, restores habitat for native plants to blossom, and protects the solitude of woods and fields.

Your involvement with Huron Pines helps make these accomplishments possible. You’ve earned the right to share in our successes and celebrate with your neighbors and friends.

Help us celebrate our 50th anniversary and inspire others to relish Northeast Michigan’s treasures. Raise your voice for healthy water, protected places and engaged communities. Show people of the region what it’s like to be part of something larger than yourself.

We have accomplished a lot in 50 years. With your continued involvement and support, the next 50 years will be just as successful. Thank you for being a vital part of this work!

With gratitude and respect,

Gregory Bator Board Chair

A Land Protection Trifecta

Three properties encompassing more than 1,500 acres of forests and wetlands are protected forever.

New Partnership Builds on Warbler Success for Landscape-Scale Restoration

Huron Pines & partners apply proven methods and new strategies in restoring Michigan’s jack pine ecosystems.

Timberland Restored

A river flows free after 70 years with the removal of a private dam at a family hunting and fishing retreat.

Working Around Rare Wildlife

Water Program staff seek to protect Michigan’s most sensitive aquatic species.

Engaging Volunteers & Community Voices

Coastal communities implement stormwater solutions to protect Lake Huron.

It Takes a Village

From grassroots community science to international initiatives, our friends and partners carry our conservation goals forward.

Compelled to Serve

We celebrate 17 years of developing leaders in conservation with Huron Pines AmeriCorps.

Obtawaing Biosphere Region

The convergence of the upper Great Lakes and Michigan’s peninsulas is recognized for its ecological & cultural importance.

Financial Overview

Treasurer Chip Erwin shares a few words about organizational sustainability.

In Recognition of Service: Judy Kalmanek

A longtime advocate of Huron Pines retires after eight years with our board.

In Memoriam: Roger Frye & Connie Schrieber

Tributes to two dear friends we lost in 2022.

To celebrate how far we’ve come, we’ve included a look back at past projects that have helped shape our organization. You will find these write-ups on the right side of each page throughout the report.

1973

Huron Pines Founded

E ight Northeast Michigan counties and the United States Department of Agriculture created Huron Pines Resource Conservation & Development Project with the purpose of expanding economic opportunities for the area through the orderly conservation, improvement, development and wise use of their natural resources.

1974

State Support Approved

H uron Pines’ first strategic plan adopted and endorsed by Governor Milliken.

1986

1998

Stream Health Prioritized

The Great Lakes Better Backroads Guidebook is published, marking the beginning of a 25-year focus on aquatic connectivity. Staff present road/ stream crossing best management practices to county road commissions around the state.

2007

Huron Pines AmeriCorps Program Launched

O ver 400 people have served as AmeriCorps members since its inception, many continuing on to fill full-time conservation positions in Michigan and the Great Lakes region.

2018

First Nature Preserve Opens to the Public

Hubbard Lake Nature Preserve opens to the public. The property, a generous gift from John and Wendy Frye, is the first preserve owned and managed by Huron Pines and marks the official launch of the Huron Pines Land Protection Program.

2008

Focus on Sustainable Impact

Huron Pines prioritizes programs based on long-term impact and regional scale, and launches two new efforts that continue today: invasive species management and dam removal.

Alpena Office Established

Huron Pines opens a second office in Alpena to foster our work with communities along the Lake Huron coastline.

2020 2021

Supporting the Great Lakes Region

Huron Pines continues to focus on regional impact, building partnerships in the Eastern Upper Peninsula and inventorying 800 road/stream crossing sites as well as accelerating efforts with partners in Canada to build a strong Lake Huron Forever program.

A Land Protection Trifecta

Land protection efforts at Huron Pines have continued to grow with the addition of three new Alpena-area coastal properties — North Point Peninsula, Birdsong Bay Nature Preserve and the KR Poljan Tract.

The properties were transferred to Huron Pines in December of 2022 and January of 2023. They encompass more than 1,500 acres of protected forest and wetland which strengthens our ongoing effort to protect the health of Lake Huron and steward its coastal habitats.

“Alpena’s unique coastal areas combined with rare habitats, islands, peninsulas, shipwrecks and recreational opportunities are what will define the region for generations to come,” said Huron Pines Executive Director Brad Jensen. “It’s a privilege to apply our skills and experience to the ongoing support and protection of this exceptional landscape.”

In December, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) officially transferred ownership of their properties, North Point Peninsula and Birdsong Bay Nature Preserve, to Huron Pines.

“Our partnership with Huron Pines dates back years and they have been with us, side-by-side, helping create and implement a restoration plan for North Point that benefits both people and nature,” said Helen Taylor, state director for TNC in Michigan. “North Point truly is a gem, and these lands are undoubtedly in good hands.”

North Point Nature Preserve is located in the heart of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the first freshwater sanctuary in the U.S. The 1,400-acre North Point Nature Preserve features 4 miles of coastline home to carnivorous plants and the endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly. The 153-acre Birdsong Bay Nature Preserve is situated on the 45th parallel south of Alpena. The preserve includes cedar swamps and a globally rare wooded dune and swale wetland complex which support a diverse ecosystem of plants and wildlife.

“To have The Nature Conservancy and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary help us protect and provide for the use and enjoyment of these places – it’s the type of partnership that makes for a strong future,” said Jensen.

A third property, the KR Poljan Tract at Birdsong Bay, was gifted to us in early January through a donation from the Richard Poljan estate. This 15-acre preserve on Partridge Point offers a panoramic view of Birdsong Bay and is frequented by shorebirds and migratory waterfowl. Richard J. Poljan, an avid outdoorsman, wanted this property protected and shared with the community.

Huron Pines has defined the area, rich with ecological, geological and cultural resources, that stretches from Cheboygan County to the Au Sable River as a Coastal Priority Zone. All three of these new preserves are within that Coastal Priority Zone and bolster our efforts to protect the land from development, prevent and remove invasive species and support native plant and wildlife.

Protecting and managing these lands comes with ongoing costs. An endowment fund has been established with the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan to support the current and long term conservation of lands within the Coastal Priority Zone. Contributions to the Huron Conservation & Stewardship Fund can be made at cfnem.org.

Forever Home

Lake Huron Coastal Preserve in the hands of Alabaster Township

In 2020, Huron Pines set into motion a plan to see 145 acres, including 4,000 feet of Lake Huron coastline, protected forever by the Alabaster Township community. In December of 2022, that plan came to fruition as Huron Pines officially transferred ownership of the Lake Huron Coastal Preserve to Alabaster Township.

Huron Pines and Alabaster Township worked together every step of the way, from establishing a Parks and Recreation Committee to launching a successful fundraising campaign and submitting and receiving a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant.

This project is a shining example of our vision of conservation driven by engaged, empowered communities. We hope it inspires others to prioritize natural spaces as an essential part of a thriving community.

With deep gratitude, we thank the coastal residents, local leaders, supporters and funders who made Lake Huron Coastal Preserve possible.

Hubbard Lake Nature Preserve Leads the Way

In 2018, Huron Pines celebrated the grand opening of Hubbard Lake Nature Preserve, our organization’s first public preserve. Since then, the 80-acre property has welcomed neighbors, visitors, partner organizations and student groups, and is used as a facility for training and team building for our seasonal restoration crew.

This property came to Huron Pines as a generous gift from John and Wendy Frye. We are honored to be the organization entrusted with the important task of preserving and stewarding this property. Through our continued stewardship, visitors can enjoy a forested landscape — for peace and relaxation, research and education — forever.

Raising the sign at Hubbard Lake Nature Preserve in 2018

Alcona students install native plants at the preserve in 2021

Dwarf lake iris, Michigan’s state wildflower, at North Point Peninsula

An aerial view of Birdsong Bay Nature Preserve

Representatives of Huron Pines, Alabaster Township and US Gypsum celebrate the transfer of Lake Huron Coastal Preserve with a champagne toast.

New Partnership Builds on Warbler Success for Landscape-Scale Restoration

The work of many saved one bird from the brink of extinction. Can the same be done for an entire ecosystem?

At the heart of Oscoda County, amid the remnants of an ancient glacial outwash plain, exists one of the most species-rich places in Northern Michigan.

Welcome to the Mio Plateau, a region defined by jack pine forests, rolling grasslands and wildlife found nowhere else on Earth. These pine barrens had been the dominant natural community across large parts of the Northern Lower Peninsula after the last ice age ended some 11,000 years ago, inhabited by species adapted to this arid landscape where water is scarce and fire was frequent.

In more recent times, human activities like land development, the suppression of wildfire and the introduction of invasive species shrank and fragmented this landscape to a vestige of its former self. As habitats disappeared, species followed suit, among them a famed blue and yellow bird whose plight sparked a decades-long endeavor to save it from extinction.

The recovery of the Kirtland’s warbler is a success story shared by many natural resource organizations, including Huron Pines, who worked diligently to restore the bird’s nesting habitat of young jack pines across swaths of Oscoda and neighboring counties. The warbler came off the Endangered Species List in 2021 and Huron Pines and its allies are joining forces again, this time for the benefit of the broader landscape.

“The Kirtland’s warbler is just one resident of the larger jack pine ecosystem,” said Steve Woods, Conservation Stewardship Director for Huron Pines. “Because it was once so critically imperiled, it made sense to focus

on it first. Now that it has been delisted, we’re shifting to a more holistic approach on behalf of many other species, some of which are threatened.”

Working Together to Benefit All Species

To restore this ecosystem, Huron Pines is leading the development of the Northern Pine Plains Partnership with state and federal agencies whose combined land ownership covers a significant portion of the Mio Plateau. Through this partnership, Huron Pines is working with resource professionals at U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Camp Grayling on coordinating habitat restoration efforts across the lands these agencies own and manage. Other partners include American Bird Conservancy, HeadWaters Land Conservancy and the Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Team. This partnership is an opportunity to experiment with using a variety of techniques, including prescribed fire, to promote species diversity, suppress invasive plants and improve the outcomes for all species which reside there. Additionally, Huron Pines’ budding Native Seed Program, which utilizes locally collected seed to propagate native grasses and wildflowers, will also play a role in this work (see next page).

“The great thing about this partnership is that we have biologists, ecologists, experts in prescribed fire and other resource professionals all at the table,“ Woods said. “Through cohesive co-management, there’s the potential to influence thousands of acres and have a significant, positive impact on the landscape.”

Lasting Partnerships Support a Shared Landscape

Huron Pines and its partners will work to rebuild the ecosystem by testing new techniques, reintroducing native plants and restoring natural diversity to the ecosystem. Standing to benefit are some incredibly rare and protected species like the massasauga rattlesnake, dusted skipper butterfly and the secretive locust, a short-winged grasshopper found only in six Michigan counties. Threatened plant species like Hill’s thistle and pale agoseris grow here among vast purple seas of native blazing star wildflowers buzzing with pollinating insects.

Top: A panoramic view of the Mio Plateau, one of Michigan’s most intact pine barren landscapes rich with native grasses, wildflowers and wildlife.

“The warbler came off the Endangered Species List in 2021 and Huron Pines and its allies are joining forces again, this time for the benefit of the broader landscape.”

All these species have historically shared the landscape with Kirtland’s warbler and help define the jack pine ecosystem. They also suffered the consequences of habitat loss but did not necessarily benefit from the restoration efforts which were focused solely on the songbird. Lessons learned from those efforts, and the partnerships formed along the way, will continue to play a significant role in restoring the health of the ecosystem as a whole.

Abigail Ertel is Community Program Director for Huron Pines. She helped lead the Kirtland’s Warbler Initiative in 2012 as a way to transition partners from population recovery efforts to those promoting the bird’s sustainability long term. She sees parallels between the success of that initiative, which facilitated the 2021 delisting, and the great potential of the Northern Pine Plains Partnership.

“At that time, Huron Pines brought experts to the table in order to solve a serious problem,” Ertel said. “We helped build relationships between partners and lifted them up to meet complex challenges together. I think the Northern Pine Plains Partnership can inspire connections that go beyond just a single species and foster an appreciation for the landscape as a whole. That’s what I’m looking forward to seeing happen.”

The Northern Pine Plains Partnership is supported in part by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Habitat Grant Program.

Learning and Collecting on Rare Landscapes

Huron Pines AmeriCorps members spent a sunny September day with the Huron Pines Stewardship Team exploring Northern Michigan’s jack pine barrens and learning how to restore and propagate the native plants found on these rare landscapes.

Over the course of the morning, members learned the importance of using locallysourced plant species to restore habitats and practiced identifying native wildflowers and grasses. In the afternoon, members put their knowledge to the test, collecting seeds from a pine barren ecosystem at the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, a 148,000 acre military training center.

In an effort supported by Camp Grayling, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service, Huron Pines works to restore biodiversity on the grounds of the expansive training facility. The habitat restoration includes removing invasive species and gathering native wildflower and grass seeds for future planting across Northern Lower Michigan.

After native seed is collected, it is brought back to the Huron Pines office and is dried, cleaned and stored until it is planted or propagated. The Huron Pines Stewardship Team plans to collect native plant genotypes with the intention of restoring, creating or enhancing native habitats within Lower Northern Michigan. This seed collection effort is being replicated on a larger, region-wide scale through the Northern Pine Plains Partnership, a collaborative of conservation organizations committed to restoring the pine plain landscapes in Northeast Michigan.

A Secure Future for the Kirtland’s Warbler

In 2012, Huron Pines partnered with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to start the Kirtland’s Warbler Initiative with the mission to ensure the endangered songbird’s population would remain healthy. Through sustainable funding, coordinated partnerships, focused education programs and the use of sound conservation science, the Kirtland’s warbler came off the Endangered Species List in 2021.

Over the course of the initiative, Huron Pines and its partners hosted annual jack pine planting days to restore young forests where Kirtland’s warblers would eventually nest and raise their young. These volunteer workdays helped the surrounding community connect to this unique forest landscape and the wildlife which inhabit it.

Community Program Director Abby Ertel plants jack pine seedlings with her children in 2019.

Volunteers at a rainy jack pine planting day in 2014.

Seth Lanning, a 2021 Huron Pines AmeriCorps member, collects native plant seeds from a pine barren ecosystem.

Timberland Restored

Past Project Inspires Family to Pull 70-year-old Dam From Upper Tittabawassee River

Joan Kreckman reclined in the shade of her sun hat and marveled at the quiet river flowing at her feet.

For seven decades, a dam stood in the way of the West Branch Tittabawassee River at this spot where Joan sat on the riverbank. Up until this moment, the roar of water rushing through the concrete and steel structure would have been almost deafening. But the dam was gone now, having been reduced to rubble by a demolition crew that morning, and Joan was basking in the unbroken natural sounds of the river valley.

“You can hear a ripple,” Joan said. “The whole look and feel of the river has changed. It’s very peaceful.”

The West Branch Tittabawassee River winds through this heavily forested private property in southeast Roscommon County, where dense woods and shaded streams have made it a popular place for generations of sportsmen and earned it the name “Timberland.”

Built around 1950 to create a pond for fish and wildlife, the dam would remain in the river for the next 70 years. The dam’s concrete spillway, which acted as a two-foot vertical wall, kept fish from accessing more than 6 miles of quality, upstream habitat.

The Kreckmans understood the dam was not good for the river.

“We knew, eventually, the dam would need to be addressed,” said Todd Kreckman, the landowner and Joan’s son. “I wasn’t willing to put that off onto the next generation.”

Action Inspires Action

It was a news article about a 2019 dam removal project that Huron Pines managed on Middle Branch Cedar River, in neighboring Clare County, that prompted Todd Kreckman to call us about removing his dam. That project reconnected 9.2 miles of habitat in the Cedar River Watershed, eliminated the risk of a washout, and left landowner Bob Gingery with a healthy trout stream meandering through his property.

“The river has found its original course again,” Gingery said. “I’ve definitely seen more brown trout since the dam came out.”

Along with taking out the dam, additional effort was made to restore the river. Sand traps were dug to capture sediment, and long rolls of coconut fiber were laid along both sides of the stream to promote the growth of new vegetation and stabilize the banks.

“It’s nice to know someone read about this project and thought they could apply it to their situation,” Gingery continued. “If you have a structure that’s as old as mine was, you’re looking at it failing sooner or later. Working with Huron Pines to remove this dam was a great decision.”

A River Reconnected

D emolition and removal of the Kreckmans’ dam on the West Branch Tittabawassee River occurred in July 2022.

Dams like these slow a river down, giving it more time to gather and hold heat from the summer sun. Warm water carries less oxygen for fish, promotes algae growth, and has other negative effects on the ecosystem both upstream and downstream of a dam. Areas of stagnant water gather more sediment and become shallow, while water rushing over a spillway contributes to erosion which smothers important gravel habitats under a layer of fine silt.

Joan, matriarch and de facto foreman of the Kreckman family, observed from a safe distance as heavy machinery chiseled and clawed away the rubble from the river. She was there four days a week, watching in real time as the river began to heal, while crews assembled the 30-foot aluminum arch culvert which would become the family’s new bridge to the south side of the river.

Top: The new culvert crossing the West Branch Tittabawassee River at the Kreckman property known as Timberland.

“We knew, eventually, the dam would need to be addressed. I wasn’t willing to put that off onto the next generation.”

“This was not something we could do on our own, and Josh made it really easy to do the right thing,” Joan said. “I hope this encourages more stewardship of our lands and more habitat restored.”

Huron Pines Senior Project Manager Josh Leisen saw the effort through from its planning stages in early 2020 to its completion in November.

“The upper Tittabawassee River Watershed has several high quality, coldwater trout streams that are in really good condition, and the West Branch is one of the best in the bunch,” Leisen said. “The Kreckmans are a family of anglers who understood the negative impacts of the dam and we were eager to work together for the benefit of the river. By removing the dam voluntarily, the Kreckmans have helped make this river even better.”

This project was supported by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Fisheries Habitat Grant Program, a contribution from the landowner, Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, the Saginaw Bay Watershed Restoration Fund of the Bay Area Community Foundation, and Walters Family Foundation. Engineering was provided by Huron Engineering and Surveying, Inc. Construction services were completed by Jordan Intercoastal, LLC.

Dam Removals on the Horizon

H uron Pines has three dams on deck for removal in 2024. Meanwhile, there are hundreds of small, privately owned dams scattered across Northern Michigan, the vast majority of which were built decades ago before any meaningful regulations existed.

“We’ve come to understand as a society that streams are a public resource and now there are laws to prevent new structures from being built,” Leisen said. “In the meantime we’re left with aging structures that have a substantial, cumulative impact on our watersheds and need to be addressed.”

Landowners who have dams on their property are welcome to contact Huron Pines with questions pertaining to permitting, funding, project management and to discuss potential options to remove their structures.

Black River Reconnected

In 2011, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources acquired the 517-acre Saunders Tract and a mile of the Black River on the southern edge of the Pigeon River Country State Forest. That acquisition came with a concrete and stone dam which had stood in the Black River for four decades and prevented the upstream movement of wild brook trout.

Huron Pines removed the structure in 2013, reconnecting 8 miles of coldwater habitat on the famed brook trout fishery. Today, a gently sloping riffle marks the site where whitewater once churned over Saunders Dam.

The project was supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and Fish Passage Program, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Upper Black River Council, Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited and individual contributors.

Restoration site in summer 2022

Saunders Dam in 2013

Demolition of the dam at Timberland in July 2022.

The dam at Timberland in November 2020.

Working Around Rare Wildlife

Staff trained to protect Michigan’s most sensitive species

Rare ecosystems tend to hold rare species, and the work we do across Northern Michigan to restore these landscapes puts Huron Pines staff in close proximity to wildlife whose populations rely on special protections to survive.

Our efforts to benefit Michigan’s most sensitive species goes back to 2007, when we enlisted volunteers and members of Huron Pines AmeriCorps to stabilize an eroding stream bank overlooking the spawning grounds of lake sturgeon (see sidebar). Today, our work takes us to places inhabited by eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, Hine’s emerald dragonflies, and a host of other plants, insects and wildlife recognized as threatened or endangered.

To better understand these species and ensure our efforts don’t negatively impact their habitats or populations, members of our team are actively being trained to survey for, identify and relocate them if necessary. Here are some examples of trainings we completed in 2022 to make certain these species, which help define Michigan’s identity, will always have a home.

To Benefit a Rare Beetle

Waist deep in her waders, Coastal Project Manager Amy Nowakowski coaxed the end of a dip net into the shadow of an undercut riverbank. She prodded gently, feeling for hidden snags, then withdrew her net and examined its contents in the sunshine.

Scrambling inside the mesh net were dozens of dragonfly and stonefly larvae — the kind of aquatic life Nowakowski would expect to see in a healthy cold-water stream — but she was on the hunt for something special: a striped brown beetle the size of a watermelon seed.

Hungerford’s crawling water beetle (HCWB), a critically endangered species, is found in only a handful of streams in Northern Michigan. In fact, there are only nine known locations in the U.S. and three in Canada where these beetles have been found. These known locations represent the last relict populations of the species, where they have been hanging on for the last 10,000 years in small pockets of suitable habitat. The presence of HCWB in cold-water streams serve as bioindicators for stream health.

Nowakowski is among four Huron Pines Water Program staff trained and permitted to survey for the beetle.

“Very little is known about its geographic range or life history, so increasing our shared knowledge through training and surveys will contribute valuable data for the protection of this rare species,” Nowakowski said. “We hope to find populations of beetles in new locations to gain a better understanding of distribution and abundance in northeast Michigan.”

In 2023, with grant funding from U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s National Fish Passage Program, Huron Pines staff will survey 25 sites within and outside the beetle’s known range to better learn its distribution across Northern Michigan. The data will be shared with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and will help determine the status of the beetle for future endangered species status changes.

Top: Water Program Technician Nick Theisen (third from right) participates in a training to survey for Hungerford’s crawling water beetle.

Hungerford’s crawling water beetle Brychius hungerfordi

Coastal Project Manager Amy Nowakowski surveys for Hungerford’s crawling water beetle at a Huron Pines stream restoration site.

Flexing Our Mussels

We’re taking similar steps to look for and identify species of Michigan’s native freshwater mussels, many of which are threatened or endangered and all protected accordingly under state and federal law.

In September, Water Program Technician Nick Theisen completed a field training on the Grand River where he learned how to locate and identify native mussels like hickorynut, fawnsfoot, elktoe and snuffbox. Freshwater mussels are sensitive to environmental changes and pollution, and their presence and diversity in a stream are indicators of good water quality. They also filter excess nutrients from the stream and are a food source for wildlife like otters, mink and muskrat, making them an essential part of a river ecosystem.

“Our restoration efforts on Michigan’s rivers are for the benefit of all species,” said Theisen. “Being able to identify freshwater mussels teaches us more about these ecosystems and helps us better understand how our work will positively impact those habitats.”

This training was soon put to use when Theisen and his colleagues surveyed an undersized road/stream crossing site in the Manistee River Watershed due to be restored. Theisen found and identified a creek heelsplitter mussel, a species of special concern in Michigan, and photographed it before placing it back on the riverbed.

“With that information, now we’ll know to look for and relocate those mussels before our restoration work begins,” he said.

The mussel training was led by scientist and author Joe Rathbun and Grand Valley State University professor Eric Snyder. Our involvement was supported by the National Fish Passage Program.

Supporting Sturgeon Habitat

Efforts to benefit rare river life are nothing new for Huron Pines. Starting in 2007 and running for several years, our organization led efforts to restore erosion sites along the Black River where lake sturgeon spawn. Sturgeon lay their eggs on exposed gravel beds where they can be hidden from predators within the spaces between rocks and pebbles. Eroding stream banks input sand and sediment into the river where it buries these important gravel beds and significantly decrease the productivity of these fish.

We enlisted volunteers to replant and stabilize streambanks overlooking these spawning areas and occasionally caught glimpses of these massive fish — which can reach 9 feet in length and weigh 300 pounds — as they migrated upstream.

“The ability to identify these organisms will help inform our future restoration efforts and other activities that may impact these natural habitats.”

Conservation professionals learn how to identify freshwater mussels.

A Black River erosion site in 2009 after volunteers placed rock, topsoil and landscape fabric and then installed over 3,000 native plants.

Associate Director Lisha Ramsdell (right) meets a male lake sturgeon held by an MSU researcher in 2008.

Engaging Volunteers & Community Voices

Northern Michigan’s identity is shaped by water. Tourism, recreation, environmental health and community well-being are all tied to water quality.

Protecting our shared waters is paramount for Huron Pines and propels our stormwater efforts forward.

Stormwater — rain and snowmelt — carries road salt, bacteria, sediment and motor oils from roads and parking lots to nearby waterways. Once they enter rivers and lakes, these contaminants result in beach closures and degrade habitat for fish and wildlife. These impacts are amplified in coastal communities where lifestyles are defined by Lake Huron.

Our intensive focus on the health of Lake Huron and its surrounding watersheds drove our community engagement efforts in three coastal communities in 2022 and will continue to do so in the years to come.

Volunteers Plant a Forest on Rogers City Shoreline

In May, 40 volunteers joined the staff of Huron Pines and the Presque Isle Conservation District in planting, mulching and watering 500 trees along the Lake Huron coast in Rogers City. Species planted were balsam fir, white birch and white cedar.

These trees capture stormwater runoff from a nearby baseball field and parking lot, and boost coastal defenses against strong storms. Adding more trees to the site will also contribute to the local genetic diversity, building resilience to disease and pests.

Tawas State Dock Gets a Splash of Color

On a sunny September morning, a dozen volunteers joined Huron Pines staff to install 1,000 native plants at the foot of East Tawas State Dock. These water-loving wildflowers and grasses add character to the shore. More importantly, they help filter stormwater runoff at one of Michigan’s most popular harbors.

This project followed treatments by our Stewardship Team to remove invasive phragmites and purple loosestrife from the site. Taking their place are bulrush, horsemint, blue iris, butterfly weed, beach grass, harebell, sand coreopsis and pearly everlasting. This diverse mix of hardy and colorful plants will stabilize the beach while capturing stormwater before it reaches Lake Huron.

“This is the last line of defense for filtering stormwater before it enters Tawas Bay,” said Water Program Director Samantha Nellis. “It’s also a place that’s highly visible to residents and visitors and will serve as an example of the good a natural shoreline can do.”

Support for this project and the Rogers City tree planting were provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Sustain Our Great Lakes Program and the Consumers Energy Foundation.

Top: Volunteers and Huron Pines and Presque Isle Conservation District staff plant 500 trees on a shoreline lot in Rogers City.

Coastal Project Manager Amy Nowakowski greets volunteers.

The impacts of stormwater are amplified in coastal communities where lifestyles are defined by Lake Huron.

Public Input Drives Future Projects in Alpena

We introduced residents to examples of green stormwater infrastructure at an October stormwater visioning session in Alpena. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and rank proposed designs for future projects in their city.

Solutions presented at the meeting ranged from the installation of trees and planter boxes to narrow bioswales along parking lots. Afterward, an interactive map illustrating Alpena’s stormwater infrastructure was published online, along with a survey to gather public input on which proposals they preferred.

The most popular proposal was a dune-restoration project at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, a popular swimming beach and recreation area. Huron Pines is supporting efforts by the City of Alpena to pursue funding options for the project.

Funding support for the visioning session was provided by the Michigan Coastal Management Program, Water Resources Division, Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Engineering firm Drummond Carpenter, PLLC provided project design illustrations.

A Decade of Stormwater Work

Huron Pines completed a citywide stormwater assessment for Rose City in 2012 and prioritized areas where new infrastructure would have the greatest impact. As a result of the assessment we installed a mechanical oil and grit separator in 2014 to treat stormwater runoff from Rose City, and celebrated with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony in October of that year.

The oil and grit separator is an underground stormwater treatment unit that captures sediment and oils from stormwater runoff before they reach Houghton Creek, a high quality tributary of the Rifle River. Efforts like these ensure the watershed will remain healthy and productive.

Senior Project Manager Josh Leisen inspects the silt separator in 2022.

Staff, partners and residents celebrate the silt separator with a ribbon cutting in 2014.

Volunteers Zeke Hill & Chris Preston install plants near Tawas State Dock.

Land Protection Coordinator Julia Butch — then a member of Huron Pines AmeriCorps — carries a flat of plugs to be planted near Tawas State Dock.

Participants of an October visioning session consider and rank proposals for green stormwater infrastructure in Alpena.

It Takes A Village: How Volunteers, Local Leaders and Active Communities Drive Our Mission

At Huron Pines, one of our most important jobs is to bring people together.

We can accomplish more when we build partnerships, connect with communities and activate volunteers. We are lucky to have such a strong network of people ready to engage in the protection of Northern Michigan’s resources. Over the last year we’ve looked to you, our friends and partners, to become community scientists, to pledge your support for Lake Huron, to master your understanding of your environment and to act as tour guides showcasing your favorite natural places to visitors from across the state. Your work has helped drive ours and these are some of your stories.

Keeping an Eye on the Coast

In July, Huron Pines launched a community science monitoring program focused on the health of Lake Huron. In our volunteer Coast Watchers program, participants were trained to record air and water temperature, seasonal changes in water levels, and occurrences of sensitive or invasive plants, fish die-offs, storm damage or pollution. Volunteers are local residents who visit their designated stretch of shoreline once a week to collect information and contribute to a long-running data set on the condition of the Lake Huron coast.

Coast Watchers has been an important program of the Lake Huron Coastal Centre in Goderich, Ontario since 2005, and data collected helps guide their shoreline restoration efforts there. Huron Pines is now piloting the program on the Michigan side as part of the Lake Huron Forever Initiative, with the expectation that it can help guide and prioritize our future restoration efforts along the Northern Michigan coast.

Taking a Pledge to Protect Lake Huron

One of the underlying goals of the Lake Huron Forever Initiative is for coastal communities — and eventually communities across the Great Lakes region — to take a pledge of support for the long term health of Lake Huron. In 2022, our first two Lake Huron Forever communities were established after signing the pledge into action. Au Gres and Bay City each took the Lake Huron Forever Pledge which lays out the specific challenges facing a lakeshore community and the measures the community plans to take to address them.

For Au Gres, the pledge prioritizes efforts to reduce stormwater runoff, treat invasive plants, limit the use of fertilizers and herbicides on city

property, and promote environmental education to the general public. The community of Au Gres is a longtime and active partner of ours, and students of Au Gres-Sims Schools have been deeply involved in efforts alongside Huron Pines to install stormwater bioswales at two city parks and on school grounds.

Bay City is a more recent partner of Huron Pines. Its pledge emphasizes the reduction of stormwater runoff using nature-based solutions, improving the quality of natural areas, planting trees within the city to support biodiversity and urban resilience, expanding a recycling program, controlling the spread of invasive plants and promoting conservation education. Bay City will also work in partnership with its sister city of Goderich, Ontario to engage on a local level and learn from one another. Integrating pledge goals into city recreation and master plans will move both city and Lake Huron Forever goals forward.

Being a Lake Huron Forever Community helps cities prepare projects in support of their goals and be ready to break ground if grant funding becomes available.

Huron Pines is leading the Lake Huron Forever initiative in Michigan with funding from Bay Area Community Foundation, Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, Consumers Energy Foundation, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network. Support is also provided by Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University Extension, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Above: Au Gres senior Natalie Hoadley installs native plants in a stormwater bioswale on school grounds in May.

“Integrating pledge goals into city recreation and master plans will move both city and Lake Huron Forever goals forward.”

Hands-on Mastery

Master Naturalist helps people cultivate an appreciation of the natural world through direct experiences with local habitats. In 2022, Huron Pines had the privilege of hosting the Master Naturalist program in Northern Michigan in partnership with Michigan State University Extension and Pigeon River Country Discovery Center. For six months, 30 participants from diverse geographies and backgrounds come together once a month at the Pigeon River Country (PRC) Discovery Center to learn about and explore Michigan’s natural communities.

Full-day sessions covered the Native American history and geology of the PRC, wetland habitats, wild elk, forest health, river ecology and more, all led by conservation professionals. The six sessions were held in person and included classroom learning and field trips throughout the PRC. Many of the participants have become more deeply involved with Huron Pines’ mission and are local champions of conservation since completing the program.

Maddie Khuri, Community Education Project Manager, helped lead and support Master Naturalist.

“It was really cool to bring people from across the state to the PRC to share some of the natural wonders of Northeast Michigan,” Khuri said. “It was inspiring to watch their appreciation and understanding of the natural world grow as they made their way through the program.”

Advocating for Northern Michigan

Through tours, community connections, public meetings and ongoing conversations with the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) Board, Huron Pines is working to showcase the untapped potential for acquisition and development projects in the Northern Lower Peninsula.

The MNRTF receives revenue from oil and gas leases on public lands that can be appropriated to land protection and outdoor recreation projects. This is exactly what happened in the case of Alabaster Township’s award of a $1.7m MNRTF grant for the acquisition of Lake Huron Coastal Preserve (see page 7).

Huron Pines has two active roles in helping connect the MNRTF to Northern Michigan communities. We advocate on behalf of the communities we serve and help communities plan and submit projects to the MNRTF for funding.

In our role as advocates, Huron Pines had the privilege of hosting the MNRTF Board and Department of Natural Resources staff for a day of field trips ahead of their August meeting in Alpena. By highlighting our unique natural resources and connecting local leaders to the Trust Fund, we can help ensure a greater return on our investment in this treasured asset for the people of Northern Michigan.

Stewarding Island Park for Public Good

Huron Pines led numerous volunteer improvement projects on Island Park in the 1980s, including the construction of fishing platforms, trails, an accessible viewing deck and canoe launch.

In 1985, the City of Alpena purchased the island from Alpena Sportsmen’s Club with the help of a grant from the Kammer Land Trust Fund — now the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund — which Huron Pines helped secure. The transfer was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony that June.

Our stewardship activities here continue to this day, with annual volunteer efforts to remove invasive European frog-bit from the waters around the island and ongoing monitoring for invasive species.

O.B. Eustis chats with Marsha Moers on Island Park’s accessible viewing deck overlooking the Thunder Bay River. Huron Pines staff and volunteers installed the platform in the 1980s. Photo coutresy of The Alpena News.

People fish at Island Park in 1985.

Photo courtesy of The Alpena News.

Water Program Director Samantha Nellis discusses the importance of protected forest wetlands during a field tour for the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board in August.

Compelled to Serve

The Huron Pines AmeriCorps program has been developing leaders in conservation in communities across Michigan since 2007 and is one of the longest running environmental-focused AmeriCorps programs in the state.

Huron Pines AmeriCorps members strive to enhance Michigan’s natural resources and foster environmental stewardship by engaging local volunteers, community groups and schools in environmental service projects, hands-on learning opportunities and educational workshops.

In the last 17 years we’ve seen more than 400 members come through the program and their accomplishments, both during their service and beyond, have a significant and lasting impact on the communities in which they serve.

Here’s a look at a few of our recent members and how their service shaped their careers and propelled the mission of their host sites forward. Their innovation is a model for the future of conservation in Michigan and exemplifies the best of Huron Pines AmeriCorps.

Bringing Service Full Circle

In 2019, Kyler Moran moved to the Traverse City area excited to serve the Northern Michigan community through environmental stewardship. As a person with a passion for land protection, Moran accepted a service position with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) as their Preserve Stewardship Technician. He enjoyed his service so much that he decided to stay on for a second term in 2020.

During his two terms, Moran helped restore hundreds of acres of habitat, led numerous volunteer workdays, spearheaded a bat-monitoring program

on preserve lands and helped pilot recreational-use surveys to quantify the health benefits of spending time in nature.

Following his service, Moran accepted a full-time position as the Preserve Stewardship Manager at Legacy Land Conservancy in Ann Arbor.

“My career would not have been possible without my service through Huron Pines AmeriCorps,” he said. “Throughout my two years with the program, and at GTRLC, I learned the fundamentals of working for a land trust and gained great interdepartmental experience. I made valuable connections, personally and professionally. My service truly propelled my career.”

In his new role, Moran advocated for Legacy Land Conservancy to become a Huron Pines AmeriCorps host site, and they received their first member in 2022. Two members are serving there in 2023 under his leadership.

Moran’s passion for the HPA program is tangible.

“As a host site supervisor, I’m looking forward to mentoring our members, giving them valuable experiences and building their professional networks,” he said.

Offering a New Perspective

Looking for a new opportunity to grow her professional network and skills within the natural resources field, Kate King accepted a Huron Pines AmeriCorps position with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Gladwin, serving through 2020 and 2021.

Throughout her two-year service, King was involved with Adopt-a-Forest, the DNR’s volunteer forest clean-up program. She spent many hours patrolling state land looking for sites where people had discarded trash and debris, logged their descriptions and locations in a database, and then made a plan for proper removal and disposal. Items like tires, scrap metal and cardboard would get recycled but there was no protocol for one item she kept finding: fiberglass boats. A lot of them.

“My career would not have been possible without my service through Huron Pines AmeriCorps.”

Eager to remove these boats from public lands and keep them out of landfills, King researched the possibility of recycling fiberglass and learned about similar efforts in other states.

“I wanted to figure out how we could make recycling fiberglass a profitable business for Michigan,” she said. “In Rhode Island, they are using fiberglass in cement. So I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if our walkways were made from fiberglass that came out of our forests?”

“Kate gave a voice to the problem,” said Maia Turek, Engagement and Innovations Specialist for the DNR who worked closely with King on the project. “The more people we talked to the more the idea snowballed. We have 24 stakeholder groups in multiple states who want to see something happen. Kate brought in a new perspective and we’re on the cusp of solving the problem.”

The DNR is continuing to work with the Michigan Boating Industries Association and other industry organizations to find a way to recycle fiberglass boats for Michigan and other states.

Leveraging Creativity for Conservation

A biology major in college, Brittany Tillman interned at DeVries Nature Conservancy in Owosso. Following her internship, she was encouraged by her supervisor to apply to Huron Pines AmeriCorps. She did so, and served in 2022 as Imperiled Species Education and Outreach Coordinator with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Lansing. In that role, she immediately became immersed in the world of educating and protecting Michigan’s rarest wildlife.

“My first time in the field I learned how to survey for freshwater mussels and found an endangered snuffbox mussel,” she said. “I’d been teaching others about this tiny creature, so it was a full-circle moment for me to actually see one in the wild.”

Tillman said her service helped build skills in communication and outreach through experiences in the field and public education programs. She gained confidence in herself while serving in the “welcoming and encouraging” atmosphere offered by her host site, and joined forces with other members serving at other host sites on collaborative projects.

One of those efforts was the Bee & Butterfly Outreach Program, which she built alongside fellow Huron Pines AmeriCorps member MaKayla Plekes. Together they led three pollinator-focused educational workshops, including one for high school students at Potter Park Zoo and incorporated a butterfly origami craft into the event as a fun way to engage students. Huron Pines AmeriCorps members with the USFWS are continuing to use the program in their outreach efforts.

“I loved getting to use my creativity for the purpose of education in order to engage a variety of audiences,” Tillman said.

Today, Tillman is back at DeVries Nature Conservancy where she works full time as the Environmental Education Coordinator.

First Recruits

The Huron Pines AmeriCorps program launched in 2007 and placed nine members with organizations around the state to help these groups reach their conservation goals. In that inaugural year, members engaged 466 volunteers in community projects, restored nearly 4 miles of river habitat and reached another 1,703 people through educational programs or other service roles.

Today, the impact of Huron Pines AmeriCorps continues threefold. We have 23 full-term members serving in 2023, along with a handful of members in half term positions. Their service benefits communities all across Michigan and has a lasting, positive influence on our natural resources.

2007 members mark the completion of a 10-month service term with an end-of-year celebration.

The first Huron Pines AmeriCorps cohort at Hartwick Pines State Park for orientation.

Kate King at a tree planting event at Vanderbilt Area Schools.

Brittany Tillman during a field day collecting and identifying mussels.

Obtawaing Biosphere Region

In 2021, this region was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a globally significant ecological and cultural landscape and was designated as the Obtawaing Biosphere Region (OBR).

Today there are 738 Biosphere Reserves around the world, nine of which are in the Great Lakes region. Obtawaing is Anishinaabemowin for “the middle ground or place of convergence and meeting” in recognition of the Anishinaabe tribal nations and the central location within the Great Lakes. The designation as a Biosphere Region provides a framework for bringing diverse, interdisciplinary partners together for the conservation of the region.

In 2022, the OBR Partner Network was formed and presently includes several conservation groups, universities, government agencies, tribal nations and other partners. The collaboration of these organizations allows us to think and talk about biodiversity and sustainability of this region on a larger scale. OBR partners share ideas and implement solutions to advance environmental, cultural and socio-economic sustainability and well-being in the heart of the Great Lakes region.

Additionally, the OBR is guided by the voices of five sovereign tribal nations. Their traditional ecological knowledge, and belief in humanity’s integral role within nature, has influenced the vision and strategy since the inception of the OBR.

In 2021, Samantha Nellis, Water Program Director for Huron Pines, helped develop the original strategic plan, which was spearheaded by the University of Michigan and driven by various tribal nations. In 2022, the strategic plan was finalized and Nellis accepted a role as a steering committee member for the OBR.

“I’m so excited that Huron Pines is taking a leading role in this effort,” says Nellis. “The UNESCO designation spotlights the global importance of this region and the amazing group of partners and collaborative nature has the potential to have landscape-wide, positive impacts for our communities and environment.”

Looking forward to 2023, the steering committee will continue exploring partnerships in the region in order to expand capacity and mitigate environmental impact in the face of a changing climate.

Above: A shoreline view of the Lake Huron coast in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

A site visit with partners in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

A cedar forest in Presque Isle County.

At the convergence of the Upper and Lower peninsulas and Lakes Michigan, Superior and Huron lies a region well known for its fisheries, migratory bird corridors and nesting spots, plants and animals.

Obtawaing Biosphere Region

Michigan Great Lakes

International Border Canada

TOTAL AREA

8,029

(sq miles)

577 MILES OF SHORELINE 1,702

ISLANDS

A map of the Obtawaing Biosphere Region

The dune complex of Thompson’s Harbor State Park

The northern Lake Huron coast

“The UNESCO designation spotlights the global importance of this region.”

Organizational Sustainability

At Huron Pines, we talk about sustainability often. From the communities we serve to the ecosystems we preserve and protect, sustainability in its many forms is a guiding principle. In recent years we’ve put more attention toward another facet of that principle – organizational sustainability. By this I mean the ability for Huron Pines to create a strong financial foundation that will last, serving our mission in a durable, flexible, yet consistent way as we empower our staff and the communities we serve.

We invested more into management and fundraising in 2022 than in the previous four years, as you can see in the table to the right. This is reflective of that focus on sustainability, to build our internal capacity in leveraging private contributions to match state and federal funding. Our revenue in 2022 was also higher than ever before, largely due to the incredible additions of North Point Nature Preserve and Birdsong Bay Nature Preserve, adding over $4 million to our portfolio.

As Huron Pines continues to grow, our land protection responsibilities highlight the need for long term funding to maintain these preserves for the benefit of natural communities and the enjoyment of local residents and visitors. With help from individuals, conservation partners and community foundations, we’ve established several permanent endowment funds to help ensure these assets are maintained and protected for years to come.

Through sound financial management practices, the generosity of our donors and attention to our organizational sustainability goals, we can take comfort in knowing Huron Pines will be here for our children, grandchildren and generations beyond. Huron Pines has been doing good work for 50 years and we’re looking forward to celebrating with all our friends later this year. Your support ensures our mission to conserve and enhance Northern Michigan’s natural resources will carry forward another half century and beyond.

Thank you,

Chip Erwin Board Treasurer

Our audited financial statements are available by request or on our website.

Five-Year Trend

$826,768

Vibrant Communities 31% $809,493 Protected Places 34%

2022 Net Assets

Support a Sustainable Future for Northern Michigan

Planned Gifts = Meaningful Impact

Planned gifts are a powerful way to support the long-term success of our region.

As we celebrate our 50th year of natural resource protection in Northern Michigan, we are doubling down on our community-driven approach to conservation. Huron Pines continues to strengthen relationships with supporters and partners across the region, and our on the ground project list grows each year.

You have been supporting us to reach every corner of the region. Help us continue to make a meaningful impact on the future of the Great Lakes by ensuring the financial sustainability we need to keep our work going for another 50 years.

Bequest, Living Trust or Charitable Trust

Ensure that Huron Pines receives a valuable interest through your estate plans, either during life or after the passing of a donor. These valuable interests may include cash, stocks, full title to land or partial interests in land.

Required Minimum Distribution or Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)

For anyone 70 ½ and older, you are required to make an annual minimum distribution from your retirement plan. Minimum distributions can easily become donations to Huron Pines and provide you with significant tax advantages.

Huron Pines Endowment Funds

You can support our goal of organizational sustainability with a gift to one of our established endowment funds. We will help you match your donation to the fund that best fits your goals and passions.

Please call our Development Director, Heather Huffstutler at (989) 448-2293 x 11 to discuss these and other planned giving options.

“My heart bursts with gratitude for the work that Huron Pines is doing, so I just feel like it’s incredibly important to commit to the future through a bequest from my IRA.”

- Donette Spiekerman

Huron Pines legacy donor

In Recognition of Service: Judy Kalmanek

Judy Kalmanek, a tireless advocate for Huron Pines retired in December after eight years of service with our board.

Judy joined the board in January 2014 and assumed the role of Secretary the following year. She served on numerous committees as we expanded our efforts in land and water protection and opened a second office in Alpena, her hometown.

Judy has a special affection for Huron Pines AmeriCorps, which has been the springboard for hundreds of individuals pursuing careers in conservation, and supported annual efforts by our members to remove invasive European frog-bit from the waters around Alpena Wildlife Sanctuary.

“I have certainly become very wealthy in the friends I’ve made and experiences I’ve had working with our members of Huron Pines AmeriCorps,” she said. “It’s been a great privilege to be involved with Huron Pines and do what little I could in the protection of our land and water, and to encourage our coastal communities to develop an ethic in the conservation of those resources.”

“Judy is an authentic voice for protecting our wonderful natural resources of Northeast Michigan,” said board Chair Greg Bator. “Her enthusiasm and spirit will remain part of our organization going forward.”

“Judy is an authentic voice for protecting our wonderful natural resources of Northeast Michigan. Her enthusiasm and spirit will remain part of our organization going forward.”

A board resolution was presented to Judy Kalmanek in December in recognition of her service.

Judy grips handfuls of cattails during an invasive species removal day at Island Park.

Top: Judy Kalmanek feels a Lake Huron breeze during a board and staff outing at North Point Nature Preserve Aug 1.

2022 Donor List

Thank you to all of our 2022 supporters

Elizabeth Abood-Carroll and David Carroll

Acorn Family Retreats

Christopher Adamo

The Adamo Family

Ruth Addis and Marj Schloff

Albanese Family Fund at Fidelity Charitable

The Americana Foundation

Regina Amidon/Richard Bryan Charitable Fund at Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund

Bill and Debi Anderson

Kirk and Carol Anderson

Lori and David Anderson

Robert Andrus

Ann Arbor Trout Unlimited

Anonymous (12)

The Cathy and Bob Anthony Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan as suggested by Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Anthony IV

Caryl and Russ Anton

Avery Lake Property Owners Association

B2 Great Lakes LLC

Richard and Marilyn Bachelor

Martin and Michelle Baker

George Barker

Al Bartow

Bay Area Community Foundation

Leanora Bender

Bennethum’s Northern Inn Restaurant

Betty Bennett

Besser Foundation

Big Bear Lake Association

David and Elaine Billmire

Mary and Timothy Blackwood

Donald and Gail Block

Kathleen and David Boyd

Richard and Marie Bracci

Bradford Lakes Association

Nathaniel and Lisa Bradley

Carol Brand

Norm and Valerie Brecheisen

Douglas and Kathryn Brehm

Christopher Brierley

Carl Buchner

Gerald and Rose Burke Donor Advised Fund at Schwab Charitable

Jim and Gina Burke

Don Burkley

Al, Pat and Doug Cambridge

Tom and Marcia Cardelli

The Carls Foundation

Brian and Janet Carson

Richard Castle

David Catalan

Anne and John Cauley

Ned Caveney

Cedars for the Au Sable

George and Pamela Charney

Cheboygan Brewing Company

Colby and Tim Chilcote

Michael A. and Sandra S. Clark

Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan

Community Foundation Grey Bruce

Pam and Tom Conquest

The Conservation Fund

Brian and Erin Considine

Consumers Energy

Consumers Energy Foundation

The Anna Owens and Tom Cook Charitable Fund of the Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund

Jill Cooper

Susan Beede & Jay Copeland Fund at Renaissance Charitable

Frank and Kathy Cordray

Corporation for National and Community Service

Robert and Judy Cosgriff

County of Otsego

Bob and Gay Courtois

Mary M. Cox

Ann and Richard Craig

Kathy Crawford

Norma Crouch

Michael and Terri Cwik

Anne and Daniel Danosky

William A. and Linda Demmer

Diane Dennis

William R. and Mary Elizabeth Derwin

Janiene DeVinney

Patrice DeVinney

Nancy Dextrom

Cynthia Dodick

Michael and Darcy Dombrowski

Antonio and Teresa Dorta

DTE Foundation Fund for Regional Manager Strategic Philanthropic Organization Initiatives at Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan.

Katherine Duffy

Sandelands-Dutton Charitable Giving Fund at Fidelity Charitable

John Edwards

John Emmendorfer Jr.

James Engle

Rick and Sharon Engstrom

The Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation

Roger and Dagmar Eriksson

The Chip and Betsy Erwin Family

Erwin/VanKoughnett Family Fund at the Chicago Community Foundation

Evil Queen

Dale and Norma Ewart

Larry and Pat Farris

Ruth Favro

Larry and Vickie Fields

Michael and Cathryn Fields

Barbara and Eugene Fleming

Robert Flickinger

Christopher and Laura Fluke

Flygirls of Michigan, Inc.

Mike and Maureen Foresman

Sharon Fortner

Jim and Sue Francis

Susan Freel

Steve and Corrine Family Fund at Fidelity Charitable

Belinda Friis

John and Wendy Frye

Paul Gambka

T. Eduardo and Maria Garcia

Carol and James Garlo

Jim and Judy Gaskell

Meaghan Gass

Elizabeth Gauthier-Rabaut and Gerald Gauthier

GE Foundation

Noelle George

Peggy Gilbert

Robert Gillenwater

Jacquelyn Girard

William Glass

Leo Goddeyne

Ruth and David Golm

Rusty and Elizabeth Gowland

Robert and Jennifer Grace

Chris and Elaine Graham

Mike and Christine Grant

Jim and Shirley Graves

Great Lakes Fishery Trust

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Tom and Joann Green

Jim and Linda Gregart

Ken and Elizabeth Gribble

Jon Griffin

Pamela and Thomas Griffin

Nancy Guregian

Peter and Virginia Gustafson

Beverly and James Haas

Hack Family Foundation, Jan and Talbot Hack, within the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund

Rick and Robin Hagopian

Beach Hall

Noah Hall

Michael and Jo Ann Hamm

Dr. Brian and Belinda Hanna

Mary Haws

Blair and Sandra Marie Headrick

Howard E. Hedlund

James and Rebecca Heindl

Jerry Heinrich

Dick and Judy Henry

Kara Herber

Frank and Vicki Herman

Don and Joann Hester

Russ Hicks

Higgins Lake Foundation

Higgins Lake Land Conservancy

Higgins Lake Property Owners Association

Jennifer and Jason Hill

Felicity Hirsh

Margaret Hoerner

Mark Holmen Family Fund at The New York Community Trust

Anne Honhart

Hougen Foundation

William Houston

Stan and Teresa Hubbell

Carl and Vicki Hueter

Heather Huffstutler

Steve Huffstutler

Huron Engineering and Surveying, Inc.

Timothy and Kristine Ianitelli

David Irani and Laurel Moore

Mark Isken

Elizabeth Jacob

Kurt Jagoda

Curt and Susan Jansen

Jansen Family

Joe and Judi Jarecki

Brad Jensen and Rebecca Benson

Sandy Johnson

Marty and Ellen Jones

Elizabeth Juziuk

Judy Kalmanek

Ramzi Khuri

Carlynn and Stanley Kidd

George and Linda Killat

Mark Kinney

Chris and Ellen Klebba

Wayne and Marcia Koppa

Jennifer and Michael Koralewski

Mark and Marie Koski

Gary Kovelle

Krenn Timber Bridge, Inc.

Mary K. Krigbaum

Randy Kursinsky

William Kusey

Peggy Kusnerz

Jerry and Susan La Vanture

Julie LaFleche

Lake Horicon Corp.

Bernard and Nancy Lamp

Allan Larsen

David and Joanne Lawless

Kathleen and Duncan Lawrence

Lawrence Lee and Nick Pavelich

Joshua Leisen

The Lewis Family Charitable Fund at National Christian Foundation Michigan

John R. Lindsay

Jenny and Anton Llakmani

David and Julianne Lockwood and Family

Wanda Lord

The Frank W. Lynch and Roberta Jane Lynch

Endowed Family Fund at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan as suggested by Ms. Sally L. Binard

Donna and Michael Maddin

Malecki Family Donor Advised Fund at Frankenmuth Community Foundation

Jan Manzella

Kim Margherio

Jack and Julie Marlette

John C. Marsh

John and Nancy Marshall

James Maslanka and Catherine Giebel

Randy and Jeanette Mateer

Laura and Bruce Maxwell

Mayfair Plastics

Samuel and Carolyn McCarter

Michael McDowell

Tim McMannis

Michiganographer

Michigan Community Service Commission

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)

Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity

Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan Natural Features Inventory

William D. Middleton

Charles and Linda Mires

Drs. Bruce Hull and Margaret Mitchell

Allen and Jean Moberly

Mike Monroe and Candace Henig-Monroe

Montmorency County Conservation Club

John and Connie Morgan

Morley Foundation

Thomas B. Mudd

Glenn Muhr

Thomas G. and Rosemary Mullaney

Tom Mundt

Sandra Murphy

Lawrence Nanni and Kathryn Frisby

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

National Wildlife Federation

The Nature Conservancy

Ross Nave

David and Nancy Neal

Gary and Tess Nelkie

Patty Neuman

Gary Neumann

News Corp

Les Nixon

Northern Family Dentistry PLLC

Amy Nowakowski

Mary Jo Oke

Janet Opdyke

Oscoda Canoe Rental, Mark and Adam Hume

Mr. and Mrs. William D. Palmer

Michael and Donna Parr

Paul Paske

John Peppler

James Pestka

Keith Petherick

Robert and Mary Lou Petrach

Barbara and Alan Pfau

Don and Sis Pierce

Ben and Kristine Pinti Giving Fund at Fidelity Charitable

Tony and Melanie Pitts

Joseph and Carole Plunkey

Steve Pollack

Bill Posak

Jeff and Tina Precup

John and Martha Pregler

Floyd Prospero and Nancy Krompotich

Tami Pullen

Robert and Jean Radin

Keith Radwanski and Erin Fanning

Lisha and Mark Ramsdell

Robert and Jean Ramseyer

Kurt Ranka

Recreation Fishing Club

Diane and Robert Reeve

Mark Rice

Jack and Phyllis Richards

Theresa Richter

Terri Riopelle

Robertson Family Charitable Gift Fund at Band of America Charitable Gift Fund

Linda Rogers and Vince Lumetta

Roscommon Auto Recyclers, Inc.

Richard Rose

Keith Ross

Katherine Roth

Dr. and Mrs. Nathaniel H. Rowe

Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network

Mary Sanders

Robert and Norma Sanders

Linda and David Sandvik

Neil and Joan Satovsky

Tony and Jill Scarzo

The Gregory Seaman and Heather McNamara

Charitable Fund at Schwab Charitable

Robert and Marcia Seaman

Marcia and Robert Selley

Bill and Denise Semion

Pete and Kimberly Sermo

V. Carl Shaner

Elizabeth, Allan & Warren Shelden Fund

Jacob and Darby Shinners

James Shinners

Louise and Ronald Shoksnyder

Peter Simpson

Edward Skarbek

Pamela and Stephen Skillman

Jerry Smith and Linda Arlt-Smith

Robb and Christine Smith

Stewart and Carol Smith

Harold Sorenson

Ronald H. and Kristin A. Sorgenfrei

Michael and Suzanne Sorrentino

Renee Soultanian

Joey Spano

Robert and Jane Sparks

Bob and Jane Spence

Donette Spiekerman

Barbara Spuhler

Walter Stansbury

Judy and William Stark

Bill and Charity Steere

Sindy Steffner

John Stewart

Daniel and Jeanne Stock

Philip and Janet Straley

Straley Lamp & Kraenzlein PC

Bob and Debi Stuber

Melinda Study

Sundew Environmental, LLC

Sunrise Side Master Gardener Association, Inc.

Fred and Carole Swinehart

Colleen and Norman Tabaka

Andrew C. Tarkington DDS

Robert and Mary Louise Tarkowski

Martin Tatuch

Chuck and Karen Tetzlaff

Stephen and Jamie Tews

Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN)

Michael Thome

Thunder Bay Audubon Society

Thunder Bay River Center

Tom Trevillian

Jay and Bev Trucks

Molly Tschirhart

Helen Tull

Michael Turisk

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

U.S. Forest Service

Kyle Valade

Julie Vanderhoff

Eric VanPoucker and Ronald J. Smith

Verizon Foundation

Michelle Vincent

Peter and Carol Walters

Phillip R. and Nancy A. Walters

Walters Family Foundation

James R Weeks Jr

Michael Wells

Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Wenn

The Wible Family Fund at Fidelity Charitable

Kenneth Wierzbicki

Roderic and Ruth Wiley

Peter and Lynn Wilson

Mary Ann, Edward and Kevin Wojahn

Richard Wolff

Stanley and Linda Yolkiewicz

Jennie and Mike Zoll

In Honor Of

Gifts made in honor of the names in bold

Andy Agren

From The Lewis Family Charitable Fund at the National Christian Foundation Eastern Michigan as recommended by Michael and Kathryn Lewis

Eric Bankhead

From Shannon Bankhead

Ciara and Skyler

From Sandra Schmidt

Dottie

From Chris and Chelsea Engle

The Erickson Family of Alabaster

From Gary and Ruth Barnes

Chip and Betsy Erwin and Family

From the Richard E. and Dixie L. Erwin Family Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation

In Memory Of

Gifts made in honor of the names in bold

Dolores T. Bator

From Carl and Sue Simcox

Dolores & Chester Bator

From Gregory and Cecilia Bator

Dr. Ronald J. Beatty and Paul V. Beatty

From Valerie Beatty

Bing and Bonnie Benghauser

From Karl Benghauser

Larry Bilby

From Ralph and Nancy Rucinski

Christopher S. Bollin

From Peg Cowdin

From Doug and Karen Kunka

From Robert Kuznia

From Cynthia Novak

Jack & Jean Clements

From Fred and Diane Alati

William & Violet Clements

From Fred and Diane Alati

Aaron Eliot Cohen

From Dr. Lynn S. Cohen and Stephen B. Cohen

Kyle John Cummins

From Michael Thome

Herbert Deckett

From William Deckett

David Dickinson

From Anonymous

Martin Dolley

From Gail and Randy VanVels

Steven B. Duby

From Laura Duby

G. Sandy Duffy of Tawas Beach Club

From Barb and Charlie Lawrence

George “Sandy” Duffy

From Mary and Daniel Kelly

From Christina Smith

From Peter and Chiara Barbier

From Martha and Kurt Neumann

Bea Engle

From Chris and Chelsea Engle

Dr. David A. Feighan

From Mrs. Pat Feighan

Carlos Fetterolf

From Mark Delaney

Roger Frye

From John and Wendy Frye

Kathy Erwin, Dirk VanKoughnett and Family

From the Richard E. and Dixie L. Erwin Family Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation

Amber Hubbard

From Janet and Jerry Stange

Rachel Leggett

From Ruth Peek

My grandchildren

From Patricia and Mark Watkins

Bob Thompson

From Red Hat

From Kate Thompson

Keith & Pennie Vogelheim

From Emily and Brian Vogelheim

Lake Huron Coastal Preserve

Donors to the Lake Huron Coastal Preserve project in 2021

Jeffrey A. and Christine P. Baker donor advised fund at Schwab Charitable

Jill Cooper

Carol and James Garlo

James Pestka

In Honor of Nikander/Nicander Family

From Arthur Nicander

Tina Foster

From Scott Foster

Violet & Lynne Gonzales

From Harold Sorenson

James and Goan Graw

From Dave and Donna Tinsley

From GM Giving

Celeste Jensen

From Jerry Jensen

Nels Johnson

From Diane and Glen Matthews

Maha and Suhail Khuri

From Ramzi Khuri

Norbert & Caroline Koschmann

From Donald and Gail Block

Vic and Alice Maddox

From Thoralf and Victoria Hoelzer-Maddox

Sue Maxwell

From Cathy’s Hallmark

Donald McMannis

From Tim McMannis

Mary & Rick Moreau

From Richard Moreau

Charles and Elizabeth Moshier

From Jon and Elizabeth Moshier

Jerry Myers

From Glen and Gwen Catt

William Myers From Sharon Myers

Edward Zachary Ryder

From Richard and Penelope Crawford

Connie Schrieber

From Ann Agens

From Donna Andrew

From Eric Bankhead

From Mark Bankhead

From Shannon Bankhead

From Gary and Marcia Boyd

From Sally Brand

From Ugis and JoAnn Bruveris

From John and Jane Dallas

From William and Patricia Duncanson

From Glen and Martha Eberly

From Sandra Gibson

From Egelhofer, Richard and Kathleen Gies

From Terry and Ruth Ann Hoiles

From Mike and Sue Inman

From Brad Jensen and Rebecca Benson

From Steve and Sue Jessup

From Shirley Johnson

From Darby Kuenzel

From Jerry and Susan La Vanture

From Heather and Dave Lovell

From Mary Anne Marx

From Susan McCloskey

From Greg and Diana McComas

From Thomas and Marcella McKinney

From Jerry and Janet Petersen

From Lisha and Mark Ramsdell

From Ric and Dena Rentfro

From Ann and Steven Rhodes

From George and Jeanette Roe

From Jerry and Fran Rucker

From Tony and Jill Scarzo

From George Shaw and Bonnie Marsh

From Jackie Sheridan

From Sue and Jim Shiflett

From David Smith and Marie Harrington

From David Smith

From Craig and Pat Squire

From Vern Steffel Jr. and Cynthia Steffel

From Cynthia Vaccarelli

From Emily Vogelgesang

From W.K. Kellogg Foundation

From Larry and Marjorie Warner

From Clare Wick

Michael Sefton

From Dave and Lynn VanderLinde

JoAnn Smith

From Roger and Mary Fechner

Richard & Lucille Swinehart

From Swinehart LLC

Bud Slingerland

From Paul and Carol Rose

Dick Walle

From Judy Walle

Marian K Ward

From Carolyn Jean Braden

Dr. Stephen Edward Werner

From T. Eduardo and Maria Garcia

Everett “Bud” Woods

From Patricia Woods

In Memoriam: Roger Frye & Connie Schreiber

Roger Frye

Long time board member Roger Frye passed away July 27th.

As our Vice Chair for 18 years, Roger helped the organization transition from its more quasi-governmental roots to a not-for-profit organization in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Roger’s background, experience and varied interests were critical to the growth of Huron Pines during that transformative time. When he wasn’t off on a hunting or fishing trip, he was telling stories about his adventures. A true outdoorsman, Roger served his community on many boards, including 20 years as a Montmorency County Commissioner. Roger’s background, experience and varied interests were critical to the growth of Huron Pines during that transformative time.

Roger owned a business in the forest products industry. His professional experience provided Huron Pines with a unique perspective on balancing conservation with the utilization of natural resources. He understood and helped guide our work to support a strong natural resource economy while maintaining healthy resources.

Roger’s son John and daughter-in-law Wendy would eventually go on to become our first nature preserve donors, establishing the Hubbard Lake Nature Preserve in 2018, where the entire Frye family made many fond memories.

“As our Vice Chair for 18 years, Roger helped the organization transition from its more quasi-governmental roots to a not-for-profit corporation in the ‘90s and early 2000s.”

Roger enjoying the day with his son, John Frye.

Roger enjoys a day on the water. Fishing was one of his greatest passions.

Connie Schrieber

We lost a dear friend, dedicated volunteer and longtime champion of Huron Pines with the March 3rd passing of former board chair Connie Schrieber.

Connie stepped down from our Board of Directors in 2019 after almost 14 years of service, including six as chair. Our organization experienced significant growth in its programs during her time with us, due largely to her encouragement to tackle Northern Michigan’s environmental challenges with new and innovative approaches.

A line in Connie’s obituary encapsulated her character and charm.

“Some words to describe Connie are ‘determined, vibrant, quick witted, dynamic and very entertaining,’” read the tribute. “If you met her, you liked her. If you knew her, you loved her.”

She was a familiar face at Huron Pines’ public events, and immersed herself in field work by volunteering to hand-swipe phragmites during invasive plant treatments or donning waders and dipping a net to survey streams for aquatic insects. Just as important, Connie spoke proudly of our organization in communicating our mission to conserve and enhance Northern Michigan’s natural resources for healthy water, protected places and vibrant communities.

In honor of Connie’s entrepreneurial spirit, the board established the Connie Schrieber Fund for Environmental Innovation in 2019 to support development of new initiatives to address Northern Michigan’s emerging environmental needs. The fund will foster continued innovation, in Connie’s name, that will enhance and protect Northern Michigan’s woods, waters and communities.

“Some words to describe Connie are ‘determined, vibrant, quick witted, dynamic and very entertaining.’

If you met her, you liked her.

If you knew her, you loved her.”

A regular volunteer at our stewardship events, Connie hand-swipes herbicide onto invasive phragmites in 2010 in Iosco County.

Connie plants jack pine seedlings for Kirtland’s warbler habitat in 2016.

Connie chats with partners at the 2012 ribbon cutting of a timber bridge over the Sturgeon River at Poquette Road.