Happy New Year, Michigan Audubon members, chapters, and friends!

In this winter 2022 issue of the Jack Pine Warbler, we share with you a number of updates related to birds in Michigan. We feature a story about the new specialty license plate available to Michigan drivers beginning in January. This specialty license plate features the recently delisted Kirtland’s Warbler, a famous species in our state with a rich history and story to tell. This plate can be purchased through the Michigan Secretary of State for $35, with $25 of that fee going to the Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund. Because this is the only fund our state’s DNR has designated for nongame wildlife, it makes a difference for our state’s birds and ecosystems. 

Speaking of the rich ecology of Michigan, another feature in this issue spotlights a campaign to designate part of the Upper Peninsula as a wilderness area. This ambitious, impressive work to establish a wilderness area in the U.P. is certainly worth learning about, sharing, and supporting.

In Michigan Audubon event news, we regret that we won’t be logistically able to hold our Spring Fling event at WPBO this year. Typically, this celebration of spring migration at the Point would take place the last weekend in April. We encourage our chapters to arrange carpools and trips to Whitefish Point Bird Observatory during the field season and to reach out to us for tips on how to plan a small group visit to the Point. 

There is much happening at Whitefish Point, which as a property is owned jointly by Michigan Audubon, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Seney National Wildlife Refuge). One change visitors in spring and summer 2022 will notice is that the parking lot is being redone by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. We encourage you to check their website before you visit, particularly if you’re planning a birding adventure! 

While our Owl’s Roost Gift Shop remains closed as a retail space, we continue to offer WPBO and Michigan Audubon merchandise through our online store. That is open 24/7, of course, and the space at the Owl’s Roost will continue serving our owl banding program and will occasionally be open to the public for outreach, education, and providing information to visitors, particularly in the summer months. 

The Community Spotlight in this issue features Alana Chriest, our resident manager at Capital City Bird Sanctuary (CCBS) in Lansing. Alana has brought great insight, energy, and community-based strategies to her work at CCBS. This 63-acre sanctuary is a great spot for birding and is open to the public from dawn to dusk. We look forward to continuing to spotlight the people and places that make a difference for birds in Michigan. 

Sincerely,

Heather Good
Executive Director

This article appeared in the 2022 Winter Jack Pine Warbler.

Featured photo: Snow Bunting by John Fortener