‘Conservation Stewards’ Lead Environmental Service Projects Across Michigan

Conservation Stewards Danielle Hosner, Kayla Drye, Kendra Lownsberry, Isabelle Bauer, Patty Watkins, Brenda Tennis, Cheryl McCormick and Heather Hincka (l-r) join Huron Pines’ Amanda Vanaman at a morning of planting a native-seed propagation site on Mio Prairie in October.

Huron Pines and Michigan State University Extension brought the Conservation Stewards Program to the Alpena area for the first time in 2025, introducing adults of all ages and backgrounds to the region’s unique natural communities and the environmental challenges they face.

Throughout the eight-week program, a cohort of 12 participants explored coastal dunes along Lake Huron, visited restored road crossings of the upper Thunder Bay River, toured forests and wetlands at three Huron Pines nature preserves and helped establish a native-seed propagation site vital to our ongoing restoration of Mio Prairie (pictured above). Each week examined a different ecosystem and introduced students to the people—including Huron Pines staff and those of our partner organizations—who are working to protect them through classroom instruction and on-the-ground experiences.

Samantha Nellis (center), Director of Conservation Science at Huron Pines, introduces participants to a coastal dune ecosystem during a tour of Besser Natural Area in Presque Isle County.

“Conservation Stewards become better connected to our organization and many others across the region while gaining a deeper understanding of our natural world,” said Maddie Khuri, Community Educator for Huron Pines. “The program attracts people statewide from all different backgrounds and motivations, some who work in conservation and some who are simply curious, even teachers who bring this information back to their classrooms. By doing so it helps grow the impact of the work we do.”

As part of the program, participants are leading their own Capstone Projects, personal endeavors to support conservation in communities across Michigan. Conservation Steward Patricia Watkins of Alcona County is using trail cameras to monitor wildlife populations at our Hubbard Lake Nature Preserve which is near her home.

Conservation Steward Dani Hosner holds a small wildflower plug while installing a native-seed propagation site on the Mio Prairie in October.

“My capstone project combines my love for the forest with the goal of passing on valuable information about wildlife diversity to future generations, and the preserve near my home made it a natural choice, ” Watkins said. “The unit on forestlands gave me a whole new perspective of the forest ecosystem and the wildlife that live within it, and the program overall was a truly eye-opening experience on conservation in Michigan, particularly in the northeastern Lower Peninsula.”

Meanwhile, Brenda Tennis of Presque Isle County will support an ongoing effort to remove invasive plants from a nature trail at Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan in Alpena, and Dani Hosner of Charlevoix County will assist with our annual Spring Salamander Survey at Emily Min Hunt Preserve. Some capstone projects happening in 2026 will have opportunities for the public to participate as volunteers.

“For Huron Pines’ first time hosting the Conservation Stewards program, we were honored to work with an exceptional group who were not only highly engaged and driven but also incredibly kind,” said Amanda Vanaman, Community Project Manager for Huron Pines. “I hope the community will come out and support some of their capstone projects we’ll include in the 2026 season of our work.”

The 2025 Conservation Stewards cohort at North Point Nature Preserve

Huron Pines and Michigan State University Extension have partnered to host the Conservation Stewards and Michigan Naturalist programs on alternating years, with the next Conservation Stewards program slated for 2027. Registration for the 2026 Michigan Naturalist program will open in March/April 2026 and the program runs monthly from approximately May through October. You can stay up to date on these opportunities by signing up for emails from MSU Extension or by subscribing to Huron Pines’ eNews here.

Conservation Stewards learn to identify macroinvertebrates—tiny larval insects which make up the base of the food chain in an aquatic ecosystem.

Participants explore the ruins of Bell, a former settlement which once stood at Besser Natural Area in Presque Isle County.

A view of Mio Prairie, an intact example of what was once Northern Michigan’s dominant ecosystem type.

Participants got a guided tour of a new exhibit at Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan showcasing the natural and human history of the region going back thousands of years.

Cheryl McCormick plants a native-seed propagation site on the Mio Prairie.

Participants learned how NOAA researchers use robotics to study water chemistry and centuries-old shipwrecks in Thunder Bay off the coast of Alpena.

A participant uses a remote control to steer a submersible camera in a test tank under the guidance of NOAA’s Daniel Moffatt.

A submersible camera snaps a group photo from inside NOAA’s test tank used for testing equipment to study water chemistry and shipwreck history.

Conservation Stewards visited the restored crossing of the Thunder Bay River at Hall Road where Huron Pines built a new timber bridge to reconnect aquatic habitat.