Stewardship in the 906

Hello! My name is Noah and I was the Seasonal Stewardship Assistant this fall for the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy. It was my job to conduct the annual site visits for properties that UPLC protects, in order to monitor the environmental condition and quality of each parcel. This was an introduction to a side of land conservation I had scarcely considered; how is a patch of trees designated a forest preserve? How does an old hunting camp become a conservation easement to provide wildlife habitat in perpetuity? From Trout Lake to Trenary, Amasa to Au Train, and Deer Park to the Dead River, UPLC protects land in all but 4 counties in the Upper Peninsula, so I got to see quite a few of UPLC’s forest preserves, reserves and private conservation easements. 

I have spent most of my life living in the 906 and sometimes it can feel like I’ve been to all the spots; I’ve hiked every scenic trail, chased every waterfall, and paddled all the worthy lakes and rivers. This job has shown me how wrong I was! There are so many more natural spaces to enjoy throughout the U.P. that weren’t on my radar before working for UPLC. It has been a privilege to spend so much time exploring new places in the U.P. during the most colorful time of the year.

We all know how fleeting autumn can feel when winter is on the horizon; this was heightened by the fact that I was trying to squeeze in as many site visits as I could before the snow started flying. I was lucky enough to join Em Staat, UPLC Lands Program Assistant, for a couple overnight camping trips in October that took us to the far reaches of the U.P. It was a treat to spend time stargazing around the fire in remote parts of the Ottawa National Forest, regardless of having ice on our tents in the morning! 

I loved reading monitoring reports from years past, then getting out on the land and parsing out changes on these ever evolving landscapes. It was exciting to see massive trees in the Huron Mountains, remarkable wetland plant species in the bogs of Republic and Michigamme, and all sorts of wildlife across the Upper Peninsula. All of these experiences serve to strengthen my sense of place and lend to an increased desire to be a good steward of these priceless places. Having the opportunity to play a part in conserving the landscapes that make the U.P. unique has been such a joy the past couple months. I am grateful to UPLC for the opportunity to be part of the mission: “Protecting land today for life tomorrow”. It is safe to say that I have a few new favorite hiking spots and I’m happy to share them all with you!