Instead of reaching for a second s’more, take a break from your evening campfire this week and join our explorer guides for family-friendly, nighttime education programs at several state parks – from bats and owls to meteor showers and glowing rocks! 

In the Upper Peninsula, Marquette County’s Van Riper State Park will host a program about bats July 30. Michigan is home to nine different types of bats, and unfortunately, five of these are at risk of disappearing. This makes it a timely opportunity to learn about these creatures that are becoming increasingly rare.

Harrisville State Park, in Alcona County, will have ultraviolet flashlights available for guests to borrow July 30 and Aug. 3 to aid in searching the beach for yooperlites. Typically found in the U.P., these rocks glow under UV light due to their high sodalite content.

If you are curious about owls and aren't afraid to get your hands a little dirty, join the explorer guide at Houghton County’s McLain State Park July 31 to dissect owl pellets and learn about their hunting habits. You also can try to spot one of Michigan’s 11 owl species in the wild on a guided hike Aug. 2 at St. Clair County’s Lakeport State Park.

A double meteor shower featuring the Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids is expected to peak this week, offering a chance to see up to 25 meteors per hour. You can watch the showers at any of our dark sky parks, or join a watch party July 31 at Huron County’s Port Crescent State Park.

For more information and weekly nature program schedules, visit Michigan.gov/NaturePrograms. Questions about the DNR’s explorer guide program? Contact Shaun McKeon at 989-370-0789. 

Residents and out-of-state visitors legally can ride Michigan's 4,000 miles of off-road vehicle trails and routes and the state’s six scramble areas on two back-to-back days (Aug. 16-17) without an ORV license or trail permit. The entrance fee at Holly Oaks ORV Park in Oakland County also will be waived this year. Our Free ORV Weekend is a great time to see, experience and test out the state's off-road trails (check out all the places you can ride!), but remember that all other ORV rules and laws still apply, and you must supply your own ORV.

Saginaw Bay Waterfowl and Outdoor Festival

With family-focused amenities including food trucks, bounce houses and activities for kids, the 30th annual Saginaw Bay Waterfowl and Outdoor Festival – Aug. 2-3 at Bay City State Park – highlights the bay’s world-class migratory waterfowl destinations, the sport of waterfowl hunting and the benefits of wetland conservation.

Experience waterfowl hunting traditions such as dog retriever trials, duck species identification and duck- and goose-calling competitions, and the waterfowl and outdoor expo features more than 30 vendors, including a variety of conservation groups, waterfowl hunting artisans and outfitters. Kids can build their own wood duck boxes, give duck calling a try and learn about survival and outdoor skills, and everyone can enjoy carving and blacksmith demonstrations.

If you want to get started with, or get better at, hunting, fishing and foraging, the Outdoor Skills Academy's August opportunities are for you! Get expert, supportive, hands-on instruction and build your confidence with classes such as:

• Wild mushroom clinics Aug. 2 in Oden and Aug. 9 in Cadillac.
• Fishing 101, Aug. 23 in Bay City.
• A fly fishing clinic, Aug. 23-24 in Cadillac.
• Learn to Hunt Whitetails, about trail hunting, wildlife habitat management and staying safe while hunting, Aug. 23 in Cadillac.

Several state parks in southern Michigan will host stewardship workdays, where volunteers are needed to pull invasive plants, survey beaches, clean up the dunes and help high-quality ecosystems thrive.

Workdays will take place at:

• Saugatuck Dunes State Park (Allegan County), 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Aug. 3, and Sunday, Aug. 24.
• Waterloo Recreation Area (Washtenaw County), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3.
• Island Lake Recreation Area (Livingston County), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10.
• Yankee Springs Recreation Area (Barry County), 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 16.
• Muskegon State Park (Muskegon County), 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Aug. 17.
• Fort Custer Recreation Area (Kalamazoo County), 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 23.
• Pinckney Recreation Area (Washtenaw County), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24.
• Brighton Recreation Area (Livingston County), 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31.

Visit the DNR volunteer events calendar for more details about each workday and how to register. Hope to see you there!

Prescribed burns, timber harvests, tree planting and other activities are carefully mapped out to keep Michigan’s nearly 4 million acres of state forest thriving.

Plans for these activities are currently being made for 2027, but public input is welcome now. Find out what activities are planned and how to offer your input at Michigan.gov/ForestInput. You can submit online comments during designated 30-day periods or attend an open house or compartment review meeting, where plans are finalized.

See all scheduled comment periods, open houses and compartment review meetings for the 2025 season.

Due to the effects of the March 2025 ice storm in the northeastern Lower Peninsula, the public review periods for the Atlanta, Gaylord, Grayling and Pigeon River Country forest management units have been postponed. The schedule will be updated when the comment periods and open houses are rescheduled.