Outdoors

Beacon’s first “Why do we…”

Why do we include controversial quotes from politicians? This question comes from a comment on the Munising Beacon Facebook page regarding a quote from U.S. Congressman Jack Bergman about who was to blame for issues with the national debt ceiling.
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Increasing food production with a High Tunnel System at home

Along with melting snow and emerging spring flowers comes the renewed sense of hope for new beginnings and life. Our eyes are treated to an array greenery we haven’t seen in more than six months and the bounty of colorful flowers is sure to delight. If you’re like me, it’s impossible to not get excited for the coming growing and gardening season.
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Hiawatha Forest’s Thompson named MUCC Conservationist of the Year

US Forest Service Terrestrial Ecologist Paul Thompson (right) was recently awarded the Michigan United Conservation Clubs’ (MUCC) Forest & Park Conservationist of the Year award. Thompson was nominated by the Straits Area Sportsmen’s Club for his work across both the east and west units of Hiawatha National Forest.
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Commercial fishing season underway

The Max B of the VanLandschoot and Sons fleet prepares to leave dock, as the commercial fishing season in Alger County has begun. Putting down nets in late April has been one of the more consistent signs of the changing of the season in the area.
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Win shows success in a small town

The pieces were already in place last year for this magical run. Through injury and difficulty we were off to regionals in the storied Negaunee Lakeview Arena against a familiar foe, the North Central Jets. NC controlled the game throughout sending our boys home knowing what could have been. The feeling of familiarity losing in that fashion, to that team, led me to believe that the bar just may be too high for our little town. Counties close to major population areas would always be able to pull more talent together, and we would always just be the loveable underdog.
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Take steps after your forest management plan

Editor’s Note: This continues an ongoing series published through the Alger Conservation District. The first story is available in the Dec. 9, 2022 edition Happy New Year! If you’re following along from last month, we discussed the importance of Forest Management Plans (FMP’s). FMP’s are an inventory and analysis of what your forest looks like and what species are present. FMP’s can also help identify trees that may be infected by insect or disease and opportunities to improve wildlife habitat and also recommendations to work towards a healthier forest. An FMP is a guidance tool for landowners to follow to assist them in meeting their goals for their properties.
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Wolf population stable says DNR

Wildlife biologists from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources released their findings of the latest Michigan gray wolf survey on Tuesday, Jan. 18.
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Snowmobile accident in Shingleton

On January 13 at approximately 9:30 a.m., a 911 call was received at the Alger County Sheriff’s Office reporting a snowmobile accident on Trail #8 near Shingleton. The investigation concluded that Wendy Batterbee, a 44-year-old female from downstate Birch Run, was traveling east on Trail #8 and failed to negotiate a curve in the trail.
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Bundle up for bird counts across the state

While the weather outside may, as the song goes, be frightful, winter is one of the most exciting times to go birding across Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Many new visitors from the north arrive in the colder months, including snow buntings, horned larks and dark-eyed juncos. Snowy owls, great gray owls, northern hawk owls and boreal owls also make their way into the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula. Winter is the perfect season for waterfowl birding, too, as hundreds of thousands of ducks, geese and swans descend on the Great Lakes.
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