Nature Activity Books for Kids

graphic from Leave No Trace

from Leave No Trace

America’s 250th anniversary is a chance to look back at what we’ve built together — and commit to protecting it for the next 250 years. Leave No Trace has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to launch a national campaign focused on caring for public lands, from local parks to national forests and open spaces across the country.

We’ve created free resources for young people, families, educators, and outdoor enthusiasts to celebrate, learn, and take action. Watch the campaign video, then explore and download youth activity booklets, posters, and social assets to share the message in your community.

There are two different workbooks that can be downloaded, free, at the link below.

See Leave No Trace


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Grand Rapids Students Take to the River

Grand Rapids student canoeists (still from a video by Spectrum News)

from Spectum News

For the eighth year, Grand Rapids (Michigan) Public Schools has been giving students a chance to experience paddling on the Grand River. More than 900 young people have canoed this week, most for the first time in their lives.

The kids also rotate through manning land stations where they may monitor invasive plants, study native plants, test water quality and learn invertebrate counting, or even try boat building.

The land stations are operated by community partners who volunteer their time. This year's partners include Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., John Ball Zoo, the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds, Camp Newaygo, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Environmental Health Bureau, and the City's sustainability and water departments.

Educators agree that this is a real opportunity for outdoor education. "Kids...can connect directly with the natural resources that surround our community and better understand their importance," stated School Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby. Teachers are enthusiastic and hope the program will continue


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Hantavirus Poses Greater Risk to Hikers than on Cruise Ships

deer mouse (photo from Maryland Biodiversity Project)

from Gear Junkie

While hantavirus is in the news of late because of severe illness on a cruise ship, it's really a greater risk to campers and hikers. The disease is caused almost exclusively from contact with the waste products, urine and feces, of rodents. Infection can come from particles entering wounds, or by breathing aerosols or dust.

Most cases in the US are transmitted by deer mice, but most rodents carry some strain of hantavirus. Although the death rate is high from the disease the CDC has tracked only about 30 cases per year for the past 30 years. Voles, shrews, bats, pigs, and cattle have all been noted to sometimes carry a hantavirus. In truth, the risk of contacting the virus is high, but simple cleanliness reduces the risk significantly.

94% of cases in the US have occurred west of the Mississippi.

Campers often use huts, shelters, outhouses, and register boxes where evidence of rodent occupation is obvious. There are simple things you can do to reduce your chances of contracting hantavirus:
• try to sleep elsewhere if you encounter mouse droppings or nests
• store your food in rodent-proof containers
• wear gloves and mask if cleaning areas where you find droppings or nests, and disinfect the areas.

See Hantavirus on Wikipedia


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Michilimackinac State Park Renovation Planned

park entrance (photo from the park website)

compiled from several sources

The 15-acre park between Colonial Michilimackinac and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse along the Lake Huron shoreline at the base of the Mackinac Bridge, Michilimackinac State Park, will be updated. This is Michigan's second-oldest state park, established in 1909.

The project is being described as a $3.5 million revamp. It will involve extensive updating, including landscaping, increased accessiblility, a pavilion for special events, a boardwalk along the Lake Huron shore for viewing the Mackinac Bridge, and a wedding venue pergola are planned. Irrigation will be installed. Interpretive panels will also be added.

The park is bounded on the west by Colonial Michilimackinc Fort, and the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse is on the eastern edge.

No timeline for the work has been established, but fundraising has begun

See Michilimackinac State Park


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National Trails Day to be Fee Free in National Forests

Fee Free National Trails Day (photo from USFS)

a news release of US Forest Service

The U.S. Forest Service announced an additional 2026 recreation fee-free day on Saturday, June 6, in celebration of National Trail sDay, providing no cost use of all standard amenity recreation sites on national forests and grasslands.

"For National Trails Day in 2025, Forest Service trail managers, partners, and volunteers hosted 80 events, including 54 stewardship projects, engaging with more than 3,100 volunteers who maintained 173 miles of trail,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “We hope those who love Forest Service trails will join us at the trailhead on June 6, whether it’s volunteering to build new trails, pick up trash near a trailhead, participating in a nature walk, or taking advantage of the fee-free day benefits.”

Find a local National Trails Day event and join the nationwide movement.

See National Trails Day Events at American Hiking Society


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Manistee River Trail Re-Opens

working to open the Manistee River Trail (photo by Jaylene Marsh, USFS)

a news release of Manistee National Forest

The Forest Service has completed its evaluation and installed a few reroutes to the Manistee River Trail to protect natural resources.

Hikers are reminded to exercise caution around bluff edges and are asked to use established trail reroutes to protect natural resources.

Staff from the Cadillac/Manistee Ranger district worked together over three weeks to get the trail open for the busy recreational season picking up now.

After a few weeks of work, they were able to assess trailtread, remove trees blocking trails and establish some reroutes and puncheon to protect natural resources along the route.

Feedback is welcome to the Huron-Manistee NFs inbox. Email us at sm.fs.hmnf@usda.gov. pictures, locations and a short narrative of what we are looking, and your thoughts.

Exercise extreme caution. Saturated soils have weakened the structural integrity of riverbanks while fast-flowing water undercut the bank's base, losing strength and creating the potential for collapse. High-velocity water and rapid water level drops created intense pressure, caused rapid erosion, sloughed off banks, creating landslides, formed "blowouts," new channels, and heavy sand deposits (drifts) in unexpected areas. Unpredictable conditions like these are unsafe and should be avoided at all costs.

Silt deposits in draining flood plains which can appear stable, can still be saturated soils not supporting weight, and subsequently can push water out, creating a vacuum that pulls you down and can entrap you.

See full report


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Become an Adventure Scientist to Save Trees

Butternuts (photo from University of Connecticut)

from Adventure Scientists

Help Protect Forest Health With Your outdoor adventures. Trees may be common, but healthy trees are becoming increasingly rare.

Healthy, diverse forests support wildlife, clean water, climate resilience, and provide a refuge for you to hike, bike, and explore. But forests across the United States are under increasing stress from disease and a changing climate, quietly reducing forest resilience.

Finding healthy, resistant trees now is critical for future forests and can only happen at scale with outdoor volunteers like you.

Join Adventure Scientists to help guide reforestation efforts and protect your forests for generations to come.

People from a select number of states can participate to help save trees, and Michigan is on the list for both American Beech, Fagus grandifolia, and Butternut, Juglans cinerea. Opportunities include helping to locate healthy trees, recording data on tree health, aid in sampling efforts and more.

See Adventure Scientists for more details


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Section of North Bank Trail Collapses

collapsed section of trail (photo source uncertain)

from M-Live

A section of the North Bank Trail near Spring Lake, Michigan, has collapsed. A land bridge between 148th Ave and 144th Ave has become impassable. This 350-foot section is closed until repairs can be made which is expected to take at least 60 days.

A sewer line located beneath the trail is damaged as well. The area will need to be pumped out, and the public should stay out of the area until the sewage can be removed and the line repaired.

No cause of the collapse was immediately apparent. Engineers have been called in to assess the problem and determine a solution.

The detour will follow the State Road path just north of the North Bank Trail.

See Fundraiser for North Bank Trail


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Indian Mounds Drive May be Vehicle Free

display of one of the potential plans for Indian Mounds Drive (photo from Fox 17)

from an articla at Fox 17

Kent County, Michigan, continues to plan for the future use of Indian Mounds Drive.

A community open house gave neighbors a chance to hear about the plans and to share their opinions.

Maps displayed several possible scenarios for future use. One of these is that the road might be closed to vehicular traffic

Nearly 2000 people responded to the survey in November, and that input was used to guide the county's plans.

"We've gotten great reaction every time that we've talked about it. The people that use it think that it can be improved. The people that don't want to use it want to see it improved so they can use it. It's definitely generated a lot of opinions and lots of excitement," said Ben Swayze, Director of Parks and Recreation for Kent County.

See Indian Mounds Drive Plans


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Northland Drive Pedestrian Tunnel Groundbreaking

concept of approach and Northland Dirve tunnel at upper right (graphic from Kent County Parks)

from Michigan Trails Magazine

A ceremony Saturday morning marked the start of construction on a new pedestrian tunnel under Northland Drive (Kent County, Michigan)— creating a safer, stronger connection to the emerging South Rogue River Trail and the growing Grand River Greenway.

“This groundbreaking represents more than the start of construction—it’s about connection,” said Kent County Parks Department Director Ben Swayze. “We are connecting communities, parks and people while removing a significant safety barrier along one of the busiest roads in northern Kent County. This project brings us one step closer to a seamless regional trail network that improves quality of life and expands access to the outdoors for residents of all ages and abilities.”.

Once complete, this effort will help link a 23-mile stretch from Millennium Park to Lowell, bringing us closer to the Grand River and to each other.

Thanks to our Kent County leadership and many community partners for bringing this vision—funded entirely through $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars awarded through a Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant to Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.—to life!

Construction will take place in phases, with completion anticipated in late fall 2026

See South Rogue River Trail


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DNR Adds Specialty Aircraft to Battle Wildfires

two water-scooping aircraft (photo by Michigan DNR)

a news release of Michigan DNR

These Fire Boss planes – Air Tractor AT-802 models modified to scoop water for wildland firefighting – are flying for the DNR during the spring fire season.

Two Fire Boss aircraft, each capable of scooping up to 800 gallons of water from a lake in just 15 seconds, have been added to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources firefighting fleet this season.

The planes, leased from late April through early June – historically the worst part of Michigan’s fire season – are housed at the Gaylord Regional Airport. This central location is ideal to respond to wildfire anywhere in the state and especially for the areas hit hard by the ice storm of 2025. The planes were used earlier this week to assist with a fire on federal land near Mio.

Fire danger is elevated across the state this weekend, so make sure to check Michigan.gov/BurnPermit or, in southern Michigan, contact your local municipality to make sure it is safe to burn.

“The branches and trees downed from the ice storm can impede us getting into the woods with equipment,” said Kevin Jacobs, DNR aviation manager. “The added debris on the ground will add fuel to the fire, which could cause wildfires to spread faster and burn with more intensity.”

He said the Fire Boss aircraft don’t replace crews on the ground but can offer an important head start once a fire is discovered.

“They can get to a fire scene fast,” Jacobs said. “Having two of these planes working in tandem can make a difference in our ability to contain fires and protect people, property and natural resources.”

The planes are Air Tractor AT-802 models, designed for agricultural use and modified to include floats for landing on water. They need approximately a mile of open water to perform their water-scooping sequence.

The cost of the planes is paid for by a one-time allocation from the Michigan Legislature to mitigate the effects of the March 2025 ice storm.

See the entire article


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Nakwema Trailway Progress

Nakwema Trailway map (graphic from Top of Michigan Trails Council)

from Top of Michigan Trails Council

Last week, the Village of Elk Rapids received exciting news from the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). Phase 1 of the Nakwema Trailway Elk Rapids to Maple Bay segment secured a conditional funding commitment of $2 million. This development provides critical momentum for this generational project. We are grateful to the Village for its leadership and to the community for its support. Huge shout-out to our Elk Rapids Trail Team for their hard work!

Engineers from Spicer Group, Inc. are conducting an on-the-ground survey of the Torch Lake Township corridor. When you see an orange vest, give 'em a wave. Their surveying efforts started just before the major March snowstorm, and they can now complete evaluations in slightly less snowy conditions.

The Nakwema (nah-KWAY-mah) Trailway is a generational investment in the region, our identity, our people, and our future. Nakwema — meaning "where paths connect" in Ojibwe — will provide critical non-motorized transportation and recreation infrastructure joining Charlevoix and Traverse City, in between, and beyond. Top of Michigan Trails Council is partnering with TART Trails on this project.

See Nakwema Trailway Project


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