BioBlitz!
Explore the natural world around you at your local nature center, park, or even your backyard using iNaturalist.
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Ann Arbor Parks
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Explore the variety of nature in Ann Arbor at select parks.
Bird Hills Nature Area
1850 Newport Rd, Ann Arbor MI 48103
The unpaved trails wind through hills and ravines covered with beech, sugar maple, flowering dogwood, oaks, hickory, and various spring wildflowers.
Black Pond Woods Nature Area
1905 Traver Rd, Ann Arbor MI 48105
The park features trails winding through the woods of oak, hickory, maple, and dogwood. The titular Black Pond is a vernal, or seasonal, pond that supports a variety of wildlife.
Furstenberg Nature Area
2626 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor MI 48105
Most of the park’s border lies along the Huron River. The park contains wetlands, woodlands, prairie, and oak savanna.
Mary Beth Doyle Park
3500 Birch Hollow Drive, Ann Arbor MI 48108
More than half of the park is a wooded natural area that has trails meandering throughout Mallets Creek.
Oakwoods Nature Area
3100 Barclay Way, Ann Arbor MI 48105
The environment is dominated by mature oak and hickory trees. Several small ponds surrounded by wetlands make it a great spot for bird watching or listening for frog calls in the spring.
Argo Park & Nature Area
750 Longshore Drive, Ann Arbor MI 48105
The unpaved trail runs the length of the park along the river and travels through two types of woods -- in the southern half you’ll find more basswood and willow, in the northern half you’ll see black oak and shagbark hickory plus more spring wildflowers.
Scarlett Mitchell Nature Area
3801 Platt Rd, Ann Arbor MI 481038
Scarlett Mitchell Nature Area contains a diverse wetland and a wooded area. The wetlands are great areas to look for birds, facilitated by many bird boxes throughout the park. The wetlands also support a sizable population of reptiles and amphibians.
Marshall Nature Area
3355 N. Dixboro Rd, Ann Arbor MI 48105
Most of Marshall Nature Area is wooded with some open fields. Much of the forested area is open with mixed hardwoods such as oak, hickory, maple, and beech.
Dolph Nature Area
465 S Wagner Rd, Ann Arbor MI 48103
One of Ann Arbor's most beautiful parks, its ecosystem includes open water, wetland, and marsh habitat, as well as forest and shrubland. The park is home to First and Second Sister Lakes, the only naturally formed kettle lakes in Ann Arbor. The floating vegetation mat on First Sister Lake comprises the only bog in Ann Arbor's parks system.
Barton Nature Area
1010 W. Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor 48103
Barton is a matrix of old fields, dry prairie, wet meadows and shrubland, mesic forests, and emergent marsh.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-ann-arbor-s-parks
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Ann Arbor Parks
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Belle Isle Nature Center
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
The Belle Isle Nature Center is located in the beautiful Belle Isle Park and encompasses approximately 4 acres of undisturbed forested wetland.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-bioblitz-at-belle-isle
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Belle Isle Nature Center
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Blandford Nature Center
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Blandford Nature Center is a 264-acre nature preserve with over 8 miles of marked hiking trails and a 0.9 mile paved accessible trail. Blandford is home to many ecosystems including woodlands, prairies, meadows, wetlands, farmlands, and more.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-blandford-nature-center
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Blandford Nature Center
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center is a 400-acre wetland, prairie site with several miles of walking trails through emergent wetland, shrub wetland, wet prairie, forested wetland, and open water.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-corey-marsh-ecological-research-center
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Crosswinds Marsh
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Crosswinds Marsh is a 1,050-acre mitigated wetland with 7 miles of trails consisting of boardwalks and gravel substrate, as well as a 4.5-mile horse trail. Crosswinds Marsh is part of the Oak Openings Region, with ecosystems including forested wetlands, emergent wetlands, wet meadows, and deep-water habitats. More than 240 bird species, including bald eagles, common loons, and wood ducks, have been observed. Sightings of deer, muskrats, painted turtles, bald eagles, and a large variety of songbirds and pollinators are common at Crosswinds Marsh.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-crosswinds-marsh
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Crosswinds Marsh
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve hosts 16 acres and includes part of Paint Creek, floodplain forest, and just under a mile of marked trails that connect to Paint Creek Trail.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-dinosaur-hill-nature-preserve
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Fenner Nature Center
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Fenner Nature Centers encompasses 134 acres of publicly accessible green space including over four miles of trails, rolling glacial eskers, towering maple groves, and so much more.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-fenner-nature-center
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Fenner Nature Center
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Within the 525 acres of the Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve, which adjoins Garfield Township’s Boardman Valley Nature Preserve to the north, are a marsh, swamp, level terrain, upland forest, pine forest, creek, and a river. The cover types of the area provide excellent habitat for beaver, otter, mink, fox, deer, and many other animals and birds. The Boardman River, the central feature of the Reserve, runs through the property. Easy to moderate trails can also be found at this location.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-grand-traverse-natural-education-reserve
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Harris Nature Center
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Harris Nature Center (HNC) is 206 acres of wetland, river, deciduous, and coniferous forests along marked trails. HNC falls within Meridian Riverfront Park which includes Eastgate Park, Harris Nature Center, and Legg Park, all connected through a 5-mile trail system.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-harris-nature-center
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Harris Nature Center
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Indian Springs Metropark
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Indian Springs Metropark is a 2,500-acre park located in White Lake, Michigan. The park features a 60-acre restored prairie with an established nature trail, countless wetland habitats, and approximately 3.5 miles of wooded hiking trails. Habitats that are found within the park include, but are not limited to, marsh, fen, vernal pond, man-made kettle pool, lake, the Huron River, the Huron Swamp, forest, and prairie. The park also features the Environmental Discovery Center, a large building devoted to environmental discovery and education for all ages.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-indian-springs-metropark
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Indian Springs Metropark
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Michigan & Beyond
Ongoing throughout April.
Visit https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Not near any of our other featured locations but want to participate in the BioBlitz? Never fear, if there is nature nearby, you can participate. We want to see what you can discover in your backyard, neighborhood, local park, or where ever you are. Be sure to join our iNaturalist project so we can see your observations.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Michigan & Beyond
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Michigan Audubon Capital City Bird Sanctuary
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Located on the banks of the Grand River in Delta Township near Lansing, this 63-acre property is an oasis of habitat in an expanding suburban area that attracts spring and fall migrating warblers. Walking paths lead through grasslands, shrub habitats, and along the Grand River. The sanctuary is adjacent to Hawk Meadow, a Delta Township park, whose land was also donated by Michigan Audubon benefactor, Carl Haussman.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-capital-city-bird-sanctuary
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Michigan Audubon Capital City Bird Sanctuary
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Michigan Nature Association
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Explore the diversity of nature at various Michigan Nature Association sanctuaries.
Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary
31748-32498, Frost St, Dowagiac, MI 49047
A mixed matrix of floodplain, southern-mesic forest, and hardwood swamp allows for nearly 50 species of nesting birds and several reptiles, such as the black rat snake. Along with nesting birds like the barred owl and yellow-throated warbler, neo-tropical migrants use the river and forest habitat.
Timberland Swamp Nature Sanctuary
5950-5960 Ware Rd, Springfield Township, MI 48350
Visitors can get a firsthand look at the hardwood swamp and second-growth hardwood forest on the two-mile loop trail. The path is often swampy and wet, so it’s recommended to bring proper footwear and stay on the trail.
Lefglen Nature Sanctuary
5343 Wolf Lake Rd, Grass Lake, MI 49240
Lefglen has a variety of plant communities, including wooded uplands, oak barrens, cattail marsh, and prairie fen. 690 native plant species from 116 plant families have been found here. More than 50 species of birds nest here, and Lefglen’s beautiful Lake Nirvana is completely surrounded by wetlands where sandhill cranes have been known to nest.
Franklin F. and Brenda L. Holly Nature Sanctuary
4384 W Dewey Rd, Ludington, MI 49431
There is a shrub-dominated wetland in the southwestern corner which is predominantly composed of buttonbush and alder. There is a hardwood swamp around the fringes of the wetland and the uplands are primarily composed of northern mesic and dry-mesic forest with a few small sandy ridges reminiscent of pine barrens.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-michigan-nature-association
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Michigan Nature Association
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BioBlitz Featured Location: MSU Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
The Sanctuary offers 180 acres of diverse wildlife habitats situated around 40-acre Wintergreen Lake with 3 miles of trails. Wintergreen Lake hosts the largest number of trumpeter swans in Michigan and is a refuge for migrating waterfowl and songbirds.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-kellogg-bird-sanctuary
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: MSU Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Nan Weston Nature Preserve at Sharon Hollow
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Nan Weston Nature Preserve at Sharon Hollow is a dynamic area, featuring more than 260 species of wildflowers and other native plants. This preserve lies in the Upper River Raisin Watershed, an area highly altered by agriculture, logging, and development. As you hike the trails through floodplain forest and wooded wetlands, look for a vast array of wildflowers and other native plants. Beginning in mid-spring, woodland plants come to life, including bright blue hepatica, Dutchman’s breeches, spring beauty, southern blue flag iris, squirrel corn, starflower, bloodroot, and large-flowered trillium. There are 2.9 miles of marked trails throughout the preserve.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-nan-weston-preserve-at-sharon-hollow
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Nan Weston Nature Preserve at Sharon Hollow
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Potter Park Zoo Lansing River Trail
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Explore nature right outside Potter Park Zoo along the Lansing River Trail.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-potter-park-zoo-lansing-river-trail
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Potter Park Zoo Lansing River Trail
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Riverview Natural Area
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Riverview Natural Area is a 419-acre property that includes 4 miles of marked trails and boardwalks. There are many different ecosystem types present: 1 ¾ miles of river frontage along the Tittabawassee River, upland and lowland forest, emergent wetlands, and agricultural fields. Vernal pools are present in this area as well. There also have been 3 state-listed species found at this site (Forked aster, American gromwell, and beak grass) and blue-spotted salamanders among other organisms!
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-riverview-natural-area
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Riverview Natural Area
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Rogue River State Game Area
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
The Rogue River State Game Area (RRSGA) consists of over 6,200 acres and is managed to provide habitat and recreation opportunities for wild turkey, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbit, pileated woodpecker, and other wildlife species. The RRSGA is in Northern Kent County and consists of smooth, outwash plains with gently rolling, mostly forested land. The second-growth upland forests include oak, aspen, and natural pine stands and the lowland forests along the Rogue River, Spring Creek, and Duke Creek floodplains are dominated by maple, ash, and tamarack. The landscape is complete with agricultural fields, planted pine stands, and small forest openings. There are no access fees and the area is open to anyone to enjoy a variety of wildlife-related recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, bird watching, etc. In addition to a stretch of the North Country Trail which runs through a portion of the Area, there are several access points throughout the area, and work road/two-tracks double as walkable trails.
Note: this area is popular for turkey hunters and spring turkey season begins on April 22nd. Visitors are encouraged to wear a blaze orange hat or other brightly colored clothing when in areas used by hunters to increase their visibility.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-rogue-river-sga
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Rogue River State Game Area
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Rose Lake State Game Area
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
The Rose Lake State Wildlife Area is over 4,000 acres of public land just outside the City of East Lansing. There are no access fees and the area is open to anyone to enjoy a variety of wildlife-related recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, bird watching, etc. With habitat types ranging from wetlands to grasslands to forests, this area supports a variety of plant and wildlife species. There are several access points throughout the area and work road/two-tracks double as walkable trails.
Note: this area is popular for turkey hunters and spring turkey season begins on April 22nd. Visitors are encouraged to wear a blaze orange hat or other brightly colored clothing when in areas used by hunters to increase their visibility. Be aware that the Rose Lake SGA shooting range at 14500 Peacock Road is open from 9-5 Thursday through Monday. This is a staffed range and safety precautions are in place to prevent shots from accidentally leaving the range though it may be possible to hear shots while on nearby trails.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-rose-lake-sga
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Rose Lake State Game Area
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Seney National Wildlife Refuge
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is 150 square miles near the eastern central Upper Peninsula and at the Whitefish Point Unit. There are several miles of marked trails as well as roads to hike and bike. Ecosystems include mixed pine, red pine, white pine, hemlock, hardwood forests, grassland, open pools, wetlands, scrub/shrub, and rocky beach habitats.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-seney-national-wildlife-refuge
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Seney National Wildlife Refuge
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BioBlitz Featured Location: Woldumar Nature Center
Ongoing throughout April.
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, Over 21 years only
Woldumar Nature Center is roughly 180 acres of property with 5 miles of marked trails. Home to a restored prairie, a red pine forest, a woodland pond, and over a mile of Grand River shoreline.
iNaturalist Project
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/msu-scifest-2023-bioblitz-at-woldumar-nature-center
Learn more about BioBlitz Featured Location: Woldumar Nature Center