Writing Tomorrow’s Story for Michigan’s Wild Places
Impact in Action
Dear Huron Pines Community,
When I think about everything we accomplished together in 2025, I’m filled with gratitude — for you.
This spring, I asked for your help during a time of uncertainty. You responded with generosity and trust, enabling us to move forward with critical conservation work across Northeast Michigan. Your support didn’t just keep projects afloat — it allowed them to flourish.
Because of you, we protected fragile shorelines where piping plovers nest. Because of you, we restored stream corridors that provide clean water and habitat for native species. Because of you, we engaged hundreds of people in hands-on stewardship, inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders.
Every acre protected, every river restored, every young person connected to nature — it all traces back to supporters like you who believe in this work and invest in its future.
The photos in the pages ahead showcase some of our 2025 conservation work but they represent only a fraction of what we accomplished together this year. You are the reason these stories — and so many others — exist. Your commitment to Northern Michigan’s forests, rivers and wildlife makes all the difference.
Thank you for being such an essential part of our conservation community. We couldn’t do this work without you.
With deep gratitude,
Brad Jensen
Executive Director
COVER: In August, Tawas Lake Day brought 32 people onto the water as part of an ongoing collaborative effort to protect Michigan’s largest wild rice bed. Participants observed the lake’s 40+ native aquatic plant species and learned how partners including MSU Extension, Michigan EGLE, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, and Tawas Lake Association work together to defend this unique 1,600-acre ecosystem from invasive threats like Eurasian watermilfoil. Your contributions enable this partnership to continue monitoring and managing the invasive species that threaten these vital waters.
Expanding Protection for Lake Huron
From stormwater management in Goderich, Ontario to student-led native-plant gardens at Harrisville Harbor, communities are actively protecting Lake Huron’s water quality. Your support makes this work possible through the Lake Huron Forever initiative, which grew significantly this year by welcoming our first Canadian community and first school. These milestones represent more than pledges — they represent real action by a growing network of partners working together to safeguard the lake that sustains us all.
Training Tomorrow’s Conservation Leaders at North Point
North Point Nature Preserve became a classroom for future conservation leaders in September when it hosted Michigan State University Extension’s 2025 Conservation Stewards Program. Participants toured the preserve and learned about the unique geological, ecological and human history of the region from Huron Pines staff and our partners. Thanks to your contributions, hands-on learning experiences like these equip stewards with the knowledge and passion to protect natural resources.
Milestone Season for Endangered Piping Plovers
Huron Pines staff and volunteers helped achieve a record breeding season for Great Lakes piping plovers, monitoring nests along the Lake Huron shoreline and assisting with the release of seven captive-reared chicks at Tawas Point State Park. Despite challenges from storms and predators, the 2025 season marked a significant milestone for the endangered species’ recovery in the region, made possible by supporters like you.
Photo provided by Jason Shaw
Photo provided by Konnie Spenceley
North Point Nature Preserve: Where Conservation Meets Community
The annual Birding Big Sit at North Point Nature Preserve welcomed 40 participants who explored the 1,400-acre property’s diverse habitats to observe migratory bird species. The preserve’s prominent Lake Huron shoreline and dense woodlands provide critical stopover habitat for birds traveling through the Great Lakes Basin each spring. Nearly 70 different species were observed. By supporting events like this, you help raise awareness of the preserve’s role in protecting these vital habitats that sustain bird populations and the region’s biodiversity.
Reconnecting 118 Miles of the Thunder Bay River
Your support has helped us replace failing culverts with timber bridges at six road/stream crossings of the upper Thunder Bay River, and we’re wrapping up work on the seventh at Hossler Road in Montmorency County. Together, we’ve invested nearly $3 million in this watershed since 2020, reconnecting 118 miles of habitat for fish, improving opportunities for recreation and promoting a healthy future for Lake Huron.
15 Years of Partnership, A Lifetime of Impact
Your ongoing support enabled our team to continue a 15-year partnership with Song of the Morning Ranch in Vanderbilt, where volunteers joined us this summer to remove invasive species from a restored wildflower meadow. This biodiverse habitat — now thriving where a century-old dam once stood — supports wildlife and people alike at the edge of Pigeon River Country State Forest. From major restoration of the Pigeon River to seasonal stewardship of the flourishing meadow, your commitment protects and nurtures these irreplaceable natural spaces for generations to come.
Building a Network of Restoration Through Seed Collection
Volunteers in Mio learned to identify, collect and store native wildflower seeds through a training workshop that expands our landscape restoration efforts across the region. Your contributions make it possible to build this community capacity for restoration, multiplying the effectiveness and impact of our work.
Preserving Cornwall Flooding for Generations
A new water-intake structure and other improvements at Cornwall Creek Flooding will safeguard this cherished body of water at the heart of the Pigeon River Country State Forest. For 50 years, this flooding has provided families with a pristine wilderness destination to paddle, fish and make lifelong memories. These enhancements ensure this unique fishery and recreation experience remain intact for generations to come.
Conservation Work on Lake Huron’s Remote Islands
Your commitment to conservation enabled our team to explore Bois Blanc and Round Island, where we documented populations of federally threatened dwarf lake iris and other rare species you’re helping to protect. An urgent new threat was also identified: invasive bush honeysuckle is spreading across these remote Great Lakes islands, which harbor nearly 10% of Michigan’s rare species despite comprising only 1% of the state’s land area. This field data will now guide our protection of these irreplaceable ecosystems for years to come.
4241 Old US 27 South, Suite 2
Gaylord, MI 49735