North Country CISMA @nccisma

Play it safe this winter and dispose of bait away from lakes, ponds, and streams. Dumping common bait fish - like sucker minnows - into the water after fishing may not seem harmful; however, many are not native to Michigan and can pose a threat to ecosystems in a few ways.

North Country CISMA is proud to welcome our new Invasive Species Technician, Emily Fredricks, to the team! Emily will be assisting local land owners and partners with invasive species identification help and best management practices, as well as heading our Strike Team for Hire.

For all of the folks with Christmas décor already up: the threat of invasive species does not end in cold weather months. After use, dispose of wreaths with Barberry, round leaf bittersweet, common teasel, or autumn olive, in a trash bag to eliminate the risk of spread.

There’s never a last ride; so join North Country CISMA at registration for the 2nd Annual ORV Offroad Poker Run & Bonfire at Amvets Post 1988, in Baldwin, for one more this year. Follow us on Facebook for more ORV events to come in 2025 and remember to #RideCleanRepeat!

New Michigan quarantines will further affect the transport and use of firewood. The latest quarantine from MDARD prohibits the interior movement of all fir species in portions of Missaukee, Osceola, and Clare counties in an effort to halt the spread of balsam wooly adelgid.

Flowering rush is a restricted aquatic invasive species that has the potential to out compete native plants and threaten habitat for native animals. Make sure to Clean, Drain, Dry all boats and aquatic gear and report sightings to MISIN at misin.msu.edu

Come by the Big Lake Boat Launch in Osceola County on Sunday July 28 for the Big Lake Landing Blitz! We'll have swag, coloring books for the kids, and NCCISMA and the Big Lake Association will be there talking to boaters about how to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species!

NCCISMA welcomes back our field crew this week! We’re excited to announce the return of: Jon Bednaric, who has been with us since 2019, and Ryan Caro who has been with us since 2021. The guys are jumping right on wild parsnip sites. Feel free to give them a wave if you see them!

For more information on how to control Spongy Moth, formerly known as gypsy moth, on your own and protect your high value trees - visit NCCISMA’s instructional Youtube video “How to Control Spongy Moth” at youtube.com/watch?v=Z9n6B5….

NCCISMA will host an educational booth for National Get Outdoors Day, from 10am to 2pm, on Saturday, June 8th. The free event will take place at the Webber Township Community Youth Park, just north of Baldwin. Stop by for outdoor fun and children’s activities!

You can prevent the spread of invasive species this Memorial Weekend and enter our sweepstakes for a chance to win a Yeti cooler! All you have to do to enter is post your images to socials using the hashtag #RideCleanRepeat. Images will be added to dirtneverhurt.org.

NCCISMA was at Cartier Park with Kathy Winczewski, Mr. Stowe, and the Ludington High School Biology and AP Environmental Science Class! You can learn more about Tree of Heaven, Oriental Bittersweet, and other priority invasives on our website at northcountryinvasives.org/high-priority-….

The release of the Spring Edition is right around the corner but there's still time to sign up on the NCCISMA website for our quarterly newsletter at northcountryinvasives.org/newsletter.html

We're looking forward to seeing everybody at The Original Jeep Blessing on May 4th; stop by and visit us at our booth! facebook.com/groups/jeepble…

We're looking forward to another round of bar trivia next week, Friday, April 5th: at Crossroads Grill in Harrietta. Join us for an hour of fun ORV related trivia and prizes! To learn more about the ORV campaign, #RideCleanRepeat, visit northcountryinvasives.org/ridecleanrepea…

North Country CISMA is proud of our Dirt Never Hurt Billboard in its new home! Comment on this post (make sure to include what road and near what crossroad you saw it) and the first person to tell us where it is will receive a gift bag containing fun ORV related swag!

North Country CISMA is still looking for help to raise funds but, altogether, we’ve reached 1/3 of our total goal: thanks to the help of our supporters in and out of GoFundMe! Please consider giving at gofundme.com/f/nccisma-need… Your support is vital to our success.

Join North Country CISMA at 7pm for an hour of fun as we host bar trivia at The Redneck Yacht Club in Wellston this Thursday! Test your local & outdoor knowledge for bragging rights and prizes. We hope to see you there!

We are excited for the 2024 field season but need a truck to reach our surveying, planning, and management goals, within all six counties that we serve. Please consider helping by contributing at gofundme.com/f/nccisma-need….