Outdoor Adventure Center - Trails Expo
2026-04-25 11:00 - 15:00 (America/Detroit)
Michigan Sea Grant will have a table at this event promoting water trails and water safety.

In honor of Celebrate Trails Day, an annual event from the Rail to Trails Conservancy, the OAC is celebrating our very own neighborhood rail trail! Join us for our Trails Expo on the Dequindre Cut, which was once a line on the Grand Trunk Railroad.
This outdoor adventure features local experts in hiking, biking, paddling and more. Learn tips and tricks for hitting the trails from the best, then test out your skills in hands-on workshops.
Included in the cost of admission.
Contact Information
Outdoor Adventure Center

DNR-OAC@Michigan.gov
844-622-6367

Workshops
Happy Little 5k
10 a.m.
Calling all Happy Little Trees 5K participants! Running is more fun with good company – join the fun and take a run along the Dequindre Cut! Enjoy fabulous murals and great company while you complete your Happy Little Trees 5K. Note: The race begins promptly at 10 a.m. Please arrive early for parking and line-up.
The course: An out-and-back course that is flat and fast – with parking available across from Milliken State Park and Harbor. The race begins and ends at the Outdoor Adventure Center. (See course map.)
Register here: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/places/state-parks/happy-little-trees.
For those who registered online in advance for the virtual event, your keepsake Happy Little T-shirt, commemorative bib number and finisher’s medal will be mailed to you address prior to the start of the race week.

Fisheries Workshop - Lake Huron: Les Cheneaux Islands & St Marys River
2026-04-28 18:00 - 20:00
Lake Huron – Les Cheneaux Islands & St Marys River
April 28, 2026, , 6-8 p.m. ET
Cedarville, Clark Twp Community Center
(In-person and online via Zoom)
Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension, in partnership with the Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division, USGS Great Lakes Science Center, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and local fishery organizations are offering the Lake Huron Fisheries Workshop – Les Cheneaux Islands & St Marys River. Participants can attend in person or online via Zoom.

This workshop offers current research and information related to the status of the Lake Huron fisheries. We look forward to hosting your questions!
Registration for this event is free, but you must register by Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
The event will be held at the Cedarville Community Center, Clark Township, 133 E M-134, Cedarville, MI 49719.
Zoom event link will be available after registration.

Registration

Agenda
Welcome and Introductions
Brandon Schroeder and Elliot Nelson, Michigan Sea Grant
Cormorant Management Updates
Matt Curry, USDA Wildlife Services
Les Cheneaux Islands Fish Community Survey
Dave Fielder, DNR Fisheries Research
Lake Sturgeon in the St. Marys River
Kevin Kapuscinski and Alana Miller-Schofield, Lake Superior State University
Fisheries Management Updates & Discussion
Neal Godby, Tim Cwalinski and Doug Schultz, DNR Fisheries Management

Management updates
Question and answer discussion

Adjourn / Safe Travels

Knauss Fellowship Applications Due
2026-06-03 17:00
The John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship provides a unique educational experience to students who have an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.
The program matches graduate students with host agencies in Washington, D.C., such as congressional offices, the National Marine Fisheries Service, or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For one year, fellows work on a range of policy and management projects related to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. Fellows can be placed in the federal legislative or executive branches; learn more about what legislative fellows do.
The fellowship will run from June 1, 2027 through May 31, 2028.
Application Deadline
Application deadline is June 3, 2026 at 5pm.
Results will be announced by the National Sea Grant Office around mid-September 2026.

Learn more and apply by June 3

Kayaking Skills Course, MI Paddle Stewards
2026-06-05 08:30 - 2026-06-06 17:00
June 5
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (rain date June 12)
(includes 30 minute lunch break – please bring your own lunch)
Independence Oaks County Park boat launch
Independence Township, Oakland County MI
9501 Sashabaw Rd, Clarkston, MI 48348
This is an eight hour Level 1 kayak skills course that covers how to prepare for kayak trips, involves demonstrating strokes and safety maneuvers including rescues. You can either take the class to learn or learn and be assessed at the end of the class.
In order to pass the assessment you need to demonstrate kayak rescue techniques which will involve getting wet. Please wear quick dry clothing, ideally closed-toe water shoes and bring a change of clothes.
This class is a prerequisite to the Community Paddlesport Leader training which will be offered in July. Find a detailed description of what the course covers on the ACA website.
**There is no cost, but limited spots are available, please only register if you intend to participate!
Assessment Course Prerequisites:

Acknowledgment of personal compliance with the ACA Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC)
Be a current ACA Member
Agree to comply with the ACA Code of Conduct

Instructors: Erica Anculle, Angela Scapini (Michigan Sea Grant, MSU Extension), Jacqui Rabine (American Canoe Association certified instructors)
For more information, contact Erica Anculle at clites1@msu.edu.

Sturgeon Fest 2026
2026-06-06 10:00 - 15:00
Saturday, June 6 • 10am-3pm
Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, 2802 Omar St, Port Huron, MI

Learn more about the event!

We have two ways for your to experience the Giant of the Great Lakes – by Ship and by Shore! Each spring, thousands of lake sturgeon gather under the Blue Water Bridges to spawn – ground zero for one of the largest remaining populations of lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes – making these experiences like none other!
Shore Experience – Come face‑to‑fin with the Great Lakes’ biggest underwater celebrity at our live sturgeon touch tank. Enjoy hands‑on activities, tasty treats from local food trucks, lively music, and plenty more festival fun! Sturgeon Fest By Shore is held 10am – 3pm at Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, 2802 Omar Street in Port Huron. Parking, admission, and activities are FREE!

Ship Experience – Cruise under the Blue Water Bridges on the St. Clair River and Lake Huron with a live sturgeon aquarium experience and sturgeon activities from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s research vessel. This narrated cruise offers interaction with wildlife biologists conducting research that is helping to reintroduce sturgeon around the Great Lakes. Sturgeon Fest by Ship begins at the Huron Lady dock on the Black River in Port Huron. River Cruise tickets are available for 11am and 1pm.

All event and ticket proceeds help support the Friends of the St. Clair River’s year‑round conservation and education programs—so you can have fun and do good at the same time!

Belle Isle book launch and roundtable
2026-06-11 14:00 - 17:00 | Belle Isle Nature Center, 176 Lakeside Drive, Detroit, MI, 48207, United States
Belle Isle Roundtable
Come celebrate the launch of the newly revised A Self-Guided Tour of Beautiful Belle Isle: Detroit’s Unique Urban Park guidebook!
2 p.m. on June 11
Michigan Sea Grant and The Belle Isle Conservancy invite you to the Belle Isle Roundtable at 2 p.m. on June 11 for an indoor event at the Belle Isle Nature Center, 176 Lakeside Dr., Detroit, MI 48207.
Optional walking tours will begin at 3 p.m.
There is no cost to attend the event (though a state Recreation Passport is required to drive onto Belle Isle).

Register here!

Partner organizations are also welcome to register for display table space.
For more information, please contact Erica Anculle, Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educator, (313) 578-9740, clitese1@msu.edu

Saginaw Bay 4-H Fish Camp: Tawas City
2026-06-17 09:00 - 2026-06-18 16:00
Gateway Park, Tawas City
Save the date for the 2026 camps (registration opens May 1)
When: June 17-18, 2026
Calling all 8–13-year-olds interested in learning how to fish and protect our Great Lakes! Campers learn about knot tying, tackle crafting, casting, stopping aquatic invasive species, and fishing.
MSU Extension, 4-H, Michigan Sea Grant, Project FISH, and many local partners host these camps to recruit the next generation of anglers and Great Lakes stewards.
Open to Michigan 4-H members ages 8-13, as of Jan. 1 2026. Not a current 4-H member but want to attend camp? Enroll in 4-H for FREE.

Community Paddlesport Leader Training, MI Paddle Stewards
2026-07-06 08:30 - 2026-07-07 17:00
July 6-7
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
(includes 30 minute lunch break – please bring your own lunch)
Independence Oaks County Park boat launch
Independence Township, Oakland County MI
9501 Sashabaw Rd, Clarkston, MI 48348
This is two-day course that equips paddlers with the trip planning and leadership skills to provide safe and enjoyable trips with a variety of craft in environments suitable for beginner and novice paddlers (in calm and protected waters with constant access to landing).
In order to be certified you need to demonstrate kayak rescue techniques which will involve getting wet. Please wear quick dry clothing, ideally closed-toe water shoes and bring a change of clothes.
Make sure you have the prerequisites listed below. In addition there will be a required Zoom session before and after the event with a date to be determined.
Find an overview of what the course covers on the ACA website. It is highly recommended to start your learning now by registering for The Connected Paddler online course ($99 lifetime access).
Course prerequisites:

Successful completion of a Level 1 or Level 2 Skills Assessment (see our course offering in June)
Urban first aid and CPR certification
Purchase and read ACA Community Paddlesport Leader workbook before the course.
Acknowledgment of personal compliance with the ACA Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC)
Be a current ACA Member
Agree to comply with the ACA Code of Conduct

Instructors: Deb and Paul Gelderblom (American Canoe Association certified instructors)
**There is no cost, but limited spots are available, please only register if you intend to participate!
For more information, contact Erica Anculle at clites1@msu.edu.

Saginaw Bay 4-H Fish Camp: Bay City
2026-07-07 09:00 - 2026-07-08 16:00
Bay City State Park, Bay City
Save the date for the 2026 camps (registration opens May 1)
When: July 7-8, 2026
Calling all 8–13-year-olds interested in learning how to fish and protect our Great Lakes! Campers learn about knot tying, tackle crafting, casting, stopping aquatic invasive species, and fishing.
MSU Extension, 4-H, Michigan Sea Grant, Project FISH, and many local partners host these camps to recruit the next generation of anglers and Great Lakes stewards.
Open to Michigan 4-H members ages 8-13, as of Jan. 1 2026. Not a current 4-H member but want to attend camp? Enroll in 4-H for FREE.

Houghton’s Mi Fresh Fish Fry
2026-07-10 16:00 - 19:00
Learn about and eat Mi Fresh Fish! The Mi Fresh Fish Fry is free and open to the public with food, cooking lessons, fishing activities, and more for the whole family. Join us outside the library at Huron Street Waterfront Park for this community celebration.
Friday, July 10, 2025, 4pm-7pm
58 Huron Street, Houghton
What is Mi Fresh Fish?
Mi Fresh Fish uplifts all fish produced in Michigan—whether from farmed or wild harvests—and whether destined for food, bait, stocking, fee‑fishing, or ornamental markets. The goal is to educate and bring awareness to Michiganders the many values of our local fisheries: food, fun, finance, function, and fellowship. If you would like to learn more, dive in and visit Mi Fresh Fish online.

Saginaw Bay 4-H Fish Camp: Saginaw
2026-07-20 09:00 - 2026-07-21 16:00
Haithco Park, Saginaw
Save the date for the 2026 camps (registration opens May 1)
When: July 20-21, 2026
Calling all 8–13-year-olds interested in learning how to fish and protect our Great Lakes! Campers learn about knot tying, tackle crafting, casting, stopping aquatic invasive species, and fishing.
MSU Extension, 4-H, Michigan Sea Grant, Project FISH, and many local partners host these camps to recruit the next generation of anglers and Great Lakes stewards.
Open to Michigan 4-H members ages 8-13, as of Jan. 1 2026. Not a current 4-H member but want to attend camp? Enroll in 4-H for FREE.

Escanaba’s Mi Fresh Fish Fry
2026-07-24 16:00 - 19:00
Learn about and eat Mi Fresh Fish! The Mi Fresh Fish Fry is free and open to the public with food, cooking lessons, fishing activities, and more for the whole family. Join us outside the Yacht Club at the Escanaba Marina for this community celebration.
Friday, July 24, 2025, 4pm-7pm
17 Water Plant Rd, Escanaba
This Michigan Sea Grant/MSU Extension event was made possible by the Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation.
What is Mi Fresh Fish?
Mi Fresh Fish uplifts all fish produced in Michigan—whether from farmed or wild harvests—and whether destined for food, bait, stocking, fee‑fishing, or ornamental markets. The goal is to educate and bring awareness to Michiganders the many values of our local fisheries: food, fun, finance, function, and fellowship. If you would like to learn more, dive in and visit Mi Fresh Fish online.
