100 Ways to Celebrate Michigan DNR’s 100th Anniversary

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. What better way to celebrate that taking part in 100 ways to enjoy the great outdoors!

In a recent survey, it was revealed that people want to get outside. 51% of people said they wanted to drive to the nearest body of water, 49% want to visit a national monument, and 47% want to visit a state park.

The Michigan DNR has come up with 100 ways to celebrate their 100 years. Find out what our great state has to offer! Their list of activities includes something for all skill levels and during every season.

Some of the activities you have probably already experienced, but I love the list. It is a great idea starter if you are looking for an activity or two to do with the family. You could easily do some of these over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

Some of the activities include:

• Birding - Identify five birds native to Michigan. Bonus points if you spot Michigan's State Bird -- The Robin.
• Bug Search - See how many different kinds of bugs you can find in 30 minutes.
• Clean Up - Spend some time cleaning up any place in nature that could use a little sprucing up.
• Cloud Watching - Just lay on the ground for 10 minutes and watch the clouds roll by.
• Dune Running - Run down a sand dune. (Remember, if you go down, you have to walk back up!)
• Forest Bathing - No need for water or soap! Just go out into the woods and soak up all the nature.
• Lighthouses - See how many of our states lighthouses you can visit.
• Paddling - There are options here. Hit the water in a kayak, a canoe, or maybe on a stand-up paddleboard
• Squirreling - (Is that actually a word?!) See if you can find and identify the nine different species of squirrels that live in Michigan.
• Stargazing - Much like cloud watching -- but at night. Lay on the ground and look up at the stars. For best results, get away from the city. You'll be amazed at how many more stars you can see.
• Waterfalls - Visit some of the many waterfalls that our state has.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources put together an interactive list that you can access here. You can filter for different activity categories and also by the different seasons. There is also a downloadable and printed PDF to take with you.

Happy 100th Anniversary to Michigan's DNR! (I'm off to bake a cake!)