Emily Burke | Author

The Trail Provides

July 15, 2023

I didn’t have what I would call an “outdoorsy” childhood, even though I grew up on Old Mission Peninsula surrounded by freshwater and forest. The closest I ever came to a camping trip was a giggle-fueled night in a friend’s backyard tent. 

But one summer… Read More >>

The Need for Native Plants

July 16, 2022

“What we do in our yards matters. It matters a lot,” says Cheryl Gross, president of Plant It Wild, a nonprofit organization based in Benzie and Manistee counties fostering the appreciation, understanding, and use of plants native to Michigan.

Gross explains that not onl… Read More >>

Skegemog Raptor Center Takes Flight

May 21, 2022

Back in January of 2021, James Manley, a 15-year veteran volunteer for Wings of Wonder (WoW)—the Empire-based raptor rehabilitation organization headed by Rebecca Lessard—was being interviewed by a journalist covering Lessard’s retirement. (See below for more on that.) Whe… Read More >>

Where the Wildflowers Are

April 23, 2022

Northern Michigan’s woods, wetlands, and shorelines are home to a stunning diversity of wildflowers, and there’s no better time to celebrate their abundance than spring. To get the most out of the season, use this guide to find some old favorites, as well as a few of NoMi’… Read More >>

Sugar on Tap

March 19, 2022

There is no sweeter reward for making it through the long, dark NoMi winters than the scent of maple sap boiling away on its way to becoming maple syrup. Equal parts art and science, the whole sap-to-syrup process may seem complicated. “Many people are afraid to produce syrup because … Read More >>