Dale Hendershot of Gladwin was honored as the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources 2024 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year.
Pictured, left to right, are: Chief Jason Haines, DNR Law Enforcement
Division; Erica Moore, DNR department specialist; Hendershot; Lt. Tom
Wanless and Cpl. Ken Lowell, both with the DNR Law Enforcement Division.
(Courtesy Photo)
Dale Hendershot of Gladwin is the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2024 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year, an honor bestowed Thursday at the June meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in Bay City.
“I am very humbled by this,” Hendershot said. “There are many deserving instructors, and I’m honored that my peers felt I was deserving of this.”Hunter education helps the next generation of hunters and outdoor enthusiasts learn how to enjoy safe, responsible hunting and understand the importance of wildlife management.
The DNR-managed program teaches lifelong skills, such as firearm safety, basic first aid and outdoor navigational instruction, to an average of 14,000 students each year.
Since 1991, in his more than 34 years of volunteering as a hunter safety education instructor, Hendershot is estimated to have instructed over 200 classes and more than 6,400 students.
“Passionate volunteers like Dale are the core of Michigan’s recreational safety programs,” said Lt. Tom Wanless, DNR recreational safety, education and enforcement supervisor. “Dale believes in providing safe hunting and trapping experiences for all. His enthusiasm is displayed by his willingness to teach at a variety of schools and clubs in his community and beyond, whether the curriculum focuses on hunter, trapping or bow-hunter education.”
In 2006, Hendershot was a member of a statewide committee that created and implemented Michigan’s trapper education program. That same year, he expanded his credentials to include bow-hunting education and became the lead instructor at his club. He also volunteers to assist other clubs to restructure their hunter education programs.
Hendershot also has served as president of the Red Flannel Rod and Gun Club and the Michigan Trapper and Predator Callers Association.
“Hunter education is a rewarding program for volunteers and students,” Wanless said. “Anyone who enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking or simply being outside will benefit from taking hunter education. The program creates not just ethical hunters, but also stewards of our natural resources, and we owe that success to dedicated volunteers like Dale.”
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer recreational safety education instructor is encouraged to apply. All volunteer instructors are provided with free, continued training and resources.
To register or learn more about the DNR’s recreational safety education programs, including qualifying requirements for volunteer instructors, visit Michigan.gov/ RecreationalSafety.
Fishing for Crappies After the Spawn
Rich Lefler shows off a crappie he caught.
Photo courtesy Jack Payne
By Jack Payne
After the spawn, crappie fishing gets good. Crappies have similarities between bluegill and walleye. Similar to the bluegills, crappies will school up. And like walleyes, crappies will roam.
After the spawn, eating becomes a priority for the crappie. On lakes connecting to the big lake, crappies will follow the gizzard shad. Locating the huge schools of bait will guarantee that crappies will be close by.
On our inland lakes, the crappies will follow schools of minnows. Astute anglers will keep their eyes peeled for locations where schools of minnows are being pushed to the surface.
A deep patch of cabbage weed will hold crappie most of the summer. Rarely will they venture more than a casting distance from the cabbage weeds.
Many of the lakes in our region lack good cabbage weeds. On these bodies of water, the crappie will relate to deep water structures such as long points that drop off into deep water.
A point can be both visual and underwater. Understanding how to read a topographical map is crucial. A visual point is just that, a point that you can see that extends out from shore.
Think of a point as a highway or pathway to a large flat and feeding area. Crappies will suspend someplace off of the point. At times they might be fairly close to the bar or point and just outside the edge of the weeds. On other days the crappies will move over the deepest water and suspend until a school of bait moves near striking distance.
On lakes that connect to Lake Michigan, any dock that extends to the deep water will hold schools of crappie. Slip floats with a hair jig fished tight to the dock and vertical pillars is one technique.
The other technique is called dock shooting. Shooting a jig under a dock takes a bit of practice but is well worth the effort. Crappies will hide under a dock and the angler that can shoot a jig 10 feet under a dock will catch the most fish.
Suspended fish on any lake requires a bit of patience. A school of crappie might occupy an area the size of a garage. This is where side scanning comes in handy.
The longer that your lure stays in the school, the better the odds of success. Remember that the lightest jig often wins the game.
The 1/16-ounce jig head is my go-to weight. If I can get away with a 1/32-ounce jig, then I will use that. Only when the fish are deep or when fishing the wind would I consider the one-eighth-ounce jig.
We use a mixture of jigs. Some days a spinner such as the Charlie Brewer Crappie Bee is the best. Other days it might be an action tail or the Brewer Crappie Grub.
Cold water or neutral/negative fish love the Marabou-style jigs. The old Pinky jig comes to mind. We tie up our Marabou jigs. A great technique on tightly schooled-up crappie would be to fish a Marabou jig under a slip float. A slip float will keep your lure in the strike zone much longer.
Crappies relate to structure and objects. Slabs – wood on the bottom, a fallen tree, vertical trees that are submerged, swim rafts, and docks – come to mind.
But remember that they will suspend out in the middle of the lake. Bluegills will hold in a particular area for days on end. Crappies are here today and often gone the next day.
Playing with the wind and sun will narrow the playing field. Often the side of the lake receiving the most wind will hold the majority of the crappies. Playing in the sun will also assist you.
At daybreak, the west side of the lake can be good. As the sun rises the east side of the lake will start receiving sunlight. So, if you keep this in mind you can gain an extra 30 minutes of lower light conditions by fishing the east side of the lake. Reverse this thinking in the evening.
Remember to keep moving and searching for pods of summer crappie, and to visit the folks at Bob’s Gun and Tackle Shop.
After the spawn, crappie fishing gets good. Crappies have similarities between bluegill and walleye. Similar to the bluegills, crappies will school up. And like walleyes, crappies will roam.
After the spawn, eating becomes a priority for the crappie. On lakes connecting to the big lake, crappies will follow the gizzard shad. Locating the huge schools of bait will guarantee that crappies will be close by.
On our inland lakes, the crappies will follow schools of minnows. Astute anglers will keep their eyes peeled for locations where schools of minnows are being pushed to the surface.
A deep patch of cabbage weed will hold crappie most of the summer. Rarely will they venture more than a casting distance from the cabbage weeds.
Many of the lakes in our region lack good cabbage weeds. On these bodies of water, the crappie will relate to deep water structures such as long points that drop off into deep water.
A point can be both visual and underwater. Understanding how to read a topographical map is crucial. A visual point is just that, a point that you can see that extends out from shore.
Think of a point as a highway or pathway to a large flat and feeding area. Crappies will suspend someplace off of the point. At times they might be fairly close to the bar or point and just outside the edge of the weeds. On other days the crappies will move over the deepest water and suspend until a school of bait moves near striking distance.
On lakes that connect to Lake Michigan, any dock that extends to the deep water will hold schools of crappie. Slip floats with a hair jig fished tight to the dock and vertical pillars is one technique.
The other technique is called dock shooting. Shooting a jig under a dock takes a bit of practice but is well worth the effort. Crappies will hide under a dock and the angler that can shoot a jig 10 feet under a dock will catch the most fish.
Suspended fish on any lake requires a bit of patience. A school of crappie might occupy an area the size of a garage. This is where side scanning comes in handy.
The longer that your lure stays in the school, the better the odds of success. Remember that the lightest jig often wins the game.
The 1/16-ounce jig head is my go-to weight. If I can get away with a 1/32-ounce jig, then I will use that. Only when the fish are deep or when fishing the wind would I consider the one-eighth-ounce jig.
We use a mixture of jigs. Some days a spinner such as the Charlie Brewer Crappie Bee is the best. Other days it might be an action tail or the Brewer Crappie Grub.
Cold water or neutral/negative fish love the Marabou-style jigs. The old Pinky jig comes to mind. We tie up our Marabou jigs. A great technique on tightly schooled-up crappie would be to fish a Marabou jig under a slip float. A slip float will keep your lure in the strike zone much longer.
Crappies relate to structure and objects. Slabs – wood on the bottom, a fallen tree, vertical trees that are submerged, swim rafts, and docks – come to mind.
But remember that they will suspend out in the middle of the lake. Bluegills will hold in a particular area for days on end. Crappies are here today and often gone the next day.
Playing with the wind and sun will narrow the playing field. Often the side of the lake receiving the most wind will hold the majority of the crappies. Playing in the sun will also assist you.
At daybreak, the west side of the lake can be good. As the sun rises the east side of the lake will start receiving sunlight. So, if you keep this in mind you can gain an extra 30 minutes of lower light conditions by fishing the east side of the lake. Reverse this thinking in the evening.
Remember to keep moving and searching for pods of summer crappie, and to visit the folks at Bob’s Gun and Tackle Shop.
DNR Biologists Remove Lid Stuck on Bear’s Neck for Two Years
Michigan Department of Natural Resources staffers, from left, Angela Kujawa, Sherry Raifsnider and Miranda VanCleave work to remove a lid from an immobilized black bear. The bear had gotten its head stuck in one of two holes in the plastic lid.
The black bear had significant scarring and an abscess on its neck but was otherwise healthy.
Photos courtesy Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Photos courtesy Michigan Department of Natural Resources
In a case that highlights the importance of Michigan’s bear-baiting regulations, state wildlife biologists in Montmorency County in the northern Lower Peninsula recently removed a plastic lid from the neck of a young black bear that had carried the encumbrance around for two years.
It isn’t known exactly where or how the male bear got its head stuck in a 5-inch hole in the lid. The blue plastic lid is similar to those that fit 55-gallon drums used by hunters to bait bear and by landowners to store materials that can attract bears, such as chicken feed.
While baiting is a legal method for hunting bears in Michigan, bait containers can only be used on private land and may only have holes that are either one inch or less in diameter or 22 inches or greater in diameter.
Landowners can do their part by recycling or crushing containers such as empty cheeseball tubs and being “BearWise” about securing garbage, said Cody Norton of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He pointed to cases in Florida, Wisconsin and Tennessee in which bears got their heads stuck in food containers.
“Container openings of a certain size can result in bears and other wildlife getting their heads or other body parts stuck in them, leading to injury or death,” said Norton, the DNR’s bear, furbearer and small game specialist. “It’s important to remember that the opening diameter is more important than the size of the container.”
Biologists at the DNR’s Atlanta field office became aware of the bear in 2023 after seeing trail camera photos of the then-cub with its head stuck in the lid. The bear would prove elusive over the next two years, occasionally appearing on other trail camera photos but then disappearing after a day or so.
Then, in late May, a Hillman resident spotted the bear in trail camera photos taken on his wooded acreage and alerted the DNR. With the landowner’s permission, state biologists set up a baited enclosure trap and caught the animal safely on June 2. After anesthetizing the bear, they cut the lid off its neck and collected body measurements and other data.
The bear weighed 110 pounds, which is fairly standard for a 2-year-old bear that’s still growing. It had significant scarring and an abscess on its neck but otherwise seemed healthy. Once the anesthesia wore off, the bear was released back onto the property.
Norton said the trapping, chemical immobilizing and data-collecting effort provided DNR staff with valuable training and information that can inform future research and bear-management strategies. Michigan is home to about 13,000 black bears – 1,700 of them in the northern Lower Peninsula.
To learn more about living with black bears and minimizing bear encounters, visit BearWise at bearwise.org.
It isn’t known exactly where or how the male bear got its head stuck in a 5-inch hole in the lid. The blue plastic lid is similar to those that fit 55-gallon drums used by hunters to bait bear and by landowners to store materials that can attract bears, such as chicken feed.
While baiting is a legal method for hunting bears in Michigan, bait containers can only be used on private land and may only have holes that are either one inch or less in diameter or 22 inches or greater in diameter.
Landowners can do their part by recycling or crushing containers such as empty cheeseball tubs and being “BearWise” about securing garbage, said Cody Norton of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He pointed to cases in Florida, Wisconsin and Tennessee in which bears got their heads stuck in food containers.
“Container openings of a certain size can result in bears and other wildlife getting their heads or other body parts stuck in them, leading to injury or death,” said Norton, the DNR’s bear, furbearer and small game specialist. “It’s important to remember that the opening diameter is more important than the size of the container.”
Biologists at the DNR’s Atlanta field office became aware of the bear in 2023 after seeing trail camera photos of the then-cub with its head stuck in the lid. The bear would prove elusive over the next two years, occasionally appearing on other trail camera photos but then disappearing after a day or so.
Then, in late May, a Hillman resident spotted the bear in trail camera photos taken on his wooded acreage and alerted the DNR. With the landowner’s permission, state biologists set up a baited enclosure trap and caught the animal safely on June 2. After anesthetizing the bear, they cut the lid off its neck and collected body measurements and other data.
The bear weighed 110 pounds, which is fairly standard for a 2-year-old bear that’s still growing. It had significant scarring and an abscess on its neck but otherwise seemed healthy. Once the anesthesia wore off, the bear was released back onto the property.
Norton said the trapping, chemical immobilizing and data-collecting effort provided DNR staff with valuable training and information that can inform future research and bear-management strategies. Michigan is home to about 13,000 black bears – 1,700 of them in the northern Lower Peninsula.
To learn more about living with black bears and minimizing bear encounters, visit BearWise at bearwise.org.
Outdoor Truths
By Gary Miller
The summer can be slow for bass fishermen. The water is warm and the oxygen that fish need for peak activity is not found in warmer water. Therefore, they tend to go deeper or become more active when the days are at their coolest.
That’s why early in the morning is some of the best times to be on the lake or river. My favorite way to start is by being ready to cast my first bait when the sun is barely peeking over the horizon. You have to take advantage of every minute the fish are active, because in the summer those minutes are few.
As many of you know, my favorite way to wake bass up this time of year is with a top water bait. The sound of this plug echoes for unknown distances at the break of day and each plop or buzz signals to the fisherman to be ready for what might be lurking just below the surface. The combination of sight and sound can at times be just too much for nearby bass to ignore. And for the fisherman, the crash of water just behind that bait can also be as addictive as well. Once you see and hear that unique moment, you will place it in its own mental compartment, and nothing will ever join it.
Thankfully, there are other moments that deserve their own special place. I imagine me making a file and labeling it with that moment but never adding anything else to the file except that which caused me to make it in the first place.
It’s like making a folder on your computer for certain types of pictures or documents and only finding one picture or document that fits in the folder. In one way you are hoping for other occasions to add to the folder but it seems that nothing ever fits like that first file.
There are a few things like that in my life. A first degree. A first accomplishment. A first purchase. All of these things were so special to me then and still hold their own special place today.
But what really matters are not fish or firsts, but moments when someone wrote something or said something that caused me to change into a better man. It was a sentence that wowed me. It was a lesson that challenged me. It was a gesture that took me aback.
You see while things like these may deserve a place in their own folder; unlike fish and firsts, their benefits continue not just as motivation but as actual ingredients that mold me every day. So, this week, don’t forget that while you are making memories someone needs you to become a good one for them.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 21 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org
The summer can be slow for bass fishermen. The water is warm and the oxygen that fish need for peak activity is not found in warmer water. Therefore, they tend to go deeper or become more active when the days are at their coolest.
That’s why early in the morning is some of the best times to be on the lake or river. My favorite way to start is by being ready to cast my first bait when the sun is barely peeking over the horizon. You have to take advantage of every minute the fish are active, because in the summer those minutes are few.
As many of you know, my favorite way to wake bass up this time of year is with a top water bait. The sound of this plug echoes for unknown distances at the break of day and each plop or buzz signals to the fisherman to be ready for what might be lurking just below the surface. The combination of sight and sound can at times be just too much for nearby bass to ignore. And for the fisherman, the crash of water just behind that bait can also be as addictive as well. Once you see and hear that unique moment, you will place it in its own mental compartment, and nothing will ever join it.
Thankfully, there are other moments that deserve their own special place. I imagine me making a file and labeling it with that moment but never adding anything else to the file except that which caused me to make it in the first place.
It’s like making a folder on your computer for certain types of pictures or documents and only finding one picture or document that fits in the folder. In one way you are hoping for other occasions to add to the folder but it seems that nothing ever fits like that first file.
There are a few things like that in my life. A first degree. A first accomplishment. A first purchase. All of these things were so special to me then and still hold their own special place today.
But what really matters are not fish or firsts, but moments when someone wrote something or said something that caused me to change into a better man. It was a sentence that wowed me. It was a lesson that challenged me. It was a gesture that took me aback.
You see while things like these may deserve a place in their own folder; unlike fish and firsts, their benefits continue not just as motivation but as actual ingredients that mold me every day. So, this week, don’t forget that while you are making memories someone needs you to become a good one for them.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 21 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org
Heading Out on the Water? Help Report Aquatic Invasive Species
If you enjoy spending time on or in the water, this summer you can help the Michigan Invasive Species Program by identifying and reporting aquatic invasive species. Early detection of new or emerging invasive species, like those on Michigan’s Watch List, greatly improves chances to slow their spread or possibly eradicate a population.
The 18 aquatic invasive species on Michigan’s Watch List have been identified as posing an immediate or potential threat to Michigan's economy, environment or human health. These species have either never been confirmed in the wild in Michigan or have a limited known distribution. The list includes 10 aquatic plants, five fish, two crayfish and the New Zealand mudsnail.
Populations of watch list aquatic species, including yellow floating heart, water lettuce, parrot feather and red swamp crayfish have been detected in Michigan through reports from people just like you who noticed something unusual in the water, took photographs and reported what they found.
Information about watch list species, including identifying characteristics, photos and illustrations, can be found on the Watch List webpage at michigan.gov/invasives/id-report/watch list.
Sightings of aquatic plants on the watch list can be reported year-round to EGLE’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program. All watch list species can be reported through the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network’s website or smartphone app, found at MISIN.MSU.edu.
To encourage public involvement in reporting aquatic invasive species, the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) is hosting its first-ever statewide aquatic invasive species BioBlitz from June 28 – July 6, 2025.
Volunteers are asked to use the iNaturalist app to document suspected aquatic invasive plants and animals across Michigan’s lakes, rivers, wetlands and streams. Boaters, paddlers, anglers, nature lovers, and anyone interested in contributing to invasive species early detection can simply snap photos of aquatic species they encounter. The MiCorps team of experts, along with the iNaturalist user community, can help with identification.
How to get involved:
• Join the project – Visit the MiCorps website or find the MiCorps AIS Detection BioBlitz on iNaturalist.
• Snap & upload – Upload photos of aquatic species while enjoying Michigan’s waters.
• Contribute to science – Your observations help experts monitor and manage invasive species.
All confirmed reports of aquatic invasive species will be communicated to EGLE and MISIN by MiCorps staff.
Reports of watch list species are investigated by the Michigan Invasive Species Program, a joint effort of the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources. When a report is confirmed as positive, staff assess the risk posed by the invading species, review response options and, if feasible, plan and implement a response.
“For aquatic invasive plants, responses are tailored to the situation,” said Billy Keiper, aquatic biologist with EGLE.
Keiper has worked on Michigan’s aquatic invasive plant early detection and response team, part of the MISP, since the team’s inception in 2011. The team’s responses are supported by funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
“If we find large populations or they span multiple locations, we reach out to partners like cooperative invasive species management areas, volunteers and contracted pesticide applicators who work with us to remove or treat the invasive plants and educate the affected communities on how to prevent spread,” Keiper said.
Smaller discoveries, such as those found in private ponds, may provide the opportunity to eradicate the plant from the area entirely. For watch list aquatic plants, eradication is usually the goal when feasible. Response actions often require one to two years of treatment, followed by three years of post-treatment monitoring to ensure regrowth doesn’t occur.
To date, 11 populations of aquatic invasive plants on the watch list have been eradicated. Several additional locations are nearing eradication status, as regrowth hasn’t been observed for consecutive years following treatment.
Keiper is leading the response to the first detection of hydrilla in Michigan. Hydrilla, considered the world's most invasive aquatic plant, was confirmed by EGLE staff in two small, adjacent private ponds near Berrien Springs in Berrien County in 2023. After surveying the extent of the infestation and completing an initial herbicide treatment to prevent spread, the response team initiated a major dredging project in 2025 to eradicate the species.
Remember to Clean, Drain, Dry: Wherever you travel in Michigan’s water wonderland, remember to do your part to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Follow state law by taking these steps at the launch site after trailering boats, and before getting on the road:
• Ensure that the watercraft, trailer and any conveyance used to transport them are free of aquatic organisms, including plants.
• Remove all drain plugs and drain all water from bilges, ballast tanks and live wells.
If possible, allow boats, trailers and gear to dry in the sun for 5 to 7 days or wash with a pressure washer or chemical disinfectant or dry surfaces with a towel to prevent the spread of hard-to-see zebra mussel larvae, New Zealand mudsnails and didymo cells.
Michigan's Invasive Species Program is cooperatively implemented by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources.
The 18 aquatic invasive species on Michigan’s Watch List have been identified as posing an immediate or potential threat to Michigan's economy, environment or human health. These species have either never been confirmed in the wild in Michigan or have a limited known distribution. The list includes 10 aquatic plants, five fish, two crayfish and the New Zealand mudsnail.
Populations of watch list aquatic species, including yellow floating heart, water lettuce, parrot feather and red swamp crayfish have been detected in Michigan through reports from people just like you who noticed something unusual in the water, took photographs and reported what they found.
Information about watch list species, including identifying characteristics, photos and illustrations, can be found on the Watch List webpage at michigan.gov/invasives/id-report/watch list.
Sightings of aquatic plants on the watch list can be reported year-round to EGLE’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program. All watch list species can be reported through the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network’s website or smartphone app, found at MISIN.MSU.edu.
To encourage public involvement in reporting aquatic invasive species, the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) is hosting its first-ever statewide aquatic invasive species BioBlitz from June 28 – July 6, 2025.
Volunteers are asked to use the iNaturalist app to document suspected aquatic invasive plants and animals across Michigan’s lakes, rivers, wetlands and streams. Boaters, paddlers, anglers, nature lovers, and anyone interested in contributing to invasive species early detection can simply snap photos of aquatic species they encounter. The MiCorps team of experts, along with the iNaturalist user community, can help with identification.
How to get involved:
• Join the project – Visit the MiCorps website or find the MiCorps AIS Detection BioBlitz on iNaturalist.
• Snap & upload – Upload photos of aquatic species while enjoying Michigan’s waters.
• Contribute to science – Your observations help experts monitor and manage invasive species.
All confirmed reports of aquatic invasive species will be communicated to EGLE and MISIN by MiCorps staff.
Reports of watch list species are investigated by the Michigan Invasive Species Program, a joint effort of the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources. When a report is confirmed as positive, staff assess the risk posed by the invading species, review response options and, if feasible, plan and implement a response.
“For aquatic invasive plants, responses are tailored to the situation,” said Billy Keiper, aquatic biologist with EGLE.
Keiper has worked on Michigan’s aquatic invasive plant early detection and response team, part of the MISP, since the team’s inception in 2011. The team’s responses are supported by funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
“If we find large populations or they span multiple locations, we reach out to partners like cooperative invasive species management areas, volunteers and contracted pesticide applicators who work with us to remove or treat the invasive plants and educate the affected communities on how to prevent spread,” Keiper said.
Smaller discoveries, such as those found in private ponds, may provide the opportunity to eradicate the plant from the area entirely. For watch list aquatic plants, eradication is usually the goal when feasible. Response actions often require one to two years of treatment, followed by three years of post-treatment monitoring to ensure regrowth doesn’t occur.
To date, 11 populations of aquatic invasive plants on the watch list have been eradicated. Several additional locations are nearing eradication status, as regrowth hasn’t been observed for consecutive years following treatment.
Keiper is leading the response to the first detection of hydrilla in Michigan. Hydrilla, considered the world's most invasive aquatic plant, was confirmed by EGLE staff in two small, adjacent private ponds near Berrien Springs in Berrien County in 2023. After surveying the extent of the infestation and completing an initial herbicide treatment to prevent spread, the response team initiated a major dredging project in 2025 to eradicate the species.
Remember to Clean, Drain, Dry: Wherever you travel in Michigan’s water wonderland, remember to do your part to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Follow state law by taking these steps at the launch site after trailering boats, and before getting on the road:
• Ensure that the watercraft, trailer and any conveyance used to transport them are free of aquatic organisms, including plants.
• Remove all drain plugs and drain all water from bilges, ballast tanks and live wells.
If possible, allow boats, trailers and gear to dry in the sun for 5 to 7 days or wash with a pressure washer or chemical disinfectant or dry surfaces with a towel to prevent the spread of hard-to-see zebra mussel larvae, New Zealand mudsnails and didymo cells.
Michigan's Invasive Species Program is cooperatively implemented by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources.
Maximize Your Harvest with Succession Planting
By Melinda Myers
Make the most of every square inch of garden space and containers with succession planting. As you harvest your first crop of the season, consider replanting the space with a vegetable that will mature and can be harvested before the end of the growing season.
Start by calculating the number of frost-free days remaining in your growing season. Next review the plant tags and seed packets for the number of days from planting to harvest.
Compare these two to see if you have time to replant one or maybe even two more quick-maturing vegetables in that space.
Keep in mind that cool season crops like lettuce, spinach and radishes perform and taste best when grown and harvested during the cooler months of spring and fall. Consider using these quick-maturing vegetables as your last planting of the season.
Others, like broccoli, collards and kale, taste even better after a light frost. Planting these so they mature in fall is another way to extend the harvest for maximum flavor and nutrition.
Warm season vegetables, like beans and cucumbers, are perfect for a summer planting. They prefer warm air and soil for the best growth and productivity.
Here are a few vegetables you may want to include in your succession planting this summer. Leaf lettuce and spinach prefer cooler temperatures and depending on the variety are ready to harvest in 30 to 60 days. If you can’t wait for cooler weather, try growing more heat-tolerant greens, like Sandy and Red Sails lettuce, and although they are not true spinaches New Zealand and Malabar are more heat tolerant and provide a similar flavor.
End the season with a harvest of peas. Short varieties, like Patio Pride and Sugar Ann sugar snap peas and Maestro and Laxton’s Progress #9 shelling peas, are perfect for containers and small spaces.
Root crops make great additions to succession plantings. Salad radishes are ready to harvest in 25 to 30 days, beets in 50 to 60 days, and carrots in 60 to 70 days.
Bush beans prefer warm temperatures and are ready to begin picking in 50 to 80 days. Mascotte compact snap beans are productive compact plants perfect for containers and window boxes. You’ll start harvesting these in as few as 50 days.
Cucumbers and summer squash are another option for summer plantings. Vining varieties can be trained onto a support to save space or crawl over the ground. Bush types are perfect for containers and small spaces. Check the seed packet for the number of days from planting to harvest.
Increase the health and productivity of your second planting by preparing the soil before planting seeds and transplants. Mix an inch of quality compost into the top six inches of soil.
You’ll improve drainage in heavy soil, increase water retention in fast-draining sandy soils, and add micronutrients that feed the soil, building microorganisms.
Once your seeds and transplants are in the ground, be sure to water properly. Keep the seedbed and roots of transplants moist the first few weeks. Gradually reduce watering frequency as seedlings sprout and grow and transplants become established.
You may need to adjust your succession planting schedule based on the weather. Hotter and cooler than normal temperatures can delay seed germination, harvest times, and flavor.
With a bit of planning, succession plantings, and regular harvesting you can enjoy fresh vegetables throughout the growing season.
—————
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Make the most of every square inch of garden space and containers with succession planting. As you harvest your first crop of the season, consider replanting the space with a vegetable that will mature and can be harvested before the end of the growing season.
Start by calculating the number of frost-free days remaining in your growing season. Next review the plant tags and seed packets for the number of days from planting to harvest.
Compare these two to see if you have time to replant one or maybe even two more quick-maturing vegetables in that space.
Keep in mind that cool season crops like lettuce, spinach and radishes perform and taste best when grown and harvested during the cooler months of spring and fall. Consider using these quick-maturing vegetables as your last planting of the season.
Others, like broccoli, collards and kale, taste even better after a light frost. Planting these so they mature in fall is another way to extend the harvest for maximum flavor and nutrition.
Warm season vegetables, like beans and cucumbers, are perfect for a summer planting. They prefer warm air and soil for the best growth and productivity.
Here are a few vegetables you may want to include in your succession planting this summer. Leaf lettuce and spinach prefer cooler temperatures and depending on the variety are ready to harvest in 30 to 60 days. If you can’t wait for cooler weather, try growing more heat-tolerant greens, like Sandy and Red Sails lettuce, and although they are not true spinaches New Zealand and Malabar are more heat tolerant and provide a similar flavor.
End the season with a harvest of peas. Short varieties, like Patio Pride and Sugar Ann sugar snap peas and Maestro and Laxton’s Progress #9 shelling peas, are perfect for containers and small spaces.
Root crops make great additions to succession plantings. Salad radishes are ready to harvest in 25 to 30 days, beets in 50 to 60 days, and carrots in 60 to 70 days.
Bush beans prefer warm temperatures and are ready to begin picking in 50 to 80 days. Mascotte compact snap beans are productive compact plants perfect for containers and window boxes. You’ll start harvesting these in as few as 50 days.
Cucumbers and summer squash are another option for summer plantings. Vining varieties can be trained onto a support to save space or crawl over the ground. Bush types are perfect for containers and small spaces. Check the seed packet for the number of days from planting to harvest.
Increase the health and productivity of your second planting by preparing the soil before planting seeds and transplants. Mix an inch of quality compost into the top six inches of soil.
You’ll improve drainage in heavy soil, increase water retention in fast-draining sandy soils, and add micronutrients that feed the soil, building microorganisms.
Once your seeds and transplants are in the ground, be sure to water properly. Keep the seedbed and roots of transplants moist the first few weeks. Gradually reduce watering frequency as seedlings sprout and grow and transplants become established.
You may need to adjust your succession planting schedule based on the weather. Hotter and cooler than normal temperatures can delay seed germination, harvest times, and flavor.
With a bit of planning, succession plantings, and regular harvesting you can enjoy fresh vegetables throughout the growing season.
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Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
