Calling all birders: the DNR's third annual Camp Warbler is set for June 1-3, and registration is underway.
This two-night, three-day adventure, designed for adults and featuring presentations and guided birding activities, takes place at the DNR's Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center, or RAM Center, near Roscommon. Camp Warbler is an all-inclusive event, providing lodging as well as five meals and motor coach transportation from Belle Isle Park in Detroit.
"This getaway is perfect for individuals or couples seeking to enjoy the best parts of Michigan and meet new friends," said Melissa Guigue, manager of the RAM Center, which offers a unique blend of rustic lodging and modern meeting facilities on the northern shore of Higgins Lake. "You'll enjoy a stay where the options for outdoor fun are endless."
Event highlights
Participants will be treated to presentations and activities led by interpreters and staff from state parks and the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center, the latter of which gives visitors a taste of Michigan's great outdoors in the heart of Detroit. Camp Warbler activities include:
- An interpretive, guided wildlife drive through the Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge, with stops along the way for additional birding. Shiawassee is one of just three wildlife refuges in the state.
- A stop at Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling.
- Presentations on birding that will inspire both experienced and beginner birders.
- A visit to a Kirtland's warbler breeding site.
Once living on the brink of extinction, the gray-and-yellow Kirtland's warbler – one of the rarest songbirds in North America – has made significant steps toward recovery, due to careful habitat management practices and raised public awareness. However, it is on Michigan's threatened species list. A true habitat specialist, this warbler breeds primarily in young jack pine forests in a few Michigan counties. In recent years, nesting pairs have been recorded in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin and Ontario.
Each all-inclusive Camp Warbler ticket costs $450 per person. Add a guest ticket and share a room to save $20 per person. Visit the registration page to learn more and book your spot.
Questions? Contact Melissa Guigue at 989-821-6200.