Father Daughter Snowshoe Hike

February 10th 2018

Gillette Visitor Center 2PM

This hike will last approximately an hour and will entail trekking through the beautiful forests of P.J. Hoffmaster! There are some hills due to the sand dune terrain.

Come enjoy this special occasion celebrating fathers and daughters! Hope to see you there!

Call for reservations: 231-798-3573

Learn to Identify Spring Wildflowers

May 5th 2018

Gillette Visitor center 9AM - 2PM

This class taught by Craig Elston and Park Naturalist, Elizabeth Tillman will cover basic plant identification, particularly as it relates to spring wildflowers. Information on dune systems will also be covered. In the indoor session, participants will learn to identify key plant features using photo examples. We will also take short hikes to visit various park locations to see and identify flowering plants. Participants may arrive at 8:30 to sign-in, receive packets and to enjoy tea, coffee and light breakfast options.

Lunch is provided and will be served at noon. All participants will receive a field guide and other identification materials. We have some additional surprises planned too, and all participants will have the chance to win a raffle basket. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, camera and notepad.

Visit www.michigan.gov/outdoorskills to sign up and pay.

For more information contact the Gillette Visitor Center at 231-798-3573

A Recreation Passport is required for entry into P.J. Hoffmaster State Park. Recreation Passports may be purchased at the park gate.

Program Fee: $40 which includes lunch and all materials

Please note: Cancellations must be made by April 20 in order to guarantee a full refund.

New Piping Plover Display

Thanks to a donation from the John J. Helstrom Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Muskegon County, the Visitor Center has a new lobby display that highlights the endangered Piping Plover. Plovers are small shorebirds that nest in the open beach. In 1986, there were only 17 pair of Piping Plover in the Great Lakes region. Today with considerable conservation efforts, plovers have increased to 75 nesting pair in 2015. They are still critically endangered but there are positive signs of recovery. For the past few summers a pair at Muskegon State Park have successfully nested and raised young. Piping plover had not been seen at Muskegon State Park since the 1950s, so there return has been encouraging.

The goal of the new display is to raise awareness to the Piping Plover and its needs. Human activity can disturb plovers and cause them to abandon their nests. We want people to know that unleashed dogs, predators, diseases like Type E botulism, shoreline development, fireworks, kite flyers and ORV’s are all a threat to these rare birds. We are grateful to the Helstrom family and the Community Foundation for making this display possible. Over 40,000 people will see it each year…and that is a lot of potential partners in conservation!