Name: 3rd Annual SNAG Alumni Potluck: Setting the Straits on Fire
Start: 2026-02-04T17:30:00-05:00
End: 2026-02-04T19:45:00-05:00
Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum

3rd Annual SNAG Alumni Potluck: Setting the Straits on Fire

PROGRAM IS NOW FULL, PLEASE JOIN THE WAITLIST. Please join alumni from the Conservation Stewards Program and the Michigan Naturalist Program as well as the greater community for this 3rd annual gathering and educational talk. Enjoy catching up with friends and meeting like-minded folks over strolling appetizers and desserts. Our featured presentation, "Setting the Straits on Fire," which tells the story the work to prioritize biodiversity stewardship within the Straits region of Michigan. We’ll wrap up the evening by exploring Matthaei’s conservatory, which comes alive in the evening hours of February! This event FREE and open to the public. Due to limited space, pre-registration is required by February 3rd.
REGISTRATION LINK: https://events.anr.msu.edu/straitsonfire/
Speakers:
Josh Cohen, Senior Conservation Associate, MNFI
Mary Parr, Fire Ecologist, MNFI
Dr. Kurt Kipfmueller, Professor of Indigenous and Tribal Natural Resource Management, jointly appointed in the Department of Forestry at Michigan State University and the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities.
Detailed AGENDA:
5:30 p.m.: Strolling Appetizers - Please bring an appetizer to pass, a serving utensil and a label for those with dietary restrictions.
6:15 p.m.: Educational Talk by Josh Cohen and Mary Parr, Michigan Natural Features Inventory: Setting the Straits on Fire
7:15 p.m.: Dessert & Explore the Conservatory
7:45 p.m.: Adjourn

Detailed TALK DESCRIPTION:
Through the Coastal Program, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service established a cooperative agreement with Michigan Natural Features Inventory, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and the University of Minnesota to prioritize biodiversity stewardship within the Straits Region. This project will build upon three complementary components: A. Collating knowledge about factors that determine priority for cultural burning; B. Reconstructing fire histories of culturally significant sites through dendrochronology; and C. Developing models to identify the most ecologically and culturally important places and thereby increase the integrity of native ecosystems, improve habitat for native biodiversity, and increase opportunities for cultural expression of Indigenous communities. In this presentation, we will share results about the reconstruction of fire history in the homeland of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.
This program is brought to you by Michigan State University Extension and the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum.