Ketchum Park

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day! 🌎Love our planet❣ Love our town❣ Come get your free tree while supplies last. We have planting instructions too.🌳

06/25/2025

Please consider donate to help reach the fundraising goal so the City can get the $50,000 match!

We’re almost there! Today, several anonymous donations SKYROCKETED us toward our goal of unlocking a $50,000 matching grant. We just need to raise $8,828 before Sunday to double our dollars and put the finishing touches on the Marshall Athletic Fields Pickleball and Splash Pad project.

We’ve already broken ground — but this final push isn't about construction, it's about making our new park feel like home. The benches. The shade trees. The gathering spaces that invite people to stay, not just stop by. These are the details that turn a project into a place — one that reflects the care and character of this community.

If you believe in Marshall, we’re asking you to give today. No amount is too small — and every dollar gets us closer to unlocking this grant.

Visit patronicity.com/marshall to give, purchase a custom brick, or dedicate a bench.

City of Marshall, MI - Government

06/05/2025

Announcing the Play Right Summer Sports Camp Academy, a summer program designed for students in Grades K-12th! The program offers ⛳️ sports, ✏️ enrichment, and 🤝community activities, and will be held from June 9th to August 8th, 2025, at Opportunity High School. Transportation options are available.

To secure your spot, register at: https://forms.gle/kSiv5CPr3Sv9NipC6

04/23/2025

🌎 Happy Earth Day! 🌱

Let’s all do our part to protect our home. Every action, no matter how small, makes a difference. Here are some ideas to inspire you today and every day:

Reducing Waste
- Be mindful of food waste.
- Start a compost: Even a small bin helps!
- Reduce plastic use: Try reusable bags, bottles, and containers.
- Recycle properly: Learn what can and can’t be recycled in our area.

Sustainable Food Choices
- Grow your own food: Even a few herbs on a windowsill count!
- Shop local: Support the Marshall Farmer’s Market and local business.

Connecting with Nature
- Become a citizen scientist: Try data collection on iNaturalist or eBird.
- Plant native plants to support pollinators and wildlife.
- Minimize pesticide and herbicide use in your yard.

Water Conservation
- Plant a rain garden to manage stormwater naturally.
- Choose drought-tolerant ground cover to reduce water use.
- Consider a low-flow showerhead or toilet to save water at home.

Energy Efficiency
- Switch to LED bulbs: They last longer and use less energy.

Community Involvement
- Join a conservation group: The Marshall Area Conservation Committee welcomes you!
- Volunteer locally: Look for opportunities to help with environmental projects.

Which of these actions can you commit to? Share your ideas in the comments below! Let’s work together to create a healthier and more sustainable future for all.

04/22/2025

Happy Earth Day! 🌎

This is a Blanding's Turtle, a species of special concern in Michigan. Keep an eye out for them if you're participating in an Earth Day clean-up today!

Your best bet to find Blanding’s Turtles is in clean, shallow waters that have aquatic vegetation and muddy bottoms. They are most active during May and June because of their mating and nesting seasons, but they should be out and about now in preparation for the big event.

Beyond just being cool turtles and an important part of their ecosystem, researchers are interested in Blanding's turtles because they show few or no common signs of aging and are capable of reproduction into their 80s or 90s.

Want to learn more? Visit https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/description/11490.

Are you participating in an Earth Day event? Let us know in the comments! 🌳🌱🌎

04/19/2025

Many insects utilize Ninebark for a host plant including the Lo Moth, Glorious Habrosyne, Bluish Spring Moth, Hitched Arches Moth, Large Maple Spanworm, Dimorphic Eulithis Moth, Macaria Abruptata, and the White Spring Moth. In the Spring, the bees use the flowers as a food source.

04/19/2025

04/19/2025

We are taking the Michigan Vernal Pool Patrol in-person field trainings all the way up to the Upper Peninsula this year!

Vernal pool conservation starts with you. During these field trainings, you will gain field experience at a vernal pool by identifying plants and animal species and practicing the Michigan Vernal Pool Patrol monitoring protocol. These field trainings are also great opportunities to meet other vernal pool enthusiasts!

To register for these field trainings, use the links below before they fill up (capacity 30 participants):

Cedarville, May 17th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1304054846149?aff=oddtdtcreator

Marquette, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1304097383379?aff=oddtdtcreator

04/19/2025

This, our wonderful outdoors people, is a green frog tadpole. Many of you guessed (partially) correct for , noting that it was a tadpole, but there are many to choose from so we don't blame you. Let's learn about this wonderful stage in the life cycle of a frog!

Did you know that green frogs hatched from eggs in the late summer or fall will overwinter as a tadpole? If you think that's cool, you'll be excited to learn that bullfrogs can stay as tadpoles for 2 years! That's a lot of time to be small and a snack for hungry birds and fish. This one is missing a part of its tail, likely because another critter was hungry.

A female green frog can lay between 1,000 and 5,000 eggs at a time, so it's okay if some of them become food for other creatures. Not all of them will (or should?!) make it. That's a LOT of frogs.

You can see the tiny legs sprouting from this specimen. It's about to go through the metamorphosis (word of the day) and become a green frog. We know many of you are hearing frogs this time of year as they start to sing their song in attempts to make more of these little fellas.

How much of a frog fan are you? Many of us (person typing this included) have enjoyed looking for frogs and tadpoles since we were kids. There's something about seeing the life in ponds and vernal pools spring up this time of year.

Have a great weekend and keep your eyes on the lookout for amphibians and other spring critters!

04/19/2025

♻️🚤 Boaters—don’t trash your shrink-wrap, recycle it!
You'll help keep plastic out of landfills and turn it into something useful—like composite decking.

Here's how: https://tinyurl.com/2edbe7nn