Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge

08/28/2026

Check it out!

Honeybees are one of the most vital pollinators in the world. They pollinate a myriad of flowers and help humans produce crops such as almonds, lemons, okra, papaya, and watermelon. Honeybees live in intricate colonies and have senses that not only help them communicate with each other, but help navigate their world as well. Honeybees have the ability to sense the earth’s magnetic field and detect electromagnetic waves in the atmosphere. This helps them know when weather patterns shift, such as when thunderstorms are coming. Honeybees are one of many bee species that live in the refuge. What bee species have you seen recently?

Photo Credit: H. Keepers/USFWS

08/26/2026

We are hiring!

Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge is looking for a great maintenance professional to join our team! The position is open to the public. The job posting is open to applications until September 3. Check out the link below to learn more and apply on USAJOBS.

In this role, you will perform skilled maintenance, repair, construction, and heavy-equipment work supporting the Service's conservation mission. You will operate, maintain, and troubleshoot electric and gas-powered pumps, transport equipment and trailers with a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), su...

08/25/2026

Time for a woody Trivia Tuesday!

Michigan has many different oak species, including red oak, pin oak, and chestnut oak. One oak species that grows in the refuge is the white oak, identifiable by its smooth, lobed leaves. Oak trees are famous for being thirsty—but do you know how many gallons of water a mature white oak tree, like this one along the Woodland Trail in the refuge, can drink per day? Comment your guess and find out the answer at 5pm!

A) 50 gallons
B) 75 gallons
C) 100 gallons
D) 150 gallons

Photo Credit: A. Martinson/USFWS

08/21/2026

Ready for your fun fact of the day?

Turkey vultures are fascinating birds for many reasons, but did you know that they lack a syrinx—the vocal organ of birds? They can only vocalize through grunts and low hisses. Vultures can migrate in massive flocks, sometimes numbering in the thousands! Have you seen a turkey vulture in the refuge recently?

Photo Credit: R. Lowe/USFWS

08/20/2026

September is rapidly approaching, which means our first open house is coming up soon!

Open house days are days when all visitors are allowed to explore off trails and traditionally closed areas of the refuge. Hunters typically use this as a scouting weekend, but open houses are available for all visitors to utilize. Our first open house is September 5th to September 7th, and our second open house is September 25th to September 27th. If you have any additional questions, give us a call at 989-777-5930. Enjoy exploring the refuge!

Photo Credit: A. Martinson/USFWS

08/19/2026

How much room do fungi need to grow? As mushroom as possible!

Today’s Wildlife Wednesday we’re highlighting a crucial group of organisms that live in the refuge—fungi! Fungi are decomposers, working hard to break down decaying organic matter. In the process, the fungi recycle nutrients back into the soil. Without fungi and other decomposers, all dead organic matter would simply pile up. There’s a lot of reasons to be thankful for decomposers in nature!

Photo Credit: C. Celley/USFWS

08/14/2026

Today is World Lizard Day!

Michigan has only two native species of lizards—the five-lined skink and the six-lined racer. Lizards are ectothermic, which means they cannot regulate their body temperature internally. Instead, they rely on external sources, such as the sun to warm up and shade to cool down. One interesting fact is that lizards bask in the sun not only to warm up—they also do it to get a boost of vitamin D, a valuable vitamin that helps with organ function, bone development, and egg production. Lizards are a valuable point in the food web, in both maintaining insect populations and by being a food source for species such as hawks, crows, snakes, raccoons, and foxes.

Photo Credit: E. Wess/USFWS

08/12/2026

Today’s Wildlife Wednesday takes a look at a secretive marsh bird in the refuge—the Virginia rail!

The Virginia rail (Rallus limicola) is a crepuscular bird that thrives in shallow freshwater wetlands full of stands of cattails and rushes. They eat a variety of invertebrates, small fish, crayfish, and frogs, adding plant seeds into their diet during the wintertime. Their strong legs and long toes allow them to walk and run on floating mats of vegetation in the wetlands. In fact, rails as a group/type of birds have the highest ratio of leg muscles to flight muscles of any bird, emphasizing how they prefer to walk than fly in their habitat. One fun fact is that Virginia rails tend to create several “dummy” nests in their territory before raising their chicks in their real nest.

Photo Credit: J. Bonello/USFWS

08/11/2026

Time for another Trivia Tuesday!

Bald eagles can oftentimes be seen in the refuge all gathered in one area, particularly if there is an abundant food source nearby. Here’s your trivia question of the day: what is the name of a group of bald eagles called? Comment your guess and check back at 5pm to find out the answer!

A) A band
B) A charm
C) A convocation
D) A raft

Photo Credit: J. Cardwell/USFWS

08/08/2026

Happy International Cat Day!

Did you know that bobcats utilize the refuge? Several bobcats have been spotted via camera traps set up by the Michigan Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit collecting data at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge over the last few years. Bobcats are nocturnal animals with wide territories. Males often range approximately between 20 to 50 square miles, overlapping with multiple smaller female territory ranges in the process.

Image Credit: MDNR