May Heartlands Project Updates from TNC
Safety first when visiting the Heartlands
As spring has mostly sprung, we wanted to share a few tips and reminders for both residents and visitors on how to recreate responsibly while enjoying the Keweenaw Heartlands.
For starters, have a plan and make sure you tell someone where you are going because cell phone service is spotty throughout the area. Bring plenty of water, food, and sunscreen. If you’re accessing designated bike trails, be sure to wear a helmet. Pack out whatever you pack in and leave no trace.
ORV’s are welcome on the 29 miles of designated trails only. Make sure you carry your registration and State of Michigan Trail Sticker. The money spent to purchase those items maintains the trails and keeps everyone safe.
Campfires are not permitted in the Heartlands. Do not build them: Protect our forests and wildlife! No camping is allowed on TNC lands, including the Heartlands. Camp at designated local campgrounds or with a dispersed camping permit on Michigan Department of Natural Resources owned land.
While there aren’t many gates on the Heartlands, the ones that are there are protecting something important. Please respect any gates and signs.
Above all, no matter how you enjoy the Heartlands, be considerate of others and be safe. And if you enjoy the Heartlands and want to learn more about how to support this forest, keep an eye on the Heartlands webpage for more information in coming months.
Keweenaw Time Traveler project receives award
Congratulations to our friends at Michigan Tech University and their partners who recently received a 2024 Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation for the Keweenaw Time Traveler.
The Keweenaw Time Traveler launched in 2017 as an online atlas of Michigan’s Copper Country. The project digitally connects over 2,000 archival maps with historical data sets, including building data, censuses, city directories, and school and mining company employment records. The project has mapped and linked the homes and schools for every resident of the region from 1870–1940, connecting these with oral histories and building inventory records for every structure from this period.
Congrats again to everyone involved in this project!
Next Heartlands Update this summer
We are still working to pin down a date and location, but the next Keweenaw Heartlands Project Update Meeting for the public will take place in August. Stay tuned for more information.
In the News
Keweenaw Report: Copper Country Today – April 14, 2024