Michigan’s Upper Peninsula hosts the Seney National Wildlife Refuge that works to protect the area’s unique wildlife. Hidden away from the dangers of mankind’s urban development, the Seney National Wildlife Refuge protects hundreds of different types of wildlife from losing their habitats. The Seney Refuge has been instrumental in the protection of these species and have prevented many of them from extinction.

The Seney National Wildlife Refuge’s Beginnings and Origins

In response to the exploitation of the forests and wetlands of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a need for a wildlife refuge became heavily apparent. In 1935, the United States government established the Seney National Wildlife Refuge on what remained of the Great Manistique Swamp. After the major exploitation of the area’s forests from around 1880 to 1910, developers attempted to literally drain the swamp in order to create more farmland. Ultimately, the attempts at draining the wetland was a failure. Instead of the natural state the area was previously, it was littered with different canals, drainage ponds, and ditches. At this point the wetland was essentially ruined. Luckily in the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps employed work crews to restore, rebuild, and even expanded the wetland drains, however, this time for the benefit and health of the environment. The ponds created by the Civilian Conservation Corps are still used to this day.

A Wild Goose Chase

In 1935- when the Seney National Wildlife Refuge was founded- the Canadian goose was a threatened species. Due to the year round, widespread overhunting of the Canadian goose by hunters- both legal and illegal- lead to the number of Canadian geese to plummet. At the time that the Seney National Wildlife Refuge was created, the Canadian goose was living in small numbers who avoided people as much as humanly possible. One of the main goals in establishing the Seney National Wildlife Refuge was to create a protected habitat for these geese. During the first winter of the refuge’s operation, 300 geese with their pinions cut off (in order to prevent flight) were herded into a pond within the refuge. In this fenced in pond, the geese were fed and looked after. The hope was that these geese would then produce a group of goslings that would eventually establish a migratory pattern of behavior and hopefully, a return to the refuge. These goslings then would be banded and tracked. However, this work wasn’t very successful in its’ beginning years. Each year there was an ever increasingly small amount of hatched goslings and even fewer returned to the Seney Refuge. Unfortunately, it was clear that poaching was still occurring. At the same time, the parent population of geese shrank from 300 to 45 birds from 1936 to 1945. Finally in 1946, an increase in the geese population occurred and this flock continued to bred and increase their numbers. By 1956, the Seney Canada geese’s population grew to roughly 3,000 birds. Their numbers continued to grow even after the hunting of the Canada goose was reinstated. The Seney National Wildlife Refuge’s Canadian goose project was a key component in re-establishing them as one of North America’s major wetland birds.

Beyond the Goose- Other Birds to Watch

The 95,238 acres of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge are home to a plethora of different forms of wildlife, beyond just the Canadian geese. The Seney Refuge is known for its’ abundance of bird species and their work in protecting them. Outside of the Canadian goose, the refuge is also home to seventeen pairs of common loons that return every year to nest here. The refuge provides the loons with the necessary amount of open water to satisfy the amount of fish they need for an adequate diet and habitat. The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is an excellent spot for birdwatching- over 200 species of birds can be spotted. Specifically within the refuge at the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory over 337 different bird species can be sighted from their Lake Superior location. If visitors are lucky enough, they might be able to see a purple finch or even the United States’ national bird, the bald eagle. However, regardless of what bird species visitors are able to see, it’s always a breathtaking sight.

Mammals, Mammals, Mammals

Despite being well known for its’ multitude of different bird species, the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, is also home to a multitude of different mammal species. Depending on the season of the year, the mammals that can be spotted differ greatly. As the snow melts away as spring blossoms, black bears awaken from their slumber and frogs begin to reappear. In addition to this, Canadian geese and loons return. As the temperature increases and summer is in full swing, the whitetail deer is a commonplace sight and on rarer instances, visitors can even spot bobcats, river otters, foxes, porcupines, and even the occasional moose. With the approach of autumn, many animals begin their migration south or prepare for their winter hibernation. Despite this, badgers and raccoons are still readily spotted. Finally as winter creeps into the refuge, animal sightings become increasingly rare, but the ones that can still be spotted are breathtaking. Wolves, moose, coyotes, deer, snowshoe hares, and even otters can still be spotted amongst the snow.

Visiting the Seney National Wildlife Refuge

Each year the Seney National Wildlife Refuge attracts thousands of visitors who hope to witness the true natural beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There are a multitude of different ways for visitors to explore the Seney Refuge. Visitors can explore the refuge by driving on the Marshland Wildlife Drive, walk on the Pine Ridge Nature Trail, or even explore the refuge more directly by biking, hiking, snowshoeing, or skiing the back country or canoe or kayak on the Manistique River. This allows for visitors to explore the refuge and see wildlife up close without disturbing the natural environment. The visitor center is open from May until October, however the refuge is free for visitors to explore year round.

Seney Wildlife Inspiration

The work that the Seney National Wildlife Refuge has done to protect Michigan’s wildlife is insurmountable. Without the preservation of hundreds of different animals’ habitats and protection from hunting, many of these animals would now be extinct. The inspiring work of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge has in turn inspired the Northern Polish when it came to creating colors for the 2020 fall collection. One of the new polishes, a cool toned, aquamarine based green, is named in honor of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. This shade, simply known as Seney Wildlife, honors the beauty and importance of the refuge in a truly amazing way. It also helps that this green shade is a fall must have. To check out this beautiful new nail polish shade, make sure to follow this link;