Event Details 

Summer Lecture Series: Nature and Recreation in Michigan:  FULL SERIES
What’s your favorite recreational activity? Do you know what’s available in Michigan? This series will be your guide to the many fun-filled activities
offered nearby. From fishing to frisbee golf, from swimming to snow skiing, discover the great outdoors in our area parks. Explore Nature and Recreation in
Southeast Michigan next June with OLLI.

6/9
Michigan’s State Parks: 100 years of making memories
In 2019, Michigan’s State Parks had their 100th Anniversary. In this paneled presentation, Craig, Hillary, and Theresa will share the history of
Michigan’s State Parks, how they were developed by programs like the CCC and specific champions of conservation like P.S. Lovejoy and Genevieve Gillette
and a closer look at what unique features people will encounter when visiting our State Parks in the Great Lakes State.

Craig Kasmer has worked as the Park Interpreter at Hartwick Pines State Park for 20 years. His degree is in forestry (MSU) but prior to that, he pursued a
degree in fine arts/theater (WSU). His educational background has allowed him to bring his enthusiasm and passion of nature to visitors of Michigan State
Parks.

Hillary Pine has a B.A. in Art History from the University of Michigan and an M.A. in Cultural Heritage & Museum Studies from the University of East
Anglia. As a Historian with the DNR and Michigan History Center, Hillary is responsible for the Hartwick Pines Logging Museum, the Higgins Lake Nursery,
and the Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps Museum. Hillary especially enjoys giving tours and public programs to share Michigan’s diverse history with
the public. 

Theresa Neal has worked at Tahquamenon Falls State Park as an Interpretive Ranger since 2005. She develops and presents educational, hands-on programs and
activities for visitors and organizations year-round. Theresa is a proud graduate of Michigan State University and resides just south of Paradise with her
husband and crazy bird-dog.

6/16
Management History, Past and Present, of Michigan’s Cervids (Deer, Elk, and Moose)
Chad will discuss the history of cervids and cervid management in Michigan.  The unique history for these three species will include recent efforts to both
grow and reduce populations as the landscape and dynamics of Michigan continue to change.  

Chad Stewart has been the Deer, Elk, and Moose Management Specialist for the Michigan DNR for over 7 years.  Previously, he worked for the Indiana DNR as
their statewide Deer Biologist.  Chad has also worked for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, working on various deer research projects and
international wildlife projects in China and Malaysia.  He is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and holds degrees from the University of Illinois and Penn
State University.

6/23
The Huron-Clinton Metroparks:  Southeastern Michigan Gems
With 13 parks and nearly 25,000 acres of woods, water and recreational facilities, the Huron-Clinton Metroparks are one of the nation’s premier regional
park systems. Located along the Huron and Clinton Rivers in five counties, the Metroparks represent a greenbelt encompassing the Detroit metropolitan area
… and providing a natural oasis for more than 7 million visitors each year.  In the Metroparks, you can picnic, fish, swim, boat, hike, bike, golf,
cross-country ski, sled, snowshoe, and, in general, convene with nature.  This lecture will describe the Metroparks via photos and videos, review their
history, and also discuss major initiatives including diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.  

Amy McMillan is Director of the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  Amy is a double alumna of Central Michigan University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in
recreation and parks administration as well as a Master of Science in administration.  She previously served as Director of Parks and Recreation for the
City of Ypsilanti, and Director of the Genesee County Parks.  At Genesee, she led the Flint Riverfront Restoration Project (rehabilitating the Flint River
through downtown).  At the Metroparks, she has focused on building a stronger relationship with the City of Detroit, and implementing a Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion initiative to create a Metroparks that better reflects the metropolitan community it serves.    

Artina Carter is the Chief of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks, and a Lecturer at the University of Michigan-Flint.  She
has a BA in History from the University of Michigan-Flint and an MBA from the Baker Center for Graduate Studies.  Previously, she held administrative
positions at the YWCA of Greater Flint, and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.  She is a Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Leader Alum, a proud
Beecher Buccaneer, and an active member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of Flint.