Belle Isle -- Share your thoughts with the DNR at upcoming meetings

Share your thoughts with the DNR at upcoming meetings

The Department of Natural Resources is committed to providing Michigan citizens the opportunity to share input and ideas on policy decisions, programs and other aspects of natural resource management and outdoor recreation opportunities. One important avenue for this input is at meetings of the public bodies that advise the DNR and, in some cases, also set policies for natural resource management.

The following boards, commissions, committees and councils will hold public meetings next month. The public is encouraged to attend. The links below will take you to the webpage for each group, where you'll find specific meeting locations and, when finalized, meeting agendas.

Please check these pages frequently, as meeting details and agendas may change and sometimes meetings are canceled.

July meetings

• Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee – July 18, 9 to 11 a.m., Belle Isle Flynn Pavilion, Detroit (Contact: Barbara Graves, 517-284-6135)
• Forest Management Advisory Committee – July 10, 1 to 4 p.m., DNR Parks and Recreation Division Stewardship Office, Howell (Contact: Kimberley Korbecki, 517-284-5876)
• Michigan Natural Resources Commission – July 11, 9 a.m., Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Lansing (Contact: Cheryl Nelson, 517-284-6237)
• Pigeon River Country Advisory Council – July 25, 5 p.m., Pigeon River Country State Forest Headquarters, Vanderbilt (Contact: Scott Whitcomb, 989-983-4101)
• Timber Advisory Council – July 12, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., conference call; dial 888-557-8511, access code 8718230 (Contact: Kimberley Korbecki, 517-284-5876)
• Trails Advisory Council – July 10, 10 a.m., Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center, Roscommon (Contact: Paul Yauk, 517-284-6141)
• Western Upper Peninsula Citizens’ Advisory Council – July 18, 6 p.m. EDT/ 5 p.m. CDT, Island Convention Center—Turtle Room, Harris (Contact: Stacy Welling Haughey, 906-226-1331)

Summer evenings are a wonderful time to visit Belle Isle Park for a bit of relaxation, recreation and connection to the outdoors.

Starting July 10 and running through Sept. 11, visitors can enjoy an extended visit to the park's Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory Wednesday evenings until 8 p.m. If the longer hours are well received, additional evening hours may be added next summer, too.

“During the summer, many people want to visit the conservatory and gardens in the evening,” said Jeremy Kemp, DNR Parks and Recreation head horticulturalist. “The conservatory was closed for many weeks this spring during major structural repairs to the conservatory’s 85-foot dome. The tropical plants were rejuvenated, too. The extended evening hours will give people a chance to visit after work and take advantage of the cooler temperatures, while enjoying the collection of exotic plants from around the world.”

The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, featuring a collection of exotic plants, is one of the most visited and recognizable historic structures in Belle Isle Park and one of the oldest in the United States. The two buildings, designed by Albert Kahn, opened Aug. 18, 1904. On April 6, 1955, the conservatory was dedicated to Anna Scripps Whitcomb , who donated her 600-plant orchid collection to the city of Detroit.

For more information, contact Belle Isle Park headquarters at 313-821-9844. Learn more about Belle Isle attractions, amenities and visitor information atBelleIslePark.org.