A few weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of giving back to the public lands that give us so much.

This past weekend, we got the opportunity to put those words into action.

Tip of the Spear Outdoors hosted our first public land Stewardship Day, bringing together a small group of volunteers to clean up parking and access areas on Michigan public land.

We didn't have a huge group, but the people who came ready to work made up for it. By the end of the day, we had cleaned up nearly every parking area we had planned to tackle and removed a significant amount of trash from the property.

More importantly, it was a great day spent outside with good people working toward a common goal.

Our first Public Land Stewardship Day at Oak Grove State Game Area.

Thank you to everyone who helped share the event and spread the word. Every share, message, and bit of support helped us get our first Stewardship Day off the ground.

A Small Group Can Make a Big Difference

Going into the day, I wasn't really sure what to expect.

This was our first time organizing an event like this, and with any volunteer project you never know how many people are actually going to show up.

What I learned pretty quickly is that you don't necessarily need a huge group to accomplish something meaningful.

SMALL GROUP. REAL IMPACT.

Stewardship doesn't require a crowd. It requires people willing to show up, put in the work, and leave our public lands better than they found them.

We divided up, worked through the different parking and access areas, picked up everything from the small stuff people walk past every day to larger pieces of dumped debris, and just kept moving.

Despite the heat, everyone kept working.

By the time we wrapped up, seeing the difference between some of the areas when we arrived and when we left made the entire day worth it.

Leave it better than you found it.

That was the goal, and I think we accomplished it.

More Than Picking Up Trash

Public land stewardship doesn't always involve a massive habitat project.

Sometimes it's simply a handful of people spending a Saturday picking up garbage.

But those small actions add up.

Everyone has something to contribute. Whether you're picking up trash, helping organize, providing supplies, or simply lending a hand, stewardship has a place for everyone.

Clean parking areas and access points make these places better for hunters, anglers, hikers, wildlife watchers, families, and everyone else who uses them. They also demonstrate that the outdoor community cares about the places we're fortunate enough to use.

For me, that's one of the biggest reasons I wanted to organize this event in the first place.

Conservation isn't something we should only talk about.

Sometimes you've just got to show up and do the work.

STEWARDSHIP IN ACTION

It doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes conservation is simply seeing something that needs to be done and being willing to do it.

WORKING TOGETHER

This event wouldn't have happened without quite a few people helping behind the scenes and in the field.

A huge thank you goes to the Shiawassee River Branch of the National Deer Association for supporting the event and providing supplies and lunch for our volunteers. After several hours working in the heat, I can tell you the pizza was very much appreciated.

I also want to thank Lake Effect Junk Removal for donating the trash hauling service and helping make sure everything we collected actually made it off the property and was properly disposed of.

Thank you to Kara Colton with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, a fellow wildlife biologist who helped us identify an opportunity to contribute and helped get this project moving in the right direction.

And most importantly, thank you to everyone who gave up part of their Saturday to come out and work alongside us.

Whether you stayed for part of the day or stuck it out through the heat with us, you helped make a real difference.

Some of the volunteers and family members who helped make our first Stewardship Day possible. Not everyone who joined us that day is pictured, but every set of hands made a difference.

The First of Many

One of my goals when I started Tip of the Spear Outdoors was to do more than simply build a hunting and wildlife business.

I wanted conservation, education, and stewardship to actually be part of what we do.

Our first Stewardship Day was a small step toward that goal.

There are things we'll learn from this one. There are things we'll do differently next time. But standing there at the end of the day looking at clean parking areas and a pile of trash that wasn't going to remain on public land anymore, I was pretty happy with what our little group accomplished.

Hopefully, this was only the first of many.

To everyone who volunteered, donated, supported the event, shared our posts, or simply encouraged us along the way:

Thank you.

We'll see you at the next one.

Forged by Service, Dedicated to the Outdoors.