Michigan DNR: Have A Bushel Of Fun Picking Pine Cones

Press release from Michigan DNR:

August 18, 2021

Contact: Jason Hartman, 989-390-0279 Agency: Natural Resources

Looking for an outdoor side hustle? Collecting a bushel of pine cones next month will net you $75 and help the Michigan Department of Natural Resources plant trees in state forests.

Sept. 1-30, 2021, you can pick red pine cones and drop them off by appointment at six DNR locations: three in the Upper Peninsula and three in the Lower Peninsula.

Fresh cones can be found in felled treetops from recent timber sales, on state forestlands and in recently gathered squirrel caches (yes, you can steal from a squirrel). If picking from a recent timber sale, logger permission is necessary, and pickers must wear hardhats for safety. The simplest way, however, is to pick from living red pine trees where branches extend close to the ground.

Before you haul out your ladder, there are specific things foresters look for in a "perfect" fresh seed pine cone from a red pine - commit the following criteria to memory, because old cones or the wrong species won't be accepted. You'll also need to complete a few steps to register as a vendor in our online system so you can get paid for your efforts.

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Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.

• Pine cone picking: An AmeriCorps member picks ripe red pine cones.
• Ripe pine cones: Ready-to-pick red pine cones have closed scales and often show a green or purple tint.
• Fresh-picked cones: Closed, freshly-cut pine cones will soon be processed to release the seeds to be collected for planting.
• Pine seedling: A young pine planted from collected seed.

This press release was produced by the Michigan DNR. The views expressed here are the author’s own.