Hi! My name is Hanna Muntz and I’m excited to be joining Oakland Township Parks as a stewardship technician this season. Originally from Taylor, I went to Central Michigan University (CMU) and graduated with a degree in biology in 2021. For the last four years, I’ve been working in Nevada as a field biologist in both Elko and Reno.

I was privileged to cultivate my path early. I grew up with the outdoors as my playground and slowly learned the beauty of ecology and where my love of nature truly fits in my life. With 40 acres of Northern Michigan forest to explore in Alpena, I have fond memories of picking raspberries, spending hours at the ponds catching frogs, and making bouquets of wildflowers (mostly dandelions).

As time went on, I found other outlets of adventure. I have backpacked, camped, and hiked all over the country, never forgetting my appreciation for what’s here and now. Great views and even better company, I’ve been to 20 national parks across the country. I’m normally the nerd creek-side that you pass by and wonder why she’s staring at wet rocks (big fan of cool bugs).

I was originally at CMU for pre-medicine. I had this idea that being in healthcare was where I was meant to be and, over time, found that it was unfulfilling for me. After some soul searching, a friend asked me to apply to a freshwater mussel lab within the university and, on a whim, I thought why not and ended up getting the job. In this position I discovered my love and respect for research and haven’t left the field since. Some of my favorite projects there were diversity surveys in the Chippewa River, propagation of Epioblasma triquetra (snuffbox) in a trailer, measuring burrow depths of Ligumia recta (black sandshell), and collecting mantle samples of Eurynia dilatata (spike).

After finishing with my classes in May of 2021, I skipped my graduation ceremony, packed everything I owned into my sedan, and drove 28 hours, setting my sights on Nevada. For my first two years there, I was a lead on a stream survey project for assessing Lahontan cutthroat trout habitat. I took abiotic measurements (non-living characteristics) of sites around Elko County that were established in the 1970s and was able to compare data we gathered with those historical records. With cattle in the forefront of the mind, I knew that many areas assessed in the ’70s were mainly composed of a dirt bank, no vegetation, and a trickle of water. Luckily, through updated management practices, very few sites look like that today. Although both cattle in general and cattle access to the limited aquatic habitats there is a sensitive topic, the West is slowly finding a balance by communication with ranchers and federal agencies.

My last two years in Nevada, I worked with Pyrgulopsis spp. (springsnails). The story behind these snails is a true testament of adaptation. In prehistoric times, there were several lakes within Nevada. The largest being Lake Lahontan. These snails likely lived on the margins of the lake and when the lake dried with time, the snails (after losing the majority of their habitat) found their new niche within the spring systems that remained. Since then, they broke off into separate species and several are endemic to the areas they currently occupy and will likely be petitioned to be listed as threatened.

So, my job was to survey these populations with presence/absence, habitat assessments, water quality characteristics, and taking a collection of snails to send off for genetic testing. I was also able to assist on several interagency projects and have worked with bats, frogs, toads, western freshwater mussels, a myriad of macroinvertebrate species, and speckled dace.

Trying to find my footing back in Michigan, I am grateful to have found a position here in Oakland Township. Looking at local areas with a completely different lens has been rewarding, and I’m excited to see what comes next. In my free time, you’ll probably find me jogging on the Paint Creek Trail, hiking nearby, or working on my art in the park. Feel free to ask me questions if you spot me in the wild! I love talking about my work.