In the 1930s, a tree army invaded Michigan. 100,000 strong, the men of the Civilian Conservation Corps occupied over 120 camps throughout the state. They fought forest fires, built state parks, and planted 484 million trees, while sending much-needed money home to their families. Join Historian, Hillary Pine, to learn how this Great Depression-era program transformed Michigan’s landscape in ways that can still be seen today.

Hillary Pine is from Munising, lives in St. Ignace, and is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She 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. She is the Northern Lower Peninsula Historian for the DNR and Michigan History Center. Hillary works out of Hartwick Pines State Park and 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.