As pandemic restrictions pushed people outdoors in 2020, visitors sought refuge in the National Parks System.
The post Great Lakes National Parks see record visitors in 2020 first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/05/04/great-lakes-national-parks-see-record-visitors-in-2020/
The new hitchhikers in the Great Lakes region aren’t stopping drivers with a thumbs up. They’re riding moss balls across the ocean.
The post Forget freighter ballast, these mussels got here on moss balls first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/05/03/forget-freighter-ballast-these-mussels-got-here-on-moss-balls/
Serious health problems like increasing asthma rates among children in Detroit’s Black and Hispanic communities have been linked to what local organizations call environmental injustices as a result of low air quality and polluted neighborhoods.
The post Chronic health problems linked to pollution fuels environmental justice movement first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/30/chronic-health-problems-linked-to-pollution-fuels-environmental-justice-movement/
Meteotsunamis also threaten the ecosystem by increasing erosion and releasing contaminants within sediments.
The post Tsunamis caused by air pressure could resuspend Great Lakes contaminants first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/29/tsunamis-caused-by-air-pressure-could-resuspend-great-lakes-contaminants/
Disease and a newly identified fungus have been killing Michigan’s blue spruce population for roughly a decade, and the dangers show no signs of slowing.
The post Blue spruce fungus hits Christmas tree, landscape tree growers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/28/blue-spruce-fungus-hits-christmas-tree-landscape-tree-growers/
A World War Two fighter plane that was lost in a training accident in the 1940s will be recovered and displayed, according to Wayne Lusardi, a state maritime archaeologist at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, an underwater preserve in Lake Huron.
The post How archeologists excavate Great Lakes wrecks first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/28/how-archeologists-excavate-great-lakes-wrecks/
Wildlife experts are pushing stronger conservation and protection efforts for Michigan's threatened and endangered species.
The post Going wild, experts continue preservation of endangered species first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/27/going-wild-experts-continue-preservation-of-endangered-species/
Michigan farmers take measures to reduce their environmental impact.
The post Michigan farms working to combat climate change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/26/michigan-farms-working-to-combat-climate-change/
Industries such as steel, cement, chemical and automotive are working to become more energy-efficient by implementing the use of renewable resources, experts say.
The post Energy-intensive industries work toward smaller carbon footprint first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/23/energy-intensive-industries-work-toward-smaller-carbon-footprint/
Despite financial challenges, Michigan lighthouse boosters are eager to move forward with restoration plans this year.
The post Lighthouses plan to pursue restoration plans first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/22/lighthouses-plan-to-pursue-restoration-plans/
Are pockets of untrimmed greenery in urban spaces also wild spaces?
The post Commentary: We need wild places in urban spaces first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/21/commentary-we-need-wild-places-in-urban-spaces/
More than 10 pedestrians were fatally struck by trains in Michigan in the past three years.
The post Groups work to stop Michigan pedestrian deaths by trains first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/20/groups-work-to-stop-michigan-pedestrian-deaths-by-trains/
Solar rooftop programs have been growing in Michigan, but they’ve hit a cap on customer participation.
The post Michigan lawmakers look at more solar panels for homeowners, businesses first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/19/michigan-lawmakers-look-at-more-solar-panels-for-homeowners-businesses/
The Upper Peninsula Energy Task Force is calling for Michigan to invest in more electric vehicle charging stations.
The post State promotes more electric car charging stations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/19/state-promotes-more-electric-car-charging-stations-in-michigans-upper-peninsula/
Migratory bird patterns are shifting as temperatures increase in North America, leaving birds to find new sources of food and adjust to the warmer climate, according to a new study
The post Changes in migratory bird patterns likely caused by climate change, study finds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/16/changes-in-migratory-bird-patterns-likely-caused-by-climate-change-study-finds/
As the COVID-19 pandemic has upended much business as usual in the last year, charter fishing ventures on the Great Lakes say they’ve experienced higher demand for their services and look to this summer with anticipation.
The post On course for a ‘phenomenal year’: Charter captains hope for boom in 2021 first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/16/on-course-for-a-phenomenal-year-charter-captains-hope-for-boom-in-2021/
Take a look at Echo's top 16 stories from 2020.
The post The best-read Great Lakes Echo stories last year first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/15/the-best-read-great-lakes-echo-stories-last-year/
How breweries are using the leftover grain from the brewing process.
The post Breweries repurposing waste to feed people and animals first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/15/breweries-repurposing-waste-to-feed-people-and-animals/
Growing public concern about shrinking sunfish sizes led to lower daily harvest limits across Minnesota this year.
The post New sunfish regulations let Minnesota’s fish grow first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/15/new-sunfish-regulations-let-minnesotas-fish-grow/
This spring, Michigan’s maritime museums are striving to rise above last year’s calamity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The post Maritime museums brave the pandemic first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/14/maritime-museums-brave-the-pandemic/
Birds that rely on aquatic insects for food have declined for decades.
The post Saving streams can save bugs and birds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/14/saving-streams-can-save-bugs-and-birds/
Two new projects will use over $500,000 to help the declining pheasant population in Illinois by improving habitat, experts say.
The post Over $500,000 dedicated to pheasant habitat conservation in Illinois first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/13/over-500000-dedicated-to-pheasant-habitat-conservation-in-illinois/
A tribal aviary located north of Harbor Springs will be the first of its kind east of the Mississippi River.
The post New eagle aviary and rehabilitation center will be built out of a collaboration between Wings of Wonder and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of the Odawa Indians first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/12/new-eagle-aviary-and-rehabilitation-center-will-be-built-out-of-a-collaboration-between-wings-of-wonder-and-the-little-traverse-bay-bands-of-the-odawa-indians/
A greater understanding of muskrats' impact could help guide understanding of their dependence on Great Lakes water levels and their related ecosystem roles.
The post Muskrats love fluctuating water levels. Property owners, not so much. first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/12/muskrats-love-fluctuating-water-levels-property-owners-not-so-much/
The Great Lakes region should expect shorter winters, according to a long-term deep water temperature study of Lake Michigan by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
The post Rising deep Lake Michigan temperatures may portend shorter winters first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/09/rising-deep-lake-michigan-temperatures-may-portend-shorter-winters/
Residents worry a lack of environmental education threatens Michigan’s defining feature, the Great Lakes, according to a recent study.
The post Michiganders want more environmental education first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/08/michiganders-want-more-environmental-education/
Michigan researchers are asking for volunteers to transcribe paper fish observation records that date back more than a century.
The post Researchers need help transcribing 100-year-old fish records first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/07/researchers-need-help-transcribing-100-year-old-fish-records/
A Land Ethic Mentorship program run by the Wisconsin-based agriculture nonprofit organization, Sand County Foundation, will help poor, beginner or socially disadvantaged farmers across the nation practice conservation.
The post Mentors to teach conservation farming to beginners, veterans, socially disadvantaged first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/06/mentors-to-teach-conservation-farming-to-beginners-veterans-socially-disadvantaged/
Michigan-grown hay is traveling south to feed horses in Florida.
The post Rising fuel prices might cause Southern horses to vote ‘neigh’ on Michigan hay first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/06/rising-fuel-prices-might-cause-southern-horses-to-vote-neigh-on-michigan-hay/
With the recent confirmation of Deb Haaland to lead the Department of the Interior, the nation has its first Native American cabinet member.
The post ‘We now have a seat at the table:’ Michigan tribes embrace new Interior secretary first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/05/we-now-have-a-seat-at-the-table-michigan-tribes-embrace-new-interior-secretary/
Michigan is spending $30 million to help public companies and private businesses buy low emission freight trucks, buses, tugboats and cargo handling equipment.
The post Michigan offers funds for alternative energy vehicles first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/05/michigan-offers-funds-for-alternative-energy-vehicles/
LED lights allow you to pick the spectrums of the sun that are most useful for plants.
The post Technology extends salad bowl to Midwest first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/02/technology-extends-salad-bowl-to-midwest/
Scientists are looking at the diet of bank swallows to understand what is causing their population decline.
The post Diet may solve mysterious decline of Great Lakes shorebirds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/01/diet-may-solve-mysterious-decline-of-great-lakes-shorebirds/
Restoring one of the rapids on the St. Marys River is helping diverse fish species recover in the river that connects lakes Superior and Huron, according to a recent study.
The post Rapids return means fish returns first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/31/rapids-return-means-fish-returns/
Accurate information about murder hornets must be provided to the public to limit their spread and protect native bee populations, an entomology researcher told the Michigan Beekeepers Association.
The post Entomology researcher explains the dangers of murder hornets first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/31/entomology-researcher-explains-the-dangers-of-murder-hornets/
The Michigan Craft Beverage Council recently awarded $34,644 to study how to produce new varieties of apples for cider making.
The post Red-fleshed apples could keep Michigan cider makers in the black first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/30/red-fleshed-apples-could-keep-michigan-cider-makers-in-the-black/
Some at-risk turtles in Ontario won’t have to look both ways before crossing the road to avoid getting hit in traffic.
The post New project conserves Ontario’s eight at-risk turtle species first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/29/new-project-conserves-ontarios-eight-at-risk-turtle-species/
The COVID-19 pandemic indirectly caused more drownings in the Great Lakes, according to a study published in the journal Ocean and Coastal Management.
The post Great Lakes drownings rise during pandemic first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/26/great-lakes-drownings-rise-during-pandemic/
Michigan zoos say they aim to provide a safe and educational experience for individuals and families this year.
The post Despite the pandemic, zoos remain optimistic first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/25/despite-the-pandemic-zoos-remain-optimistic/
Michigan zoos say they aim to provide a safe and educational experience for individuals and families this year.
The post Despite the pandemic, zoos remain optimistic first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/25/despite-the-pandemic-zoos-remain-optimistic/
Michigan and other states need to collect more information about the enforcement of worker protection standards to protect farmworkers from pesticide exposure, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan investigatory arm of Congress.
The post Farmworkers need information on pesticides, federal report says first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/24/farmworkers-need-information-on-pesticides-federal-report-says/
As lakes thaw this spring, you might spot dead fish, experts warn.
The post Don’t panic over dead fish first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/23/dont-panic-over-dead-fish/
Energy experts say Michigan can make its energy infrastructure more reliable against the effects of climate change by increasing the state’s energy storage capabilities and improving technologies that detect power outages.
The post Smart meters, solar panels could improve energy reliability amid climate change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/22/smart-meters-solar-panels-could-improve-energy-reliability-amid-climate-change/
There is an emerging new worker that could make a career out of sorting recyclables: robots.
The post Pandemic, China trash-ban push recyclers to robots first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/22/pandemic-china-trash-ban-push-recyclers-to-robots/
Indiana's program was inspired by a similar successful passport program in Iowa.
The post Free Indiana nature passports reward outdoor adventurers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/19/free-indiana-nature-passports-reward-outdoor-adventurers/
President Joe Biden’s recent “Buy American” executive order could provide future employment and economic growth for Michigan, food processors and agricultural industries, experts say.
The post Michigan food industries enthused about Biden “Buy American” order first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/18/michigan-food-industries-enthused-about-biden-buy-american-order/
Last year was difficult for West Michigan breweries.
The post Grants help keep breweries open and saves jobs, brewers say first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/17/grants-help-keep-breweries-open-and-saves-jobs-brewers-say/
Conventional farming practices have eroded much of the topsoil from a region of the Midwest known as the corn belt, according to a recent study.
The post As much as a third of the topsoil in the corn belt may be gone first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/17/as-much-as-a-third-of-the-topsoil-in-the-corn-belt-may-be-gone/
Chicago environmental groups are pushing to protect urban gardens from fines levied for having too many weeds.
The post Chicago could adopt garden registry soon first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/16/chicago-could-adopt-garden-registry-soon/
By Samuel Blatchford Capital News Service Amtrak is trying to get back on track after ridership dropped on Michigan routes over 40% since the pandemic started last March. Amtrak operates three routes in Michigan: The Wolverine, which runs between Detroit and Chicago; the Pere Marquette, which runs between Grand Rapids and Chicago; and the Blue […]
The post Full steam ahead: Amtrak focused on resuming regular service to Michigan routes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/15/full-steam-ahead-amtrak-focused-on-resuming-regular-service-to-michigan-routes/
