It’s October, and the stink bugs are moving into my house for the winter. So many things stink in a deliberate attempt to be repulsive. Other things stink to be attractive, but because they’re not trying to attract us, we may not like their aromas.
The post October: The smells of autumn first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/07/october-the-smells-of-autumn/
A University of Windsor graduate student is creating erosion sensors, called transducers, for less than 5% of the commercial cost. The devices help researchers understand how boat wakes erode the shoreline.
The post UWindsor undergrad cuts research costs with DIY erosion sensors first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/06/uwindsor-undergrad-cuts-research-costs-with-diy-erosion-sensors/
In her debut novel, “King of Hope,” Michigan native Kim Conklin writes about a small community in southern Ontario facing the looming threat of environmental disaster. That threat comes in the form of nuclear waste and willfully ignorant officials.
The post Novel set in Ontario examines Great Lakes nuclear waste first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/05/novel-set-in-ontario-examines-great-lakes-nuclear-waste/
Shipping vessels make Lake Superior one of the loudest freshwater lakes in the world, but ice makes it one of the quietest during winter. The winter silence plays a key role in conserving the lake’s marine animals.
The post Study: Why are Lake Superior’s quiet winters so important? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/04/study-why-are-lake-superiors-quiet-winters-so-important/
Located on a strip of land that separates two of Michigan’s largest lakes, Elk and Torch, Maplehurst Natural Area is an unexpected delight to anybody who stumbles across it. The former summer camp is now a protected area of land thanks to a collaboration between Milton Township and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.
The post Camp Maplehurst’s enduring legacy first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/30/camp-maplehursts-enduring-legacy/
The installation of a state-of-the-art street lighting system on Belle Isle – located on the Michigan side of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario – was a major step forward in saving energy and electricity while improving safety for visitors. Now five years later, a new study says computer optimization modeling could lead to even further savings and other benefits, such as fewer crashes, for communities that upgrade their street light systems.
The post Belle Isle study lights way for savings first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/27/belle-isle-study-lights-way-for-savings/
Native Americans once bent saplings to grow into directional markers. They signaled such things as where to cross a river and where to enter and exit trails. There are likely only a few hundred original trail trees left in the Great Lakes area. Some are over 200 years old.
The post Tracking trail trees: Looking for horizontal shapes in a vertical world first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/26/tracking-trail-trees-looking-for-horizontal-shapes-in-a-vertical-world/
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in June approved a plan to make the state age-friendly. It focuses on communication and information, respect and social inclusion, health services and community support, social participation and transportation.
The post More Michigan communities strive to become age-friendly first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/23/more-michigan-communities-strive-to-become-age-friendly/
A new University of Michigan study aims to understand how environmental exposures contribute to cancer. The Michigan Cancer and Environmental Research Study, or MI-CARES, is largely motivated by Michigan’s history of toxic environmental exposures and environmental injustice.
The post Michigan study linking environment to cancer provides ammo for health policy first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/22/michigan-study-linking-environment-to-cancer-provides-ammo-for-health-policy/
As Michigan enters peak color season, local officials across the state have nominated the best roads for motorists to enjoy the changing foliage.
The post And the winners are…best Michigan roads for color first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/21/and-the-winners-arebest-michigan-roads-for-color/
An Ottawa County, Michigan, electroplating company and two of its top officers have pleaded guilty to violating the federal Clean Water Act by discharging wastewater with excessive amounts of zinc.
The post Guilty pleas in Clean Water Act prosecution first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/07/guilty-pleas-in-clean-water-act-prosecution/
How we name things affects how we think about them. We name fields, and forests, and marshes, and streams as separate things, so we tend to think of them as separate things. But separating these habitats in our vocabulary and in our minds obscures the innumerable connections that bind these habitats into a single working landscape.
The post September: Connections first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/02/september-connections/
A federal grand jury has indicted a Minnesota farmer for allegedly cheating buyers of more than $46 million by falsely labeling non-GMO soybeans and corn as organic.
The post Minnesota farmer accused of multimillion dollar organic grain scan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/29/minnesota-farmer-accused-of-multimillion-dollar-organic-grain-scan/
Bison are on the upswing again as ranchers and government officials aim to increase their populations across the United States. And that could have implications for other livestock operations.
The post In Northern Michigan, bison are teaching a lesson in sustainability first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/26/in-northern-michigan-bison-are-teaching-a-lesson-in-sustainability/
For the past 10 years or so, entomologists have been looking for a way to control the population of spotted wing drosophila, a fruit fly that feeds on healthy cherries and blueberries. They say they may have found their answer in releasing the samba wasp, which kills fruit flies by laying its eggs inside them.
The post Tiny wasp could give hope to Northern Michigan cherry growers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/17/tiny-wasp-could-give-hope-to-northern-michigan-cherry-growers/
In July, the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the monarch butterfly as endangered for the first time in history. Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan, first installed a pollinator garden in 2018. With the recent news of the monarch’s decline, the zoo is encouraging people to build wildlife habitats of their own.
The post Potter Park Zoo encourages people to help save monarch butterfly population first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/09/potter-park-zoo-encourages-people-to-help-save-monarch-butterfly-population/
Findings by researchers at the University of Michigan predict that warming temperatures may result in increased seasonal allergies. They also found that pollen emissions could begin 40 days earlier than normal, with allergy season lasting an additional 19 days. That's in contrast with a normal allergy season that typically lasts 10 to 30 days.
The post Study finds climate change may worsen allergies first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/08/study-finds-climate-change-may-worsen-allergies/
As anyone who lives in Michigan knows, March and April are the wet months. But like so many things that Anyone knows, this is only about half true. The amount of precipitation (the water in rain and snow) doesn’t change much from month to month in Michigan.
The post August: Dibs on the Water first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/05/august-dibs-on-the-water/
A federal judge has placed the ex-president of a Fort Wayne environmental services company – described in her lawyer’s sentencing memorandum as “kind, generous, hard-working and honest” and a “huge source of inspiration” for her children and grandchildren” – on probation for two years for illegally storing hazardous wastes and falsifying a document.
The post Indiana environmental services exec sentenced for mishandling hazardous wastes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/04/indiana-environmental-services-exec-sentenced-for-mishandling-hazardous-wastes/
Michigan State archaeologist studies artifacts to learn about life for lighthouse keepers in remote locations around the Great Lakes.
The post Artifacts reveal human side of Great Lakes lighthouses first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/03/artifacts-reveal-human-side-of-great-lakes-lighthouses/
Humans, like all other animals, have an innate desire to find the right spot, an ideal place. Tim Mulherin, the author of Sand, Stars, Wind & Water found his sense of place in Northwest Lower Michigan during his first visit to the area 35 years ago.
The post Protecting your place: one man’s tribute to Northern Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/02/protecting-your-place-one-mans-tribute-to-northern-michigan/
An Ohio man who admitted fatally shooting a bald eagle will be banned from hunting for five years and has agreed to pay $20,000 as part of his sentence. Half the money will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit funder of conservation projects, as restitution. The other $10,000 is a fine.
The post Ohio man pleads guilty to illegally shooting bald eagle first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/01/ohio-man-pleads-guilty-to-illegally-shooting-bald-eagle/
In our newest TikTok, Echo reporter Caroline Miller discusses a recent study that documents the first sighting of an invasive species, European frogbit, in Wisconsin and says that it could threaten native plants, fish and invertebrates.
The post Rising water makes Lake Michigan wetlands vulnerable to invaders: TikTok edition first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/07/04/rising-water-makes-lake-michigan-wetlands-vulnerable-to-invaders-tiktok-edition/
July is our warmest month, its steamy days and sticky nights giving us a little taste of the tropics. When we look for ways to beat July’s heat, we often end up in the water – sprinklers, backyard pools, or one of Michigan’s many lakes. So let’s take a few minutes on this hot July day to think about how cool water is.
The post July: Stay cool first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/07/01/july-stay-cool/
The study in the journal “Science of the Total Environment” found that five million people exceeded the recommended fish intake of two meals or 12 ounces per week, as suggested by the Environmental Protection Agency. Notably, women, nonwhites, younger residents and those with lower education levels were less aware of fish advisories, and thus more prone to eat more than the recommended amount.
The post Only half of Great Lakes residents are aware of advisories for safely eating fish first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/30/only-half-of-great-lakes-residents-are-aware-of-advisories-for-safely-eating-fish/
The Clean Water Act provides us with 50 years of useful imperfection. We should apply it's lessons to the environmental challenges facing us today - and perhaps be a less patient as we chase perfect solutions.
The post Fifty-year-old pollution law is proof that we can address other wicked challenges first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/29/fifty-year-old-pollution-law-is-proof-that-we-can-address-other-wicked-challenges/
For decades, people have largely ignored the Earth’s decay, treating climate change as a problem that can be postponed. Ranae Lenor Hanson, a retired professor and activist, rejects that fallacy and defends the Earth, its waters and all its creatures in her book Watershed: Attending to a Body and Earth in Distress.
The post Finding home in our own bodies can rekindle connection to nature first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/28/finding-home-in-our-own-bodies-can-rekindle-connection-to-nature/
Michigan’s only venomous snake, the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, has been suspected or proven responsible for at least 75 bites reported in the state from 2003 through 2020, according to the most comprehensive tally ever of such incidents.
The post Largest tally of snakebites in Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/27/largest-tally-of-snakebites-in-michigan/
The Lake Michigan and Lake Huron waters governed by an 1836 treaty are at the heart of negotiations between Michigan, the federal government and Native American tribes to determine how much and what kinds of fish can be harvested by recreational, state-licensed and Native American commercial fishers. Much has changed since the treaty was signed, notably because of invasive mussels. But change created by human activity was underway even before the signatories to the Washington Treaty ink dried in Washington D.C. in March 1836.
The post Water test: human impact on Great Lakes waters predates quagga mussel invasion first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/24/water-test-human-impact-on-great-lakes-waters-predates-quagga-mussel-invasion/
Since the early 2000s fewer young whitefish have been making it to adulthood. Understanding the decline of lake whitefish recruitment is important for fishery managers and regulators as they approach the deadline to update a 2000 consent decree that regulates recreational and commercial fishing in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.
The post Water test: One fish, two fish – where are all the whitefish? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/23/water-test-one-fish-two-fish-wheres-all-the-whitefish/
How the shape of the Great Lakes now compares with their past is important as negotiators update the consent decree addressing commercial and recreational fishing interests in waters covered by an 1836 treaty. The deadline is at the end of June, the third such decree covering these contentious waters. The most recent one in 2000 was for 20 years, and it’s overdue for an update.
The post Water test: Where biology meets geometry in the Great Lakes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/22/water-test-where-biology-meets-geometry-in-the-great-lakes/
The impact that quagga mussels have on the Great Lakes food web gives deep meaning to the saying, ‘food for thought.’ These prodigious filter-feeders are implicated in the decline of many Great Lakes fish species, well beyond those with commercial and recreational value.
The post Water test: quagga mussels hijack key Great Lakes nutrient first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/21/water-test-quagga-mussels-hijack-key-great-lakes-nutrient/
The food web in lakes Michigan and Huron has changed in ways that jeopardize age-old fishing traditions and raise questions about how we’ve managed them. Now negotiators are updating a legal settlement that spells out where and how much lake whitefish and lake trout can be harvested.
The post Water test: Rending the Great Lakes food web first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/20/water-test-rending-the-great-lakes-food-web/
In our newest TikTok, Echo reporter Genevieve Fox talks about this year's bird flu outbreak and gives a tutorial on how to clean your birdfeeder.
The post Clean your birdfeeder right now: TikTok edition first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/17/clean-your-birdfeeder-right-now-tiktok-edition/
In our newest TikTok, Echo reporter Danielle James discusses how the pandemic's impact on supply chains could help the recycling industry bring in new business.
The post Supply chain slowdown could boost demand for recycled materials: TikTok edition first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/15/supply-chain-slowdown-could-boost-demand-for-recycled-materials-tiktok-edition/
A new study by Michigan State University shows an increase in doctor visits for shortness of breath among long-term sand and gravel mine workers in Michigan, compared to the rate for production workers in other industries. The state has more than 3,500 surface miners, 1,207 of whom voluntarily participated in the study.
The post Study raises health concerns for sand and gravel workers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/14/study-raises-health-concerns-for-sand-and-gravel-workers/
For the first time, scientists have documented an adult wolf killing red fox kits in their den. The event occurred in Isle Royale National Park, where researchers found evidence that an adult male wolf known as 016M attacked the kits, killing and possibly feeding on at least two of them – and possibly also killing a third littermate.
The post Rare wolf attack on baby foxes found on Isle Royale first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/13/rare-wolf-attack-on-baby-foxes-found-on-isle-royale/
A northern Wisconsin logger faces possible time behind bars on charges he illegally cut timber in an environmentally sensitive part of the 1.5 million-acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. A federal grand jury in Madison has indicted 40-year-old Jerod Hecimovich on charges of stealing, injuring, cutting and removing live oak timber from an 88-acre parcel of national forestland in Bayfield County.
The post Logger could go to prison for illegally cutting trees in Wisconsin national forest first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/10/logger-could-go-to-prison-for-illegally-cutting-trees-in-wisconsin-national-forest/
The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) was reinstated earlier this year and reimburses farmers for following proper conservation practices. To be eligible for the program, land must have a cropping history, or planting history, of four out of six years between 2012-17 and have been owned at least one year prior to applying.
The post Conservation program partnership targets farms in three Michigan watersheds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/09/conservation-program-partnership-targets-farms-in-three-michigan-watersheds/
Public transit agencies in Michigan are facing post-pandemic ridership and staffing shortages. The Michigan Public Transit Association launched ad campaigns in February to address those needs and has seen many great responses, especially on social media, but the association's members still face hardships, and no one knows if they’ll get all of their riders back.
The post Ridership, staffing challenges face local bus systems first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/08/ridership-staffing-challenges-face-local-bus-systems/
Starting this year, hunters in Michigan will have to report their deer harvest online. Wildlife officials presented the plan to the state Natural Resources Commission and said online reporting will provide more accurate information about what kinds of deer are being taken and provide it more quickly.
The post Deer kill count moves online first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/07/deer-kill-count-moves-online/
Michigan watersheds are still wracked with pollution from decades ago, along with new runoff. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan would make preserving land and water a statewide priority.
The post Watershed groups fight decades-old pollution first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/06/watershed-groups-fight-decades-old-pollution/
All through the spring, baby fish hatch and laze in the sun-warmed shallows, bird chicks take their first wobbly flights, bunnies get their first taste of the greens in my garden and seedlings sprout and reach for the sky. And then they die.
The post June: The Cruelest Month? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/03/june-the-cruelest-month/
In our newest TikTok, Echo reporter Shelby Frink discusses the results of a recent study published in Agricultural and Resources Economic Review that explores how climate change impacts milk and feed production.
The post Climate change increases milk production: TikTok edition first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/02/climate-change-increases-milk-production-tiktok-edition/
Since 2019, just over a dozen inner-city families in the heart of Minneapolis have cared for small prairies full of native plants in the boulevard strips adjacent to their homes. The project is aimed at increasing urban biodiversity. It is called City Backyard Science and is funded by the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment.
The post Urban ecology is in the hands of Minnesota citizens first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/01/urban-ecology-is-in-the-hands-of-minnesota-citizens/
European frogbit, an invasive species, has been documented in Wisconsin, where it could threaten native plants, fish and invertebrates. The small, green, heart-shaped lily pad, forms dense mats along the surface of the water, blocking out sunlight that submergent plants need to survive.
The post Rising water makes Lake Michigan wetlands vulnerable to invaders first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/31/rising-water-makes-lake-michigan-wetlands-vulnerable-to-invaders/
Fifteen businesses, including Ford Motor Co., General Mills, General Motors and two West Michigan microbreweries, have written to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in support of her administration’s carbon neutrality goals.
The post Businesses signal support of Michigan’s climate goals first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/30/businesses-signal-support-of-michigans-climate-goals/
Federal officials early this year detected highly contagious influenza in wild birds in over 30 U.S. states, the biggest avian flu outbreak since 2015.
The post The bird flu: Clean your birdfeeder right now first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/27/the-bird-flu-clean-your-birdfeeder-right-now/
While forests are known to enhance the water quality of nearby watersheds, oftentimes people don’t recognize forests' role in providing clean drinking water, according to a new study from Michigan State University. The research was conducted at three watersheds in Michigan: the heavily urbanized Detroit River Watershed, the less populated and heavily forested Au Sable River Watershed and the more populated agricultural, forested and urban Lower Grand River Watershed.
The post Study finds need for public to see connection between forests and clean drinking water first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/26/study-finds-need-for-public-to-see-connection-between-forests-and-clean-drinking-water/
In the Marcell Experimental Forest in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, there are no trails for hiking, grounds for camping nor lakes for boating. Instead, there are temperature-manipulating chambers and field laboratories. Marcell was chosen to study because of its peatlands, a unique landscape that occupies just 3% of the earth’s surface, yet stores 30% of soil carbon.
The post From sinks to sources: peatland carbon is poised to be part of the climate crisis first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/25/from-sinks-to-sources-peatland-carbon-is-poised-to-be-part-of-the-climate-crisis/
