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By Maya Moore 

Blight Hernandez is a master of turning everyday trash into something of value. A Southwest Detroit native, Hernandez has called himself an artist since he was 6. Now a full-time working artist for five years, his sustainable business is called Be The Light. It’s born out of intention and focused on higher consciousness, keeping things out of the landfill, and making things that people love, Hernandez said.

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By Clara Lincolnhol

You may notice new bright and colorful murals surrounding a number of Mid-Michigan storm drains in your community by the end of this summer.

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Clara Lincolnhol

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When it comes to art, perhaps you feel like Wisconsin Sea Grant’s invasive species outreach specialist, Tim Campbell.

“My background is in science. I feel like I’ve always been a science-logic person,” he said. “I don’t make any art. I don’t feel like I have any artistic bones in my body.”

A giant, stuffed brown beetle sits on a wooden table outside

Astrid Hooper Lofton’s big, stuffed biocontrol beetle enjoys some sun. Photo: Astrid Hooper Lofton

But are science and art really that different, or can they be used to achieve common goals? This is one of the core questions driving the latest season of Introduced, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s aquatic invasive species podcast. Co-hosts Bonnie Willison and Jenna Mertz explore the relationship between science and art by talking with artists weaving AIS — both figuratively and literally — into their work.

“This season, we wanted to bring listeners stories about community and communication, and art bridges both those themes,” said Willison. “It’s really good at grabbing people’s interest who may otherwise never have thought about AIS before. It’s also a lot of fun, and the artists we interviewed are incredibly talented.”

This season features three artists creating AIS-inspired work:

  • Astrid Hooper Lofton, a student who sews a giant, stuffed, “huggable” biocontrol beetle;
  • Daniel Murray, the mastermind behind Deep Lake Future, a one-of-a-kind immersive art exhibit in Milwaukee; and
  • Kim Boustead, an artist whose stalwart pursuit of the perfect fish leather nearly ended with a jug of urine and some very (very!) bad smells.

Tim Campbell’s art (Crayons, marker; circa 2024). Credit: Tim Campbell

Campbell also appears on the podcast as a guest host and resident left-brainer. In addition to showcasing his own artistic endeavors, he reflects on how scientists can lean on art to better connect with audiences.

“We all think people are rational beings that collect data and facts — they weigh the pros and cons and make the decision that’s best for them. But there’s these things called emotions and feelings that get in the way and influence decision making. And I probably can’t make anyone feel anything with just data alone, except maybe bored,” laughed Campbell.

Art alongside science, however, can cast a wider net. Those not captivated by spreadsheets might gravitate towards a colorful mural or sculpture and learn something new about the issues impacting their community.

“And when everyone is engaged, good things can happen for invasive species management and the Great Lakes,” said Campbell.

Listen to the current season on our website or wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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Jenna Mertz

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Alberto Rey: Art all about Earth

Alberto Rey’s artistic passions are wide-ranging. But water and wildlife may most succinctly describe them. The retired State University of New York — Fredonia professor of art has waded into drawing, painting, ceramics and filmmaking all while diving headfirst into the deepest affection for the natural world.  

The 64-year-old Cuban-born artist moonlights as an Orvis-endorsed fly fishing guide on Western New York’s Lake Erie tributaries.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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James Proffitt, Great Lakes Now

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Toledo’s community art highlights importance of native plants for safe drinking water

This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.

By Clara Lincolnhol, Great Lakes Echo

Toledo, Ohio, has a rich Rust Belt history that influences its present-day culture. Local environmental groups and agencies are turning to public art to teach residents that the area’s natural history is just as important.

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By Daniel Schoenherr There’s always drama unfolding at Michigan State University’s Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center: Predators hunt prey, animals show off for potential mates and plants compete for sunlight. Later this month, though, visitors to the marsh will see a different kind of drama: a play, complete with a student cast, hand-crafted sets and […]

The post All the world’s a stage: Theater project in Michigan marsh aims to promote conservation first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/09/24/all-the-worlds-a-stage-theater-project-in-michigan-marsh-aims-to-promote-conservation/

Daniel Schoenherr

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By Katie Finkbeiner Capital News Service In Iron Mountain, Michigan, Sandstone Terrace rooftop bar shares an alley with First National Bank and Trust. And hanging over the alley: a sky art installation. In the summer of 2023, the installation consisted of a rainbow assortment of umbrellas. In June 2024, the umbrellas were replaced by rotating […]

The post Small grants boost businesses, neighborhoods, in cities across the state first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Katie Finkbeiner

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By Jada Vasser Reusing materials in creative ways is a lifelong obsession for Ang Adamiak – one that led her to launch a nonprofit. Even though these days she says she’s mostly “in an office writing grants” while her staff is out doing “interesting work,” building partnerships around the sustainable reuse of materials still fuels […]

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Jada Vasser

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Readers across the Great Lakes states and Canada this year will participate in a basin-wide book club hosted by the Library of the Great Lakes. 

From now until September 2025 participants will read Michigan author Sally Cole-Misch’s The Best Part of Us and Ontario author Joanne Robertson’s children’s book, The Water Walker.

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Kayla Nelsen

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Jane Elder once escorted a live cormorant to a Congressional hearing. 

Elder, then a Sierra Club lobbyist, and James Ludwig, a Great Lakes ecologist, in 1989 drove the bird named Cosmos from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Washington D.C. 

The post New book explores a lifetime of Great Lakes resilience first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Reese Carlson

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Sitting at 26 miles long and 24 miles wide with nearly one-third of the sport fishing catch annually in the Great Lakes region, Lake St. Clair should be a household name. 

Author Daniel Harrison would tell you it's his hidden jewel. 

The post An underappreciated lake that’s great first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/20/an-underappreciated-lake-thats-great/

Anna Barnes

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Fifteen years in the making, The Breeding Birds of Minnesota is the first all-encompassing Minnesota breeding bird book in nearly a century. 

Made for casual bird lovers and for professional ornithologists, the book features 250 breeding bird species in Minnesota. It will be available in April.

The post Three authors create the first Minnesota breeding bird book in nearly a century first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Mya Smith

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The fall of salmon in the Great Lakes can be seen as a good thing ecologically as some people prefer native species, said a Michigan biologist and author.

But the personal perspective and the local impact often is forgotten.

The post Upcoming book exposes local impact on introduction and loss of salmon in Great Lakes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/07/upcoming-book-exposes-local-impact-on-introduction-and-loss-of-salmon-in-great-lakes/

Shealyn Paulis

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Three Michigan artists are spreading awareness about the value of the Great Lakes through creating trash murals, shredding waves and telling legends about shipwrecks.

Hannah Tizedes spends her time along the shores of the Great Lakes not sunbathing nor swimming, but collecting trash to make art.

The post The Great Lakes inspire murals, doodles and poems first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/23/the-great-lakes-inspire-murals-doodles-and-poems/

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Michigan photographer Danielle Jorae wrote, designed and published Lighthouses of Michigan-Lower Peninsula to fulfill a wish of her childhood self.

“I ran across a document from when I was in kindergarten that outlined how I wanted to become an artist and a writer one day,”

The post Photobook illuminates the beauty of Michigan lighthouses first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Environmental journalism is a difficult yet important field, says a freelance journalist who will be speaking at an upcoming environmental festival in Manistee, Michigan.

“Sometimes you’re asking people difficult questions,” said Genevieve Fox, a former Great Lakes Echo reporter who now writes for Planet Detroit, Metromode and The Keel.

The post Reporting on the environment is a tough job first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/01/24/reporting-on-the-environment-is-a-tough-job/

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Pirouettes, leaps and pliés don’t come to mind when you think of environmental justice.

But for Michigan State University theater professors Deric McNish and Rob Roznowski,  dance and theater are the perfect communicative devices for such serious topics. 

The post Dance groups leap into environmental communication first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/01/20/dance-groups-leap-into-environmental-communication/

Reese Carlson

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Books usually speak to readers through words and, sometimes, illustrations.

But we can learn what motivated their authors by speaking directly to them, as Great Lakes Echo correspondents did in interviews this year about new books about environmental issues in the region.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/12/21/great-lakes-authors-bare-their-motives/

Eric Freedman

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Contrary to the popular quote, author Douglas Wood says every man is an island. 

“Islands are connected, when you get deep enough, under the surface,” said Wood, a lifelong naturalist.

The post Author and naturalist guides readers to healing connection with nature first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/27/author-and-naturalist-guides-readers-to-healing-connection-with-nature/

Shealyn Paulis

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A new book by a Michigan and U.S food policy advocate emphasizes that everyone is needed to create a sustainable and prosperous food economy.

“I hope people who read the book can see themselves in it,” Conners said. “Anybody can be a part of helping to bring locally grown food to people.”

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Jaclyn Sellentine

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The creators of a new television series about climate change describe it as a cross between Stranger Things and a nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough – and they say they hope it’ll help ease anxiety about the existential threat.no

The post New TV show bridges pop culture, climate change education first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Jack Armstrong

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Plummeting temperatures, blinding snow and ferocious winds ripped through the air as three freighters struggled on Lake Michigan’s frigid surface.  

Unsuspecting and dangerously underprepared passengers braced for the worst, baffled at the stark contrast from the serene weather of the morning. 

The post Author preserves Great Lakes shipwrecks by writing novels about them first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Mya Smith

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Nibi Chronicles: A portal to the Burt Lake Band’s violent expulsion

Editor’s Note: “Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A direct descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe, she lives and works in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her two books “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” and “Seven Aunts” were published 2019 and 2022, and she is at work on a children’s story.

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Staci Lola Drouillard

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TED Countdown: Musician Tunde Olaniran from Flint, Michigan on the role of art in the climate crisis

Tunde Olaniran is a musician and multidisciplinary artist from Flint. Last year, their first exhibition premiered at Cranbrook Art Museum, featuring a short horror film — Made a Universe — inspired by their life growing up in Flint.

They were asked to perform one of their latest works for the TED Countdown Summit at the Fillmore Detroit on Thursday, July 13.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Lisa John Rogers

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In: Art, solutions, Solutions Journalism

The organization teaches kids at its brick and mortar building or travels to communities with a bus filled with recycled materials.

The post Detroit group reduces waste and improves education by merging art and science  first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Genevieve Fox

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They're drawn to it because of some personal connection to whether it be the neighborhood they grew up in, the forest they've walked in, the lakes [where] they've smoked salmon. So it's a natural thing to tie environmental matters to personal experiences.

The post New book connects the environment with a love of dogs first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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This project really provides a leverage for organizations to be more actively involved, and engage the community into big societal issues of our time.

The post University of Michigan hosts smelly art installation first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Heavily symbolic, Woodland art uses the vibrancy of primary colors to convey the ideology behind Ojibwe culture in the forms of animals, plants, people and even the land.

The post Northern Ontario art form pays homage to Native roots first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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This year, Morton Arboretum 25 miles west of Chicago, is celebrating 100 years – and photographer Peter Vagt has over 20 years’ worth of photos to show for it.

The post Author of newly published “Light Through the Trees,” captures 20 years’ worth of photos from Morton Arboretum first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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A dog and a raven fostered a friendship that spanned eight years, and a children’s book just came out that details the improbable friendship. 

The post Children’s book features furry and feathered friendship on the Great Lakes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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A University of Windsor doctoral student studying conservation has a knack for science communication - and is using it to bring attention and support to at-risk species.

The post Minnow researcher uses You Tube, children’s literature to connect people with at-risk species first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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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.

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A lesser known Great Lakes treasure: sea glass

The North American Sea Glass Association held its 16th Annual Sea Glass Festival at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge on Lake Erie – the first time it wasn’t held at a saltwater venue.

“This is probably the crème de la crème of festivals,” said Beverly Vinch, of Washed Ashore Jewelry, based in Avon Lake, Ohio.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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James Proffitt

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Geo Rutherford is a self-described Great Lakes enthusiast that built a large following—the same number that the Washington Post has—by making educational TikTok videos about the Great Lakes and other lakes around the world.

The post Spooky lakes and beach trash: How a Wisconsin teacher and artist gained 1.3 million TikTok followers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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In the Great Lakes region, there may be no older and more intriguing historical mystery than the 1679 disappearance of the Griffon, one of French explorer Robert La Salle’s ships. Now after more than 40 years of searching, a Charlevoix diver says he’s 99.99% sure he found the answer, and he tells how in a new book.

The post Charlevoix couple offers theory on mysterious 1679 shipwreck first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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A new book explores the interconnected layers of the Great Lakes, from the leadership of local native tribes to the concerning intensity of resource extraction. The book took several years to write to fully and accurately capture a cohesive picture of the Great Lakes and their histories.

The post New book explores ecological odyssey of the Great Lakes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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103 years after National Geographic published its article on berries, Michigan is witnessing some changes due to climate change and invasive species.

The post Threats to the native berries amongst us first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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With art ranging in size from giant mobiles to miniature paintings, artists from across the country are collaborating to face the climate crisis with a new exhibit in metro Detroit.

The post New Detroit art exhibit addresses climate crisis with hope first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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John Vucetich has studied wolves and moose for over 20 years on the pristine, isolated island in Lake Superior. He leads the island National Park’s wolf-moose project.

The post Ecologist ponders fairness to wildlife and the thoughts of moose first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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In: aquatic invasive species, Art, Bonnie Willison, Geo Rutherford, marine debris, Voices of the Coast

Wisconsin Sea Grant’s videographer Bonnie Willison recently captured a video award through a regional competition coordinated by an organization called Madison Media Professionals.

The group presents WAVE Awards, which honor excellence in the video production industry as well as in web, audio, video and graphic design. The 2021 competition received over 90 entries, including materials created for international and national entities like Yamaha, BBC America, Google and PBS Kids.

The Wisconsin Sea Grant video Geo Rutherford: Voices of the Coast was awarded a WAVE merit award in the video editing category.

Woman holding small plastic bag walking along water with trees in the background.

Artist Geo Rutherford draws inspiration for her work from the Great Lakes. Image credit: Bonnie Willison.

“It was fun to meet Geo, interview her in her home studio, and then go beachcombing with her in Milwaukee,” Willison said. “It was a rewarding challenge to edit hours of footage into a short, 5-minute documentary-style piece.”

The winning video is a light-hearted, buoyant profile that matches the spirit of Wisconsin artist Geo Rutherford, who creates prints, collage and sculpture that explore the hidden elements of the Great Lakes. Showcased in the video are Rutherford’s colorful installations, which highlight small synthetic or natural objects that are washed ashore by the waves. Rutherford also draws attention to microplastics like nurdles, which are a growing marine debris problem in Great Lakes ecosystems.

Rutherford’s work also focuses on aquatic invasive species. She hand-prints images of alewives, sea lamprey, and invasive mussels and collages the images into chaotic, mesmerizing works of art.

The video is part of the Voices of the Coast series, which tells the stories of individuals who live, work and recreate around the Great Lakes. Their experiences provide a lens for larger topics that touch on the lakes such as social justice, fisheries and conservation. The ever-expanding series can be found here.

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Moira Harrington

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Cohen will be at Howe Memorial Library in Breckinridge, Michigan, on Nov. 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. presenting “Making Teas, Tinctures and Oils at Home.”

The post New book preserves relationship with plants through at-home herbalism first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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The book tells the history of the Agatha Biddle Band, a band of primarily Native American women who lived on Michigan’s Mackinac Island in the 1800s.

The post New book spotlights Native American women’s band on Mackinac Island first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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“A Backyard Prairie. The Hidden Beauty of Tallgrass and Wildflowers” is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for $24.50.

The post New book celebrates ‘hidden beauty’ of native prairie through Illinois couple’s journey to turn back time in their own backyard first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Duck Stamp: Little stamp has big impacts in the Great Lakes and nationwide

Waterfowl hunters began buying them nearly a century ago. Just after that, collectors joined the fun.

Since its inception in 1934 when Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act into law, the duck stamp (as it’s commonly known) has garnered more than $1 billion for habitat conservation in the national wildlife refuge system.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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James Proffitt

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In: Art, Echo

The collection of nature essays was recently selected by the Library of Michigan as one of the 2021 Michigan Notable Books.

The post A light to guide trees and people: “The Star in the Sycamore” is a broad take on the natural world first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/02/01/a-light-to-guide-trees-and-people-the-star-in-the-sycamore-is-a-broad-take-on-the-natural-world/

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