On:
In: Commentary, Land

Nestled in the heart of an urban and busy city, Wissahickon Valley Park of Philadelphia provides a place for city dwellers to enjoy the sanctuary of nature.

A popular spot for outdoor enthusiasts, historians and even wedding-goers, the park houses over 50 miles of trails and encompasses over 2,000 protected acres along a stretch of the Wissahickon Creek as it passes through northwest Philadelphia. 

The post Journalists hike urban wilderness of Wissahickon Valley Park first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/25/journalists-hike-urban-wilderness-of-wissahickon-valley-park/

Shealyn Paulis

On:
In: Commentary, solutions

Environmental journalists and educators face a changing media field and systemic barriers that make it difficult to improve the profession.

Experts at a recent Society of Environmental Journalists conference in Philadelphia addressed some of these challenges to reimagine a more sustainable system.

The post Rethinking environmental journalism education first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/24/rethinking-environmental-journalism-education/

Shealyn Paulis

On:
In: Commentary, Wildlife

One of the many challenges of environmental journalism is making the general public care about animals that are not cute or ecosystems that are obscure. 

A recent session of this year’s Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference taught journalists how to do just that. 

The post Making obscure animals and ecosystems compelling characters first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/23/making-obscure-animals-and-ecosystems-compelling-characters/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, water

The Mississippi River Basin and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin supply freshwater and drain wastewater for millions of people.

Two of the largest watersheds in the U.S., they span state and political boundaries. 

The post Covering watershed policy and identity first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/22/covering-watershed-policy-and-identity/

Kayla Nelsen

On:
In: Climate, Commentary

New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore isn’t called the road less traveled without reason.

Persistent rainfall, exacerbated by global warming, has increased the wetlands in this area of Cumberland County.

The post Unearthing climate change challenges along Delaware Bayshore first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/19/unearthing-climate-change-challenges-along-delaware-bayshore/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Wildlife

Tucked away in the foothills of Appalachia lies Pennsylvania’s Hawk Mountain Sanctuary — a center for environmental education and a flyway for thousands of raptors each year.

Society of Environmental Journalists members attending their recent conference in Philadelphia caught the beginning of the raptor migration season at Hawk Mountain.

The post Revolutionary Raptors: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary takes journalists birding along the Appalachian Trail first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/18/revolutionary-raptors-hawk-mountain-sanctuary-takes-journalists-birding-along-the-appalachian-trail/

Daniel Schoenherr

On:
In: Commentary, solutions

What do you do when an employee comes forward, exposing their company for wrongdoing? 

Environmental journalists discussed how to handle that situation at a recent Society of Environmental Journalist Conference in Philadelphia.

The post How to be a responsible watchdog first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/17/how-to-be-a-responsible-watchdog/

Anna Barnes

On:
In: Commentary, solutions

Fields pockmarked by bombs, forests torn up by trenches and littered with landmines, cities around the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine flooded and then left with a water shortage as the reservoir dries up. 

These scenes in Ukraine and Gaza are a few examples of how war leaves long lasting damage to the environment.

The post Reporting the environmental impact of war first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/16/reporting-the-environmental-impact-of-war/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Echo

Reporting on environmental problems and controversies remains a perilous endeavor, as demonstrated by a series of incidents around the globe.

Journalists are physically assaulted, jailed, interrogated by police, kidnapped, fired, sued for libel, harassed and even murdered for seeking to expose environmental crimes

The post Environmental journalism danger commentary first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/01/31/environmental-journalism-danger-commentary/

Eric Freedman

On:
In: Bowfin, Commentary, Echo, fish

As a long-time angler and ichthyology student, I thought I knew a lot about the bowfin. But recent developments have shown that much of what I knew about this fish was wrong.

The post Commentary: New insights about an old fish first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/12/27/commentary-new-insights-about-an-old-fish/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Climate, Climate change, Commentary

Situated at the end of town by the Flat River, Ball’s Softee Creme is the perfect place to grab an ice cream cone with friends during the summer months. However, climate change has summer shops like Ball's Softee Creme opening two months earlier than years prior.

The post Commentary: Global warming, climate change and my ice cream first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/12/13/commentary-global-warming-climate-change-and-my-ice-cream/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, water

When we were thinking about a new museum devoted to one of the most beautiful and interesting things on our planet – ice – we had to think hard about how best to display and preserve this delicate substance. So welcome to the Museum of Ice, Michigan’s largest museum, open daily (weather permitting) between December and March. Just step outside anywhere in the state and you’re in the museum.

The post December: A Visit to the Museum of Ice first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/12/02/december-a-visit-to-the-museum-of-ice/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Echo

We all have different Thanksgiving favorites. Some people really look forward to that big turkey, some crave sweet potatoes, and I have to admit that I head straight for the pies. But today, I want to talk about that old Thanksgiving favorite – wet, rotting leaves.

The post November: What’s For Thanksgiving Dinner? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/11/04/november-whats-for-thanksgiving-dinner/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Insects, Wildlife

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.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/07/october-the-smells-of-autumn/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Echo, Michigan, Recreation

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.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/30/camp-maplehursts-enduring-legacy/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Echo

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.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/09/02/september-connections/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, water

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.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/05/august-dibs-on-the-water/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Echo, water

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.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/07/01/july-stay-cool/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, water

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.

Original Article

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/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Wildlife

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.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/03/june-the-cruelest-month/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Art, Commentary, Echo, water

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.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/20/spooky-lakes-and-beach-trash-how-a-wisconsin-teacher-and-artist-gained-1-3-million-tiktok-followers/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Recreation, Wildlife

Academic research increasingly documents how interaction with green space has a positive impact on mental health. But not everybody has access to quality green space.

The post Commentary: A green outlook on mental health is a privilege not all can access first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/11/commentary-a-green-outlook-on-mental-health-is-a-privilege-not-all-can-access/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, fish, invasive species, Wildlife

May is a good time to look for sunfish nests. The sunfish family includes some of Michigan’s most popular sport fish: largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegills, pumpkinseeds, crappies, rock bass and others. They are also among the world’s worst invasive fish species.

The post May: Good fish, fun fish, bad fish, sunfish first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/06/may-good-fish-fun-fish-bad-fish-sunfish/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Climate, Climate change, Commentary, Echo

Michigan’s Lower Peninsula has seen a dramatic increase in ticks in the past 10-15 years due to climate change. Blacklegged ticks, also called deer ticks, can spread Lyme disease to people.

The post Commentary: Climate change is buggin’ me. And you first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/04/commentary-climate-change-is-buggin-me-and-you/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Climate, Climate change, Commentary

Fighting climate change can often feel like an overwhelming endeavor. Success must be reached using a combination of tactics in a sustained and relentless manner, according to experts.

The post Commentary: Fighting climate change requires individual action and systemic change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/03/commentary-fighting-climate-change-requires-individual-action-and-systemic-change/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Climate, Climate change, Commentary

Skiing is a sport enjoyed by millions of people each year. Climate change threatens the sport and the potential for friendships made along the way.

The post Commentary: Climate change threatens downhill runs and uphill chats first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/02/commentary-climate-change-threatens-downhill-runs-and-uphill-chats/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Climate, Climate change, Commentary

Skiing is a sport enjoyed by millions of people each year. Climate change threatens the sport and the potential for friendships made along the way.

The post Commentary: Climate change threatens downhill runs and uphill chats first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/02/commentary-climate-change-threatens-downhill-runs-and-uphill-chats/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Echo, Recreation

There are debates on social media about the harm of disclosing favorite hiking locations: Does sharing favorite locations on social media cause more harm than good? Turns out, there's a lot to consider.

The post Commentary: Does social media threaten our special places? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/04/28/commentary-does-social-media-threaten-our-special-places/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Agriculture, Climate, Climate change, Commentary, Echo, Michigan

In the last few decades, fluctuating temperatures in the late winter or early spring have harmed blueberry production across the state. More of that kind of trouble – and more often – may be in store for the state’s fruit-growers.

The post Commentary: Blueberries, climate and loss of community first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/04/27/commentary-blueberries-climate-and-loss-of-community/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Climate change, Commentary, Echo, Recreation

Suburban ponds are experiencing ecosystem changes due to fertilizers, lawn treatments, and human waste and population. Climate change could also play a role.

The post Commentary: Suburban ponds threaten dog walkers and water quality first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/04/26/commentary-suburban-ponds-threaten-dog-walkers-and-water-quality/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, fish, Wildlife

Animal migrations are among nature’s most stirring spectacles. So why do so few of us know about spectacular migrations that happen every spring, right in our own back yards? Because these are migrations of fish, out of sight beneath the surfaces of our rivers and streams.

The post April: Hidden Migrations first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/04/01/april-hidden-migrations/

Guest Contributor

On:
In: Commentary, Echo, Strayer

March is a big time for underwater storms. The combination of melting snow, saturated soils, and rain falling on frozen ground means that the most frequent and most severe floods typically occur in March here in Michigan. These floods may carry 100 or even 1000 times as much water as the stream carries on a dry summer day.

The post March: Stormy Weather first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/04/march-stormy-weather/

Guest Contributor