Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/22/converting-public-schools-to-clean-energy-will-create-jobs-group-says/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/20/grants-will-boost-research-on-pfas-contamination-of-farmland/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/18/investing-in-greenspaces-bring-benefits-to-schools-student-well-being/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/16/funding-cuts-hamper-conservation-groups-invasive-species-efforts/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/14/michigans-main-cause-of-wolf-mortality-people/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/13/new-book-sails-into-the-unknown-political-legal-stories-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/12/varying-snowfalls-effect-on-winter-sport-conditions-in-canada/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/10/lake-huron-artificial-reef-restores-fish-spawning-habitat/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/08/study-highlights-need-for-community-engagement-in-great-lakes-protection/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/03/michigan-mulls-changes-in-elk-hunt-regulations/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/31/push-on-for-bird-habitat-protection-expansion/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/29/wildlife-stamps-aim-to-improve-conservation-across-the-great-lakes-region/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/29/wildlife-stamps-aim-to-improve-conservation-across-the-great-lakes-region/
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/27/stoneflies-or-leafhoppers-which-could-become-the-official-state-insect/
By Joshua Kim
A recent study explores the importance of more diverse viewpoints and ethical considerations when working in archaeology, especially involving Indigenous artifacts.
The post Study calls for more diverse viewpoints, ethical considerations in archaeology first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/25/study-calls-for-more-diverse-viewpoints-ethical-considerations-in-archaeology/
No matter the season, organizations across the Great Lakes region are fighting to keep waterways garbage-free.
The post Trash on ice sparks movement to keep waterways clean first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/18/trash-on-ice-sparks-movement-to-keep-waterways-clean/
By Madison Merrell
Upfront costs of clean energy projects such as wind and solar may be high but the long-term savings on fuel and increased reliability more than offset those initial costs, experts say.
The post Green energy boosters stress long-term savings first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/16/green-energy-boosters-stress-long-term-savings/
By Samantha Ku
A rare ravine ecosystem on Lake Michigan's western shore is vulnerable to human encroachment. A recent federal grant is supporting restoration efforts in the region.
The post Preservation project launches effort to restore rare ravine ecosystem first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/14/preservation-project-launches-effort-to-restore-rare-ravine-ecosystem/
By Christian Vazquesz
A Michigan state senator is pushing for a statewide vote to expand the 10-cent bottle and can deposit law, while the Midwest Independent Retailers Association is calling for repeal of the law. Meanwhile, the state House approved a bill sponsored by a Clinton Township representative to give an income tax write-off to beverage distributors that move recycled cans and bottles from stores to recycling plants.
The post Bill would expand Michigan’s bottle deposit law while some want to abolish it first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/13/bill-would-expand-michigans-bottle-deposit-law-while-some-want-to-abolish-it/
By Bauyrzhan Zhaxylykov
Across Michigan, religious institutions, local governments, schools and nonprofits are turning to a federal program called Elective Pay to help pay for solar panels and other clean-energy projects.
The post Federal program can help nonprofits cover costs of clean-energy projects first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/11/federal-program-can-help-nonprofits-cover-costs-of-clean-energy-projects/
By Sonja Krohn
DTE and Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest electric utilities, have ramped up tree trimming to improve reliability. Despite improvements, Michigan has the poorest reliability record among the Great Lakes states, the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan says.
The post Utilities ramp up tree trimming to address long-standing reliability problems first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/09/utilities-ramp-up-tree-trimming-to-address-long-standing-reliability-problems/
By Justin Fox Clausen
A new bill in Michigan would prohibit home insurance companies from denying, canceling or raising premiums for homeowners and tenants based on the breeds of their dogs.
The post Bill would ban ‘dog-scrimination’ by insurers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/07/bill-would-ban-dog-scrimination-by-insurers/
By Sonja Krohn
The dry conditions and drought that Michigan is experiencing this winter may adversely affect the upcoming crop growing season.
The post ‘None of this is normal’ – Michigan watches winter drought ahead of growing season first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/05/none-of-this-is-normal-michigan-watches-winter-drought-ahead-of-growing-season/
The 2026 sturgeon season on Black Lake in Michigan lasted all of 48 minutes before the annual quota – six – was reached. There were 653 anglers competing for them.
The post Conservation, research and community collaboration aid in successful 2026 Black Lake sturgeon season first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/03/03/conservation-research-and-community-collaboration-aid-in-successful-2026-black-lake-sturgeon-season/
By Lillian Williams
he shrinking number of farms in Michigan – down by about 1,300 between 2023 and 2024 – and the trend of existing farms to expand to survive is changing the culture of rural communities.
The post Shifting farm economy means changes for rural communities first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/28/shifting-farm-economy-means-changes-for-rural-communities/
A recent study featuring Grand Rapids, Michigan suggests that climate migration may not significantly change how some cities grow.
The post Climate migration may not dramatically reshape city growth, study finds first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/26/climate-migration-may-not-dramatically-reshape-city-growth-study-finds/
By Bauyrzhan Zhaxylykov
Bankruptcies of Michigan farmers are troubling despite a dip in their Chapter 12 filings last year. Major reasons are higher expenses for inputs such as fertilizer coupled with flat commodity prices.
The post Michigan farmers face bankruptcies, other financial challenges first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/24/michigan-farmers-face-bankruptcies-other-financial-challenges/
By Mia Litzenberg
The Six Nations of the Grand River face ongoing water insecurity from pollution, climate change and corporate extraction. Many years of Indigenous water advocacy have led to the development of a new Haudenosaunee Environmental Research Institute as the next step to overcome these challenges.
The post Water is Life, Six Nations lead international approach to long-standing water insecurity first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/22/water-is-life-six-nations-lead-international-approach-to-long-standing-water-insecurity/
By Ada Tussing
If you’ve noticed fewer birds in the sky recently, they haven’t all flown south for the winter. The North American bird population has dropped nearly 30% in the last 50 years. Mariette Nowak's book "Birdscaping for Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region" offers a solution: birdscaping.
The post Fight climate change from your garden with ‘birdscaping’ first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/20/fight-climate-change-from-your-garden-with-birdscaping/
By Bauyrzhan Zhaxylykov
New U-M survey finds only about 5% of rural Michigan residents say they would choose an electric vehicle as their next car. Researchers attribute much of that reluctance to misinformation about the availability of public chargers and the cost of EVs and replacement batteries. The Whitmer administration is pushing to expand electric vehicle use to meet climate and clean energy goals.
The post Why Michigan’s rural residents are reluctant to drive electric vehicles first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/14/why-michigans-rural-residents-are-reluctant-to-drive-electric-vehicles/
By Julia Belden
An Alanson-raised author whose book on Ernest Hemingway’s ties to Northern Michigan explains the region’s influence on the novelist’s work. The book “Picturing Hemingway’s Michigan,” has just been released in paperback.
The post Book explores Hemingway’s experiences ‘up north’ first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/12/book-explores-hemingways-experiences-up-north/
By Justin Fox Clausen
Lawmakers are making another effort to adopt Michigan’s first statewide septic code with mandatory inspections, intended to protect drinking water from contamination. It’s the only state without one.
The post Michigan is last state without a septic system code. Will that change? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/10/michigan-is-last-state-without-a-septic-system-code-will-that-change/
By Karlee VanAntwerp
Critics of the proliferation of data centers are calling for a one-year moratorium on the approval of new projects.
The post Data center concerns lead to push for a one-year moratorium on projects first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/08/data-center-concerns-lead-to-push-for-a-one-year-moratorium-on-projects/
By Bauyrzhan Zhaxylykov
Given dramatic changes in federal energy policy and spending, as well as possible reduction in state financial support for alternative energy projects, is Michigan still on target to reach its clean energy goals?
The post Michigan pushes toward 100% clean energy by 2040 despite funding cuts first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/06/michigan-pushes-toward-100-clean-energy-by-2040-despite-funding-cuts/
By Joshua Kim
Following the passing of new legislation by the Illinois General Assembly, the Regional Transport Authority, soon to be the Northern Illinois Transit Agency, will receive an additional $1.2 billion for its annual budget this year. The additional funding will be used to improve “frequency, reliability, and safety”
The post More funding approved to improve the Greater Chicago Area’s public transit first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/02/01/more-funding-approved-to-improve-the-greater-chicago-areas-public-transit/
By Joshua Kim
“Chicago Transit Hikes," a new book by Lindsay Welbers, aims to help Chicago residents and visitors reach outdoor recreation sites car-free.
The post Book helps residents, visitors, use Chicago’s public transit to access recreational sites first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/01/30/book-helps-residents-visitors-use-chicagos-public-transit-to-access-recreational-sites/
By Isabella Figueroa Nogueira
A recent study examines how solar projects could be planned in ways that benefit rural communities without significantly increasing electricity costs.
The post Solar projects bring larger economic gains to smaller communities, study shows first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/01/27/solar-projects-bring-larger-economic-gains-to-smaller-communities-study-shows/
By Anna Ironside
Caroline Miller is a botanical technologist at Michigan State University’s W.J. Beal Botanical Garden, as well as a master’s student. Her work has made her a driving force behind restoration projects on campus and beyond. From invasive species removal days to a growing movement to replace traditional turf lawns with native landscapes, Miller doesn’t quit.
The post Invasive species expert teaches volunteers to overcome ‘plant blindness’ first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/01/21/invasive-species-expert-teaches-volunteers-to-overcome-plant-blindness/
By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva
A new study documents a fivefold increase in shoreline armoring along Lake Michigan’s Eastern coast.
The post Growth in shoreline armoring is reshaping Michigan’s Lake Michigan coast first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/01/13/growth-in-shoreline-armoring-is-reshaping-michigans-lake-michigan-coast/
By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva
More than 30 years ago, a group of scientists planted just 4,200 seeds of the rare Pitcher’s thistle in the sandy dunes of the Great Lakes. At the time, no one knew if the new populations would survive. Today, three decades later, the restored populations are thriving and spreading.
The post How seeds from the past are saving a unique flower of the Great Lakes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/12/31/how-seeds-from-the-past-are-saving-a-unique-flower-of-the-great-lakes/
By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva
In the late 1970s, when most wildlife conservation programs in the United States focused almost exclusively on game species, a quiet but historic shift began in Minnesota. It was here that one of the nation’s first state programs dedicated to protecting so-called nongame wildlife emerged from butterflies and bats to bald eagles and river otters. That story is now told in detail by Carrol Henderson in his new book, “A National Legacy: Fifty Years of Nongame Wildlife Conservation in Minnesota."
The post From otters to butterflies: How Minnesota became a pioneer in nongame wildlife conservation first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/12/28/from-otters-to-butterflies-how-minnesota-became-a-pioneer-in-nongame-wildlife-conservation/
By Clara Lincolnhol
The U.S. would need to invest nearly $3.4 trillion over the next 20 years to fix and update drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, says researchers from The Value of Water Campaign. Much of that infrastructure was built 40 to 50 years ago and shows its age. Michigan’s is no exception. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the state a D+ for its drinking water infrastructure, a D in storm water management and a C for its wastewater infrastructure. Funding is a major problem. Proposed data centers would put more stress on the infrastructure.
The post Michigan’s water infrastructure sees improvements, work still needs to be done first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/12/11/michigans-water-infrastructure-sees-improvements-work-still-needs-to-be-done/
By Ada Tussing
To combat the population loss of spectaclecase mussels, researchers with both the Minnesota and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released over 177 mussels into the Chippewa River in Northwest Wisconsin.
The post Endangered spectaclecase mussels reintroduced into the Chippewa River first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/12/09/endangered-spectaclecase-mussels-reintroduced-into-the-chippewa-river/
By Clara Lincolnhol
Michigan is pouring $77 million into clean-up of contaminated abandoned real estate such as former factories. The director of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says the goal is to make the cleaned-up sites safe for housing, commercial developments and other uses.
The post Michigan allocates $77 million to clean thousands of contaminated sites first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/12/07/michigan-allocates-77-million-to-clean-thousands-of-contaminated-sites/
By Eric Freedman
Flashing light on warning signs near curves can slow drivers and reduce the odds of a crash during winter weather conditions, says a new study by Michigan State University engineers.
The post Winter makes curved roads dangerous; researchers seek solutions first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/12/04/winter-makes-curved-roads-dangerous-researchers-seek-solutions/
By Eric Freedman
Looking for a holiday gift for a reader who loves the Great Lakes? Here are five prospects to consider – and what our reporters learned from interviewing their authors this year.
The post Great Lakes books for your holiday gift list first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/12/02/great-lakes-books-for-your-holiday-gift-list/
By Joshua Kim
Following the completion of segments 1 and 2 of the Portage Canal, local residents and visitors can use the historic site and its amenities following years of disrepair.
The post Restoration of historical site improves quality of life for Portage, Wisconsin residents first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/11/30/restoration-of-historical-site-improves-quality-of-life-for-portage-wisconsin-residents/
By Victoria Witke
Christina Petalas, a doctoral student McGill University, studies herring gulls to learn about plastic pollution near the St. Lawrence River. Across two studies, she found plastic additives in every bird sampled, which could have human health consequences.
The post What herring gulls tell us about plastic pollution first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/11/28/what-herring-gulls-tell-us-about-plastic-pollution/
By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva
The U.S. Geological Survey has began large-scale low-level airplane flights over Michigan's Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin to obtain high-resolution data on subsurface mineral structures and bedrock composition. The data will be used to create two- and three-dimensional maps to better understand the geological structure at depths of about 10,000 feet.
The post Scientists update geological map of northern Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/11/26/scientists-update-geological-map-of-northern-wisconsin-michigans-upper-peninsula/
By Isabella Figueroa Nogueira
“Indigenous Activism in the Midwest: Refusal, Resurgence and Resisting Settler Colonialism” explores how Dakota and Anishinaabe communities in Minnesota continue their relationships to the land and challenge dominant settler narratives about ownership, belonging and identity.
The post ‘Refusal is insisting on your own terms’: Indigenous activism in the Midwest first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/11/24/refusal-is-insisting-on-your-own-terms-indigenous-activism-in-the-midwest/
