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I Speak for the Fish: Is it a rainbow trout or a steelhead?

Rainbow trout and steelhead are two of the most popular sport fish in the Great Lakes. They also hold three spots on my lifetime list of all-time great dives.

An 8-inch juvenile rainbow was the first fish I ever hand-fed in the Great Lakes. My partner, Greg Lashbrook, and I had fed fish before at several different Caribbean dive resorts.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/i-speak-for-the-fish-is-it-a-rainbow-trout-or-a-steelhead/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

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Trump threatens Great Lakes agreements between U.S. and Canada

In 2024 when Donald Trump as a presidential candidate proposed piping water from British Columbia, Canada to California, his statement was largely dismissed as campaign rhetoric.

Once he was elected, Canadians started paying attention but the potential water grab was seen as logistically and politically problematic and unlikely to gain traction.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/trump-threatens-great-lakes-agreements-between-u-s-and-canada/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, geography, lake formation, Latest News, Lisa John Rogers, News, Research, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research
Stunning new research reveals the Great Lakes pre-date North America

It is widely known by lovers of the Great Lakes that their unique shape was caused by glaciers melting and receding northward. That was approximately 20,000 years ago. However, new research published in Geophysical Research Letters suggests this treasured landmass started forming hundreds of millions of years ago, long before the theory of plate tectonics, when Pangea likely separated into the continents we recognize today. 

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/stunning-new-research-reveals-the-great-lakes-pre-date-north-america/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

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What a recent Supreme Court ruling could mean for the future of the Clean Water Act

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of San Francisco in a case about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) sewage permits issued under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The court ruled that the EPA’s “end-result” water pollution permits are too speculative and that the EPA overstepped its authority in the case of San Francisco v.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/what-a-recent-supreme-court-ruling-could-mean-for-the-future-of-the-clean-water-act/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

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Ian Outside: A Detroiter’s journey to Calumet for CopperDog

It seems like every year winter creeps forward into being one of my favorite seasons. It’s not lost on me that this budding love affair began once I gained the courage to venture into Northern Michigan during the months almost everyone will tell you to avoid. The truth is: Metro Detroit isn’t made for the cold and snow, so I’m allowing the North Woods to change my mind. 

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/ian-outside-a-detroiters-journey-to-calumet-for-copperdog/

Ian Solomon

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Oil and gas projects fast-tracked, while Minnesota Power plans to quit fossil fuels

Catch the latest energy news from around the Great Lakes region. Check back for these biweekly Energy News Roundups. 

Hundreds of energy projects may have their permits fast-tracked by the Trump administration, including Enbridge’s tunnel for Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac and a roughly $1 billion gas plant in Superior.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/oil-and-gas-projects-fast-tracked-while-minnesota-power-plans-to-quit-fossil-fuels/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

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In: AYITWK, Feature Homepage, Food, foraging, Forests and Plants, Latest News, maple syrup, News, Recreation and Tourism, Science, Technology, Research
Tapping Into Tradition: It’s Maple Syrup Season

This is a part of “A Year in the Wild Kitchen of the Great Lakes,” a series in partnership with expert forager Lisa M. Rose, with the mission of nurturing a deeper connection with the natural world through foraging. To get started with your foraging journey, begin here with our “Framework to Sustainable and Safe Practices.”

In the Great Lakes, the maple syrup harvest season begins when daytime temperatures rise above freezing while nights remain cold — typically from mid to late February for much of the region, and a bit later further north.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/tapping-into-tradition-its-maple-syrup-season/

Lisa M. Rose

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In: Authors, birds, conservation, Detroit, detroit river, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, John Hartig, Latest News, Michigan, News, Region, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Great Lakes Moment: Detroit River common terns under threat

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit PBS.

Common terns are known for their aerial acrobatics, performing rapid turns and swoops to the delight of those watching.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/great-lakes-moment-detroit-river-common-terns-under-threat/

John Hartig, Great Lakes Now

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Nibi Chronicles: Invisible Borders

“Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A Grand Portage Ojibwe direct descendant, she lives in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her nonfiction 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 the children’s story “A Family Tree” in 2024.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/nibi-chronicles-invisible-borders/

Staci Lola Drouillard, Great Lakes Now

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US Forest Service firings decimate already understaffed agency: ‘It’s catastrophic’

By Katie Myers, Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, & Izzy Ross

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist, BPR, a public radio station serving western North Carolina, WBEZ, a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan region, and Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/us-forest-service-firings-decimate-already-understaffed-agency-its-catastrophic/

Grist

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In: Feature Homepage, Latest News, News, PFAS News Roundup
Latest Minnesota PFAS bill allegedly shifts power, sparks controversy

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region. Check back for more PFAS news roundups every other week on our website.

A new bill introduced in the Minnesota Legislature by Republican Rep.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/latest-minnesota-pfas-bill-allegedly-shifts-power-sparks-controversy/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

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Lake trout recovery in Superior sign of lamprey removal success

Just-announced staff cuts and hiring freezes from the Trump administration will jeopardize the ongoing success of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) decades-long battle against sea lamprey, according to officials. While states, provinces and U.S. and Canadian tribes are involved in the labor-intensive efforts, the USFWS performs most of the in-stream treatments in the U.S.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/lake-trout-recovery-in-superior-sign-of-lamprey-removal-success/

James Proffitt, Great Lakes Now

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State program brings fourth graders to state parks

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

By Kayte Marshall, Great Lakes Echo

In a world dominated by smartphones and screen time, the Department of Natural Resources aims to reconnect kids with Michigan’s great outdoors.

The DNR is funding Nature Awaits, a program dedicated to hosting outdoor learning sessions for fourth grade classes at state parks.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/state-program-brings-fourth-graders-to-state-parks/

Great Lakes Echo

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Will JD Vance save the Great Lakes from Trump?

By Izzy Ross and Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist, Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan, and WBEZ, a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan region.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/will-jd-vance-save-the-great-lakes-from-trump/

Grist

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In: Chicago, electric vehicles, Energy, Energy News Roundup, Feature Homepage, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Ohio
From Madigan’s Conviction to ComEd’s EV Rebate Program: How Illinois is Shaping Its Energy Future

Catch the latest energy news from around the Great Lakes region. Check back for these biweekly Energy News Roundups. 

Chicago Democrat Michael Madigan — known for being the longest-serving legislative leader in United States history — was convicted last week of conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/from-madigans-conviction-to-comeds-ev-rebate-program-how-illinois-is-shaping-its-energy-future/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

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In: Detroit, Feature Homepage, flooding, infrastructure, Latest News, Michigan, News, water infrastructure, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
After water main break, officials say homes in Detroit’s Southwest will get repairs covered

By Adam Yahya Rayes and Sarah Cwiek, Michigan Public

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/after-water-main-break-officials-say-homes-in-detroits-southwest-will-get-repairs-covered/

Michigan Public

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In: artificial intelligence, Drinking Water, epa, Feature Homepage, groundwater, Groundwater Contamination, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, Michigan, News, PFAS, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Veteran Great Lakes advocate cautions on prioritizing economic development over protecting the environment

Rolling back clean water protection, gutting agencies and defunding science, research and monitoring is a non-starter for the Great Lakes region, says Ann Arbor environmental advocate Laura Rubin.

She was reacting to the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Lee Zeldin’s recently released economy-oriented plan for the agency under President Donald Trump.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/veteran-great-lakes-advocate-cautions-prioritizing-economic-development-over-protecting-environment/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, I Speak for the Fish, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research
I Speak for the Fish: Hornyhead chubs are cooler than their name implies

I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television. 

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/i-speak-for-the-fish-hornyhead-chubs-are-cooler-than-their-name-implies/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

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In: Agriculture, Blue Economy, canada, Feature Homepage, imports, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, tariffs, trump, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments
What the recent tariff news means for the Great Lakes

President Donald Trump has made rethinking international trade policy a centerpiece of his second administration. While Congress generally has the authority to regulate international trade, it has also delegated some of this authority to the president. On Feb. 1, Trump announced he would be imposing 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, with a 10% tariff on Canadian energy.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/what-the-recent-tariff-news-means-for-the-great-lakes/

Sean Ericson, 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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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/toledos-community-art-highlights-importance-of-native-plants-for-safe-drinking-water/

Great Lakes Echo

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In: Climate change, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation and Tourism, Recreational Hunting and Fishing, Science, Technology, Research
The early elk hunt was tough last year. Hot weather is likely to blame.

By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Interlochen Public Radio and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

The elk hunting season got off to a tough start last year, and state officials say heat is at least partly to blame.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/the-early-elk-hunt-was-tough-last-year-hot-weather-is-likely-to-blame/

Interlochen Public Radio

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In: Feature Homepage, freighters, History and Culture, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Lake Superior, Latest News, Michigan, News, Shipping and Ports
The fascinating history of the Great Lakes Yemeni sailors

Abdullatif Ahmed was just 23 years old when he first stepped foot on the Medusa Challenger, a 1906-built Great Lakes bulk freighter.

“Before I came to America in 1990,” he said, “I had never even seen the sea.”

Born and raised in Juban, a rural district in southern Yemen, Ahmed was drawn to the Great Lakes by family history and opportunity.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/the-fascinating-history-of-the-great-lakes-yemeni-sailors/

Stephen Starr, Great Lakes Now

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Trump tries to block EV charger money — again. Michigan impact ‘clear as mud’

By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS; Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/trump-tries-to-block-ev-charger-money-again-michigan-impact-clear-as-mud/

Bridge Michigan

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Wisconsin is still sitting on $125 million for PFAS cleanup

This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.

By Bennet Goldstein, Wisconsin Watch

A year and a half after Wisconsin lawmakers earmarked $125 million to clean up toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, the funds have yet to flow to contaminated communities.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/wisconsin-is-still-sitting-on-125-million-for-pfas-cleanup/

Wisconsin Watch

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In: Algae Blooms, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Geese are a problem. What can we do?

If you’ve been outside, you’ve probably run into branta canadesis — the Canada Goose.

From urban parks to rural fields, these birds seem to be everywhere. And their presence isn’t always welcome. Goose poop can contain e. coli bacteria, and the birds themselves can carry — and spread — avian flu.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/geese-are-a-problem-what-can-we-do/

Great Lakes Now

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For clean energy in the Great Lakes region, 2025 is off to an uneasy start

Catch the latest energy news from around the Great Lakes region. Check back for these biweekly Energy News Roundups. 

This is a weird time for clean energy. Much of the federal funding supporting the energy transition has become embroiled in President Donald Trump’s executive orders and the court decisions blocking them.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/for-clean-energy-in-the-great-lakes-region-2025-is-off-to-an-uneasy-start/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, History and Culture, indigenous communities, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research, Staci Lola Drouillard
Nibi Chronicles: Protecting the protectors

“Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A Grand Portage Ojibwe direct descendant, she lives in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her nonfiction 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 the children’s story “A Family Tree” in 2024.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/protecting-the-protectors/

Staci Lola Drouillard, Great Lakes Now

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In: Authors, Connect, Feature Homepage, Habitat Restoration, invasive species, John Hartig, Latest News, Michigan, News, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Great Lakes Moment: Rouge River oxbow enhances education at The Henry Ford

Great Lakes Moment is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor John Hartig. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit PBS.

In the 1960s, an oxbow was eliminated in the lower Rouge River when a concrete channel was built to move stormwater out of the watershed.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/great-lakes-moment-rouge-river-oxbow-enhances-education-the-henry-ford/

John Hartig, Great Lakes Now

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In: Feature Homepage, Latest News, News, PFAS News Roundup, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Zeldin to head EPA sparking debate over PFAS regulation and industry influence

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region. Check back for more PFAS news roundups every other week on our website.

On January 29, Lee Zeldin was sworn in as 17th Administrator of the U.S.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/zeldin-to-head-epa-sparking-debate-over-pfas-regulation-and-industry-influence/

Lisa John Rogers, Great Lakes Now

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In: Authors, Detroit, Feature Homepage, Habitat Restoration, James Proffitt, lake erie, Latest News, Michigan, News, Ohio, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
How Ducks Unlimited Became Heroes of the Conservation Movement

In the Great Lakes region alone, Ducks Unlimited (DU) has been involved in hundreds of projects in the past decade that involve either the conservation of wetlands through acquisition, or the restoration and management of wetlands. These projects — always in concert with public and private partners, universities and other organizations — seek to establish or conserve the maximum amount of acreage possible with available funds.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/how-ducks-unlimited-became-heroes-of-the-conservation-movement/

James Proffitt, Great Lakes Now

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In: Feature Homepage, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Joe Biden was America’s first climate president. Did it matter?

By Jake Bittle and Zoya Teirstein

This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.

When Joe Biden first became president, some found it hard to believe that he cared very much about climate change.

With a global pandemic raging, the former vice president and longtime senator pitched his 2020 campaign as a return to normalcy and a referendum on the erratic leadership of Donald Trump.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/joe-biden-was-americas-first-climate-president-did-it-matter/

Grist

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research
The History of the Button Industry’s Impact on Freshwater Mussels

Ryan Schwegman is a relocation specialist but don’t ask for his help if you’re moving, unless you are an endangered species.

Schwegman is COO of BioSurvey Group, LLC. in Oxford, Ohio. He manages a team of commercial and scientific divers who travel across the Eastern United States, relocating threatened and endangered species before river restoration projects begin.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/the-history-of-the-button-industrys-impact-on-freshwater-mussels/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

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In: Feature Homepage, Latest News, News, Wisconsin
An ecosystem engineer’s vision: mock beaver dams to restore Wisconsin wetlands

This article, first posted here, was republished with permission from Wisconsin Watch.

By Bennet Goldstein, Wisconsin Watch

Jay Dee Nichols stamped and packed stiff willow branches between maple wood posts, with muffled crunches.

At 63, the semi-retired handyman from the Wisconsin city of Black River Falls has trapped beavers before.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/an-ecosystem-engineers-vision-mock-beaver-dams-to-restore-wisconsin-wetlands/

Wisconsin Watch

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I Speak for the Fish: Why do mudpuppies matter?

I Speak for the Fish is a monthly column written by Great Lakes Now Contributor Kathy Johnson, coming out the third Monday of each month. Publishing the author’s views and assertions does not represent endorsement by Great Lakes Now or Detroit Public Television. 

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/i-speak-for-the-fish-why-do-mudpuppies-matter/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

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In: Books, Authors, Art and Music, Feature Homepage, History and Culture, Latest News, News
Fact or Fake? Readers can test their Great Lakes knowledge with excerpts from this new book

Great Lakes Fact or Fake? is a new book by Dave Dempsey. Below are adapted excerpts from the book, which bring readers along while he answers 41 myths about the Great Lakes.

Drinking Sewage

FACT or FAKE?

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/fact-or-fake-readers-can-test-their-great-lakes-knowledge-with-excerpts-from-this-new-book/

Dave Dempsey

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In: Feature Homepage, History and Culture, indigenous communities, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Ontario, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Tribal Governments and First Nations, U.S. and Canadian Federal Governments
Life on the frontlines of Ontario’s critical mineral boom

By Emma McIntosh, The Narwhal

Photography by Christopher Katsarov Luna

The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit PBS, Michigan Public and The Narwhal who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/life-on-the-frontlines-of-ontarios-critical-mineral-boom/

The Narwhal

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, Gary Wilson, great lakes news collaborative, Latest News, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice
Trump’s aggressive water statement riles, unites Canadians

Candidates for president of the United States address many issues on the campaign trail as they criss-cross the country pitching their policy agendas.

The economy, healthcare and immigration were among the leading topics in the runup to the 2024 election. However, it’s uncommon for a candidate to talk about the availability of water.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/trumps-aggressive-water-statement-riles-unites-canadians/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now

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In: Authors, Chicago, Energy News Roundup, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature Homepage, Illinois, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Michigan, News, Wisconsin
Energy transition sees small wins, major uncertainty in the Upper Midwest

Catch the latest energy news from around the Great Lakes region. Check back for these biweekly Energy News Roundups. 

 

Chicago’s commitment to using 100% renewable energy at city-owned buildings went into effect Jan.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/energy-transition-small-wins-uncertainty-upper-midwest/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

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In: Authors, Detroit, Feature Homepage, Forests and Plants, Habitat Restoration, infrastructure, John Hartig, Latest News, Michigan, News, Recreation and Tourism, Science, Technology, Research, Tourism, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Great Lakes Moment: Connecting people to nature through The Great Lakes Way

A recent Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan report documents substantial progress in creating The Great Lakes Way — an interconnected set of greenways and water trails stretching from Port Huron, Michigan on southern Lake Huron to Toledo, Ohio on western Lake Erie.

In 2000, the Community Foundation polled metropolitan Detroit communities about obstacles to building greenways.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/great-lakes-moment-connecting-people-to-nature-through-the-great-lakes-way/

John Hartig

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In: Feature Homepage, Food, Forests and Plants, Latest News, News, Recreation and Tourism, Science, Technology, Research
Winter Wellness Pantry: Elderberry Elixir

Part of “A Year in the Wild Kitchen of the Great Lakes,” a series in partnership with expert forager Lisa M. Rose, with the mission of nurturing a deeper connection with the natural world through foraging. To get started with your foraging journey, begin here with our “Framework to Sustainable and Safe Practices” and check out Part 1 of “Winter Wellness Pantry” for tips and tricks to stay healthy this winter with wild herbs of the Great Lakes. 

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/winter-wellness-pantry-elderberry-elixir/

Lisa M. Rose

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In: Connect, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Feature Homepage, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, invasive species, Latest News, News
Chicago keeps its New Year’s resolution: All city buildings now use 100% clean power

By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, WBEZ

This coverage is made possible through a partnership between WBEZ and Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for WBEZ newsletters to get local news you can trust.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/chicago-renewable-energy-black-diamond-solar/

Grist

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In: Feature Homepage, Latest News, Michigan, News
Planet Detroit’s top 5 environmental stories of 2024

By Nina Misuraca Ignaczak, Planet Detroit

This article was republished with permission from Planet Detroit. Sign up for Planet Detroit’s weekly newsletter here.

This year brought a whirlwind of changes and challenges for Michigan’s environment and energy future. From smoky skies to dark money scandals, the stories we covered revealed how deeply personal and interconnected these issues are for all of us who call this state home.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/planet-detroits-top-5-environmental-stories-of-2024/

Planet Detroit

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, Latest News, News, Staci Lola Drouillard
The Right to Consciousness

Picasso’s Guernica bursts forth in a jumble of body parts, animals crying out in pain and heavy layers of historical context, created to tell the story of a physical battle. The original oil painting is 11.5 feet tall by 25.5 feet long and can be seen in person at the Reina Sofía Museum, Spain’s national modern and contemporary art center in Madrid.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/the-right-to-consciousness/

Staci Lola Drouillard

On:
In: Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, lake erie, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research
Walleye Numbers are Down in Lake Erie

Ohio Division of Wildlife (ODW) officials have released their 2024 trawl survey indexes for Lake Erie’s two most-sought sportfish: yellow perch and walleye. This year’s results bring an end to a streak of wildly successful hatches for walleye. For yellow perch two of Ohio’s three management zones were above average, with the third zone down by 70% over last year.  

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/walleye-numbers-are-down-lake-erie/

James Proffitt, Great Lakes Now

On:
In: Energy News Roundup, Feature Homepage, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News
Energy News Roundup: Wisconsin reacts to oil spill as pipeline fight continues

The company planning a controversial pipeline reroute in northern Wisconsin recently told officials that it spilled approximately 69,300 gallons of crude oil in the southern part of the state, making this Wisconsin’s largest oil spill since at least 2012. Enbridge first reported the spill, which was caused by an underground equipment failure on its Line 6 pipeline, on Nov.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/energy-news-roundup-wisconsin-reacts-to-oil-spill-as-pipeline-fight-continues/

Nicole Pollack, Great Lakes Now

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In: Feature Homepage, Latest News, News
No flood gauges, no warning: 99% of US streams are off the radar amid rising flash flood risks – we saw the harm in 2024

By Julie Arbit, Brad Bottoms, and Branko Kerkez, University of Michigan

 is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.

Flooding is one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in the U.S., causing billions of dollars in damage each year.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/no-flood-gauges-no-warning-99-of-us-streams-are-off-the-radar-amid-rising-flash-flood-risks-we-saw-the-harm-in-2024/

The Conversation

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In: Authors, Feature Homepage, Fish, Birds and Animals, I Speak for the Fish, Kathy Johnson, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research
I Speak for the fish: Sammy the red-nosed sucker

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of stop-motion animated film Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I Speak for the Fish columnist Kathy Johnson creates a whimsical remix of the classic holiday jingle. Check out her previous columns.

You know darters and daces and pickerel and gar
Catfish and chub and cisco and char
But do you recall
The most famous fish of them all?

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/i-speak-for-the-fish-sammy-the-red-nosed-sucker/

Kathy Johnson, Great Lakes Now

On:
In: Agriculture, Feature Homepage, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News
Agricultural runoff damages our water and kills wildlife. Could a simple drainage stopper be the solution?

The sight of the first snow on the horizon of Bill Wiley’s 500-acre farm in Shelby County, Ohio, is a welcome relief. The 2024 growing season has been incredibly dry.

“We are about eight inches behind regular precipitation for the year,” he said.

But Wiley, who farms corn, soybeans, wheat, pumpkins and gords, has installed two inline water control structures that control the flow of drainage water from two of his fields.

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/agricultural-runoff-damages-our-water-and-kills-wildlife-could-a-simple-drainage-stopper-be-the-solution/

Stephen Starr

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In: Feature Homepage, invasive species, Latest News, News, Science, Technology, Research
Construction will soon begin on project to keep invasive carp out of Great Lakes

By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio

This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.

Efforts to build a barrier to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes are one step closer to reality.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Wednesday that it awarded the first construction contract on the $1.15 billion project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Illinois.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/construction-will-soon-begin-on-project-to-keep-invasive-carp-out-of-great-lakes/

Wisconsin Public Radio

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In: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Partnership, Collaboration, Drinking Water, Feature Homepage, great lakes news collaborative, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, Latest News, News, Ontario, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Spotlight on complexity of bottled water issues, as BlueTriton exits Ontario

Activist group, Water Watchers, had reason to celebrate last month when water bottler BlueTriton announced it will cease operations in Puslinch, Ontario in January, 2025. The group’s website beamed “We Won” and said the exit was a “historic win for water justice.”

To get a better understanding of the issues surrounding bottled water in Ontario, Canada, Great Lakes Now contacted Arlene Slocombe, executive director of Water Watchers and McMaster University Professor, Dawn Martin-Hill and founder of the Indigenous Studies Program at McMaster University. 

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Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/spotlight-on-complexity-of-bottled-water-issues-as-bluetriton-exits-ontario/

Gary Wilson, Great Lakes Now