Situated in a town of a little over a thousand people in Colon, Michigan, is an idyllic and pastoral outdoor dining experience just 250 feet from a main road. Guests are recommended to order a glass of wine, wander the property grounds, and soak in their surroundings before taking a seat at a banquet-style table.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/going-country-at-farrand-hall/
By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media
This story was originally published by Ideastream.
Cleveland Metroparks is expanding access to its trail network for visitors with disabilities. It’s acquired two new wheelchairs – one a motorized Action Trackchair, the other, a manual GRIT Freedom Chair, for use on and off the beaten paths.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/cleveland-metroparks-breaks-down-accessibility-barriers-with-all-terrain-wheelchairs/
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Clara Lincolnhol, Great Lakes Echo
A very round white throated sparrow is the heavyweight champion of the 2025 Wisconsin Fat Bird Week contest.
The bird, coined the “spherical white-throated sparrow,” won by a landslide, receiving 72% of the vote in the final round against its nearest competitor, a “rotund ruby-throated hummingbird.”
The winner made it through eight rounds in the single-elimination, March Madness-style bracket competition against seven other birds.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/06/white-throated-sparrow-takes-first-place-in-fattest-bird-competition/
A fledgling birding festival that hatched 15 years ago has become an international event drawing visitors from around the world to northwest Ohio. While the stars of the show at the Biggest Week in American Birding (BWIAB) are migrating warblers, there are dozens of other species which draw crowds from every state and continent including wading and shore birds, tanagers, songbirds, waterfowl and raptors.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/05/everything-you-need-to-know-about-biggest-week-in-american-birding/
Summer is just around the corner, and for many in the Great Lakes region, the coming season is synonymous with weekends at the beach, camping trips and — if you’re lucky — stargazing. There are many places in the Great Lakes where the skies are dark enough to enjoy the stars and planets overhead, but specific recognition for such places varies by state.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/04/the-importance-of-dark-sky-parks/
A few months ago, I was riding on Amtrak’s new Borealis line from St. Paul, Minn., to Chicago. The train was packed that day, and the new line has proved popular.
My coach seat was much nicer than any airline. Plus, I didn’t have to go through security.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/what-would-the-great-lakes-region-be-like-with-bullet-trains/
By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio
This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.
Wisconsin saw more visitors at sites managed by the National Park Service last year, and America’s national parks had a record number of visitors.
News of the growing demand at the parks comes as the Trump administration has cut staff to manage them.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/national-parks-see-a-record-number-of-visitors-including-in-wisconsin/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/03/ian-outside-a-detroiters-journey-to-calumet-for-copperdog/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/trump-firings-hit-great-lakes-sea-lamprey-program-michigan-forestry/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/trump-firings-hit-great-lakes-sea-lamprey-program-michigan-forestry/
Erik Grams was 12 years old when he first went camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. Ever since that trip, he’s been coming back again and again. It’s his favorite place in the world.
“I really feel – when I’m in the Boundary Waters – that I’m in my element,” said Erik.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/02/back-to-the-boundary-waters/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/01/great-lakes-moment-connecting-people-to-nature-through-the-great-lakes-way/
By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media
This story was originally published by Ideastream.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is turning 50, and celebrating the milestone by highlighting decades of expansion, development and environmental preservation.
In September, the park kicked off hikes, happy hours and scavenger hunts — events that will continue through the end of 2025 — to showcase how far Northeast Ohio’s national park has come since its founding in 1974.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/12/cuyahoga-valley-national-park-celebrates-50-years-environmental-stewardship/
Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.
This month, we spoke with Tom Grotewohl, a resident of Wakefield Township in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and founder of the Protect the Porkies campaign.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/waves-of-change-meet-protect-the-porkies-founder-tom-grotewohl/
By Zaria Johnson, Ideastream Public Media
This story was originally published by Ideastream.
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency is seeking feedback on a proposed plan to better connect the region’s county parks systems to each other, and to community resources.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/navigating-northeast-ohio-without-a-car-planning-group-wants-your-ideas-on-better-parks-connections/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
Nine-year-old Gunner Vistisen was wearing goggles, a wooden mallet in hand, standing near a blue tarp lined with pumpkins on a lot in Traverse City.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/smashing-pumpkins-in-traverse-city-to-reduce-trash/
By Danielle Kaeding, Wisconsin Public Radio
This article was republished here with permission from Wisconsin Public Radio.
Ski hills in Wisconsin are relying more on snowmaking and other strategies to adapt to changing snow conditions due to climate change, according to a new study.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/pressed-for-powder-study-finds-ski-areas-are-relying-more-on-snowmaking/
By Daniel Wanschura
Points North is a biweekly podcast about the land, water and inhabitants of the Great Lakes.
This episode was shared here with permission from Interlochen Public Radio.
On July 12, 2013 the Woessner family was hiking in Indiana.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/presenting-atlas-obscura-the-mysterious-sinkholes-of-mount-baldy/
By Native News Online Staff, Native News Online
This article originally appeared on Native News Online. Founded in 2011, Native News Online reaches millions of Native and non-Native readers annually including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and others interested in Native American concerns.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/11/national-park-service-issues-landmark-order-for-tribal-consultations/
Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.
This month, we spoke with Rebeka Ndosi, founder of the Maji ya Chai Land Sanctuary, a Black-led healing sanctuary just outside of Two Harbors, Minnesota.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/waves-of-change-meet-maji-ya-chai-land-sanctuary-founder-rebeka-ndosi/
Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes That Dot Our Planet is a new book by Geo Rutherford. Below is an adapted excerpt from her New York Times best seller, all about Lake Superior. Follow Geo on TikTok or Instagram for more content on spooky lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/spooky-lake-superior-the-ss-kamloops/
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.
From a distance, I caught a glimpse of a relatively small elongated furry animal moving along the shoreline of the Detroit River.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/great-lakes-moment-mink-thriving-along-the-detroit-river/
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.
The Great Lakes Way is an interconnected set of greenways and water trails stretching from Port Huron, Michigan (at the head of the St.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/09/great-lakes-moment-ten-natural-wonders-of-the-great-lakes-way/
By Elinor Epperson, Michigan Public
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/08/michigan-joins-federal-program-that-collects-native-flora-and-champions-restoration/
Hayward, Wisconsin got its first snow of the season on Halloween. But then Thanksgiving came, and Christmas, with no more white flakes. The new year started equally warm and snowless, and the organizers of the iconic American Birkebeiner ski race began to really worry. The February 24, 2024 race would be the 50th anniversary of the country’s most famous (and largest) cross-country ski event, and it would also be a World Cup competition, drawing top competitors from around the globe.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/05/disappointed-dogs-sad-skiers-frustrated-fishermen/
Foraging connects us with the natural world, offering a pathway to understand the land, its cycles, and the bountiful edible plants that grow wild around us. Whether you’re a novice eager to explore the greens outside your doorstep or an experienced forager looking to deepen your practice, this guide provides essential insights into starting your foraging journey, identifying plants, harvesting sustainably, and ensuring safety.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/04/your-foraging-journey-a-framework-to-sustainable-and-safe-practices/
The path of totality during the April 8 solar eclipse is expected to run directly across northwest Ohio, keeping tourism officials in the area, who normally plan for crowds to begin arriving in May, extra busy.
Some private campgrounds in the area that are opening early for the eclipse and have sites available, including Crystal Rock, Erie and Ottawa County fairgrounds, Cedarlane RV Resort, Camp Sandusky and Camp Perry RV Park.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/03/where-to-see-rare-solar-eclipse-in-ohio/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/warm-winters-are-a-wet-blanket-for-small-ski-slopes-in-northern-michigan/
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/michigans-lost-winter-cancels-sturgeon-season-ski-dog-sled-races/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership with IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
The International 500 Snowmobile Endurance Race in Sault Ste.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/02/i-500-snowmobile-race-moving-ahead-despite-warmer-weather/
In Douglas, Michigan, houses dot the coast of Lake Michigan, with wooden stairs — some newly built, others with broken steps — descending the steep hillside to give shoreline residents access to the narrow sandy beach. When winds grow fierce, waves crash against the boulders and large sandbags stacked along the base of these homes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/you-cant-stop-the-lake/
By Josh Boose, Ideastream Public Media
This story was originally published by Ideastream.
Lake Erie is behind its typical freezing schedule.
The schedule depends on different weather patterns, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Director of Communications Jennifer Day.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/lake-erie-is-13-frozen-expect-less-freezing-in-the-future/
People on the western shore of Lake Erie witnessed strange sights after a winter storm came through on January 13. Parts of the lake that are usually under water were suddenly dry and visible, after wind gusts up to 55 mph pushed large volumes of water east. At least one long-lost human-made structure and striking natural features were revealed.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/strong-winds-uncover-spectacular-features-and-long-lost-structures/
By Janelle D. James, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Public, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/michigans-state-park-camping-reservations-are-open-and-filling-up-quickly/
By Izzy Ross, Interlochen Public Radio
This coverage is made possible through a partnership between IPR and Grist, a nonprofit independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
On an early Thursday evening, people are seated around the dining room of Trattoria Stella, an Italian restaurant on the ground floor of the Grand Traverse Commons, just outside the city’s downtown area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/01/a-valuable-resource-traverse-city-restaurants-aim-to-reduce-food-waste-greenhouse-gases/
Love staring at a map and discovering something interesting? Then “Mapping the Great Lakes” is for you. It’s a monthly Great Lakes Now feature created by Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines cartography, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/mapping-the-great-lakes-summertime-fishing/
By John Flesher, Associated Press
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Even for the Thunder Bay area, a perilous swath of northern Lake Huron off the Michigan coast that has devoured many a ship, the Ironton’s fate seems particularly cruel.
The 191-foot (58-meter) cargo vessel collided with a grain hauler on a blustery night in September 1894, sinking both.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/03/ap-long-lost-ship-found-in-lake-huron/
In the spirit of rehabbing my relationship with Midwest winters, it was high time I found recreation to keep me outside and moving.
After a summer of hiking, off-roading and even eFoiling I was in dire need of some fresh air adventure, but didn’t know where to start.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/02/ian-outside-lets-go-ice-climbing/
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 Public Television.
A good example of community science in metropolitan Detroit is the Rockwood Christmas Bird Count, which is part of the longest-running community science survey in the world.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/02/great-lakes-moment-community-science-survey/
Editor’s Note: Look for coverage of Great Lakes recreation and adventure in this new monthly feature. The author, Ian Solomon, founded Amplify Outside, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access and representation by Black people in the outdoors, starting in the Great Lakes region. Find more about him HERE.
As the age old saying goes, “you never know what you have until it’s gone.” And while winter is technically here, the season we knew as children seems long gone.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/01/ian-outside-winning-winter/
My survey was admittedly small.
I polled one 10-year-old and 30 adults ranging in age from their early 20s to mid-50s. I had a fairly even representation of genders and races. About half were on a college campus, the other half I approached on a public boardwalk.
I limited my poll to one person per social cluster to prevent parroting of the same responses.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/01/i-speak-for-the-fish-and-the-survey-says/
By Nina Ignaczak, Planet Detroit
This story is part of a collaborative series from the Institute for Nonprofit News, Planet Detroit, Tostada Magazine, Energy News Network, The Land, and Borderless Magazine examining climate resilience across the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/01/detroit-restaurants-tackling-climate-change-kitchen/
For more than a century, a dam divided the upstream Sandusky River from Lake Erie. People got power, but fish were prevented from reaching native spawning grounds.
Then, four years ago, the dam came down, like hundreds around the Great Lakes region. It had been replaced as a power source years earlier, and environmentalists argued to restore the river’s natural course.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/ballville-dam-removal-history-trends-impacts/
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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/i-speak-for-the-fish-favorite-fish-books/
Editor’s Note: Look for coverage of Great Lakes recreation and adventure in this new monthly feature. The author, Ian Solomon, founded Amplify Outside, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access and representation by Black people in the outdoors, starting in the Great Lakes region. Find more about him HERE.
Life slows, that’s what I’ve come to love most about the changing seasons especially in the Great Lakes.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/drummond-island-summer-recap-as-winter-gets-here/
Multiple studies and countless anecdotal accounts document the calming and healing effects of spending time in nature.
But for people with autism spectrum disorder, the great outdoors can be full of dangers and stressors, from unpredictable and rough hiking trails to the overwhelming stimuli of people and animals to the risky allure posed by water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/new-trails-and-parks-make-nature-accessible-for-neurodiverse-people/
Great Lakes Now tries to make every episode interesting and educational.
In this episode, Michigan DNR researchers document the northern madtom – a tiny, endangered catfish that’s venomous. Then take a cinematic journey through Earth’s largest freshwater ecosystem – the Great Lakes watershed – with a preview of a new documentary series.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/great-lakes-wildlife-the-great-lakes-now-episode-quiz/
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 Public Television.
National parks serve as pilgrimage sites because they provide spaces that provide a degree of solitude and access to unique natural resources.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/12/great-lakes-moment-detroits-benefits-of-national-urban-park-in-windsor/
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/michigans-outdoor-recreation-boom-business-boom/
I Speak for the Fish is a new 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.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/11/i-speak-for-the-fish-these-catfish-have-something-to-say/
