Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2026/04/16/funding-cuts-hamper-conservation-groups-invasive-species-efforts/
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/
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 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 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 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 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/
By Clara Lincolnhol
New research says workers picking, grinding and packaging cannabis are developing workplace-related asthma, and two deaths have occurred so far.
The post Cannabis workers are developing job-related asthma and some have died, study says first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/11/22/cannabis-workers-are-developing-job-related-asthma-and-some-have-died-study-says/
By Eric Freedman
Tiny pieces of moss can be crime-busters, says a study examining how law enforcement agencies, forensic teams and botanists have used moss to solve murders, track missing people, calculate how long ago someone died and – in a notorious Mason County case – try to locate the body of a baby murdered by her father.
The post Green clues: Crime-busters turn to moss to help solve crimes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/11/14/green-clues-crime-busters-turn-to-moss-to-help-solve-crimes/
By Victoria Witke
New research shows Anishinaabe fire practices shaped today’s Great Lakes ecosystems. The region’s forests never existed and can’t continue to exist without people – or fire.
The post Anishinaabe fire practices shaped Great Lakes ecosystems, new research shows first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/11/09/anishinaabe-fire-practices-shaped-great-lakes-ecosystems-new-research-shows/
By Joe Lorenz
Electrification and tariffs mean rural Midwest communities can cash in on their mineral resources. But how can these ventures balance local benefit to the ecological cost?
The post New interest in domestic mining comes with call for sustainability in the market first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/10/24/new-interest-in-domestic-mining-comes-with-call-for-sustainability-in-the-market/
By Eric Freedman
A Wisconsin bear hunting guide has been barred for a year from hunting on federal land. Timothy Collar’s crime: illegal bear baiting in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
The post Bear-baiting bear hunting guide hit with hunting ban first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/10/13/bear-baiting-bear-hunting-guide-hit-with-hunting-ban/
By Samantha Ku
New federal policy is aimed at addressing the nation’s wildfire crisis by boosting timber production, but some experts say it’s not expected to have a major impact in Michigan.
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/09/29/federal-wildfire-policy-sparks-debate-timber-or-trees/
By Emilio Perez Ibarguen
Lakefront property in Wexford County, 40-plus acres of forested land in the Upper Peninsula and a tiny island sitting in the middle of Lake Ponemah are up for grabs this year. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is auctioning off those and over 100 other “surplus properties” that officials say are better off in private hands, with the proceeds helping the state acquire more useful land.
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/08/19/michigan-is-selling-over-120-plots-of-land-why/
By Rachel Lewis
With summer in full swing, you-pick farms have been seeing customers picking their own fruits and vegetables across the state. From blueberries and strawberries to tomatoes and asparagus, many people have opted for gathering their produce themselves. For some, this food gathering goes beyond the farm. In recent years, many people have been turning to wild berry foraging. Instead of grocery stores, these foragers seek out fresh fruits, nuts and herbs from local hiking trails or even off the side of the road.
Great Lakes Echo
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/08/17/wild-berry-foraging-gains-popularity/
By Victor Wooddell Capital News Service The 2023-24 winter was the warmest on record in the U.S. with average temperatures throughout the state above freezing, with close to average precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Data from the Southeast Regional Climate Center shows that average daily maximum temperatures in the Midwest were several degrees […]
The post Michigan tourism preps for a colder winter first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/11/16/michigan-tourism-preps-for-a-colder-winter/
By Georgia Hill Two men who admitted conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud await sentencing for cheating 22 investors out of more than $2 million from June 2016 to April 2018. Former Pittsburgh resident Jonathan Freeze and Kevin Carney of Euclid, Ohio, have pleaded guilty in federal court in Pittsburgh. Freeze, Carney, and a […]
The post Fraudsters face sentencing in fake green energy venture first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/11/15/fraudsters-face-sentencing-in-fake-green-energy-venture/
By Isabella Figueroa Student researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin are among the winners of an Environmental Protection Agency contest for innovations in sustainability. The EPA established the People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition to support teams of undergraduate and graduate students working to develop solutions to environmental and […]
The post Students at Michigan State and Wisconsin win EPA funding for environmental health innovations first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/11/05/students-at-michigan-state-and-wisconsin-win-epa-funding-for-environmental-health-innovations/
Red highlighted areas on this map indicate Michigan townships that contain critical dunes. Image: Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and EnergyBy Clara Lincolnhol Michigan’s towering freshwater sand dunes make up a one-of-a-kind natural resource and the largest collection of freshwater dunes on the planet. But environmentalists say the state’s legal protections are vague and leave […]
The post Lawmakers plan bills to protect Michigan sand dunes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/11/02/lawmakers-plan-bills-to-protect-michigan-sand-dunes/
By Elinor Epperson Capital News Service It’s been one year since Michigan Democrats introduced legislation that would significantly change the state’s environmental regulations. But those bills are stuck in committee. Election distractions, negotiation, and a slim Democratic majority in the state House have kept a suite of polluter-pay bills in limbo, according to environmental advocates […]
The post Industry opposition, partisan politics slow polluter-pay bills first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/11/01/industry-opposition-partisan-politics-slow-polluter-pay-bills/
By Donté Smith Capital News Service The digital divide remains a pressing issue for Michigan’s rural communities, where broadband access lags due to challenging geography and limited infrastructure. Jason Hamel, the operations manager and product assembler for Hower Tree Baler Corp. in Merritt, says current dial-up connection speeds in the area “aren’t worth it.” “It […]
The post Efforts to bridge digital divide expand in Michigan’s rural areas first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/30/efforts-to-bridge-digital-divide-expand-in-michigans-rural-areas/
By Victor Wooddell Capital News Service Animal shelters in Michigan are at capacity, even while facing staff and resource shortages. According to experts, more animals are being abandoned and too few pet owners are having their animals spayed or neutered. In 2020, adoption rates soared due to pandemic-related stay-at-home orders across the country, according to […]
The post Animal shelters struggle with challenges first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/29/animal-shelters-struggle-with-challenges/
By Gabriel S. Martinez Capital News Service An unusually busy fall fire season in Michigan has produced more than double the seasonal wildfires originally anticipated so far. About 100 prescribed burns are scheduled on both state and federal land for next year to help reduce damage from future wildfires. According to the state Department of […]
The post An uncommon wildfire season is exceeding averages first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/28/an-uncommon-wildfire-season-is-exceeding-averages/
By Donté Smith As the crisp autumn air settles over Michigan, the gentle chug of steam engines echoes through Coldwater. The Little River Railroad, a historic steam railway, invites passengers to step back in time for a ride filled with charm and nostalgia. It’s one of 55 steam locomotives in the state, 15 of them still […]
The post Steam railroad takes passengers on journey through time first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/10/23/steam-railroad-takes-passengers-on-journey-through-time/
By Grace Jenkins Indiana Dunes National Park is among the country’s five “lesser known national parks to add to your bucket list,” according to National Geographic. With 2.7 million visitors in 2023, the park ranks 36th in attendance among 393 national parks, monuments and historic sites. Credited for its striking plant and bird diversity, the […]
The post National Geographic spotlights ‘lesser known’ Indiana Dunes National Park first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/09/24/national-geographic-spotlights-lesser-known-indiana-dunes-national-park/
By Mia Litzenberg In a weekly Good Grief Network session held on July 25, time and space were created for participants to reflect on their feelings of uncertainty in an unstable environment over Zoom. Trained facilitators kept time for each participant to speak while the other participants bore witness as listeners. The overarching rule was […]
The post A New Paradigm: How climate change is shaping mental landscapes in the Great Lakes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/24/a-new-paradigm-how-climate-change-is-shaping-mental-landscapes-in-the-great-lakes/
By Eric Freedman A federal judge has sentenced an Ohio business owner to one year on probation and a $5,000 fine for illegally dumping a hazardous ammonia-containing substance into the Scioto River near Kenton. The crime killed more than 40,000 fish. U.S. Magistrate Judge Darrell Clay also ordered Mark Shepherd, 72, to perform 150 […]
The post Illegal dumping nets probation sentence in Ohio fish kill first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/22/illegal-dumping-nets-probation-sentence-in-ohio-fish-kill/
By Elinor Epperson Of all the things I could step in while wandering the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Northeast Michigan, vulture vomit was not on my list. My hosts, a team of scientists looking for native plant seeds, warned me to avoid it. Elizabeth Haber is a lead botanist with Seeds of Success, a […]
The post Commentary: Michigan joins federal program that collects native flora and champions restoration first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/17/commentary-michigan-joins-federal-program-that-collects-native-flora-and-champions-restoration/
Dave Poulson, the founder and editor of the Knight Center’s award-winning environmental news service, has retired after more than 21 years on the MSU Journalism School faculty. We at the Knight Center miss him already. Poulson, a professor of practice, spearheaded the center’s initiatives to boost diversity among environmental journalism students and practitioners, securing grant […]
The post Great Lakes Echo founder retires first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/16/great-lakes-echo-founder-retires/
By Gabrielle Nelson The only things that rival the popularity of bikes on Mackinac Island are horses and fudge. M-185 stretches around the island, hugging the coast with a clear view of Lake Huron’s crystal blue waters. The 8.2 miles is a perfect bike trail because it boasts a unique feature: It’s the only state […]
The post Disability rights advocates ask Mackinac Island to allow Class 2 e-bikes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/08/05/disability-rights-advocates-ask-mackinac-island-to-allow-class-2-e-bikes/
By Gabrielle Nelson Electric bicycle use is expanding, welcoming a new group of riders to the cycling community. But under current Michigan state park policies, the bikes are banned from many trails. That could soon change. The Department of Natural Resources has proposed a yearlong pilot program that would open 3,000 miles of trails to […]
The post Michigan officials mull more access for e-bikes on state trails first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/07/19/michigan-officials-mull-more-access-for-e-bikes-on-state-trails/
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.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/25/journalists-hike-urban-wilderness-of-wissahickon-valley-park/
Michigan’s corn farmers rejected a recent proposed assessment increase amid low prices, blocking additional funds for research and lobbying.
The proposal would have raised the assessment from 1 cent per bushel to 2 cents.
The post Corn farmers again reject assessment bump amid “bad timing” for industry first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/04/corn-farmers-again-reject-assessment-bump-amid-bad-timing-for-industry/
Less than two miles past the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are dozens of cedars stripped of their bark and left to die.
“It is probably the most obscene thing I’ve witnessed,” said Renee Dillard, an elder of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians who recently discovered the damaged trees.
The post Desecrated cedar trees in Upper Peninsula lead to protections under Sault tribal code first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/25/desecrated-cedar-trees-in-upper-peninsula-lead-to-protections-under-sault-tribal-code/
About 250 acres of Indiana wetlands have been lost in the two years since wetland protections were eased, according to the Hoosier Environmental Council.
Since the 2021 law passed, mitigation requirements have decreased.
The post Indiana conservation groups defend state’s wetlands that lost protection first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/20/indiana-conservation-groups-defend-states-wetlands-that-lost-protection/
On July 2, 1999, 38-year-old Vicky Brockman set out with two friends down the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness’s Gunflint Trail in Minnesota.
Three days later, the group was stranded in the center of a storm with the strength of a hurricane. They rushed into their tents for shelter.
The post The Midwest’s “first climate change-driven disaster” is documented in a new book. Can we learn from it? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/19/the-midwests-first-climate-change-driven-disaster-is-documented-in-a-new-book-can-we-learn-from-it/
Researchers in Minnesota are creating a national map to identify peatlands - soggy areas of slowly decaying organic matter - and guides for how to restore them.
The PeatRestore project is set to span several years. Restoration will begin by summer 2025.
The post Preserving Minnesota’s bogs could fight climate change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/08/preserving-minnesotas-bogs-could-fight-climate-change/
Fertilizer is an essential resource for farmers, but as prices rise, paying for it makes their job more difficult.
A 2023 study by the MSU Agriculture Product Center showed that fertilizer accounts for the highest cost per acre compared to other products, such as seed and machinery repairs.
The post High fertilizer costs hit Michigan farmers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/12/11/high-fertilizer-costs-hit-michigan-farmers/
Seasonal weather patterns are changing and farmers are facing new challenges as a result, including how to handle their water management and irrigation practices.
Dennis Kellogg, a crop farmer in Ithaca, has felt the impacts of increased rain and longer droughts.
The post Changes in rain patterns create water challenges for farmers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/11/28/changes-in-rain-patterns-create-water-challenges-for-farmers/
Northern Michigan is home to two unique land preserves, one in Harbor Springs and the other in Traverse City – both originating from golf courses.
Golf has strong ties to Michigan, with around 650 courses. Enthusiasts have nicknamed it “America’s Summer Golf Capital,” according to The Travel Magazine.
The post Michigan golf courses returned to their natural state first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/11/17/michigan-golf-courses-returned-to-their-natural-state/
An initiative to improve water quality throughout Ohio and Lake Erie is gaining ground — about a hundred acres to be exact.
Wetlands have the potential to restore the water quality of the Great Lakes, though Navarro says that may take decades of dedicated wetland restoration.
The post Wetland restoration revives Ohio Lake first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/11/08/wetland-restoration-revives-ohio-lake/
As the leaves blanket the ground in stunning shades of reds, yellows, and oranges, experts say to think twice before bagging them up.
That said, perhaps your neighbor with the meticulous lawn may disagree.
The post Leave them be? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/11/03/leave-them-be/
The recent expansion of China-owned land in the U.S. is raising concerns about the food supply chain and affordable land in Michigan.
In the Midwest, Chinese entities own around 44,000 acres, which is about an eighth of such entity property holdings in the United States, according to the USDA.
The post Michigan eyeing foreign farmland ownership first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/26/michigan-eyeing-foreign-farmland-ownership/
Historical redlining of neighborhoods still poses health threats to present-day residents, such as increased risk of diabetes, hypertension and early death from heart disease, according to a recent study by the National Library of Medicine.
While redlining practices are not legal anymore, the effects still linger in historically redlined areas that typically have a high concentration of minority residents.
The post Historical redlining impacts still felt nearly a century later first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/15/historical-redlining-impacts-still-felt-nearly-a-century-later/
Early European settlers deemed Michigan’s wetlands a “dangerous wasteland.”
Little did they know the state’s wetlands were keeping their new home healthy.
The post ‘Earth’s kidneys’: from farmland to wetland first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/14/earths-kidneys-from-farmland-to-wetland/
The new signs use phrases in the Anishinabemowin language, show archaeological pictures from discovery of the petroglyphs and talk about the plants and animals that call the park home.
The post Petroglyph park near Cass City to use Native language first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/03/10/petroglyph-park-near-cass-city-to-use-native-language/
Since 2014, local communities have spent over $1 billion trying to clean up the water.
The post Algae depresses Lake Erie home values first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/12/27/algae-depresses-lake-erie-home-values/
The initiative took a holistic approach in developing Kernza, thinking about how the plant could benefit farmers and the environment.
The post Perennial grains: great for beer, bread and the fight against climate change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/12/19/perennial-grains-great-for-beer-bread-and-the-fight-against-climate-change/
A northern Wisconsin logger faces possible time behind bars on charges he illegally cut timber in an environmentally sensitive part of the 1.5 million-acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. A federal grand jury in Madison has indicted 40-year-old Jerod Hecimovich on charges of stealing, injuring, cutting and removing live oak timber from an 88-acre parcel of national forestland in Bayfield County.
The post Logger could go to prison for illegally cutting trees in Wisconsin national forest first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/10/logger-could-go-to-prison-for-illegally-cutting-trees-in-wisconsin-national-forest/
