Education
Black-legged tick

Climate change makes ticks a year-round pest in Michigan

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TICKS: Climate change is transforming the patterns of disease-carrying ticks, raising public health concerns as winters become warmer and spring weather arrives earlier. We talk to an MSU researcher, an East Lansing dog groomer and an Oakland Township veterinary technician. By Gabrielle Ahlborn. FOR PLANET DETROIT, DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.

News

Hana St. Juliana Memorial Garden to open in Oxford in mid-summer

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Almost three years ago, four of Oxford High School’s 1,700 students lost their lives in a mass shooting. Hana St. Juliana was one of those students. The Hana St. Juliana Memorial Fund was created in her honor in 2022. The money raised by selling apparel with Hana’s logo are now going toward building the Hana St. Juliana Memorial Garden, which will be located next to Seymour Lake Park outdoor market in Oxford.

Agriculture
The Huron River at Kent Lake in Oakland County. The river is under a state Do Not Eat Advisory for all fish species.

Scientists alarmed by high levels of toxic forever chemicals in fish 

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TOXICS IN FISH: Every fish studied in the Rouge River and Huron River watersheds contained at least one of a family of toxic and persistent health-threatening chemicals, say researchers at the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor and Indiana University. We also talk to experts at MSU and the EPA. By Ruth Thornton. FOR PLANET DETROIT, DETROIT, MONROE, MICHIGAN FARM NEWS AND ALL POINTS.

Elections & Politics
Groves of bark-stripped cedars have been discovered in the St. Ignace district of the Hiawatha National Forest. Those responsible could be charged with a felony and spend up to a year in jail, according to state law.

Desecrated cedars lead to protections under Sault tribal code

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DESECRATED CEDARS: Less than 2 miles past the Mackinac Bridge are dozens of cedars stripped of bark and left to die in the Hiawatha National Forest. An elder of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians explains the cultural significance to the Anishinaabe of cedar, or giizhik, which also has important wetlands benefits.The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has written in protection for cedars in its tribal code. By Daniel Schoenherr. FOR BAY MILLS, SAULT STE. MARIE, MARQUETTE, IRON MOUNTAIN, ST. IGNACE, PETOSKEY, TRAVERSE CITY AND ALL POINTS.

East Lansing

East Lansing’s Environmental Stewardship Program works to weed out invasive species 

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It is a brisk March day, and Azaadiika park is finally waking up for spring – birds are flitting through the trees, joggers and dog-walkers are making their way through the winding trails, and a myriad of plant life is starting its journey towards blooming for the season. But there is something there that doesn’t quite belong – a pervasive and ever-growing army of buckthorn trees, an invasive species that has long been a disruptive force in the park’s ecosystem. 

“The tree itself takes a few years to grow, but it sends little seeds, and then it sprouts little trees, and those little trees can completely cover a landscape,” says Heather Majano. “So much so, that you could actually take a weed whipper out and just weed whip tiny little buckthorn trees and not have to worry about removing any other plant because that’s all there is.” 

Three large piles of buckthorn branches line a trail in East Lansing’s Azaadiika Park on Saturday, March 9. The branch piles, which have been cut down and placed there by Stewardship Program volunteers, will serve as habitats for some of the park’s smaller animal inhabitants. Majano, who graduated from MSU with her master’s degree in forestry in 2015, has spent the majority of the past 12 years working as the coordinator for East Lansing’s Environmental Stewardship Program, an initiative focused on reducing the negative impact that invasive species have on East Lansing’s natural environments.  

The program, initially founded in 2009 by former Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mike Vasievich, devotes most of its energy towards on-the-ground conservation efforts, inviting community volunteers to meet at designated locations on the second Saturday of every month –both to learn more about the impacts of invasive species, and to help remove or repurpose as many invasive plants as possible. 

“I’ve talked to some people who are not as familiar with plant identification, and when they look out in the woods or in a field, they see green, [and think] green is beautiful.

Environment
Algal blooms highlight the natural beauty of Lake St. Clair and its canals

An underappreciated lake that’s great

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MICHIGAN’S VENICE: Lake St. Clair is an unappreciated level and a great lake in its own right, according to a new book on its history and culture. It’s a major game fishing destination and a site where environmental remediation continues. We talk to the author of the federally-designated Area of Concern covering the Clinton River. For News and features sections. By Anna Barnes. FOR DETROIT, PLANET DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.

Ingham County

Potter Park Zoo paves the path for accessible recreation in Ingham County

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Potter Park Zoo, which is managed by Ingham County, has been paving the way for greater accessibility features for establishments and fostering an inclusive environment.

Located right between Downtown Lansing and East Lansing, the zoo has continuously been establishing programs and amenities that benefit anyone with any type of disability to take advantage of in order to experience the zoo at its fullest potential.

Arts & Entertainment
Photographer Danielle Jorae is the author of a new book about lighthouses in the Lower Peninsula.

Photobook illuminates the beauty of Michigan lighthouses

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LIGHTHOUSES BOOK: Portland photographer Danielle Jorae’s new book is about lighthouses of the Lower Peninsula. They include ones at Point Austin, Tawas and Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Huron Lightship in Port Huron. Her new project will look at UP lighthouses. By Clara Lincolnhol. FOR GREENVILLE, WKTV, LEELANAU, TRAVERSE CITY, ALPENA, ALCONA, LANSING CITY PULSE, MARQUETTE, SAULT STE. MARIE, IRON MOUNTAIN, ST. IGNACE, CHEBOYGAN, HOLLAND, OCEANA COUNTY, LUDINGTON, MONROE AND ALL POINTS.