Category Archives: Great Lakes

Free swim lessons part of larger effort to reduce drownings

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Great Lakes

By Ashley Zhou
Capital News Service

Children take turns falling off the edge of the pool with Mia Dodd’s support, teaching them how to safely enter the pool. Credit: Ashley Zhou

LANSING — Strapped with goggles and neon-colored pool noodles tucked under their bodies, three young students paddle towards coach Mia Dodd as she walks backward, looping around the shallow end of the pool.

Fearlessly kicking their feet and blowing bubbles, they make their way past the pool dividers, where the pool floor begins to dip down. Dodd holds their hands one by one as they learn to safely sit on the edge of the pool and jump in.

Every Tuesday through Thursday morning, Laurie Jonckheere watches her two granddaughters receive free swim lessons at this pool in Howell.

“They’ve always both liked the water,” Jonckheere said. “It’s good for people to know how to swim. You never know when you’re going to need to do it on an emergency basis.”

Teaching youngsters swimming skills is part of a larger effort to reduce drownings in Michigan, particularly on the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes can be dangerous for swimmers when the weather changes. Drowning deaths have gradually increased across the Great Lakes from 74 in 2010 to 108 last year, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue.

According to the rescue project, there have been 15 drowning deaths so far this year.

Dodd leads lessons at the Highlander Aquatic and Fitness Center, part of a collaboration between Huron-Clinton Metroparks and Southeast Michigan swim facilities aimed at closing the poverty gap in communities where many families can’t afford swim lessons. The effort taught more than 1,000 children to swim last summer and has grown to 1,300 students this summer.

Through feedback from park visitors and surveys, Huron-Clinton Metroparks officials say there is broad interest in swimming and water facilities, but the cost of lessons can be a barrier for many Detroiters and children of color.

Danielle Mauter, the agency’s chief of marketing and communications, said a staggering 70% of children in Detroit have little to no swimming experience.

“Our ultimate goal is to be for every single person in Southeast Michigan to know how to swim,” Mauter said. “Each year, the metroparks are interested in growing the number of lessons served year over year, and that was our big focus this summer.”

Summer is also when swimmers hit the beaches across Michigan.

 

In recent years, the state has taken more steps to protect their safety, including fining swimmers who go into the water despite double red flag warnings at designated state park beaches.

The “double red flag” was introduced last summer to indicate where people are prohibited from going into the water, with exceptions for “board sport recreational individuals”  such as  surfers and kiteboarders.

Although the park flags run consistently on state beaches, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has no control over how a city or township beach flag system is run, said Pat Whalen, the district supervisor for DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division. State and city beaches have different meanings for the red flag, he said.

For example, in South Haven, a red flag signals the water is closed and swimmers  can be fined $1,000 if they ignore the warning. But a 10-minute drive away, Van Buren State Park follows DNR’s flag system where a  red flag is merely a recommendation to stay out of water, not an order, with no fine for doing so, said Dave Benjamin, a co-founder and an executive director of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

  

Michigan’s beach flags are “consistently inconsistent,” Benjamin said, which leads to some drownings being attributed to a lack of awareness of water conditions. He said 66% of drownings involve people who know how to swim.

Not understanding the meaning of safety flags can leave even competent swimmers vulnerable.

“There’s no education and enforcement there, so it dilutes the meaning of the flag,” Benjamin said. “We do want everyone to learn how to swim, but we also want them to understand that knowing how to swim isn’t water safety.”

Even good swimmers can drown if they’re not taught how to handle a rip current, a common challenge on the Great Lakes.

DNR’s Mauter said rip currents—sometimes called riptides — are less of a focus in swim classes as most lessons take place in pools, although some lessons take place on open water beaches, touching on lake safety.

Last year, Illinois passed  a law requiring water rescue equipment on all private and public Lake Michigan waterfronts. Bob Pratt, also a co-founder and an executive director of the rescue project, said he wants similar legislation in Michigan.

Ashley Zhou has an environmental reporting internship under the MSU Knight Center for Environmental Journalism’s diversity reporting partnership with the Mott News Collaborative. This story was produced for Bridge Michigan.

Book focuses on grassroots efforts to clean the watersheds

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Environment, Great Lakes, Recreation

By Jada Vasser
Capital News Service

John Hartig, the retired director of the U.S.-Canada Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, North America’s only international refuge. Credit: University of Windsor.

A new book about the Great Lakes is written to reflect that their problems, solutions and champions are interrelated, much like the ecosystem it portrays.

“This whole thing of bringing stakeholders together, creating a vision, co-producing knowledge, co-innovating solutions is in the book,” author John Hartig said. “You don’t get that anywhere else.”

Hartig’s “Great Lakes Champions: Grassroots Efforts to Clean Up Polluted Watersheds” (Michigan State University Press, $24.95) highlights 14 people who created programs and solutions to help communities that depend on the lakes.

These leaders took on the goal of restoring the Great Lakes through service and guidance at such environmental hotspots as the Detroit River, River Raisin, Rouge River and Muskegon Lake.

They all are hardworking and determined and share the same love for the lakes, Hartig said.

“The pollution problems of the Great Lakes are really people problems,” he said. “People created these problems and to solve them it’s going to take people working together.”

The retired director of the U.S.-Canada Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, North America’s only international refuge, Hartig continues his lifelong Great Lakes work as a visiting scholar at the University of Windsor and member of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy board of directors.

Through research, education and advocacy, he has fought for the cleanup of the lakes, demonstrating why action is necessary and significant to the communities that benefit from them. And he’s paid attention to people who have done similar work.

Hartig profiled people he deemed as Great Lakes champions. They share the same passion and help their communities remember how important the lakes are for people.

“They’re wel- respected in the community and they have trust,” Hartig said. “It takes sometimes decades to get trust.”

Such trust comes from advocacy groups, religious organizations, governments and industry, he said.

“They were these facilitators of the process and that takes a rare person.”

The champions include a married couple working to clean up Green Bay,Wisconsin, drain commissioners who brought communities together to do group service, members of the Water-keeper Alliance that led many efforts in keeping the water clean and safe to consume, local government officials who fought to clean up industrial processes. Many of these people worked on environmental justice before it was fashionable, especially in Detroit, Hartig said.

These champions realize it is important to know that when you do not know the answer, you should create boundaries on what you are an expert on and what you need to seek more knowledge on, Hartig said. It is a strategy that creates connections. People who are okay with saying they do not know everything create a sense of modesty and open the door for collaboration, Hartig said.

John Hartig notes that new Great Lakes champions can apply lessons learned in the past to emerging problems. Image: Michigan State University Press, $24.95).

And new Great Lakes champions are emerging, he said. People strive every day to help the lakes out and to continue the work of the earlier champions.

The lessons learned by the generation of champions he wrote about should not get lost as today’s problems call for a new  mechanisms and assets to solve them, Hartig said. Each generation comes with its set of environmental issues. Thirty years ago, science was more respected than it is now.

The misinformation that is prevalent today washes away the foundations of science, he said. Years ago, everyone just believed and trusted what was said about the environment.

That erosion of trust in science complicates problems like climate change. Emerging champions will have to learn to balance work in progress while staying up to date with what climate change is doing, he said.

“I think this generation has some other challenges to deal with like misinformation and disinformation,” Hartig said. “They have to fight that battle and then now I think they have to also be always thinking about climate change.”

Climate change is the most pressing environmental challenge of our time, he said.

It leads to intense storms, higher water runoff and more erosion that can contaminate food webs and chains. The emerging champions must have the same passion as the previous ones. But they are taking on distinct challenges with a new wave of environmental problems. Good facilitators and having a passionate support system fuels the involved individuals to becoming champions, he said.

What makes it different is that it manifests “the importance and the value and benefit of the ecosystem approach,” Hartig said.

“You can see in the real world how it’s done.”

Jada Vadder writes for Great Lakes Echo.

State Rep. Skaggs pushes for redesign of state’s flag

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, Great Lakes, ,

By Andrew Roth
Capital News Service

Michigan’s state flag is based on the state’s 1835 coat of arms. Credit: State of Michigan

LANSING – Step out onto your front porch and count how many state flags you see flying in the wind.

For many Michigan residents, the answer is likely zero, even at homes that proudly display the U.S. flag or a flag affiliated with their favorite college sports team.

That’s a problem, according to state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids – and one that he hopes can be addressed with a new design.

“Michigan is a unique and special state, and we need to have a flag that itself is unique and special so that we can rally behind it,” said Skaggs, whose district includes the City of Kentwood. “A good flag with strong symbolism that’s meaningful to people creates a common sense of purpose. That’s something that we need in Michigan right now.”

Flag is Just a ‘Seal-on-a-bedsheet’

Rep. Phil Skaggs
State Rep. Phil Skaggs

The heart of the issue is that there is nothing that makes the current flag – which consists of the state coat of arms set against a plain blue background – stand out, Skaggs said.

“The current flag harkens back to 150 years ago when most state flags were simply what are called SOB flags: seal-on-a-bedsheet,” Skaggs said. “The seal on our flag makes sense as a seal, when it’s on a piece of paper or a podium, but it doesn’t make sense as a flag that’s flying at a distance.”

Michigan’s coat of arms dates back to 1835, according to the Michigan Department of State, and features a shield held by an elk and a moose. It includes the Latin phrases “Tuebor,” meaning “I will defend,” and “Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice,” meaning “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” It also includes the national motto “e pluribus unum” which means “out of many, one.”

Key to a Good Flag: Simplicity

Skaggs intends to introduce a bill at the end of April to coincide with the current flag’s anniversary.

It would create a commission to create a design for the Legislature to vote on after taking public input and working with design experts.

There are five characteristics of a good flag, according to a 16-page guide: “Good” Flag, “Bad” Flag. The guide pulls from the expertise of 20 vexillologists (people who study flags) and vexillographers (people who design flags).

Those five elements are: simplicity, with the flag being simple enough for an elementary school child to draw it from memory; using only a few colors, preferably two or three that contrast with each other; including meaningful symbolism through images, colors and patterns; not using lettering or seals; and being distinctive enough to stand out from other state flags.

The flags of the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Togo and South Africa follow these rules, Skagg said.

Creating a Sense of Connection

People often don’t feel a sense of connection to the flag or view it as something they identify with, as evidenced by the lack of residents embracing the current design, Skaggs said.

“One of the ways that you can tell the flag lacks meaningfulness for Michigan citizens is that you rarely see it flown at a house, or on someone’s backpack, or their water bottle,” he said. “If you go to Chicago, you see that Chicago city flag everywhere, and it creates an incredible sense of civic pride. We just don’t see that in Michigan with our current flag.”

Skaggs said other states with ineffective flags are also beginning to change. Illinois, Massachusetts and Minnesota all have active or planned legislation to change the design of their state flags.

And Utah recently approved a new flag design, which Skaggs said “changes it from a very basic seal-on-a-bedsheet flag to one that really has meaningful symbolism for that state.”

It features a jagged white ribbon in the middle, representing snowy mountains, cutting into red rocks at the bottom and a blue sky at the top. In the center, there is a beehive (Utah is known as the beehive state) inside a hexagon, and it also includes a guiding star to represent Utah’s tribal nations.

Utah traditional state flag was redesigned. Credit: State of Utah.
Utah’s new state flag is inspiring other states to take another look. Credit: State of Utah.

Environment links to cancer focus of new Michigan study

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Environment, Great Lakes, Health, , ,

By Cameryn Cass
Capital News Service

A new University of Michigan study aims to understand how environmental exposures in Michigan contribute to cancer.

Sara Snyder is project director of the Michigan Cancer and Research on the Environment Study, or MI-CARES. (Credit: University of Michigan)

The Michigan Cancer and Research on the Environment Study, or MI-CARES, is largely motivated by Michigan’s history of toxic environmental exposures and environmental injustice, said Sara Snyder, the project director.

Researchers are recruiting 100,000 ethnically diverse, cancer-free Michiganders ages 25 to 44. It’s a statewide survey, but they’ll focus enrollment on what they’ve identified as six major environmental injustice hotspots: the Detroit metropolitan area, Saginaw, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Flint, Snyder said.

Environmental injustice refers to people who belong to groups that are discriminated against and are disproportionately exposed to contaminants and other health hazards.

June 1 marked the soft launch to test the website used to recruit candidates. People enroll every day, but the study’s full launch was earlier this fall.

A first in Michigan

“Nothing like this has been done in the state of Michigan before, which is almost shocking if you know about the levels of environmental injustice that have taken place,” said Lilah Khoja, a doctoral student at the University of Michigan on the MI-CARES team.

“There isn’t a community in Michigan that hasn’t been impacted in some way by environmental injustice,” she said.

It dates back decades: the PBB contamination of dairy products in the 1970s, the Flint water crisis, industrial pollution in Detroit and now PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment, Snyder said.

The project, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the University of Michigan, will track participants through annual questionnaires for at least six years, Snyder said.

 

They’ll be asked about employment and residential histories, race, ethnicity, major health and life events and overall lifestyle to gauge participant health and previous exposures to industrial chemicals or other contaminants, Snyder said.

 

Beyond cancer, the surveys might also shed light on how exposures to chemicals in the environment cause heart disease, asthma or even Alzheimer’s disease, said Dana Dolinoy, the principal investigator of biomarker evaluations for MI-CARES.

Compiling the data needed for change

Such surveys have a proven track record. For instance, cancer rates are significantly higher in Flint compared to the rest of Genesee County and the state after lead contaminated the city’s water supply.

“My cousin, my aunt, my friend have all died of cancer,” said Arthur Woodson, a Flint resident and community activist. “People are dying in high numbers here of cancer.”

 

Community activists at the Pittsfield Farmers Market offer information about MI-CARES. Credit: MI-CARES.

Such anecdotal reports can be reinforced by hard data produced by health studies from the Genesee County Health Department proving elevated cancer levels in the area.

A study recently published in JAMA Network Open found that 1 in 5 Flint residents have presumptive major depression and another 1 in 4 have presumptive post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“They fixed the water, but they didn’t fix the people,” Woodson said.

Providing people with the data they need

A large goal of MI-CARES is to give people access to data that will help them advocate for a cleaner environment and a healthier life, Khoja said.

“You can’t advocate for change if you don’t have the numbers to show that this is why it needs to change,” she said.

Cancer-centric studies like this one, whether linking it to smoking, a lack of physical activity or poor diet, played a role in a 29% drop in cancer death rates between 1991 and 2017, according to the American Cancer Society.

 

MI-CARES’ data will help improve Michiganders’ health while informing policy to reduce environmental injustices and harmful exposures, Snyder said.

 

Researchers looked at what was going on in the state and narrowed the study’s focus to the most prominent of the 80,000 chemicals in the environment: exposure to metals, like lead, chemicals in personal care products, air pollution and PFAS, Dolinoy said.

Addressing the issues

Michigan has the highest known PFAS levels of any state.

To measure some contaminants like lead, participants from the six environmental injustice hotspots will send in blood and saliva. These measurements, called intermediate biomarkers, show if a past environmental exposure changed the epigenome – the instruction book telling genes how to behave – to make them more susceptible to cancer and other diseases, Dolinoy said.

The study focuses on a younger population so that researchers might recognize any diseases before they manifest, Dolinoy said.

 

“This gives us time to intervene and treat individuals, because when the disease is already on board, it’s really hard to reverse it,” she said.

There’s evidence, though, that relatively easier things like changes in lifestyle and diet might reverse changes to that epigenetic instruction book, especially early in life, Dolinoy said.

Building a better tomorrow

The hope is to inspire policy intervention with MI-CARES findings, forcing industry and other institutions responsible for poisoning the environment to change. That is a challenge that the health survey hopes to meet.

“It’s very difficult to translate some of this science in a way that will directly change the economics of a company,” Dolinoy said. “But studies like MI-CARES can provide a weight of evidence that shows our environment can negatively contribute to disease status.”

 

To apply to be part of the survey, visit https://micares.health and click “Join the Movement!” Applicants must be 25 to 44 years old and cancer-free.

Cameryn Cass reports for Great Lakes Echo.

An ancient building material could be the wave of the future

3-bottom, architecture, Citizen Journalism, Environment, Great Lakes, Local Business, Our Cities, Recycling, ,

By Cameryn Cass
Capital News Service

Michigan’s first mass timber building at Michigan State University, the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility, stores nearly 2,000 metric tons of carbon in its timbers, the equivalent of not burning more than 2 million pounds of coal. (Capital News Service/Cameryn Cass)

LANSING – Michigan businesses interested in reducing their carbon footprint are looking to build with large wooden panels instead of steel or concrete.

  

Nationwide, demand for what is called mass timber tripled between 2018 and 2021.

There are different kinds of mass timber, but the term refers to multiple wood panels either nailed or glued together and that are strong enough to replace concrete and steel, which contribute 8% to greenhouse gas emissions, according to Canadian architect Michael Green.

Mass timber is more sustainable, Green said.

 

Nearly half of America’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the building industry.

Why mass timber is a good option

Since a little more than a cubic yard of wood can store 1 ton – about the weight of the Liberty Bell– of carbon dioxide, mass timber is a great way to reduce our footprint, said Sandra Lupien, the director of MassTimber@MSU, a research and education group promoting mass timber in the Great Lakes region.

 

Half of the weight of a tree is from stored carbon in its wood, and the rest is water, oxygen, hydrogen and a mix of other elements. In other words, wood is a carbon sink.

Building with it can prevent or delay carbon from being released into the atmosphere when a tree dies or burns, Lupien said.

 

Last year, Michigan State University opened one of the first mass timber buildings in the state, the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility. Already there are two more mass timber projects underway in the state, one at a K-12 school in Kalamazoo and another at the Great Lakes Boat Building School in Cedarville.

 

Another 27 projects in Michigan on the drawing board plan to incorporate mass timber. One of those was in Muskegon where Grand Rapids-based Leestma Management was scheduled to constructe a mass timber building at Adelaide Point this summer.

The biggest hurdle: Getting it

At minimum, the building in Cedarville will have a roof made of mass timber, though those involved with its construction are hoping to build the whole building out of it, said Nikki Storey, the president of the Great Lakes Boat Building School.

The only thing stopping them is funding.

 

“That’s part of the problem with mass timber: I don’t know that the economy of scales exists yet to be able to get good pricing on it,” Storey said.

Since mass timber comes in sheets that are easy to put together – Lupien equates it to building with Lincoln Logs – there’s a major time savings with using it. But since there are no mass timber manufacturers in Michigan – the closest is outside of Chicago – it’s not always easy to get it.

 

Typically, mass timber products are made from softwood trees – think coniferous, like evergreens – which make up 30% of Michigan’s forests. The remaining majority of the state’s trees are hardwood, meaning they’re deciduous and lose their leaves, Lupien said.

Using Michigan’s resources

Researchers at Michigan Tech University are experimenting with making mass timber out of hardwood instead, a niche that might provide economic opportunity.

Mass timber advocates hope that Michigan State’s STEM Teaching and Learning Facility will be a place where contractors can learn to build with the more sustainable alternative. (Capital News Service/Cameryn Cass)

It is an untapped opportunity.

“Michigan is a forestry state,” said Conan Smith, the president of the Michigan Environmental Council. “If we can advance the construction materials that are rooted in wood, it’s to our economic benefit.

“It’s not just a great environmental opportunity, it’s a great economic opportunity for the state of Michigan.”

Each year, the state removes 30% to 40% of the forest’s growth, said Brenda Haskill, a forest marketing and outreach specialist at theDepartment of Natural Resources. That still provides enough capacity to harvest for mass timber and manage forests sustainably.

“We’re at a really interesting place in terms of moving the forest industry forward,” Haskill said.

Meeting the demands

Talks of attracting a mass timber manufacturer to the state are underway. However, an aging workforce and the rising cost of diesel fuel mean a decline in logging firms, Haskill said.

Making sure we have loggers to harvest trees and get them to the mill is really the biggest concern, Haskill said.

“I’m hopeful, but there’s a lot of pieces that need to be addressed,” Haskill said.

Michigan is in the same boat as the other Midwestern states. There’s more mass timber manufacturing and interest out west, Haskill said.

Looking at the building codes

Another challenge is the states outdated building codes, said Brian Craig, the board chair at the Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute.

 

Michigan State University revamped a power plant and added two mass timber wings to create a hybrid structure in the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility. (Capital News Service/Cameryn Cass)

The most recent version of the International Building Code is from 2021 and offers more flexibility and clarity for how high you can build and how much wood can be exposed with mass timber, Craig said.

Right now, Michigan follows 2015 codes, making it two cycles behind the current thinking on mass timber and fire safety, Craig said.

 

But mass timber doesn’t behave like a 2 x 4.

Instead, it behaves like a tree.

 

Think of an unsplit log in a fire pit, and how it chars on the outside: That’s what mass timber would do in a fire, Lupien said.

Craig said that timber can be even safer than steel when it burns.

 

“Think about what happens when steel gets hot. It sort of turns into spaghetti, whereas mass timber’s surface chars and then protects the rest of the timber,” Craig said.

 

Lupien said that even with the outdated building codes, builders in Michigan are still able to use mass timber, and they should.

Bringing the beauty indoors

People using the buildings – at least the one on MSU’s campus– express the aesthetic benefits of bringing nature indoors, Lupien said.

“There’s actually a word for that. It’s called biophilia,” Lupien said.

That’s a Greek word that translates to “love of life. ” It taps into our inborn desires of being close to nature. Biophilic design – like incorporating wood into buildings – has even been found to promote human wellness and productivity, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Putting the more sustainable, attractive alternative into Michigan buildings is a question of price and supply.

 

“It’s been used in Europe for better than a decade now,” Smith said. “It’s a product that’s far better for the planet than concrete.

 

“Why we’re not using it more, I don’t know.”

More days of rain, snow predicted for this winter

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Great Lakes, Kent County, ,

By Janelle James 
Capital News Service

Road commissions across the state are preparing for the winter months. (WKTV)

LANSING – Counties in northern Michigan are buying new equipment and hiring more full-time employees for an expected wetter-than-average winter.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently predicted that the Great Lakes region will have more frequent precipitation than usual this winter. This is caused by the phenomenon La Niña.

 

The same phenomenon means that the temperature in the Pacific Ocean is dropping, said Bryan Mroczka, a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Ann Arbor.

 

And lower temperatures in the ocean mean below-average temperatures in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions.

‘More will be coming from the sky’

“What we can expect is that there will be more precipitation than the long-term average,” Mroczka said.

In simpler terms, “over the whole winter period, more will come from the sky,” he said.

 

Although it is difficult to predict weather conditions for the entire season, during La Niña years “there may be more frequent days where you wake up and you have to brush the snow off of your car and more days where you’re driving to work in a little bit of snow,” Mroczka said.

Much of Michigan is expected to have average weather conditions.

 

But places like Sault Ste. Marie and Alpena are expected to have a severe winter, according to the accumulated winter season severity index by the Midwest Regional Climate Center in Indiana.

 

Some of the severe weather may be attributed to three consecutive years of La Nina conditions.

 

“This is kind of unprecedented,” said Austin Pearson, a climatologist at the center.

Expected conditions in the north

The National Weather Service has already reported snow near Marquette. Typically, the snow season spans from December to February, but it can come as early as October and as late as April, Pearson said.

 

Grand Traverse County, in the northwest part of the state, is already preparing.

“Our preparation for the next winter season happens at the end of the prior winter season,” said Jay Saksewski, the superintendent for the county’s road commission. County road workers began repairing equipment, ordering material and hiring personnel in April.

 

Last winter, the county lacked enough trained drivers to operate the snowplows, Saksewski said. It had only 26 drivers and relied on seasonal workers.

This year, it is going into this season with 30 full-time employees, he said.

 

The agency has also ordered three additional snowplows for the season.

 

“Typically we will bring three new trucks into the fleet,” Saksewski said. “At the same time, we’re obsoleting three trucks and putting those out for other agencies or private parties to buy.”

The UP is getting ready

Within the last three years, the Leelanau County Road Commission has had to order more salt because of how often it snowed.

 

“Our average snowfall is 120 inches and last year it was closer to 100 inches, but it snowed almost every day,” said Brendan Mullane, the managing director for the commission.

 

He is also hiring more drivers. The commission has 26 full-time drivers and six seasonal drivers. The amount of snow that is expected doesn’t affect those hiring decisions.

 

“It doesn’t really matter if we get a foot of snow or 2 inches of snow, we still have to drive the routes no matter what to get to all of the corners of our county,” Mullane said.

And here at home, what to expect

The Kent County Road Commission is warning drivers to allow more time for morning commutes, have good tires and watch the overnight weather forecast for severe snow, said Jerry Byrne, the superintendent for the agency.

  

“We work with our partners in law enforcement to help educate folks,” Byrne said.

The wintry projections aren’t all bad news. Tourists looking to go skiing or dog-sledding in the Upper Peninsula can count on La Niña to make it happen. 

The region’s economy is based on snow, said Tom Nemacheck, the executive director for Upper Peninsula Travel, a group that promotes tourism.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal for the U.P.,”  Nemacheck said. “It’s the best thing that happens for us in the wintertime.”

ABOUT JANELLE JAMES

Janelle James is a senior at Michigan State University double majoring in journalism and political science with a minor in Spanish. Janelle aspires to one day secure a position as an investigative journalist, White House correspondent or politician.

Kent County has seven roads on the best Michigan roads for color list

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Environment, Great Lakes, Kent County, West Michigan, , , ,

By Liam Jackson
Capital News Network

As Michigan enters peak color season, local officials across the state have nominated the best roads for motorists to enjoy the changing foliage.

Peak Michigan colors were predicted to start last weekend in the Upper Peninsula and end at the state’s southern border Oct. 29. The County Road Association of Michigan compiled the statewide list of “don’t miss” local roads.

For a complete list of the fall color list, click here.

The more than 120 roads span the state.

The County Road Association named more than 120 routes as best for fall color, including the Fallasburg covered bridge in Kent County. (Courtesy, Kent County Road Commission)

There are plenty to choose from.

Michigan has the nation’s fourth-largest local road system. County roads account for 90,000 miles of roads and 5,700 bridges. Although the road association puts the list together, it relies on county officials for scenic road nominations.

All county road commissions were asked what county roads they would recommend to people who are interested in breathtaking fall views, said Dustin Earley, the manager of communications and engagement with the County Road Association of Michigan.

The association asks local commissioners to say, “Look, here’s my favorite road in my backyard,” Earley said.

Fallasburg a favorite in Kent County

“I just think as Michiganders we are really lucky because I’m not sure there is another state that is more beautiful in the fall,” said Maura Lamoreaux, the communications director for the Kent County Road Commission. “You can travel and just enjoy the colors of the season.”

Kent County has seven roads on the “don’t miss” list. Fallasburg Park Drive in Vergennes Township, 15 miles east of Grand Rapids, is one that stands out, Lamoreaux said.

“Fallasburg Park is not only a gorgeous ride, but it is also a beautiful park to take in the fall colors,” she said.

The Fallasburg covered bridge in Kent County sits on a route that made the list of best fall color roads in Michigan. (Courtesy, Kent County Road Commission)

The park’s covered bridge is a registered historical site that celebrated its 150th anniversary last year.

“You kind of feel like you are traveling back in time a little bit,” Lamoreaux said. “There is a sign that says ‘You will be charged $5 for speeding,’ which is a replica of the original sign that was posted on the bridge.”

Kent County promotes a local route with fall scenic views that is hundreds of miles long, Lamoreaux said. The county picks a few stretches of road to add to the statewide list.

Other roads in Kent County

  • Honey Creek Avenue from Pettis Avenue to Cannonsburg Road
  • Bailey Drive from Vergennes Street to Lincoln Lake Avenue
  • 5 Mile Road from Lincoln Lake Avenue to Gavin Lake Avenue
  • Gavin Lake Road from 5-mile road to Belding Road
  • Wabasis Avenue from Belding Road to 12 Mile Road
  • Ramsdell Drive from 5 Mile Road to 11 Mile Road

Roads in Ottawa County

  • Lakeshore Drive from Grand Haven city limits to Ottawa Beach Road/Holland State Park
  • Hayes Street from M-11 intersection to Berlin Fair Drive/the Berlin Fairgrounds in Marne
  • Leonard Street from intersection on Leonard Street/S. Lake Avenue in Village of Spring Lake to Lamont
  • Mercury Drive/Green Street/N. Cedar Drive from Grand Haven to Riverside County Park

Pure Michigan lists peak color dates by region here: https://www.michigan.org/fallcolormap

Lakeshore Drive popular in the Upper Peninsula

Chippewa County in the northeast part of the Upper Peninsula has four roads on the list.

The all-star route is Lakeshore Drive that runs along Lake Superior through the Bay Mills reservation between M-123 and Brimley, said Stephanie Boileau, a road design engineer for the Chippewa County Road Commision. “It doesn’t matter what time of year, it’s gorgeous.”

The route features Lake Superior, a tree canopy, the Bay Mills reservation, the Point Iroquois Lighthouse and multiple access points to beaches.

 

“It’s fantastic,” said Boileau. “It’s a road that makes you think, ‘Yes, this is why people love the Upper Peninsula so much.’”

When suggesting roads for the “don’t miss” list, she thinks about people looking to do fall color tours, Boileau said.

“We are looking for those deciduous hardwood trees, the ones that do turn color,” she said. “I also look at what other scenic opportunities you have besides trees. Is there interesting topography? Are there places to pull off and access recreational areas like a beach or state park?”

She prefers more rural areas and avoids submitting commuter routes.

It’s all about getting the best views

“Peak color means that if you can make it to that area within that time frame, you are probably increasing your chances at getting the best views of that color,” Earley said. “Earlier, things are just coming on and near the end of that date the leaves are starting to turn brown and fall off the trees.”

The association lists the roads every year. It subtracts roads undergoing construction or if the county chooses to have it removed. But the list is growing, not shrinking, Earley said.

Tourists are not the only ones benefiting from scenic fall tours in Michigan.

“Most everyone benefits when we have a good fall color season,” said Tony Haller, the executive director of the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce. “Our restaurants benefit from it, our hotels benefit from it, all our convenience stores and gas stations get people filling up for gas while they make their tours.

“I couldn’t name a favorite, but that’s the beauty of this list. It’s really the experts of these areas that are helping us list these roads.”

ABOUT LIAM JACKSON

Liam Jackson is a journalist from Trenton, Michigan. He enrolled at Michigan State in 2018. His journalistic interests include feature stories and sports journalism. In addition to writing for Spartan Newsroom, Liam has also served as the News Editor and Sports Editor at Impact 89FM.

New mobile app helps ID potential Lyme disease-carry ticks

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Environment, Great Lakes, Hard News, Health, Pets/Animals, , ,

By Genevieve Fox
Capital News Service

An adult black-legged (deer) tick. (By Photo by Scott Bauer. – This image was released by the Agricultural Research Service, the research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, with the ID k8002-3 (next)., Public Domain)

Picture this: You’re walking through the woods when you brush up against some tall grass, or maybe you wandered off trail momentarily. You head home, but the next day notice a black speck on your arm.

It’s a tick. 

Beyond the gross-out factor, you wonder if it might make you sick. A new mobile app may help figure that out.

Emily Dinh, a medical entomologist with the Department of Health and Human Services, says encounters people are having with ticks are becoming more common.

That’s as the state’s tick population has been on the rise, including numbers of the American dog tick and the blacklegged tick, which can transmit the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

“That blacklegged tick is something that we’re concerned about and seeing a greater distribution throughout the state of Michigan. That is the tick that can transmit Lyme disease,” Dinh said.

In 2021, the state health department reported nearly half of Michigan’s counties had a known risk of Lyme disease for people and animals.

Ticks like shady, moist areas

Ticks are typically found in wooded and brushy areas but can even show up in suburban yards.

“The most important thing to be aware of is where ticks are, so ticks like shady, moist areas in woody, grassy locations,” she said. “Especially in the warmer months of April through September, but sometimes into October as well because ticks can be active when the temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Barry OConnor is a tick expert at the University of Michigan’s Zoology Museum. He cites a rise in temperatures as a possible reason for the increased risk.

“We’ve certainly seen changes in the distribution of several species of ticks moving northward over the years as temperatures have become warmer,” OConnor said.

According to the state, average yearly temperatures have increased two to three degrees in the past two decades.

The Tick App

A group of researchers from universities across the U.S. decided to create a mobile app, called The Tick App. (Courtesy, The Tick App)

Because of growing concerns about the pests, both in Michigan and across the country, a group of researchers from universities across the U.S. decided to create a mobile app, simply called The Tick App.

Michigan State University professor Jean Tsao said the app allows scientists to learn more about where ticks are and what people are doing to keep safe from them. She is in the Department of Fisheries & Wildlife and is part of the group that helped develop the digital portal.

“It’s a mobile health app that is both a research tool as well as an outreach tool,” she said.

When people download it, they’re prompted to fill out a 10-minute survey about potential risk factors.

“We really wanted to understand, if possible, when and where and what kind of activities people are doing to expose themselves to ticks,” Tsao said.

She said users are also able to take a picture of a tick and submit it to the app. The research team is then able to identify it within 24 hours.

“They have a lot of reliable information all collated into one area that can tell you about what a tick is, what the various species of ticks are that you’re likely to contact in the area that you live and what are prevention measures that you can take,” Tsao said.

Tips on avoiding ticks

To avoid ticks, Tsao recommends wearing bug repellent and long clothing outside.

 

After returning home, a full-body tick check and shower is also ideal.

Tsao said the research team is working to use artificial intelligence to make tick identification faster and more accurate.

She said she hopes that with this advancement, the app may one day be used by health care workers as a diagnostic tool.

Genevieve Fox reports for WKAR Radio in partnership with the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and Capital News Service.

Michigan’s connection to Queen Elizabeth II: Lamprey Pie

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Great Lakes, Hard News, Local History

By Douglas Tamru
Capital News Service

An odd tradition – sea lamprey pie – linking the Great Lakes to Great Britain’s Royals and is expected to continue with the crowning of King Charles III.

Lampreys are considered an undesirable invasive species in the Great Lakes. (By Fernando Losada Rodríguez – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Lampreys are considered an undesirable invasive species in the Great Lakes. They devastate native fish by latching onto them with a sucker-like mouth filled with sharp teeth.

 

Great Lakes state, provincial and federal governments spend millions of dollars to control them.

But baking them into a pie is a longtime tradition in the United Kingdom.

A popular delicacy

Queen Elizabeth II, who died Sept. 8 after reigning 70 years, was served the eel-like sea lamprey in 2002 to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, or 50th anniversary of being on the throne.

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission made another shipment of the fish taken from the Great Lakes 10 years later in 2012 for the queen’s 60th anniversary, and once again in 2016 for her 90th birthday.

“We capture them and send them over to Gloucester, England, so that they can continue their long tradition,” said Marc Gaden, the deputy executive secretary of the fishery commission, a binational organization founded in 1954 to fight the parasite.

 

“With the coronation of King Charles III coming up, I can only assume I’m going to be sending a few more over there.”

Sea lamprey are protected in the U.K. because streams there are heavily dammed, and they cannot spawn as much as they do in the Great Lakes, Gaden said.

The lamprey pie is a tradition in the U.K., spanning hundreds of years. Serving it was discontinued except for coronations in 1836, due to its high cost, according to “What’s Cooking America,” a website that documents food history.

The lamprey is baked while coated in syrup, along with some wine and spices. It is then spooned out and served on sliced white bread.

In America, mixed reviews

In 1996, Wisconsin Sea Grant organized a sea lamprey taste test in hopes of spurring a commercial market for the fish instead of simply landfilling those that they trapped.

 

Taste ratings were high, but the plan fell apart when contaminant tests showed that the Great Lakes lamprey contained mercury levels that were too high to meet European Union standards.

 

How does it taste?

“Surprisingly good,” Bob Bennet, the owner, and chef of a Duluth restaurant that hosted the event said at the time. “Try selling it without telling people what they are eating. It would be better.”

But don’t ask Gaden.

“I can’t say I’ve tried the lamprey pie,” he said.

Fall predicted to be hotter, dryer than normal this year

3-bottom, Great Lakes, Hard News, LANDSCAPING & GARDEN CENTERS, Recreation, , ,

By Genevieve Fox
Capital News Service

The National Weather Service predicts this year’s fall season will be 40% warmer compared to average mid-Michigan temperatures of 50 degrees from September through November. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

The National Weather Service predicts there’s a 40% chance the temperatures will average above normal this fall in mid-Michigan.

Meteorologist William Marino said warming fall temperatures have become more common in recent years.

That’s largely due to an ongoing La Niña, according to Marino, who is based in Grand Rapids.

 

That phenomenon allows for warm air to pass through the cool Pacific sea surface temperatures and enter North America.

Along with warmer fall temperatures predicted, low precipitation is also expected.

Jeffrey Andresen is the state climatologist for Michigan. He said roughly 30% of the state is experiencing some form of dryness, or even moderate drought.

With abnormal dryness, fall crops will reach maturity faster, lowering the quality of the crop, said Andresen, who is also a professor of meteorology/climatology in the Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences at Michigan State University.

“It’s good to have warm soils and so forth for that crop to germinate, but we do need moisture,” Andresen said.

To combat warming temperatures, Andresen said people should keep their eyes on long-term trends and plan as needed.

“We have to adapt to these changing long-term patterns,” Andresen said. 

Genevieve Fox reports for WKAR in partnership with Great Lakes Echo and Capital News Service.

Upcoming program at Marge’s focuses on Grand Haven fountain

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Great Lakes, Upcoming Events, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

There will be a special 60th anniversary celebration for the Grand Haven Musical Fountain on Aug. 27.

A staple in the Grand Haven community for 60 years, this week the popular Mr. Sid’s Video Series will focusing on the Grand Haven Fountain.

Terry Stevens, the fountain engineer, will join the group to talk about the history of the largest musical fountain “of its kind” in the world and the particulars about its operation. The presentation is at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, at Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW.

Stevens is on the Musical Foundation Board and an instructor in the engineering department at Grand Valley State University.

The Grand Haven Musical Fountain is a synchronized display of water and lights. The fountain is located on Dewey Hill on the north shore of the Grand River, not far from where Grand River connects to Lake Michigan.

The fountain was the brainchild of Dr. William “Bill” Creason, longtime resident, dentist, and former Grand Haven mayor. The fountain was modeled after a Przystawic musical fountain show which Creason saw in Germany while providing density for the U.S. Navy after World War II.

Local engineer William Morris Booth designed the fountain which was building by volunteers in 1962. Over the years, the fountain’s program system has been upgraded several times. In 2017, the software was updated to take advantage of new lighting and water effects.

Upcoming Sid Lenger Vide Series programs are: Sid Lenger’s video of Switzerland on Sept. 21, and Lorna and Daniel Dobson lead a discussion on two of Rev. Ed Dobson’s video lessons “My Garden,” identity after losing a loved one, and “Ask Forgiveness” on Oct. 19.

All programs start with a 15-minute hymn sing at 1:45 p.m. 

Out and About: Zoo Art

Great Lakes, Kids Activities, Recycling, ,

Bottle caps and flip flops are just some of the items that create this giant fish which is part of the “Washed Away” exhibit currently at the John Ball Zoo. The exhibit features collections of intricate, beautifully designed, giant sea life sculptures made entirely of marine debris collected from the beaches of Oregon. The sculptures of marine life graphically illustrate the tragedy of plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways to inspire others to be actively engaged in ocean conservation. This exhibit features 16 large and colorful sculptures throughout the Zoo and is included in the cost of daily admission.

To help build awareness, at each sculpture is a list of discarded items to find in the sculpture. “Washed Away” will be at the John Ball Zoo, 1300 W. Fulton St., through the end of the season.

See West Michigan through an exchange students’ eyes

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Great Lakes, Our Cities, Recreation, , ,

By Nathan Slauer
WKTV Community Contributor

The Boucher family welcomes Janne from Germany to West Michigan. (Supplied/iE-USA)

Leaving home for an extended period of time is never easy. Yet a growing number of students from around the world are making West Michigan their home away from home.

More than 100 families across the Greater Grand Rapids area have welcomed an exchange student through International Experience (ie-USA), an organization dedicated to fostering cross-cultural interactions.

From iE-USA coordinator Sarah Boucher’s perspective, the chance to introduce someone from another country to their home can be an eye-opening opportunity. It often nudges people outside of their comfort zone and encourages them to check out their own backyard with a renewed sense of appreciation.

“Seeing the world through another lens and being a ‘hometown tourist’ can be amazing,” Boucher says.

A little bit about the process

Participants, who range between 14 to 18 years of age, take an English proficiency exam before entering the iE-USA program. Once accepted, they travel to the U.S. for five or 10 months.

Although participants undergo the same rigorous application process, they come from highly diverse cultural backgrounds. Countries of origin span Asia, Europe, and South America.

What participants share is a distinct sense of curiosity, adventure, and a desire to try something new. Visiting the U.S. brings the chance to learn about a different way of doing homelife, school, and community.

A year of “firsts”

“What’s amazing is experiencing so many ‘firsts’ with exchange students,” Boucher says. “It’s the first time having a bonfire, eating s’mores, owning clothing that has the logo of the school on it, attending a formal dance at school, going fishing, and so many more!”

Many events create fun selfie opportunities. (Supplied/iE-USA)

Exchange students are not the only ones to encounter “firsts.” Hosts often experience wanderlust and end up traveling themselves.

The Boucher family was no exception. After hosting a student named Arturo in 2017, they visited Arturo’s family in Spain the following year.

Many hosts establish ties with students and their families that last long after the end of formal requirements. During the summer of 2022, the Bouchers invited their former exchange students Janne and Johanna from Germany back for a visit. Their house is now filled with gifts from former students, a favorite being a handcrafted and painted clay globe.

The learning curve

The adjustment for both exchange students and host families involves a learning curve. In many cases, the first night after the student’s arrival at the airport can be filled with nervous energy, according to longtime host Chris Ford.

“Usually, there’s culture shock involved and a lot of jet lag,” Ford says. “Students are so excited to come that they stay up all night.”

Seeing this transition still delights Ford, who has been a host for the last eight years. Her fourteen students traveled from locations ranging from Finland to South Korea.

Mundane aspects of American life can become fodder for selfies and videos on homemade YouTube channels. Streets filled with yellow school buses, trucks, and motorcycles burst with thunderous noise, and local grocery stores look massive.

“Many students shop at markets everyday, and they are floored by the size of Meijer,” Ford says. “There’s a whole aisle dedicated to cereal. That is shocking.”

Experiencing American schools

Participating in school activities is a big part of the exchange year experience. (Supplied/iE-USA)

The educational aspect of the exchange visit brings its own surprises. Completing homework assignments and attending five or six classes instead of a single subject in a school day challenges some European students.

“Our education system is definitely different than the traditional European system,” Ford says. “Americans want to see students succeed. In the European system, there is a lot more pressure on the students, and European kids are expected to be smart, dedicated, and focused.”

Many students use the trip to practice their English skills, often with humorous results. One of Ford’s students mixed up the word “vibe” with “wipes.”

Exploring the Great Lakes state

One of Ford’s favorite parts of being a host comes from visiting the Great Lakes with her students. Beyond the fun evenings spent playing board games and cooking delicious meals, Ford loves sharing a natural beauty that will become a lifelong memory.

 

“I always take them to see Lake Michigan,” Ford says. “It’s like a large ocean. They see it in geography, but it’s a whole different thing for them to see it and put their feet in it. It’s so fun to  see them check out a lighthouse and climb up a dune.”

The process to host an exchange student begins with filling out an online form, completing a background check, and waiting to be matched up. The application process is simple and straightforward, and Ford’s advice to new hosts is to simply dive in and not be afraid to help learn along the way.

“How could you not want them to be here?” Ford says. “It’s life changing.”

About 100 students are currently available through iE-USA. More information can be found at ie-usa.org. 

Explore the Michigan legends of Dogman and Bigfoot

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Great Lakes, Local History, Non-Profits, Upcoming Events, , ,

By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

Bigfoot sightings go back centuries with documation of feet and hand prints. (pxhere.com)

Bigfoot vs. Dogman!!! We proposed that question as our “Final Thought” on episode 42 of Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters Podcast. Offering insights and opposing opinions was our featured guest Linda Pomranky of Michigan Sasquatch Experience and the lead investigator of the Michigan Chapter of North American Dogman Project Shetan Not was our guest co-host.

We learned that Michigan offers equal opportunity for both Bigfoot and Dogman as our prime real estate includes dense forests, swamps, vast farmland, plenty of fresh water, and abundant small game. Roughly 53% of Michigan is forest with more than 19 million acres considered timberland. With three national forests and six state forests we have the largest state forest system in the nation. Our state borders four of the five Great Lakes and with all our rivers, streams, and inland lakes we are never more than six miles from fresh water.

According to folklore, the Michigan Dogman was first witnessed by Lumberjacks in 1887 in Wexford County and was described as seven foot tall with blue or amber eyes with a dog’s head and human body and a chilling scream like a person. The legend was popularized in 1987 by a radio personality from WTCM radio. An abbreviated version of Steve Cook’s song says, “A cool summer morning in early June, is when the legend began, at a nameless logging camp in Wexford County where the Manistee River ran.” It goes on to say a logger named Johnson chased what they thought was a dog into a log, poking it with a stick. It let out an unearthly scream and came out of the log, and stood upright. The song goes on to say, “Somewhere in the north-woods darkness, a creature walks upright, and the best advice you may ever get is never go out, at night.” Artistic renditions of Dogman portray a fierce beast and are truly frightening.

Artistic depictions of Bigfoot are not nearly as ominous. Bigfoot sightings go back centuries, are worldwide and in every culture and continent except Antarctica. It’s believed sightings often go unreported. Bigfoot sightings have been reported as close as Grand Rapids and Kent County as well as Ottawa, Muskegon, Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Jackson, and Oscoda counties.  “Hot Spots” in Michigan appear to be Cheboygan/Black River, West Branch/Rifle River, Traverse City, and the western part of the Upper Peninsula. Michigan ranks in the top 10 among other states for Bigfoot sightings, sometimes as high as fourth.

Bigfoot sightings have been documented all over the world. (pxhere.com)

According to the experts, Sasquatch assets include the defensive abilities to blend in with the landscape completely camouflaged and an infrasound stunning roar that has a paralyzing effect. Communication is achieved through a language of whistles, knocks, growls, whoop howls, and high pitched screams. It’s said they talk to each other with a kind of “Samurai chatter.” Bigfoot evidence is compelling and extensive, including: encounters/sighting many by hunters, footprints, vocalizations, broken branches, beds, nests, musty/moldy smell, thousands of photos, footprint castings, hand prints, hand castings, body impressions, scat, and hair.

 

Sasquatch has many names depending on the area; “hairy giant” on the Pacific Northwest, Ohio Grassman, Florida Skunk Ape, Himalayan Yeti/Abominable Snowman, “Chinese Wildman”- Ojibwa “Wildman”, “Stinky Beast”, and perhaps the Kentucky Bearilla.  My Bigfoot people tell me you might smell a Sasquatch before you see it so “Skunk Ape” may provide the best description.

While Bigfoot appears to be omnipresent, luckily according to the Legend of the Michigan Dogman, it will only visit every 10 years or years ending in seven, so we are good until 2027. “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?” Check back in about six years!!!    

How to stay safe when caught by a rip current

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Community Health, Environment, Great Lakes, Health, How-To's, Recreation, , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org


It is finally nice in West Michigan, which means lots of beach time, but as the recent scare this week at Grand Haven beach reminded many knowing how to handle a rip current is key to water safety.

Grand Haven State Park does not have lifeguards but does utilize a flag system to let beachgoers know conditions.

Under a new land use order that allows the Department of Natural Resources shutdown the Grand Haven State Park on Tuesday, June 21, after water conditions prompted several rescues. Under the new order, the DNR can prevent or fine a person who enters waters under their jurisdiction when certain conditions are present such as harmful bacteria, dangerous weather conditions or rough waves, as was such the case on June 21.

According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, there has been 46 possible great lakes drownings so far in 2022, of which 19 have been in Lake Michigan. Lake Michigan is considered the deadliest lake of all the Great Lakes and one of the deadliest lakes in the United States due to the number of drownings.

One of the leading causes of those drownings are rip currents, channelized currents of water flowing away form shore at surf beaches.

To help raise awareness about rip currents, WKTV will be again airing the special “Respect the Power,” on June 28 at 9:30 a.m. and June 30 at 5 p.m. on Comcast Channel 25. 

If caught in a rip current, relax and don’t swim against the current. Rip currents do not pull people under the water.

The video was produced by the Great Lakes Beach & Pier Safety Task Force and was created in memory of Andrew Burton Fox and Daniel Reiss, both who were swept off the Grand Haven pier and drowned in Lake Michigan.

According to Grand Haven officials, rip currents and powerful breaking waves are common in the area of the pier. But education, including recognizing what a riptide looks like and what to do if you are caught in one, can increase the chances of a happy outcome.

From the “Respect the Power” website, it states that the Great Lakes are better understood as inland seas rather than lakes. Storms, not the lakes, can easily generate waves up to 30 feet in the most sever weather. However, even smaller waves can be dangerous.

When waves break, water is pushed up the slope of the shore. Gravity pulls this water back toward the lake. When the water converges in a narrow, river-like current moving away from the shore, it forms what is know as a rip current. Rip currents can be 50 feet to 50 yards or more wide. They can flow to a point just past the breaking waves or hundreds of yards offshore. You can sometimes identify a rip current by its foamy and choppy surface. The water in a rip current may be dirty from the sand being turned up by the current. The water may be colder than the surrounding water. Waves usually do not break as readily in a rip current as in adjacent water.

Moving at one to two feet a second, sometimes up to eight feet which is faster than any Olympic swimmer, a rip current can sweep even the strongest swimmer away from the shore.

According to both the “Respect the Power” and the National Weather Service websites, if caught in a rip current, try to relax. A rip current is not an “undertow” and will not pull you under. Do not try to swim against the current as this is very difficult, even for an experience swimmer. If you can, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current, then swim directly toward shore. If you are tired, tread water and float and call and wave for assistance. The current will carry you to the end or head of the current, where once rested you can swim back to shore.

Some other water safety tips:

1. Learn to swim.

2. Check with a lifeguard or with the park’s current conditions board before entering water.

3. Never swim alone.

4. Never dive headfirst into unknown waters or shallow breaking waves.

5. Piers are navigational structures and not designed as walkways, proceed at your own risk.

6. Do not jump or dive off pier structures.

7. Avoid piers when waves begin to spill over the pier surface.

8. To avoid rip currents, avoid swimming in areas that are discolored with sand and has a choppy or foamy surface.

9. If caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore (about 30-50 yards) to get out of the rip current before swimming to shore.

10. Protect yourself from the sun. Use sun screen.

Paddle Antrim hosts kick off to the paddling season

Entertainment, Environment, Great Lakes, Kids Activities, Sports, Travel, Upcoming Events, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Paddle Antrim kicks off the season with its June 2 event. (Supplied)

Paddle Antrim will kick-off the paddling season on the Chain of Lakes Water Trail with a special community paddle and gathering in Elk Rapids with Short’s Brewing Company.

On Thursday, June 2, Paddle Antrim and Short’s Brewing Company invite the community for a community paddle on Elk River launching from Elk Rapids Rotary Park followed by a gathering just up the road at the Short’s Pull Barn.

This special gathering is the celebration of the upcoming season on Northern Michigan’s only state designated water trail. A community paddle will take place from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. on Elk River followed by a gathering featuring live music, food trucks, and beverages at Short’s Pull Barn.

“In addition to this event, Paddle Antrim is thrilled to offer programming all season long. “After a couple years of uncertainty, we are thrilled to bring back our programming in full force this summer,” said Deana Jerdee, executive director of Paddle Antrim. “Our classes and community paddles are great ways for paddlers to connect with each other and the water in a fun and educational way.”

Paddle Antrim will host 15 kayaking classes for both adults and children. (supplied)

The non-profit organization will host seven community paddles, 15 kayaking classes, four stewardship classes and the beloved three-day Paddle Antrim Festival.

Community paddles are free and open to the public. These relaxed hour-long paddles take place along different sections of the Chain of Lakes and all paddlers are welcome – canoes, kayaks, and stand up paddle boards. Paddlers are responsible for bringing their own paddle craft and personal flotation devices (life jackets) must always be worn when out on the water.

 

Adult classes teach paddlers the basics of paddling all types of kayaks in a fun and safe way. These classes are great for beginners but anyone who has never received formal instruction will benefit. Kids’ classes are a great way to introduce your child to the sport of kayaking. Designed with fun and water safety as primary goals, these classes teach students through a variety of games and exploration. All classes are taught by American Canoe Association (ACA) certified instructors.

 

Paddle Antrim has partnered with Grass River Natural Area, Tipp of the Mitt Watershed Council, Little Traverse Conservancy, Kalkaska Conservation District, Walloon Lake Association and Conservancy, and CAKE CISMA to offer four stewardship classes in three different counties in Northern Michigan – Antrim, Charlevoix and Kalkaska. These classes train paddlers to identify and report invasive species while preventing their spread.

The Paddle Antrim Festival will take place Sept. 15 -17. Sponsored by Short’s Brewing Company, the Festival is a celebration of the waterways with two days of paddling and three days of community events.

 

For more information on all the Paddle Antrim events and classes visit www.paddleantrim.com/events. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Spring 2022 was one of the coldest on record. Here’s why.

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Environment, Great Lakes, , ,

By Micah Prior
WKTV Contributing Writer

Cold, rainy temperatures are part of the La Niña cycle. (pxhere.com)

Michiganders know that spring is usually late to arrive, yet we’re nearly two months past the Vernal Equinox and it has felt as though spring is still a few more weeks away. Luckily, temperatures are predicted to be much more favorable later this week, but this unusual cold spell has left many Michiganders curious as to why the frigid conditions that are typically characteristic of Michigan’s winter months have continued through March and April.

There’s a few factors that can explain why this has occurred. The first of which is the fact that we are in the midst of a La Niña year. La Niña is the cold water phase of a temperature cycle in the Tropical Pacific called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

According to the National Ocean Service, “During normal conditions in the Pacific ocean, trade winds blow west along the equator, taking warm water from South America towards Asia. To replace that warm water, cold water rises from the depths — a process called upwelling.”

During the infrequent La Niña years of this climate cycle, those trade winds are stronger, upwelling increases, and the prevalence of this cold water in the Pacific Ocean pushes the jet stream further north, which leads to colder temperatures and increased precipitation.

This time around, it seems as though La Niña is doing her a job a little too well.

“We have had a lot of precipitation, with an active storm track the past several weeks,” said Erin Ostuno at the Grand Rapids National Weather Service. “This has resulted in March and April being cloudy and much wetter than usual. The combination of March and April had over eight inches of rain/melted snow water. This ranks 11th wettest on record. April had 5.19 inches of precipitation, the 12th wettest April on record at Grand Rapids.”

La Niña has been working too well this season, bring an unusual amount of cold weather well into May. (climate.gov)

Talk about a great deal of precipitation. To make matters more intense, the jet stream that divides the northern and southern half of North America appears to have been pushed south this winter by high pressure zones that have formulated in the early spring near Greenland during a prolonged negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO).

In a recent article from the Washington Post, “When the NAO is negative, the weather over the eastern U.S. tends to be colder than normal. Such a pattern was seldom seen during the core winter months, which resulted in generally above-normal temperatures.”

While we were fortunate enough to experience slightly warmer temperatures this past winter, it seems that inevitably, we would have to pay the price at some point, which we’ve been doing since late March. The tax for having such a mild winter and all that high pressure up north is the spilling of the jet stream further south, which is why we’ve seen frigid temperatures typical of January or February continue through March and April while the Pacific Southwest has experienced oddly higher temperatures.

Luckily for us, it’s not forecasted to continue this way for much longer. According to a 10-day forecast for Michigan Center from Weather.com, by the week of May 9th, we’ll see high temperatures begin to erupt into the 70s with lows persisting in the upper 50s, so it appears as though this wintry weather we’ve been experiencing will finally be behind us.

Kent County official praises plan to repair state bridges

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, City of Wyoming, Great Lakes, West Michigan, , ,

By Sydney Bowler
Capital News Service

LANSING – From 2017 to 2021, the number of bridges in poor condition in Michigan increased from 1,146 to 1,240, according to the National Bridge Inventory.

A recently launched bridge bundling program by the Department of Transportation (MDOT) will tackle those numbers and is expected to repair up to 78 locally owned bridges that are in serious or critical condition, according to Dan Weingarten, the MDOT Superior region communications representative.

The pilot program, which began early March, will start repairs for 19 bridges this year.

The bundling program covers multiple bridge locations under one contract and repairs are already underway at five of the 19 bridges in Jackson, Macomb, Lapeer, Clinton and Ottawa counties.

The other 14 are in Clinton, Eaton, Hillsdale, Ingham, Lenawee, Lapeer, Livingston, Luce, Jackson, Macomb, Muskegon, Ottawa, St. Clair and St. Joseph counties.

“Michigan has aging bridge infrastructure and we have faced decades of underinvestment. Basically, bridges have been deteriorating faster than we can repair or replace them. This has created a growing inventory of bridges in poor condition,” said Weingarten.

The 19 bridges in Phase I were deemed high priority, Weingarten said.

Repair work underway on the abutment for the Byron Road bridge over the Black River in Ottawa County.
Michigan Department of TransportationRepair work underway on the abutment for the Byron Road bridge over the Black River in Ottawa County.

According to Weingarten, bridges are inspected at least every 24 months, but complex, moveable and large bridges are inspected more frequently. Bridges rated “poor” may be inspected as frequently as every six months, depending on the condition and details involved.

“People should not worry when they cross over or under a bridge. Bridges are inspected regularly and, if the bridge is open, it’s safe. MDOT and local agency bridge owners close unsafe bridges,” he said.

The repaired bridges could last up to 50 years before needing to be fixed again and could potentially last even longer with maintenance projects, Weingarten said.

The second phase of the project could repair or remove up to 59 other bridges. This phase focuses on closed or weight-restricted bridges, according to MDOT.

“The pilot project is being funded by Federal Highway Improvement Program dollars. Then, late last year, $196 million in federal COVID relief funds were appropriated,” Weingarten said. “This will allow the state to execute Phase II of the bridge bundling program, beginning later this year.”

 

The program has been backed at all levels, from federal to state to local.

“This is the most supportive program from the state for local bridges that I’ve ever seen,” said Wayne Harrall, the deputy managing director for engineering at the Kent County Road Commission in a press release. “The MDOT Bureau of Bridges has engaged with local agencies from the beginning, before there was even funding allocated to the effort.”

The County Road Association says the program is a great concept and would like it to bear some fruit in cost savings, according to Ed Noyola, its deputy director. The association represents 83 road agencies and provides legislative, operational and engineering advice.

But its main concern is that the project may run out of funding before work on all bridges is complete.

“Costs have gone up exponentially, and it’s a problem,” Noyola said. “The cost of material and labor is just going through the roof, and bridge projects are probably the most costly of all the road work that’s done that’s gone up.”

Weingarten said federal COVID relief funding for Phase II requires the money to be allocated by 2024 and spent by 2029, and MDOT intends to finish Phase II by then.

According to the National Bridge Inventory, a U.S. Department of Transportation database, there are 11,284 bridges in the state.

MDOT estimates it would cost $2 billion to get all state-owned bridges up to good or fair condition, and an additional $1.5 billion to do the same for all local government-owned bridges.

Weingarten said that MDOT bridge staff and consultants are doing the design and construction administration work, as well as providing engineering and contract negotiation expertise.

A Kentwood business joins others in support of state’s climate controls

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Environment, Great Lakes, , , , ,

By Lindsay M. McCoy
Capital News Service

LANSING – Fifteen businesses across the state, including Ford Motor Co. and two West Michigan microbreweries, have written to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in support of her administration’s carbon neutrality goals.

Broad Leaf Brewery’s owner Kris Spaulding signed a letter in support of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer administration’s carbon neutrality goals. (WKTV)

The goal to be a carbon-neutral economy was laid out in a 2020 executive order that also created the Council on Climate Solutions.

The Whitmer administration’s newly released MI Healthy Climate Plan would generate 60% of the state’s electricity from renewable resources, phase out all remaining coal-fired plants by 2030 and build infrastructure to support 2 million electric vehicles on the roads by 2030.

“The companies that signed this letter know that climate action and statewide strategies are not only an economic opportunity for the state, but also a business imperative for them,” said Deana Dennis, the senior manager of state policy at Ceres.

Ceres is a Boston-based nonprofit that advocates for sustainability by working with investors and the companies that initiated this letter.

In Michigan, the organization works with companies to advocate policies to achieve a carbon neutral economy, which would reach zero net emissions through carbon offsetting practices and projects.

 

“We’re hearing regularly from our companies that they need supportive policies at both the federal and state levels that will help achieve their climate pollution targets,” she said.

It’s also important that these businesses’ goals be achieved as equitably and cost-effectively as possible, said Dennis.

Dearborn-based Ford is taking action to reduce emissions from its operations, according to its website. Previously, the company installed LED lights throughout its plants, updated its painting operations and reduced its emissions by 15.1%.

Climate solutions logo.
Asher FreedmanClimate solutions logo.

Ford plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and use 100% local renewable energy in all of its manufacturing by 2035, according to its website.

Dennis said the companies that sent the letter have ambitious climate goals and know they need to ramp up their own efforts and advocacy work.

“That’s why they want to see Michigan take the lead on statewide strategies, such as through the governor’s MI Healthy Climate Plan,” she said.

The plan’s goals include developing new clean energy jobs by putting the state on a path towards becoming carbon neutral by 2050. It also proposes to reduce emissions from heating homes by repairing and improving buildings, triple the state’s recycling rate to 45% and cut food waste in half by 2030.

The businesses’ letter to Whitmer said, “We are committed to locally sourcing our purchases, including agricultural inputs, both in support of our local economy and in an effort to reduce transportation.”

Brewery Vivant in Grand Rapids signed the letter “to show that businesses are in support of the government taking action to address climate change,” said Kris Spaulding, who owns it and Broad Leaf Brewery in Kentwood.

They are the first microbreweries in the world to be certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, through their efforts to minimize waste and energy use.

The two microbreweries are also committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and energy intensity over the next decade, according to the letter.

Dennis said Crystal Mountain in Benzie County’s Weldon Township, which signed the letter, is working to become greener.

The resort has opened walkable and bikeable grounds, provided free electric vehicle charging for guests and invested in other energy-efficient infrastructure such as LED lights and energy-efficient water pumps.

 

“Respecting the environment is one of our core values, and we strive to ensure our resort is committed to more sustainable solutions,” the company said in the letter.

The signers are from diverse business sectors, and Dennis said one goal of Ceres is to show unified support from businesses.

“The state needs to consider sector-wide strategies,” she said. “That includes the power sector, how we generate electricity. That also includes transportation, which is nationally the sector with the highest amount of emissions.”

Spaulding said, “There is often a feeling that businesses are opposed to any additional regulation, but without us, we as a greater society won’t be able to tackle this pressing issue.”

 

The other companies signing the letter are Ben & Jerry’s, DSM, EILEEN FISHER, General Mills, General Motors Co., IKEA, JLL, Johnson Controls, Siemens, Uplight and Worthen Industries.

Shoreline shipwreck viewing predicted to be excellent this summer

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Environment, Great Lakes, Kids Activities, Local Entertainment, Local History, Recreation, Travel, West Michigan, , , ,

By Jim DuFresne
Capital News Service

LANSING – Some trails break out of the woods at a lake. Some climb a dune to a sweeping view.

And many – more than you probably thought – lead to a shipwreck with a story on a beach.

This summer could be excellent for shoreline shipwreck viewing as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicts that the water level of lakes Michigan and Huron could be almost 2 feet below the record highs set in 2020.

Michigan’s fascinating maritime history is not limited to old lighthouses or restored life-saving stations.

 

Remains of the Francisco Morazan off South Manitou Island at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Jim DuFresne, MichiganTrailMaps.com.Remains of the Francisco Morazan off South Manitou Island at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

The state is blessed with accessible shipwrecks that don’t require an air tank or a wetsuit to view – only a pair of hiking boots, a paddle or a snorkel and mask.

The heart of shipwreck territory is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, but there are others, including a wreck in Thompson’s Harbor State Park in Presque Isle County and more off the shore of the Upper Peninsula’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Michigan’s shoreline wrecks are constantly evolving, depending on wave action, shifting sand and Great Lake water levels.

High and dry for easy viewing this summer will be one of Michigan’s newest exposed wrecks, the Jennie and Annie.

The 137-foot schooner, built in 1863, was rounding Sleeping Bear Point in November 1872 when gale-force winds pushed it into the shallows and reefs of Lake Michigan’s notorious Manitou Passage. The ship, its 10-member crew and a cargo of corn were driven aground 9 miles south near Empire. Only three crew members survived.

Gone forever? Hardly. For the past two summers, a substantial piece of the hull has been visible on a Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore beach.

Here is a landlubber’s guide to other great Michigan shipwrecks:

City of Boston: Built in Cleveland in 1863, this 136-foot-long wooden steamer also featured a mast – and a history of bad luck.

In 1868, it collided with another steamer and sank in the Straits of Mackinac. When the steamship was raised 125 feet two years later, it was the deepest salvage ever attempted in the Great Lakes up to that time.

After being rebuilt in Cleveland, the ship returned to service as a stream barge, only to finally meet its end on Nov. 4, 1873, during a storm with blinding snow.

It was hauling flour and corn when it ran aground on a sand bar just off Green Point Dunes Nature Preserve in Benzie County. The raging surf quickly broke the hull, and the crew abandoned ship.
The ship’s remains are west of the preserve’s beach access stairway, 150 to 200 feet from shore, depending on water levels. It’s angled in 7 to 8 feet of water, with its stern buried in the sand bar and its bow occasionally less than 4 feet below the lake’s surface. It’s easy snorkeling, and visitors can see the outline of the bow in clear water from the preserve’s second observation deck.

James McBride: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a graveyard for shipwrecks, including this 121-foot brig built in 1848 and lost in October 1857. A November storm in 2014 washed up a 43-foot-long section of the James McBride, making it the largest shipwreck ever to appear on the park’s shoreline.

Francisco Morazan: On Nov. 27, 1960, this Liberian freighter left Chicago bound for Holland with 940 tons of cargo, a crew of 13, its captain and his pregnant wife.

Remains of a wreck at Lake Superior’s AuSable Reef as seen from a Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore trail.
Jim DuFresne, MichiganTrailMaps.com.Remains of a wreck at Lake Superior’s AuSable Reef as seen from a Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore trail.

The next day, the ship ran into 40-mile-per-hour winds, snow and fog that made for a virtual whiteout.

The captain thought he was rounding Beaver Island, more than 100 miles away, when he ran aground on the south side of South Manitou Island.

A Coast Guard cutter and helicopter rescued the 15 people, but left the wreck behind to be forever battered by Lake Michigan.

Today it’s the most popular destination for campers on the island. The wreck is also popular with kayakers who bring their boats over on the ferry.


American Union: This 186-foot, three-masted schooner was one of the largest sailing ships to work the Great Lakes when launched in 1862. Its size ultimately led to its demise when it encountered a fatal storm in 1894 that grounded it at Thompson’s Harbor State Park, northwest of Alpena. The crew was saved, and today the wreckage rests a quarter-mile from shore in 10 feet of crystal-clear Lake Huron water.

The remains of the hull offer viewing opportunities for snorkelers and kayakers.

AuSable Reef Wrecks: From Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore’s Hurricane River Campground, visitors can head east on the Lakeshore Trail and pass several wrecks, then end up at the AuSable Light Station built to protect the ships.

The first wreck, the Mary Jarecki, lies just outside the campground. The wooden bulk freighter was carrying iron ore and grounded on the AuSable Reef in July 1883. When other boats couldn’t tow it off, the ship was left to be battered by Lake Superior.

Its remains are just offshore and are challenging to see if there is a chop on the lake surface. 

But a hike further down the trail leads to timbers and ironwork from two wrecks half-buried in the sand.

The first is the Sitka, a wooden freighter that grounded and broke in half in 1904.

The second is the Gale Staples, built in 1881. The wooden freighter was loaded with coal when it beached itself on the sandy reef in 1918.

America: On June 6, 1928, this tourist ship was loaded with crates of fresh fruit and 48 passengers when it left a resort on Isle Royale National Park’s Washington Island and, within a half-mile, struck a reef.

It sank within sight of horrified hotel employees and guests back at the dock.
No deaths occurred, but bushels of fresh fruit washed ashore for weeks after the mishap.

Even more unusual, the ship sank in a vertical position, with one end lying less than 3 feet below the surface of Lake Superior.

Curious visitors can rent a canoe in Windigo and paddle out of Washington Harbor into the North Gap, where a buoy marks the ship’s location. Lake Superior is so clear it’s amazing how much is visible from a canoe seat.

Jim DuFresne is the editorial director at MichiganTrailMaps.com and an MSU Journalism School alum.

Final section of water trail along Grand River may become a reality

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, Great Lakes, Our Cities, Recreation, Sports, Travel, West Michigan, , , , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

LGROW Director Wendy Ogilvie (far left) reviews a map of the Grand River with participants of a public meeting about creating a water trail along the river. (WKTV)

The young girl walked into the room at GVSU’s Seidman Center, looked at a map with her mother and then turned to Wendy Ogilvie and asked “Why should we designate a water trail along the Grand River?”

Acknowledging that it was a good question and one that was often asked, the Lower Grand River Organization (LGROW) director said “We often think of up north as full of nature and beauty when there is that beauty here in the lower peninsula as well. By designating it as a water trail we create a sense of place and a destination. “

LGROW, which is part of the Grand Rapids Metro Council and designated with addressing issues and opportunities for the Grand River and its watershed, is moving forward on a plan to create a state-designated water trail along the lower Grand River, which Ogilvie said might become a reality this year. 

A water trail is similar to a bike/walking trail. It is a designated route on a navigable waterway such as a river like the Grand River, or other waterways like a lake or canal. The trail is implemented and managed to foster educational and recreational experiences.

The upper and middle Grand River watersheds have already been designated by the state as water trails. The addition for the Lower Grand River, which runs from about Ionia west to Lake Michigan, would complete the 252-mile trek from its origination point at the headwaters of Hillsdale County to where to it pours out onto Lake Michigan in Grand Haven. Michigan’s longest river runs along the border of the City of Wyoming as it travels from the City of Grand Rapids to the City of Grandville and on to Ottawa County.

A map of the many public and private access points along the Grand River. (WKTV)

“Water trails are becoming the new parks,” said Andrea Irland, an outdoor recreational planner for the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program of the National Park Service. “You travel down a river and discover the untouched areas that are not easily seen from a trail or road.”

Irland was involved in the creation of the Cuyahoga River Water Trail which helped to change the reputation of the river, which was known to catch fire, to being a place to see wildlife. She said she could see the same happening for the Grand River, which was once used for logging to help get wood to the furniture factories in Grand Rapids.

“Water trails such as the one proposed and the one on the Cuyahoga River do not need to be in national parks,” Irland said. “They can provide a way to connect different communities that are along the river.”

A community also benefits in the creation of a water trail as it provides outdoor recreation, education, stewardship, quality of life, and conservation and protection.

To discuss the pros and cons of having a water trail, LGROW hosted a public meeting in February at Grand Valley State University’s Seidman Center seeking input from residents on what they would want to see to help encourage the development of a water trail. There was input on a variety of topics such as access points and amenities like signage, bathrooms, and other items that would be needed to help design and maintain the water trail. There also was discussion on water safety and the sharing of the waterway with larger boats and other river crafts.

“This is an exciting opportunity for the public to provide ideas on how we can enhance access and recreational opportunities tied to one of our region’s most valuable natural assets,” Ogilvie said. “It will encourage tourists and outdoor recreation while promoting watershed stewardship and showcasing Michigan’s incredible water resources.”

There were six stations at the event that lead participants through learning about what a water trail is to amenities and what they thought would help to make such a plan successful. Another aspect of the meeting was to encourage tourism ventures such as canoe and kayak rentals along with restaurants and other possibilities to develop along the river to make the water trail a successful destination spot.

Through the development process, Ogilvie said LGROW has met with various stakeholders such as kayaking clubs, owners of access points, municipalities where the river has run through and other community members. In fact, the process has taken a couple of years but the recent Restore the Rapids movement to restore the lower river to a more natural state has made creating a water trail more of a viable opportunity, Ogilvie said.

The goal will be to have similar public input meetings in Ionia and Ottawa counties. From there, the group will review the plan and then submit it to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for approval.

To review the plan or learn more, click here. 

Threats face native berries amongst us

3-bottom, Great Lakes, Local Food,

By Eric Freedman
Capital News Service

LANSING — My basement has an entire bookcase jammed with National Geographic magazines, including virtually every issue since July 1979.

My father bought used copies of the oldest ones when I was a child. The oldest of the old is the February 1919 issue, published when an annual subscription cost $2.50. 

February 1919 issue of National Geographic. (Photo by Barb Miller)

The front cover is faded, the back cover is missing, its advertisers include Ivory soap and now-defunct automakers Locomobile, Thompson, Dodge, Chandler and Apperson, as well as Quaker Puffed Wheat cereal, the gunmaker Savage, Pepsodent toothpaste, Victrola records and Goblin Soap, which “works wonders.”

Inside, the only color section features illustrations of 29 berries and their blossoms, some now in potential danger of following those long-ago advertisers into oblivion. 

Most grow in Michigan, says Tyler Bassett, a botanist and plant ecologist at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory.

Among the illustrations “by the gifted artist-naturalist Miss Mary E. Eaton” are the American mountain ash that grows south from Canada to the Great Lakes region “only where it can find mountains” and the black gum that grows “between Maine and Michigan on the north.”

 

The range of mapleleaf arrowwood spanned from New Brunswick to Minnesota, and the American cranberry from Newfoundland to western Wisconsin. Readers learned that wild chokeberries could be found from New England to Minnesota, according to Eaton’s article, “American Berries of Hill, Dale and Wayside.”

Some have unfamiliar, exotic-sounding names that roll off the tongue –  silky cornel, for example, and blueleaf greenbrier and blue cohosh. Others have names we quickly immediately recognize, such as American holly and wintergreen and black alder.

Now 103 years after National Geographic published its article on berries, we’re witnessing some changes among those species, says Bassett, who “studies the ecology of natural communities and the rare plant species they support,” according to the Natural Features Inventory. The organization promotes conservation of Michigan’s biodiversity through scientific expertise and information.

Mary E. Eaton’s illustrations of American bittersweet, silky cornel, bayberry and mapleleaf arrowwood in the February 1919 issue of National Geographic. (Photo credit Barb Miller)

“I’m cautious, but we are seeing very hot, dry summers and differences in the distribution of precipitation,” Bassett says. Particular weather events can stress plants, such as droughts that can cause temporary diebacks.

In an ecosystem, climate change shifts the timing of when plants germinate and flower and when pollinators and plant-eating wildlife are active, he says.

“By the end of the century, we could have the climate of Georgia in Southern Michigan,” he says.

But climate change doesn’t deserve all the blame.

 

Another major concern is the spread of invasive plants such as honeysuckle and autumn olive in the woodlands. Some invaders are “super-aggressive,” as Bassett puts it, “and getting more aggressive with climate warming.” They reproduce more than native plants and can “hybridize a native species out of existence.

“Most invasive species seem to be favored by climate change and are able to quickly take advantage of new circumstances by growing faster and leafing out earlier than native plants,” he says.

Changes in wildlife habitat have a negative effect as well because species “need the right animals at the right time to disperse their seeds,” he says.

Meanwhile, a new study in the journal Science found that declines in the number of animals that disperse seeds are reducing plants’ ability to adapt to a changing climate by limiting their capacity to migrate to more hospitable ranges.

The scientists at Rice University in Texas, Iowa State University and Aarhus University in Denmark called seed dispersal a “mutualistic function” – meaning both the plants and animals benefit.

They wrote, “The mutualistic interaction networks that assemble in these communities will likely influence whether certain plant species persist and spread.” And they estimated that losses of bird and mammal species are already responsible for a 60% reduction in plants’ ability to respond to climate change.

Bassett says increased fragmentation of plant habitats leaves “smaller and smaller” patches of land where they can grow. Due to differences in their relative abundance, fragmentation means that less profuse species will have even fewer pathways to spread through dispersal of their seeds.

Mary E. Eaton’s illustrations of wildblack cherry, highbush blueberry, sweet cherry and early highbush blueberry in the February 1919 issue of National Geographic. (Photo by Barb Miller)

So, how to protect these plants, the snowberry and the shadbush, the wild black cherry and the smooth sumac, the spicebush and the American bittersweet?

Bassett says necessary steps include regional partnerships with land trusts and agencies like the Department of Natural Resources to improve the connectivity that makes it easier for wildlife to disperse seeds of native plants.

 

Connectivity here refers to a network of pathways that animals can travel, linking what the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity calls “fragmented habitats that constrain wildlife movement.”

In addition to preventing seed dispersal, lack of connectivity impairs animals’ ability to find shelter, mates and food, while isolating populations and leading to possible local extinction of sensitive species, according to the center, which has offices in Minneapolis and Duluth.

The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is addressing that problem, he says. The nonprofit organization works in nine counties in the southwestern part of the state, including Branch, St. Joseph and Allegan counties.

“Animals as dispersal agents can move more easily,” Bassett says. “A species needs a place to live that suits it.”

Proposed eastern sandhill cranes hunt in breeding states stirs controversy

3-bottom, Environment, Great Lakes, Recreation, ,
A pair of eastern sandhill cranes keep a lookout for predators. These birds normally stay together unless one dies, in which case they’ve been known to start other family groups. Credit: Department of Natural Resources

By Nicholas Simon
Capital News Service

LANSING — Efforts by politicians to create a hunting season for eastern sandhill cranes in both Michigan and Wisconsin are stirring debates among hunters, farmers and birders.

A Michigan legislative resolution to encourage the Natural Resources Commission to explore the possibilities of issuing tags for cranes was introduced but not adopted. Wisconsin has gone further, with lawmakers introducing a bill in October to require the state Department of Natural Resources to issue permits to eligible hunters for the birds.

If either of these measures passes, it would be the first time the bird has been hunted legally in its breeding grounds since the species was nearly hunted to extinction in the early 1900s.

Advocates of a hunt in both states cited the agricultural damage caused by rising numbers of the birds, as well as increased opportunities for hunters as reasons to add the sandhill crane to their lists of state game birds.

However, hunting them is controversial for both birding groups and ornithological associations. They argue that the cranes’ unique ecology has historically made them vulnerable to overhunting.

“This bird wows and delights people,” said Heather Good, the executive director of Michigan Audubon, the state’s oldest conservation organization.

“It’s widely depicted in art, and it’s the oldest living species at more than 2.5 million years old. True conservationists do not take that history for granted,” Good said.

Sandhill cranes have the lowest juvenile survival rate of any game bird in North America, with only one in 10 nests producing a chick that survives to adulthood, according to the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. One reason is the time it takes for the birds to reach maturity, with pairs being an average of 4 years old before they can reproduce, it said.

Eastern Sand Hill Cranes have a low juvenile survival rate. (Wikipedia/http://www.birdphotos.com)

Their low birth rate, paired with increased habitat loss and overhunting during the early 1900s, led to its eradication from a number of Great Lakes states, including Illinois, Ohio and Indiana. By the 1930s, there were only 25 breeding pairs in Wisconsin, according to population counts at the time.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin, like Mark Berres, claim that near-extinction means that the eastern sandhill crane still has problems with genetic diversity, which makes it more susceptible to overhunting.

In an interview with the University of Wisconsin News, Berres said: “We have a pretty good understanding of why the birds are doing so well, but we’re really just starting to figure out the population’s breeding structure. To me it screams ‘don’t touch them.’”

Michigan DNR officials claim that the bird’s destructive behavior towards crops is a sign of resilience and adaptability.

 

The cranes tend to travel into cornfields from adjacent wetlands and eat the new shoots as they sprout out of the ground in the springtime. Farmers say they can leave large sections of their field bare.

 

“They’re an adaptable species and they’ve been able to take advantage of available habitats like wetlands and emerging wetlands,” said Barbara Avers, the waterfowl and wetland specialist at the Michigan DNR. “But they are now using agricultural products as an abundant food source, and we are really seeing their numbers take off.”

Despite the rising rates of agricultural destruction, ornithological groups say that’s not an issue because of existing solutions such as repellents that make new plants taste bitter so cranes stay away.

However, the cost of repellent ranges from $6 to $10 per acre, and some farmers are unwilling to take on the added cost and time to treat their crops. The federal government offers a permit to such farmers to kill cranes that are damaging their crops.

Federal regulations make it illegal for those hunters to consume meat from the cranes they kill. Instead, carcasses are left in the field to discourage other groups of cranes from coming to that farm.

 

Hunting groups in both states call that a waste of natural resources and argue that a hunting season would both reduce population numbers for farmers and provide an economic opportunity for the state DNRs.

 

At an appearance with Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin, Michigan musician and pro-hunting activist Ted Nugent called sandhill cranes “ribeyes in the sky,” referring to his desire to eat them.

In a presentation to the Natural Resources Commission, Nick Green, the public information officer for Michigan United Conservation Clubs, said hunters both understand population management strategies and provide funding for habitat restoration.

Green said, “Numerous game and no-game species have all flourished thanks to funding generated almost exclusively from hunting license sales and the tax on firearms and ammunition.”

At a commission meeting this fall, officials from Michigan Audubon and the Michigan Humane Society said DNR has focused too much on hunters in the past.

Good said, “Conservation is not a sport, it’s actually a science.”

Molly Tamulevich, the Michigan director for the Humane Society of the United States, said, “In conversations with commissioners, it’s clear that some of you believe that the primary role of the Natural Resources Commission is to serve the fewer than 7% of Michiganders who hold a hunting license.

“In fact, the lens through which the commission’s decisions are made frames Michigan’s wildlife entirely as a resource to be managed by being killed by game license holders,” she said.

Tamulevich said she was frustrated with the lack of representation for Michigan’s growing eco-friendly and non-hunting residents, saying that ignores economic benefits produced by birders and native Anishinaabe communities that consider the bird sacred.

“It’s time the decision-making bodies start to pay attention to the voices of Michigan citizens who are heavily invested in their outdoors land and wild areas but chose not to hunt, trap or kill for trophies, cash prizes and bragging rights,” Tamulevich said.

Exploring the haunted lighthouses of Michigan

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Great Lakes, Recreation, ,

By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters

Dianna Higgs Stampler blends historical facts with insightful stories of haunted beacons in her book, “Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses.” According to Stampler, Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state and “nearly one-fifth of all the lights in the state, past and present, have a ghostly story.”

Paranormal speculation may surround 30 of the 129 iconic beacons dotted along our extended coast but the historical significance cannot be denied. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum estimates these treacherous unpredictable waters have resulted in around 30,000 deaths with more than 25,000 shipwrecks at the bottom of the Great Lakes. 

The need and importance of lighthouses with their fog horns, bells, and cannons was most evident during the late 1800s as Michigan emerged as the leading lumber producing state in the nation. These events gave rise to a very serious breed of professionals with lifelong dedication, pretty much unparalleled. The lighthouse keeper, lightkeeper, or “wickies” as they were called in the early days became a family business, often passed down from generation to generation. While the lightkeeper might have been considered a man’s job, at least 19 women were appointed to keep the beacons burning, usually assuming the responsibilities of head keeper following the death of their husbands.

  

It’s rumored the dedication to duties has extended beyond death for former keepers Captain Townshend at Seul Choix Point and John Herman at Waugoshance Shoal near Mackinaw City. Stampler states the Seul Choix Point Lighthouse may be “regarded as one of Michigan’s most haunted lighthouses” with as many as five ghosts. Stampler claims Willie Townshend’s cigar smoke still lingers throughout the structure as his presence seems to be the most active spirit at Seul Choix. John Herman probably the most infamous keeper at the Waugoshance light has been described as a heavy drinking prankster. After locking his assistant in the lighthouse lantern room late one night, John Herman was never seen again but the lightkeepers that followed claimed the pranks continued.

Waugoshance Lighthouse is located in the northern end of the Lake Michigan. (Ddieffen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

Stampler attributes these hauntings to former lightkeepers as well as the spirits of shipwrecked sailors seeking the safety and solace of the light. Stampler goes on to say that among the many ghosts that haunt our state’s lighthouses a handful are children, “most often girls dressed in period clothing.” To help explain why ghosts haunt, Stampler points to a common belief that spirits are often at unrest due to a tragic untimely death or dedication to service. Some hauntings indicate residual energy that is somehow recorded and replayed but other hauntings suggest an intelligent spirit interacting with the living. Evidence of Michigan’s haunted lighthouses includes: photos, recorded EVP ghost voices, icy cold spots, footsteps, smell of tobacco burning, laughter, hearing voices, seeing apparitions, beacon lights being seen even though there was no electricity to power it, and more. Here in Michigan we are surrounded by these mysterious structures and most of the lighthouses and attached museums are open to visitors. 

Farmers’ Almanac forecasts frosty Great Lakes flip-flop

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Environment, Great Lakes, Recreation, ,
Cover of 2022 Farmers’ Almanac. Credit: Almanac Publishing Company

By Gabrielle Ahlborn
Capital News Service

LANSING — After an unusually warm and stormy summer, the Great Lakes region has in store a “frosty flip-flop” winter, according to the 2021-22 Farmers’ Almanac forecast.

“By that, we mean one month it’s going to start out mild, and it’s going to get icy, it’s going to get snowy,” said Sandi Duncan, the publication’s managing editor. “It’s going be a mixed bag kind of winter.”

The month-to-month contrast follows an unusually stormy summer for the Great Lakes region, which the Almanac predicted to be “muggy and thundery” last April.

 

The buzzwords for the Great Lakes this winter are “icy and flaky,” the Almanac reports.

January is expected to begin mild with rain and wet snow, followed by 2-5 inches of snow possible in a storm at the end of the month, the publication predicts. February calls for bitter temperatures but little precipitation. March has been projected as snowy and stormy throughout the month.

What makes the Farmer’s Almanac so certain?

That’s hard to know. Its predictions do not include any type of computer satellite tracking or lore-based techniques, such as groundhogs, the publication reports. Its formula includes factors such as “sunspot activity, tidal action of the moon, the position of the planets and a variety of other factors.”

Atmospheric phenomena like El Nino and La Nina were not factors in the forecast, Duncan said. “Some people are saying La Nina might come into play, but we didn’t have a chance to factor that in.”

While the Almanac’s website claims an 80-85% accuracy rate, meteorologists have always suggested taking the Farmers’ Almanac’s predictions with a grain of salt.

 

In 2017, meteorologist Jan Null compared the accuracy of the almanac’s temperature and precipitation predictions with the actual results. Forecasts were graded as good, not good or mixed, depending on if they were predicted the same as they were observed.

Of the 34 precipitation regions compared, Null rated  21% as “good.” She rated 42% of the 33 temperature regions as good.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also releases a 90-day prediction forecast from its Climate Prediction Center. Unlike the Farmers’ Almanac, NOAA uses the most up-to-date technology and computer models.

“Covering December, January and February we’re favoring only slightly above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation which includes rain and snow for the Great Lakes,” NOAA meteorologist Brad Pugh said. “La Nina is currently present and we expect La Nina to persist through the winter.”

La Nina is an atmospheric phenomenon that is created by cooler than normal sea surface temperatures across the equatorial line in the central Pacific.

 

“It typically does lead towards a wetter winter for the Great Lakes region,” Pugh said.

The Farmers’ Almanac has been published since 1818 when it was created by astronomer and weather-watcher David Young, not to be confused with the Old Farmer’s Almanac, which was founded 26 years earlier in 1792 by Robert B. Thomas.

 

Beyond long-range weather forecasts, the online and print editions now offer gardening tips, natural remedies and recipes.

 

“Part of the long-lasting appeal of the Farmers’ Almanac is that it’s nostalgic and charming but it is also useful,” Duncan said. “We just stay current with the times and keep reminding people how to live a natural life.”

Indigenous food markets in Michigan grow as Native Americans reclaim heritage

3-bottom, Food, Great Lakes, Holidays, Local History, WKTV Projects, , ,
Minogin Market, located in Mackinaw City, took over the former Bell’s Fishery in 2018. It now offers a selection of maple syrup and other food products.

By Kayla Nelsen
Capital News Service

LANSING — When Ziibimijwang Farm sells maple sugar at Minongin Market in Mackinaw City, it’s more than a business transaction – it represents Indigenous food sovereignty.

Further north, in the Upper Peninsula, partners Jerry Jondreau and Katy Bresette operate Dynamite Hill Farms in L’Anse.

“The way we phrase it is ‘getting back to our responsibilities,’” Jondreau said.

Social media and online sales has fueled both operations as part of a growing availability of Indigenous food resources nationwide.

“With colonization and boarding schools, a lot was ripped away from us,” said Joe VanAlstine, who is the chair of Ziibimijwang Inc. “For us to come back and reclaim that, people are just hungry for it, no pun intended.”

Minogin Market opened in 2018 in Mackinaw City’s former fish market, Bell’s Fishery.
 

VanAlstine and his colleagues considered how they might use the market to reclaim their Odawa Indian identity.

Located at the tip of Michigan’s mitten, Mackinaw City was historically the trading hub of the Great Lakes region. Now, it’s a gateway to the Upper Peninsula that has become a tourism hotspot.

“You can go and buy one of those dreamcatchers made in China or you can come to Minogin and buy a real one, made by a real Native American,” VanAlstine said.

Jondreau, the owner of Dynamite Hill Farms, said its origin relates more to his relationship with land as a tribal citizen.

“As Odjibwe people, it’s our responsibility to take care of this place and maintain a relationship,” he said. “You can’t do that if you’re never there and not participating, just like a personal relationship.”

Dynamite Hill Farm owner Jerry Jondreau uses traditional methods to harvest wild rice. (Photo courtesy Jerry Jondreau)

Dynamite Hill Farms was established in 2019 after Jondreau quit his teaching job at Michigan Technological University to continue tapping maple sugar and harvesting wild rice. He uses the term “business” loosely. The farm is a family function he runs with Bresette, their children and the occasional volunteer.

“We feel that’s the true way to sustainability – the small scale,” Jondreau said. “We do everything on a less official basis. People will ask questions and we’ll say, ‘You know what, why don’t you just come and camp out here for the weekend? Come out here and haul some sap with us and we’ll have some conversations.’”

As former teachers, education is at the center of everything he and Bresette do. Though Dynamite Hill products are available for purchase on Facebook, Jondreau prefers to make sales in person so he can explain the process behind the food they harvest.

“It’s not just about extraction and selling, it’s about healing and restoring,” Jondreau said. “Was there tobacco put down? Were there prayers being said to those trees when they were tapped? Those are the things that will create sustainability. Those are the things that will create healing of this land again.”

Jondreau’s alternative approach to business is what host Andi Murphy of “Toasted Sister Podcast,” a radio show about Native American food, calls “Indigenomics.”
 

Making a profit is often idolized in the current economic system, she said. “But in Native America, we’re always thinking about our community and making it a better place and situation. That’s the main difference.”

Building Indigenous food sovereignty by reclaiming the presence of Indigenous products in the Mackinac area and across the country is Ziibimijwang and Minogin Market’s mission, VanAlstine said. The farm also packs food boxes for tribal elders.
 

Additionally, Ziibimijwang partners with Indigenous chefs who use the farm products in their kitchens,VanAlstine said.
 

Crystal Wahpepah, the first Indigenous chef to appear on the Food Network show “Chopped,” is one of Ziibimijwang’s regulars. “She exclusively buys maple products from us. So we ship them all the way to California for her.”

The farm is also in partnership with Tocabe, a contemporary Native American restaurant in Denver. The restaurant is soon to launch Tocabe Express, a ready-to-cook meal delivery service that will include the ingredients and instructions to make the restaurant’s most popular dishes at home. A featured Tocabe Express meal is maple-rubbed bison ribs.

“In that rub they use our maple sugar,” VanAlstine said. “So you’ll get maple sugar from us and they’ll tell you where all the ingredients are from.”

Reclaiming Indigenous food is a way for VanAlstine to connect with his ancestors.
 

“I’m eating the same food that they did,” he said. “And that brings me closer to them, knowing that they tasted the same fish I tasted, from the same river and the same lakes. For me that’s the joy – having more of our people feel that way.”

Whether through a hands-on education approach or through nationwide partnerships, Dynamite Hill Farms and Minogin Market are growing the presence of Indigenous farming wisdom in the United States.
 

“Getting excited about these Indigenous flavors, that’s the most important part of food sovereignty,” Murphy said. “And that doesn’t happen without those entrepreneurs who are making it available.”

 

St. Joseph kicks off the season with Luminary

Entertainment, Food, Great Lakes, Local Entertainment, Local Food, Recreation, West Michigan, ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

The holiday season will begin with the warm glow of hundreds of luminaries lining the streets of downtown St. Joseph from 5-8 p.m on Friday, Nov. 19. Luminary, sponsored by United Federal Credit Union, creates a joyful atmosphere for all ages to enjoy sales/promotions, specialty items, drawings/giveaways, free gift wrapping and gift ideas galore from participating restaurants and shopkeepers.

“All ages are invited to head downtown for this festive event,” said Amy Zapal, executive director of St. Joseph Today. “Whether you’re looking to enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate, grab a sweet treat, or get a jump start on your holiday gift shopping, it’s a great way to kick off the holiday season.”

Additionally, St. Joe Today will kick off the holiday music in downtown St. Joseph during Luminary weekend. Zapal says, “SJT added holiday music throughout downtown in 2019 as part of Window Wonderland.” Zapal goes on to say, “Last year we wanted to start the holiday festivities a little earlier during the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. We are excited to continue the tradition and to spread a little extra cheer this year!”



For more information on Luminary, visit stjoetoday.com/luminary.

Life jackets and proper cold water gear save lives as water temperatures drop

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Great Lakes, Non-Profits, Recreation, West Michigan, ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

As temperatures in Northern Michigan are cooling down, Paddle Antrim warns paddlers to take precautions to protect themselves from heightened dangers of sudden, unexpected cold water immersion while on late season paddling outings.

“Whenever paddlers are out on the water, they should dress with the assumption they may end up in the water,” said Paddle Antrim Executive Director Deana Jerdee. “With the cooler weather, water temperatures have dropped and therefore a wetsuit or a full immersion drysuit with insulating layers is necessary.”

Sudden immersion in cold water can cause gasping and inhalation of water resulting in drowning and time spent in cold water will cause your body to lose, resulting in unconsciousness, and/or swimming failure as muscles become numb. Wearing a life jacket may keep your head above water and support your body should your swimming ability fail or you become unconscious.

In 2020 the US Coast Guard reported 271 canoe/kayak injuries or deaths (2020 Recreational Boating Statistics, US Coast Guard) accidents and of all the casualties that resulted in deaths, 79% of those who died were not wearing a life jacket. Of the casualties that didn’t result in death, hypothermia was the leading cause of injury. “Death and injury in kayaks or canoes are almost completely avoidable if a properly fitting PFD and cold water gear is worn,” said Jerdee. “Paddling is like any other sport – you need to wear the proper gear and have the proper skills to safely participate, especially during the colder months when the lower water temperatures can be extremely dangerous.”

 

Should you ever find yourself in the water it is recommended that you stay with – and preferably on top of – your boat. Never overestimate your swimming ability. All too often people underestimate the distance to shore or the effects of cold water and unfortunately drown while attempting to make it to safety.

Paddle Antrim makes the following recommendations to paddlers heading out on the water:

  • Always wear a properly fitted life jacket. Simply stated, life jackets save lives;
  • Dress for the water temperature;
  • Avoid boating alone and always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return. Have a cell phone or VHF radio accessible, in a watertight bag, should you need to call for help;
  • Carry essential safety gear, signaling devices and whistles; and
  • Refrain from using alcohol.

Endangered Great Lakes rattler once had a bounty

3-bottom, Environment, Great Lakes, Pets/Animals, ,

By Hannah Brock
Capital News Services

LANSING — A species unique to the Great Lakes region once had a bounty on its head, but now experts are trying to save it.

 

Known as the only venomous snake in Michigan — and one of two rattlesnakes in the Great Lakes Region — the eastern massasauga rattlesnake has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 2016.

 

Less than half of the massasauga’s historical population exists, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Why save it?

Snakes in general cause a visceral response, said Yu Man Lee, a conservation scientist at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, a program of Michigan State University Extension.

“There’s this perceived risk (and) misunderstanding about the snake’s behavior and ecology,” Lee said.

“You know, like ‘the snake’s going to chase after me. It’s going to come after me and bite me and stuff.’ And so I think that perceived risk then gets that added layer on top of the fact that people don’t like snakes and don’t understand the value of snakes.”

But the eastern massasauga is unlikely to chase or bite people, Lee said.

There’s a reason some people don’t know Michigan is home to a venomous snake: Eastern massasaugas are docile, often hide and aren’t likely to bite unless grabbed or stepped on, she said.

A total of 848 individual reports of eastern massasaugas biting humans were made in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio between 1800 and 2015, according to a recent study published in Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. That’s about four snake bites per year. While fatalities from the bites were reported by the study, none occurred after 1935.

Lee has surveyed civilians about the eastern massasauga for more than 20 years. There is a range of those who like snakes and want to know about rattlesnakes from a safety perspective and others who think no snake is a good snake, she said.

The small, thick-bodied snake lives in wetlands in all Great Lakes states, Iowa and Ontario, but most populations are in Michigan and Ontario. Michigan is the stronghold for the species, said Dan Kennedy, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources endangered species coordinator.

 

Over the last two decades, the Michigan DNR has sought efforts to conserve the snake, Kennedy said. By managing state-owned land and that of private partners, the department has preserved millions of acres of land under a conservation agreement, Kennedy said.
 

An eastern massasauga rattlesnake lying in brush.
Shaughn Galloway via U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceAn eastern massasauga rattlesnake lying in brush.

Most states had bounties on the snakes in the past, much like wolves, said Eric Hileman, a quantitative ecologist for the eastern massasauga Species Survival Plan.

“I think as years have progressed we’ve seen the consequences firsthand of when we try to remove species that we’re fearful of, and even in those cases, it comes back to bite us,” Hileman said.

Snakes like the eastern massasauga are an important part of the ecosystem. They regulate small mammal populations, which can transmit disease, Hileman said. For example, eastern massasauga eat small mammals carrying ticks, which can help ward off Lyme disease.

However, past bounties aren’t the main reason for population decline.

“I would say the biggest culprit is habitat loss, either simply by removing habitat and converting it to agriculture or urbanizing it, or sometimes in some areas, simply succession,” Hileman said.

Eastern massasaugas live in wetlands. Natural succession may lead the wetland area to turn into forest if there isn’t any fire to keep the trees down and maintain the wetland, Hileman said.

 

The snakes regulate their temperature with outside sources of heat. A shaded forest doesn’t suit them.

 

As habitat loss occurs, the massasauga’s range is divided into smaller pieces, sometimes causing the snakes to die while crossing roads, Hileman said.

Hileman has worked with massasaugas for 11 years. He’s handled over 1,000 of them with proper equipment. The vast majority didn’t strike. 

“They don’t deserve the reputation that they have,” said Hileman, adding that it’s understandable to be fearful if you live in a state that doesn’t have other venomous snakes.

Some people tend to have a bias towards species that are charismatic and they tend to care more about the conservation of species that are perceived as cute, said Carrie Tansy, the deputy field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

“It’s important to understand that native species, like massasauga, often play an important ecological role within their communities,” Tansy said.

The Fish and Wildlife Service announced Sept. 23 that it has partnered with state, federal and private agencies to carry out a final recovery plan for the eastern massasauga.

 

The goal is to stop species decline and ensure long-term survival by addressing habitat loss, according to the release. The plan also addresses impacts from flooding, drought, disease and intentional killing of the snakes.

 

“If eastern massasauga disappear, it’s one of a kind,” Hileman said. “It will never come back. So I think, from my perspective, that alone is a reason to want to work towards conservation.”

Hannah Brock reports for Great Lakes Echo.

Beach safety enforcement: too much or too little?

3-bottom, Community Health, Environment, Great Lakes, Travel, , ,
The rolling waves of the Great Lakes can be tempting but dangerous. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

By Danielle James 
Capital News Service

LANSING – Two pieces of legislation are churning Michigan’s political waters with different approaches to beach safety in state parks.

One would stop the Department of Natural Resources from enforcing temporary swim bans when water and current conditions are dangerous. It is sponsored by Reps. Luke Meerman, R-Coopersville, and Bradley Slagh, R-Zeeland.

 It is a response to a proposed order by the DNR that would allow the agency to restrict beach access in times of dangerous water conditions, during water rescues and in the presence of bacteria or contaminants.

Meerman said the bill is necessary to curb government overreach.

 

 “I appreciate the government and all that it does to help us organize ourselves, but there’s a limit to it,” Meerman said. “For me, this is past that limit.”

The DNR’s proposed order defines dangerous conditions as waves higher than 3 to 5 feet. Currently, many state parks use flags — green equals go, yellow means caution and red warns visitors to stay out of the water.  But people are not required to heed the warnings.

 

Meerman said the red flag system should be kept as is.

Beach flag warning system signage at Mears State Park. (Photo by Department of Natural Resources)

“Government doesn’t need to be involved in physically keeping people out and giving out fines,” Meerman said. “I think the red flag itself is what we need.”

The DNR doesn’t yet have a position on Meerman’s bill because of its recent introduction, according to Ed Golder, a public information officer for the DNR.

 

The agency’s authority on the beaches is land based, so enforcement isn’t currently possible once a person enters the water. Golder said the DNR’s order would help promote beach safety.

“The fundamental purpose of the land use order on beach access is to protect human safety when conditions demand it,” Golder said. “Having this authority would give us one more tool to help prevent drownings on the Great Lakes on beaches that the DNR manages.”

 

The DNR said safety rescues often occur during red flag conditions, meaning state park visitors are disregarding safety measures.

 

But critics say the flags often do not reflect conditions and are not updated frequently enough.

 

“A DNR officer might go to a state park beach at 7 a.m. when the water is flat, so they put up a green flag,” said Dave Benjamin, the executive director of public relations and project management for the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. “And they might not come back until noon.

“During that time, the conditions could go from green to yellow to red, but the flag still says green,” he said.

There have been 83 Great Lakes drownings in 2021, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. Of those, 38 were located in Lake Michigan, 11 in Lake Huron and four in Lake Superior.

 

Benjamin said the DNR isn’t placing designated officers at every beach, and the lack of enforcement is one reason behind drownings.

“When a drowning would happen, the DNR’s No. 1 comment to the media was that red flags were flying and people ignored the warning,” Benjamin said. “Our response is that red flags were not enforced and there were hundreds of other people in the water.”

 The proposed DNR order says that prohibiting access would not be determined by red flag days alone, but by reviewing multiple criteria.

 

Benjamin said the lack of uniformity causes confusion.

“For some places, a red flag just means high surf. For others, it means no swimming,” Benjamin said. “If it does mean no swimming, there’s no enforcement of it.”

 

Benjamin said the beach flag system is a tool for lifeguards to use and not a replacement for a lifeguard.

 

“Lifeguards save lives, and all of this is just wasting time and taxpayers money,” Benjamin said. “Now you’ve got state legislation talking about the flag system, but what they’re really talking about is that it’s being used incorrectly.”

 

Both pieces of legislation distract from necessary beach safety improvements, he said.

 

“I appreciate that the DNR is working to create some kind of swim ban during red flag conditions, although it needs some critiquing,” Benjamin said. “But now we have the state legislature that’s going to forbid them from doing anything.

“We need to get everybody on the same page here,” he said.

 

DNR director Daniel Eichinger announced his intent to sign the order at the last Natural Resources Commission meeting, but has not done so yet, Golder said.

 

The order would not take effect until next May.

 

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation. 

Fresh produce more accessible for low-income Michiganders

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Environment, Food, Great Lakes, Health, Local Food, Senior Living, , , , ,
More fresh produce will be available to low-income Michigan residents. (supplied)

By Barbara Bellinger
Capital News Service

LANSING — A program that gives low-income Michigan residents fresh fruit and vegetables and a path to healthier nutrition recently got a $2 million boost from state lawmakers.

That’s up from the $900,000 they allocated last year for the Double Up Food Program. The program gives participants a dollar-for-dollar match on fresh fruits and vegetables. Families receive twice the quantity of produce for half the price.

“It feels as if when this program was started, it was just a crazy idea,” said Alex Canepa, the policy manager for the Fair Food Network, which manages the program. “Now it’s time has come. Both Lansing and D.C. (legislators) are talking about the importance of nutrition security.”

Michigan’s Double Up program launched in 2009 as the first state in what is now a 29-state program run by the Fair Food Network based in Ann Arbor. The program has grown from five Detroit-area farmers markets to around 250 farmers markets, mobile markets, food stands and independent grocers.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the food network a four-year, $12.5 million grant in 2019 for program expansion. But to get the money, the program needs a 50% match, Canepa said.

“The state money allows us to draw down the full remaining balance,” Canepa said.

This added benefit is necessary for a state that has 1.9 million people who are food insecure, according to a Food Security Council report. 

“One administrative change the state made early in the pandemic was to eliminate the $20-per-day limit for Double Up Food Bucks,” Julie Cassidy, the senior policy analyst for the Michigan League for Public Policy, wrote in an email. “This helped families stretch their food assistance dollars as far as possible when so many were suddenly struggling, food prices were skyrocketing, and local pantries were pushed to the limit.”

“It gives customers really good options,” said Courtney King, the manager of King Orchards in Kewadin and Central Lake in northern Michigan. “I love that it’s just for like fresh produce, which really helps us and them.”

Michigan farmer markets and farm stands are part of the Double Up Food Bucks program. (Supplied)

Becoming a Double Up Food Bucks retailer requires a lot of accounting, but it’s a great way to provide fresh produce to people who might otherwise think it is too expensive, King said.

“It’s a multi-pronged process,” said Joe Lesausky, food access director for the Michigan Farmers Market Association.

Farmers markets and farm stands first apply to be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a vendor for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. Then they must contact the Michigan Farmers Market Association to apply to become a Double Up Bucks retailer.

The program is in 67 of Michigan’s 83 counties and adds about 10 new sites a year, Lesausky said. Officials say they hope to reach all of the state’s counties in the next three years. 

“We saw an increase of Double Up spending before the pandemic in even middle and upper-middle class communities,” Canepa said.

“Nutrition insecurity isn’t always where you expect it to be.”

ABOUT BARBARA BELLINGER

Barbara Bellinger

Barbara Bellinger is a master’s student in journalism at Michigan State University. Her journalistic interests include undocumented immigration, international journalism and the criminal justice system. She hopes to become a reporter for CNN, NPR or a local Michigan news outlet.

Michigan DNR expanding accessibility for more visitors

3-bottom, Environment, Great Lakes, Recreation, Travel, West Michigan,
A visitor uses a track chair to access the beach. Unimproved areas are otherwise inaccessible to those in wheelchairs
Michigan Department of Natural Resources: A visitor uses a track chair to access the beach. Unimproved areas are otherwise inaccessible to those in wheelchairs

By Nicholas Simon
Capital News Service

LANSING — Trails that can accommodate strollers, wheelchairs with tank treads and baby changing stations in men’s bathrooms are part of a push to accommodate a surge of new visitors at Michigan state parks.

The parks system has taken an interest in serving new parents, people with physical disabilities and people who live in urban areas of the state, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials said.

One reason is that the pandemic sparked an influx of new visitors, according to the agency. 

The system saw 35 million visitors in 2020, a 30% increase over the previous year, according to the department.

Pampers, a major diaper manufacturer, is partnering with the department as part of its #LoveTheChange campaign. Pampers says that nine out of 10 fathers have gone into a restroom without a changing station.

  

“Pampers reached out to us and asked if there was a need in the state parks,” said DNR Fund and Resource Development Coordinator Michelle O’Kelly. “They supplied us 186 units to be distributed over 52 locations.”

O’Kelly says that parks have been receiving these units over the summer and fall and that they should be installed for use by next season because the workload this year has been intense for DNR workers.

Park workers use a helicopter to install a new pedestrian bridge at Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesPark workers use a helicopter to install a new pedestrian bridge at Tahquamenon Falls State Park. 

“The parks are at capacity,” O’Kelly said. “On weekends that we would normally never fill, we are filling all our parks”

O’Kelly said that she thinks that the large number of people working remotely has been pushing back traditional vacation seasons, so maintenance that would traditionally be done in fall had to be pushed back as well.

  

The department is also working to pave miles of trails across the state, a welcome relief for more than just parents, said Jon Spieles, the agency’s interpretative manager.

“One of the coolest things about our efforts to improve state parks accessibility is how those improvements work for parents with strollers and all kinds of wheeled equipment.” Spieles said. “The fact is we will all benefit from these great steps forward at one point or another.”

The DNR lists over 30 trails and recreation areas with paved or accessible trails and plans to increase that number. But for areas without paved access, the DNR has also started to provide tracked chairs, which look like wheelchairs equipped with tank treads.

Video of the device provided by the department shows the chairs going over sand, forest floors, tall grass and even deep snow. These chairs are available at nine parks, but officials hope that donations to the program will allow the DNR to provide these chairs to more sites across the state.

Urban residents are the least likely to visit the park system, according to a report by the Dow Sustainability Fellows of the University of Michigan. It cited lack of access to transportation as a major reason that urban Michigan residents don’t take advantage of the state natural areas.

 State officials announced this summer the creation of a state park in Flint.

The $26.2 million investment in a former industrial site was targeted to reach people disproportionately affected by COVID19.

Spieles, who primarily works with educators and children, says one of the best state parks for kids is in an old Detroit warehouse, not a location typically associated with the great outdoors.

“An opportunity for families and school or youth groups is at the Outdoor Adventure Center in William G. Milliken State Park in Detroit,” Spieles said. “The center provides a taste of Michigan’s great outdoors with hands-on activities, exhibits and simulators.”

The facility includes a multi-story waterfall, a re-creation of a Michigan oak tree and a fishing game, that allows urban park goers to learn about the outdoors and inspires future visits to the actual wilderness.

O’Kelly said that public-private partnerships like the Pampers deal are welcome additions, but most state park initiatives are funded locally.

“It’s all just based on need,” O’Kelly said. “Some of our parks have formal nonprofit ‘friends of the park’ groups. So if a park need a new playground, there is usually a strong (local) campaign to secure funding.”

Officials say that such bottom-up strategies will help the state park system meet the changing needs of visitors in both the short term and for projects in the future.

ABOUT NICHOLAS SIMON

Nicholas Simon is a multimedia reporter from South Haven, Michigan. His areas of interest include international relations, commercial spaceflight, ecology, and globalization. He has covered events for both print and broadcast outlets ranging from protests to presidential debates and currently covers the Grand Ledge community for the Spartan Newsroom.

‘Adopt-a-Forest’ program encourages citizens to clean up public land

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Nature enthusiasts surpassed the goal set by the 2020 challenge by cleaning 151 forest sites, as well as removing 459 cubic yards of trash. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)

By McKoy Scribner
Capital News Service

Every year, tons of trash is illegally dumped in Michigan’s public lands, but a state program has been running for three decades to mitigate the problem.

The Adopt-a-Forest program is volunteer-driven and helps people engage with the outdoors and encourages them to keep public lands clean, the state Department of Natural Resources says.

The DNR conducts outreach to find volunteers and then connects them with a site in need of a cleanup.

Rachel Coale is a communications representative for the DNR. She says the work done in the past year has been fantastic and she’s eager to see what’s to come.

“So, last year we conducted a ‘100 cleanups in 100 days’ campaign, which despite the pandemic, we blew past our goal, which was really exciting,” she said. “So, this year we haven’t run any specific campaigns, but we’re definitely seeing more and more people get out in the woods.”

Nature enthusiasts surpassed the goal set by the 2020 challenge by cleaning 151 forest sites, as well as removing 459 cubic yards of trash.

The challenge was also a part of celebrating 100 years of the National Association of State Foresters and its effort to promote thriving forests.

Individuals or groups that volunteer are recognized with a certificate. If they adopt and clean over 640 acres of land, they can request a sign in recognition of their work.

 

Coale says volunteers have found everything from paper waste to mattresses in the woods.

“It really helps to have those eyes in the woods because we can’t have a conservation officer everywhere, all the time. But you know, we have a great group of volunteers who can say what’s happening out there and let people know.”

Through the program, half of the trash taken off public lands has been successfully recycled.

McKoy Scribner reports for WKAR and Great Lakes Echo.

Mapping pathways for roaming cougars

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By Eric Freeman
Capital News Service

Cougar habitat in North America has been shrinking due to development and land fragmentation, while “human-induced mortality” has shrunken their numbers, wildlife researchers warn.

Even so, the future of these alpha predators isn’t all gloom and doom, say scientists who compiled 180 reports of confirmed cougar observations in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota between 2010 and 2020.

Sightings rose that decade, helped by improved technology such as trail cameras and camera phones, they said.

“Cougars have lost substantial portions of their historical range, yet increased sightings suggest potential for re-establishment in some regions,” researchers from the Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of Natural Resources and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry wrote in a recent article in the journal “Biological Conservation.”

The Michigan DNR says the last wild cougar known to have been legally hunted in the state was killed near Newberry in 1906.

“The Great Lakes region will likely be an important area for cougar range expansion into the Midwest and Eastern U.S.,” the study said. “Greater understanding of potential distribution and connectivity is necessary to make sound management and policy decisions.

Cougar traffic is apt to move from west to east, the study said. “An individual cougar moving randomly through the study area would be more likely to move through northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”

The goal of their project was to develop a regional map that highlights suitable habitat and connectivity, referring to a physical network of pathways linking locations where cougars may live. Their study area was 44% forested and 37% agricultural land, with wetlands, shrublands and developed land accounting for the rest.

The team mapped 362 linkages – pathways from a half-mile to 3.7 miles long – connecting 191 “core patches” of land, primarily in the northern part of the three states. About half the core patches are in legally protected areas, such as national forests, natural resource management areas, and state and local conservation areas.

As for the other half, private landowners should play an essential role in protecting habitat and connectivity, the study said.

Not many years ago, the mere presence of cougars in Michigan was questioned, with reported observations but no scientifically conclusive proof.

“There was a long history of sighting reports” but “they were not only not accepted by the DNR but met with animosity,” said Patrick Rusz, the director of wildlife programs at the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy, based in Bath. People who claimed to have seen the animals or their tracks “were ridiculed and called crazy.”

Rusz, who studied sightings across the state, said, “It wasn’t like a phenomenon that popped up. It had been going on as long as Michigan had been settled. I found, to most people’s satisfaction, there were cougars out there.”

He said skeptics then shifted their arguments to contend that the sightings were of pets or transitory visitors, but “the problem (with that argument) was that these were resident animals, not wandering around aimlessly. They had core ranges because we found them again and again and again.”

And technology – in the form of trail cameras and smartphones – has provided “evidence you can’t ignore, Rusz said.

As for the new study, Rusz said he’s skeptical about the relevance of modeling and mapping of connectivity. “It looks good, but whether it has anything to do with the future of cougars or not I tend to question.”

That’s because cougar survival in the Great Lakes region doesn’t depend on pathways and core patches, he continued.

 

“There’re corridors everywhere. A cougar doesn’t need a corridor. They could care less about that. They do really well around people.

“If our cougars are limited in some way, they’re limited by genetics, not limited by habitat and such. They have a tremendous ability to live in a variety of cover types,” Rusz said. “In the West in deserts, urban areas, plains – anywhere they have something to eat.”

Brian Roell, a Marquette-based wildlife biologist for the DNR, said the Dakotas are likely the source of Michigan cougars.

He said the Michigan DNR’s cougar team hasn’t identified any females, and “we suspect we don’t have a breeding population.”

He said the team has confirmed at least two observations in the Upper Peninsula so far this year.

Wherever they are, they’re at low density, Roell said. They aren’t expected to harm or kill other wildlife species or farm animals.

“We have not confirmed any depredation from cougars,” he said, adding that there have been no claims by Upper Peninsula farmers for indemnification from the state. A claim in the Lower Peninsula was turned down because the predator turned out not to be a cougar.

Humans pose the biggest challenge to cougars, Roell said, calling it a matter of “social tolerance – will people leave them alone?”

Eric Freedman is professor of journalism and former associate dean of International Studies and Programs. During his 20-year newspaper career, he covered public affairs, environmental issues and legal affairs for newspapers in New York and Michigan, winning a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of a legislative corruption scandal.

Search for Isle Royale’s bone bounty yields environmental clues, new friends, wilderness salvation

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By Marshall Lee Weimer
Capital News Service

I was on the hunt for teeth.

The rich, dark, wet earth forced itself under my fingernails as I scratched through roots and a few beetles.

But no teeth. I needed those teeth.

Or that’s what Clay Ecklund, my expedition leader, told our team of volunteer bone seekers on Isle Royale National Park. I squatted in the middle of a thick cedar swamp with John Warming and Lada Zednik. Nearby, Hal Hanson, another member of our group, sat behind a few downed trees, resting from an arduous hike through nearly unnavigable terrain.

There was another presence. Or what remained of one. We were at a moose calf’s final resting place, trying to piece together its skeleton. All the bones were there, the mandibles, the metatarsus, parts of the skull. But no teeth.

We needed the teeth.

I couldn’t tell where I was. I knew I was on an island wilderness in the middle of Lake Superior. But where exactly on the island, only the GPS knew that. North was somewhere over my left shoulder.

We were sweaty, exhausted and fighting off the summer’s first mosquitoes. We had gotten turned around an hour earlier and realized we had to go through the cedar thicket to find another water source. It was then that I realized I had sprained my ankle stepping off a dead log two hours earlier.

Search for Isle Royale’s bone bounty yields environmental clues, new friends, wilderness salvation (Capital News Service)

It slowly swelled in my boot. By dinner, I couldn’t walk.

Most people don’t experience national parks this way, especially on their first visit. But I had the special opportunity to participate in a volunteer backpacking expedition known as the Moosewatch Expedition.

Since 1988, the expedition has sought volunteer backpackers for a citizen science project. You set off from the dock where the boat from the mainland drops you and then hike deep into the backcountry. The goal is to collect as many moose bones as you can in a weeklong trek across the island. There are four expeditions from mid-May to late July.

This is easier said than done. This expedition is completely off-trail, meaning no paved paths, trail markers or campgrounds. Navigation is done with a compass and a pocket GPS marked with kill site coordinates – places where scientists know wolves have eaten moose. Sometimes the bones were super easy finds. Other times it took hours of searching to find a single vertebra.

Ecklund said the first expedition of the summer has the easiest time finding bones since the understory of ferns hasn’t filled in yet. “It’s nearly impossible to find the bones in July.”

We arranged our five-member group into a long, spread out line. We then all hiked forward into the wilderness, keeping our eyes peeled for bones. Visual contact with another volunteer was always maintained. Otherwise, the island quickly became an endless maze of maples and spruce.

When a bone or antler is found, you shout “BONE!” to the rest of the team. That was the cue to fan out and search the area for the creature’s remains. We carried the bones we found to a central location where the team leader cataloged and photographed the partial skeleton.

All bones must be carried out on foot as there are no roads on the island. Thankfully, not all the bones need to be carried out. Only the skulls, mandibles (the jawbone) and metatarsus (the foot bone) are needed. The teeth I was looking for help determine a moose’s age. These bones tell the researchers all they need to know about the moose.

“The bones are super-valuable,” said Sarah Hoy, a research assistant professor at Michigan Tech University, who studies the island’s moose and wolf populations. She helps lead the university’s moose-wolf survey, the longest recorded predator-prey survey in the world.

The volunteer expedition has helped build the world’s largest collection of moose bones, she said. Those bones help researchers study other things.

A moose skull takes on a new, mossy life on Isle Royale. (Marshall Lee Weimer)

Among them is air quality. Moose store heavy metals from the air in their teeth.

Researchers measured the impact of the U.S. Clean Air Act by analyzing the heavy metal content of moose teeth. Since the bone collection is so old, they could compare lead and mercury levels in teeth from before and after the law was strengthened in 1970. Researchers saw heavy metal levels in the teeth drop dramatically in the early 1980s, showing that air quality had improved.

Disease is another thing the bone collection helps us understand.

We learn a lot about human arthritis from moose arthritis, said Rolf Peterson, a research professor who has studied the wolves and moose of Isle Royale for more than 50 years. Isle Royale moose have an unusually high rate of arthritis compared to mainland ones. Although it is not conclusive, Peterson said the study has shown lifelong health problems like arthritis could be linked to poor nutrition early in life.

Unlike with humans, we can study how arthritis affects moose throughout their lives, Peterson said. “We can’t experiment on people.”

Peterson has been with Moosewatch since its beginning in 1988 and has collected a lot of data and life-long friends from the program. It is a great way to spread the word about science and to get people involved, he said. “Science shouldn’t be an exclusive activity.”

The hands-on science was a fascinating look at moose. But I learned just as much about another mammal of Isle Royale: people.

With about 18,000 visitors each year, Isle Royale is the least-visited national park in the continental U.S. However, it is America’s most revisited national park. My fellow Moosewatchers taught me why.

Larry Fuerst, a retired commercial pilot from Fenton, has been on Moosewatch since 2009. The isolation and ruggedness bring him back. He likes to turn his brain off and just listen to the island.

“Listening to nothing really is something,” he said.

Adrienne Detancio, an organic gardener from Chicago, had already been to the island three times, but this was her first Moosewatch. Hanson recruited her on the ferry home after she had finished a solo trip across Isle Royale. To her, the island is magical.

“It’s like the island is alive in a weird way,” she said.

Ron Eckoff knows the most about that comradery of the group as the longest returning volunteer. A retired public health official, he was on the second expedition in 1989 and has since returned to the island 33 times – 26 with Moosewatch.

Before joining, Eckoff, who is from Iowa, had no backpacking experience. But since then, he has amassed hundreds of stories from those expeditions. His favorite expedition was in 1996 when there was a massive die-off of moose and 3 feet of snow. The harbor bay was frozen, so the volunteers had to snowshoe over ice to the coastline.

“There were dead moose everywhere,” he said.

Ron Porrit, a retired Navy veteran from Hudsonville, was also on that 1996 expedition. Since the moose had not yet decomposed, the carcasses were much heavier, he said “A bull moose head with its antlers can easily weigh 60 pounds.”

Eckoff carried three heads out that year.

In our week on the island, my expedition recovered the remains of 26 moose.

But I never did find those moose teeth. Nor did I see a moose.

But I found so much more. The island is full of life, both human and inhuman. I saw sucker fish spawning and spiders crawling. And, for the first time, I heard wolves howling.

I learned bird calls, hacks for backpacking gear and heard stories about meeting serial killers and suffering injuries much worse than mine.

The richness of wildness on Isle Royale far made up for my twisted ankle.

While I left the island, I thought about a quote from Henry David Thoreau, the 19th century naturalist and thinker. It sums up Isle Royale’s meaning to all who dwell in its forests:

“In wildness is the salvation of the world.”

Marshall Lee Weimer writes for Great Lakes Echo.