Maintenance of birdhouses is important and should be done in the fall. (pxhere.com)
By McKoy Scribner Capital News Service
In Michigan, there are over 350 species of birds.
After birds lay their eggs and their fledglings take off in the spring, you might have an empty bird box at this point. Should you clean out the nest they leave behind?
Whether to clean out nests from birdhouses at the end of summer is an ongoing debate.
Some people fear if they clean out a nest box, they might be disrupting a family of birds who might need it for future use.
Meanwhile, others claim you can lend a helping hand to birds by cleaning the birdhouse of any buildup that could cause parasites.
MSU Extension’s Elliot Nelson says there’s no clear-cut answer, but basic maintenance of nest boxes is necessary.
“There’s a lot of research still to be done on nest boxes and cleaning them, and the science isn’t exactly totally clear yet. But there are some things you can do to make sure your nest boxes are safe and healthy for birds.”
This includes making sure a nest isn’t built too close to the entrance hole, which poses the risk of predators getting in.
Annual monitoring of the box for a buildup of mold or debris is also a good idea to help prevent mites or lice.
Nelson says predators and parasites are the two main threats to birds.
If there’s too much buildup of nesting material, ectoparasites like mites and lice could attack a group of nestlings the next time birds make a home in the house.
Be sure that a birdhouse hole is the right size and that ectoparasites “aren’t going to be able to build up in there too much,” Nelson said, then clean it occasionally by removing the nest material.
If there’s a lot of moisture or mold in the birdhouse, that’s a sign to remove all nesting materials to give it a deep clean, he said.
When determining a good time for a cleaning, Some species have multiple clutches in the same summer, so it’s best to wait until fall arrives in September after all possible nestings are done, he said.
To deep clean a nest box, bird enthusiasts should use a simple bleach solution or hot water.
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.
Active Commute Week – a movement to promote more eco-friendly modes of transportation – is underway and runs through Friday.
“Active Commute Week is a great collaboration between individuals, organizations, and employers to promote healthy, sustainable modes of transportation around our region,” said Bill Kirk, spokesperson for The Rapid, and former participant in ACW. The Rapid and its commuter transportation program, West Michigan Rideshare, administer the technology utilized for Active Commute Week.
“Whether participants elect to ride The Rapid, hop on their own bike, take a walk, or utilize a scooter or bikeshare bike, that choice benefits our entire community by reducing emissions and improving public health outcomes,” said Kirk.
Kirk emphasized that the challenge is not just for work commute – participants can log a trip to the grocery store, restaurant, or library.
“Personally, I will be riding my bike or taking Route 5 to work and trying to make all my trips around my neighborhood by foot,” said Kirk.
The event will feature an employer challenge, designed to encourage friendly competition among organizations. Currently there are 25 Grand Rapids employers participating in the challenge.
Active Commute Week was postponed in 2020, but the event in 2019 was the largest yet. In a five-day period in June of 2019, a total of 393 individuals logged more than 4,000 green trips. The actions of those participating in the challenge reduced vehicle miles traveled by 19,293 miles, reducing pollutants by nearly 20,000 lbs, and saving commuters more than 900 gallons of gas. This year the event will take place across a seven-day period, in order to encourage participation on the weekend.
The Happy Hour recap event will take place on September 17 at Garfield Park. There will be an awards ceremony, and challenge participants will have a chance to win prize packages. It is not too late to sign up – Details on the event can be found at wmrideshare.org/acwgr
The City of Wyoming Tree Commission, “The Tree Amigos,” is celebrating some great news for the city’s tree canopy. For one, not only did the DTE Energy Tree Planting Grant Program approve their grant application, but the foundation is awarding an extra $1,000 above the requested $2,000. As The Tree Amigos has budgeted $1,000 of its own funds for the planting, $4,000 is now available for the purchase and delivery of up to 25, eight-to-ten-foot trees. The Tree Amigos has more than a dozen residents signed up to receive a tree but is still looking for a few more. Volunteers will plant the trees the mornings of October 2 and 16. Residents will receive a tree free of charge but are required to help plant it and commit to maintaining the tree.
In addition, the new City of Wyoming Master Plan calls for the city to set a tree canopy goal. City planner Nicole Hoffert asked for the Tree Commission’s recommendation. The commission requested Wyoming’s goal be 40%, the same goal as many cities have set, including the City of Grand Rapids. Currently, Wyoming has an approximate tree canopy of 13.5%, as determined by an iTree survey that looks at aerial photographs.
The Master Plan also calls for a more rigorous tree survey to be done in the future. Having a comprehensive survey will provide the City with data needed to plan not only where to plant more trees, but also how to develop a maintenance plan that preserves the mature trees already growing here. The survey will also provide data on the economic value that Wyoming’s trees provide when it comes to stormwater retention, pavement life, energy savings, reducing carbon footprint, and removing toxins from the air.
“Establishing the 40% canopy goal and having a comprehensive tree survey commissioned are two items at the very top of our wishlist. We are thrilled that the City is taking action on these,” says Estelle Slootmaker, chair, The Tree Amigos. “We also look forward to sharing insights with Nicole as the city develops a new tree ordinance that will better preserve the beautiful mature trees that we have and create a blueprint for planting more trees.”
Cities around the world are recognizing the important role of trees in mitigating climate change, maintaining storm sewer systems, making neighborhoods safer, increasing property values, and reducing health impacts of air pollution and stress.
“Wyoming’s slogan is ‘City of vision and progress.’ Only when we have a true vision of the important role trees play as part of our city’s infrastructure will we, as a city, be able to make sustainable progress environmentally and economically—and create a safer, healthier, happier place to live and work,” Slootmaker says.
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.
A biologist sampling for aquatic insects. Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy staff sampled 741 locations over the summer of 2020. Credit: Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Quality. (Supplied)
By McCoy Scribner Capital News Service
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy is assessing the state’s water quality, something that’s necessary in a state that’s rich in water resources.
The department is conducting its annual surface water sampling to protect human health and aquatic life and to maintain suitability for recreation.
Water sampling is done at locations across the state. But certain locations are trend sites. This means staff will return in consecutive years to understand what long-term developments look like.
Kevin Goodwin is an integrated report specialist for water assessment with Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. He says the department samples for a variety of reasons.
“Things like bacteria levels, E. coli for concerns for human health, to fish contaminants looking at whether or not folks can eat fish safely in the state, to looking at insects and other fish communities to see what the ecosystem looks like and a host of other things,” Goodwin said.
Sampling takes place in rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water.
In 2020, the staff sampled:
151 macroinvertebrate sites
73 water chemistry monitoring sites
31 harmful algal bloom monitoring sites
123 E. coli monitoring sites
48 fish contaminant monitoring sites
287 PFAS surface water sampling sites
7 sediment sampling projects
9 river nutrient expression sampling sites
12 lake nutrient expression sampling sites
Goodwin says the team has a process where it asks for input on where staff should go and what problems there might be.
“That’s kind of a targeted approach. We can pick places that we or others have an interest or concern and we can look there. Then we’ve got other programs that we’re just kind of broadly moving around the state just to kind of keep general tabs of what’s going [on].”
Results start becoming available in the fall through the winter. The timing depends on how long it takes to get the lab results entered into various databases, quality-checked and then analyzed.
McKoy’s story is brought to you as part of a partnership between WKAR and Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.
Climate change could be the next impact on public health. (pxhere.com)
By Elaine Mallon Capital News Service
More than three-quarters — 77% — of local health department officials surveyed across Michigan agree that climate change will impact their jurisdiction in the next 20 years, according to a recent study in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences.
The study examined local health departments’ readiness and perception of climate change on public health.
An undergrad at the University of Michigan, Julie Carter, led the research for her honors thesis project. Carter said the discrepancy between health officials’ view on the impact of climate change and how they prioritize climate change was the most interesting take away from the study.
Only 35% of the officials said that climate change was a priority in their department, even though over three quarters said it will be a problem in the future.
The state Department of Health and Human Services has identified five adverse health effects of climate change. They are heat illness, respiratory diseases due to change in air quality, waterborne diseases, vector- borne diseases, and injury and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Patricia Koman is a research investigator in environmental health sciences at the University of Michigan and a co-author of the study.
According to Koman, health departments can’t direct policies centered around climate change without the support of community leaders. She said it’s crucial for people like elected officials and business leaders to also be knowledgeable about health effects related to climate change.
“If these groups have little or no knowledge, or if the local public health department doesn’t know what’s going on with these leaders, that means that they’re not having the necessary conversations about climate change,” Koman said.
“It means that they aren’t doing everything they can to prepare. As we saw in the (Covid-19) pandemic, when we’re not prepared, people suffer.”
Each negative health effect was recognized as a current issue for local departments.
However, 56% of those surveyed said vector-borne illness is a problem. Health and Human Services reports that as winters become milder and summers become hotter, mosquitoes and ticks will survive in larger numbers, leading to greater risk of Lyme and West Nile diseases.
The Michigan Environmental Public Health Tracking reports that 334 ticks were collected in 1999. The population has fluctuated each year, but a record number of 1,412 ticks were collected in 2019. In 2020, the number fell to 650.
In line with the rise in ticks is the rise in Lyme disease cases. The department found 66 Lyme disease cases in 2011. Eight years later, 370 cases were recorded.
Kalamazoo County reported the most cases: 53.
The survey, conducted in 2019 but not published until earlier this year, went to officials from all 45 local health departments in the state. There were 35 responses from both urban and rural areas, representing 60% of the agencies.
Koman said the attitudes of health department officials on climate-related health issues may have changed since 2019.
“The public health implications of climate change are becoming more and more apparent,” Koman said.
According to Koman, recent flooding in the Detroit area, which prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency, and the severe drought at one point across over a third of the state indicate that not only are these effects happening now, but they’re expected to increase.
Since 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Climate and Health Program has worked with states in implementing policies and procedures oriented around climate change. The nationwide program receives $10 million in funding, but the Biden administration budget blueprint allocates an increase to $110 million.
At the state level, the climate health program has received $200,000 each year for the past 10 years, according to Aaron Ferguson of the state Department of Health and Human Services.
“At least from our program’s perspective, that doesn’t leave a lot to provide direct funding for local health departments,” Ferguson said.
The state agency focuses on training local health department leaders by integrating environmental health impacts in assessments of a community’s needs, and also helps track climate data.
Both Carter and Koman said that one reason local departments may not prioritize climate health effects is because they are underfunded. However, Ferguson said it doesn’t necessarily require extra work to integrate climate health planning into what officials are already doing.
“We just have to reshape with climate effects in mind,” Ferguson said. “Climate change is a risk multiplier, so the things that are already impacting communities, climate change has the potential to make it worse.”
As the manager of the state agency’s climate and tracking unit, he said that while each community may differ in the severity of climate health effects, increased precipitation is the most pressing issue at hand for everyone.
“Mid-Michigan overall has gotten wetter,” he said. “Precipitation is heavier. And just a couple of weekends ago, we saw that the 100-year or 500-year rain and flood events are occurring much more frequently than that. We’ve probably seen four or five of these types of events in the seven years since I’ve been with the department.”
In addition to putting a strain on farmers, increased precipitation has led to flooding in peoples’ basements and potential exposures to sewage and other contaminants.
After a 2014 flood event, Macomb County did a health impact assessment and found an increase in negative mental health effects from the disaster — particularly in low-income and minority areas of the county.
“Mental health in these sorts of recurring events is a big issue, especially when you’re already in the middle of coming out of a pandemic,” Ferguson said.
Along with proponents integrating climate change into the conversation of public health, he said that it must transcend all facets of public life.
“There’s a lot of room for infrastructure design for the climate that we have now,” Ferguson said. “It goes back to bringing the health perspective to infrastructure planners. We need to help them understand that there’s a real health impact, and a lot of it is from climate change, but a lot of it’s because our communities aren’t prepared for that kind of stuff.”
As electric vehicle demands grow, one focus of concern is how to make them more environmentally sustainable.
A new project by recycling company Battery Solutions and sustainability-focused group NextEnergy aims to make electric vehicle recycling opportunity recommendations to the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy by February 2022.
The project is funded by a $50,000 grant from the state department as part of its NextCycle Michigan initiative.
A major part of the project is to build capacity in the state for repurposing and recycling electric vehicle batteries, said Jim Saber, the president and CEO of Detroit-based NextEnergy.
The six-stage project will involve cataloging, evaluating and analyzing Michigan’s electric vehicle battery supply chain and infrastructure.
The project will also analyze gaps in electric vehicle battery secondary use and recycling opportunities.
“When you identify those areas within the actual chain that are sometimes a challenge, it provides opportunity for Michigan to enhance its foothold within sustainability,” said Danielle Spalding, the director of marketing and communications at Battery Solutions in Wixom.
The downsides to not recycling those batteries are largely environmental, said Thomas Bjarnemark, the president and CEO of Battery Solutions, who said. people don’t want the stuff to be dumped in landfills or contaminate the environment.
Another downside is the reliance on natural resources extracted from the ground, said Matt Flechter, a recycling market development specialist at Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
Recycling and repurposing will be better for the environment and in how people best manage available natural resources, Saber said.
Bjarnemark said that during recycling, batteries are disassembled into components that can be used to manufacture new batteries or be repurposed for other industrial uses.
Other applications involve reuse of the batteries for renewable power or energy sources.
“So even if they don’t go into new battery manufacturing, they can be put to good use,” Bjarnemark said.
The more that people understand the opportunities in the size of regional markets, they can develop circular economy applications, Saber said, “Where we use it locally, we repurpose it locally, and then we recycle or redeploy locally.”
Flechter said recycling is a system that depends on experts using their skills to inform residents and businesses about how, why and where to recycle.
There are many reasons peoplet want to recycle, he said.
“It’s not only an economic issue that moves materials back into manufacturing,” Flechter said. “It’s also an environmental issue where we can reduce greenhouse gases and save energy while supporting the environment and the economy.”
The NextCycle Michigan initiative provides grants that fund ideas and opportunities for recycling.
The partnership between Battery Solutions and NextEnergy strives to do that, he said.
“It’s also really important in that system, that we think about the entire lifecycle of that product,” Flechter said. “Once I’m done with it, who can use it next? And how can partnerships create opportunities for those materials once thought of as waste?”
Guests can tell Zenon and Chione apart because males are more uniformly white and smaller than females. Females have a more extensive black speckled pattern.(Supplied)
The latest addition to the John Ball Zoo is two snowy owls which have now made their home in a newly constructed habituated located at the zoo’s Forest Realm near the Amur tigers.
The zoo recently acquired the two owls from different Michigan raptor rehabilitator organizations. The owls, the male is Zenon named after the Zeno the Greek philosopher and the female is Chione after the Greek goddess of snow, cannot be released back it not he wild because of injuries.
Zoo officials said they hope for a mating match as Zenon and Chione are recommended for breeding as part of the snow owl’s Species Survival Plan (SSP). The SSP oversees the population management of select species within the Associations of Zoos and Aquariums member institutions and to enhance conservation of this species in the wild.
In the wild, snowy owls live in the northern hemisphere around the world, along open fields, tundra, and shorelines. They primarily eat other birds, fish, and small mammals – typically lemmings and mice. Also, unlike many other owl species, snowy owls are active during the day and spend a majority of their time on the ground.
Snowy owls utilize sight, sound and touch to communicate and perceive their environment. Males “hoot” more frequently than females, and seem to use this vocalization in territorial defense and establishment. Males and females also give a variety of other calls, including a “rick, rick, rick”, a “kre kre kre”, a mewing and a hiss.
With an approximate number of 28,000 mature individuals in the wild, the snowy owl’s conservation status is vulnerable. Humans are considered the most prevalent predator of snowy owls. Snowy owls are killed by humans for food, trophies, and to protect game animals. Other predators include foxes, jaegers, and probably dogs, wolves and other avian predators.
The new playground at Jackson Park. (WKTV/Joanne Bailey-Boorsma)
This Saturday, the City of Wyoming will be hosting a reopening event for Jackson Park, located at 1331 33rd St. SW, right next to the Wyoming Intermediate School. The event will start at 10 a.m. and include the official opening of the park’s new splash pad. The park has a new playground, shelter area, bathrooms, and parking lot. Also taking place will be a free yoga class at 11:15 a.m.
Festival Returns
Festival of the Arts will be a little different this year.
The first weekend in June has always meant Festival of the Arts, which has returned this summer albeit a little different. Because of uncertainty in social distancing guidelines, the organization is offering Plein Air and performances this weekend. Artists will be out Friday, Saturday and Sunday with musicians performing on Saturday only on Monroe Center and Ottawa Avenue. Saturday is scheduled to be a beautiful day to walk around downtown Grand Rapids on Saturday and Sunday to soak it all in. Oh, and if you are out on Saturday, we recommend Total Eclipse of the Harp featuring Emily Smith, who will perform at 10 a.m., 3 and 6 p.m.
Splash Pads Now Open
The splash pad at Oriole Park.
Summer is here! How do we know? The splash pads in both the cities of Wyoming and Kentwood are now open. The City of Kentwood has two splash pads, one at Pinewood Park, 1999 Wolfboro Dr. SE, and Veterans Memorial Park, 355 48th St. SE. Both are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The City of Wyoming has three splash pads, Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St. SW; one at Oriole Park, 1380 42nd St. SW., and the third is at Southlawn Park, 4125 Jefferson SW. Wyoming’s splash pads are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. A fourth splash pad at Jackson Park is set to open on Saturday during the park’s reopening ceremony.
Fun Fact: I’m Your Venus
With NASA’s recent announcement that it is planning two missions to Earth’s other neighbor, Venus, we thought it might be fun to share a few facts about the second planet closest to the sun. Besides the fact that it is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty:
Venus is hotter than Mercury despite the fact that Mercury is closer to the sun.
A day on Venus is longer than a year on Earth.
Venus has about 90 times the atmospheric pressure of Earth, which is the same pressure at about 1 km depth in the Earth’s oceans.
It is believed that Venus had a celestial collision early in its history which caused the planet to get flipped upside down. This resulted in the planet rotating clockwise unlike the rest of the planets in our solar system which rotate anti-clockwise.
Humans have been studying Venus since the second millennium BC because it is one of the brightest objects in the sky and easy to spot with the naked eye. In the upcoming Venus explorations, which are scheduled to launch in 2028-2030, NASA aims to understand how Venus became an inferno-like world when it has so many other characteristics similar to ours – and may have been the first habitable world in the solar system, complete with an ocean and Earth-like climate.
The Michigan Oak Wilt Coalition wants people to take action to prevent the spread of oak wilt, a deadly insect-borne disease that is destroying oak trees in Michigan.
“Oak wilt is different from other tree diseases where there is little people can do stop them from spreading,” said Julie Stachecki, ISA Certified Arborist and Co-Chair of the Michigan Oak Wilt Coalition’s awareness campaign. “like when Dutch Elm disease and Emerald Ash Borer took its toll on Michigan’s trees. Homeowners could not stop these pests from spreading. Oak Wilt is just as deadly, but with awareness and a few precautions, people can stop this deadly disease of oak trees from spreading through Michigan and beyond.”
To preventing the spread of oak wilt:
Avoid pruning April 15 through July 15
Paint immediately if wounds occur.
Prune oaks in winter when possible.
Do not move firewood.
Oaks are a valuable component to Michigan’s natural resources. May is the highest risk period for oak wilt infections. Preventing oak wilt is the best strategy for protecting Michigan’s oaks, and that means preventing cuts or wounds during the high-risk infection period of April 15 – July 15.
“Oak wilt has been reported in the Wyoming/Kentwood area,” said Estelle Slootmaker, chair of the City of Wyoming Tree Commission, “The Tree Amigos.” “Oaks are a legacy tree here in Wyoming. We have already lost too many to gypsy moths, development, and neighbors who don’t recognize the tremendous value of these trees to our health and environment. Yes, leaves can be a pain to rake, but the benefits far outweigh the hassle.”
When oaks are pruned or wounded, they attract native sap beetles, which carry disease spores from infected trees to open wounds on healthy oaks, starting new disease infections. Once infected, red oaks die rapidly, often within six weeks. The safest time to prune oaks is during the winter months. If wounds do occur, paint them immediately with a pruning sealer or latex paint. Don’t move oak firewood, which can carry the disease to new locations.
“Utility trims are also currently impacting our tree canopy, including oaks,” Slootmaker said. “If Trees LLC trims oaks in your yard, make sure that they immediately paint the wounds.”
One oak wilt-killed tree leads to many killed trees because they are linked together by their roots. When an oak gets infected, the disease moves into its roots and to other oaks within the root system, infecting and killing the trees as it progresses. Pockets of dead oaks from oak wilt can span huge areas if left unchecked. Michigan needs oaks for wildlife habitat, soil stabilization, water filtration, and clean air. Oaks are also often highly valuable and beloved landscape trees that deserve to be protected.
Fungal mats may develop beneath the bark. (Public Domain)
Since 2018, the Oak Wilt Awareness campaign has gained a lot of momentum. In 2021, the campaign received a boost through a grant from Michigan DNR to broaden oak wilt awareness. The coalition will publish informational brochures and posters for distribution through fourteen Michigan Welcome Centers and sponsor a May billboard along U.S. 23.
“Trees take care of us; we depend on them for clean air and so much more. Now we need more people to help us save the trees. With Oak Wilt Awareness, we can make a real difference.” said Ruth Dorando Marcy, “May is Oak Wilt Awareness” campaign co-chair.
For more information about oak wilt, to report infections, and find trained specialists go to MichiganOakWilt.org. Watch for a Governor’s proclamation that supports “May is Oak Wilt Awareness Month” and additional oak wilt information as the campaign kicks off in May!
The Michigan Oak Wilt Coalition is a partnership between private, nonprofit, and governmental organizations. Led by ISA Michigan, the partnership includes representatives from Michigan State University, Michigan Departments of Transportation, Natural Resources and Agriculture and Rural Development, ReLeaf Michigan, Michigan Forest Association, Michigan Green Industry Association, electric utilities, private companies, and others.
Resilience has been a theme for the past year as the world dealt with COVID-19, especially for local school districts which have had to move from virtual to in-person swiftly to meet with changing social distance guidelines.
So it seems only fitting that for this Arbor Day, the City of Wyoming’s Tree Commission would plant a tree considered a symbol of resilience – a Dawn Redwood – at Wyoming’s Regional Center, located at 36th Street and Byron Center Avenue.
“Here at our school, Wyoming Regional Center, this is the perfect tree for us because we talk a lot about resilience here and a lot about comeback stories and our mission is to work work with students with some very unique challenges to teach resilience and the power of new beginnings,” said Wyoming Regional Center Principal Allen Vigh. “This tree symoolizes all of those things.”
The tree was actually planted on Earth Day with a city proclamation presented by Mayor Pro Ten Sam Bolt. Along with the Tree Commission, H.O.P.E. Gardens Executive Director Julie Brunson was at the event. H.O.P.E Gardens partnered with the Tree Commission on the Dawn Redwood project.
“Thanks to the Tree Amigos (the Wyoming Tree Commission), our generous donors of this gift that will bring many future seasons of beauty, comfort and peace to the children who attend this school,” Vigh said.
Also called a Metasequoia, the Dawn Redwood existed when dinosaurs were living but were thought to be extinct. That was until about 1945, when botanists in China discovered the trees growing in the rice paddies of China’s Szechwan Province. It was soon discovered that about 1,000 Dawn Redwoods were living in very isolated groves in Southeastern China.
In 1947, Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum sent another expedition to China to collect seeds, bring back about four pounds. The following year, the seeds were being distributed to botanic gardens and universities across the world.
Wyoming city officials, Tree Commission members, and representatives from H.O.P.E. Gardens were part of the Arbor Day celebration. (WKTV)
The Dawn Redwood is a fast growing deciduous tree reaching a height of more than 110 feet with a 25-foot spread. Its leaves are bright green, turning copper in the fall before losing them until the following spring. Now protected in China — the Wold Conservation Union has classified it as critically endangered due to human encroachment — the tree was once used for cabinet making.
The Dawn Redwoods are one of only three redwoods found in the word. The Coast Redwoods grow along the Pacific cost from Southern Oregon to Central California. Giant Sequoias are usually found in California’s sierra Nevada mountains. There is a Giant Sequoia, about 95 feet tall, at Manistee’s Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary.
Arbor Day
In the proclamation he read, Bolt talked about what Arbor Day, a day set aside to encourage people to plant trees.
In 1854, J. Sterling Morton moved from Detroit to the area that is now Nebraska. He and other pioneers noticed a lack of trees, which were needed to act as windbreaks to stabilize the soil and to give shade from the sun. Morton planted many trees around his own home and encouraged others to do the same.
On January 4, 1872, he proposed a holiday to plant trees on April 10 that year. This was known as “Arbor Day” and prizes were awarded to the counties and individuals who planted the most trees on the day. About one million trees were planted in Nebraska on the first Arbor Day. In 1885, Arbor Day became a legal holiday and was moved to April 22, which was Morton’s birthday. In 1989 the official holiday was moved to the last Friday in April.
W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary hosts Wild Wednesdays designed just for kids.
By Cara Barnes W.K. Kellogg Biological Station
The trails at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary will have a new storyline for families this spring, though a partnership with the Richland Community Library.
Starting this month, pages from a storybook will be posted along the Sanctuary’s paved path for families to read as they walk. There also will be self-guided activities that complement the story’s themes and a reading list at the Richland Community Library to learn even more and practice reading skills.
The stories and activities will be updated every two months and are open to all during normal operating hours with the cost of admission (free to members).
Story themes March-April—Owls! Story title: “Whobert Whover, Owl Detective,” written by Jason Gallaher, illustrations by Jess Pauwels. Activities: Scavenger hunt, owl facts near Birds of Prey area. Take home: Owl coloring pages.
May-June—Frogs! Story title: “Jump, Frog, Jump!” written by Robert Kalan, illustrations by Byron Barton. Activities: Frog life cycle facts by the water garden and more. Take home: Frog life cycle wheel.
Contact the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary at birdsanctuary@kbs.msu.edu or (269) 671-2510 for more information.
The Kent County Department of Public Works(DPW) announced last week the temporary closure of its Wealthy Street recycling drop-off station and electronics drop-off site. The closure will begin 5 p.m. Friday, March 26 and last through the fall.
The closure is due to the construction of a new Kent County DPW administrative building on the Recycling and Education Center campus. It will not impact the processing of residential recycling delivered to the Recycling & Education Center by commercial recycling haulers or recycling dropped off at the Rockford Recycling Station at the North Kent Recycling & Waste Center.
“We understand this temporary closure may present an inconvenience for some residents using the drop-off station,” said Kent county DPW Director Dar Baas. “We continue to work to improve access to recycling for Kent County residents without curbside recycling where they live.”
Since 2010, the Kent County DPW has operated a recycling drop-off station at the Recycling & Education Center at 977 Wealthy St. SW in Grand Rapids to provide access to recycling for residents who may not have access to recycling services. Residents affected by the closure are encouraged to contact their local waste hauler for services and pricing.
For residents in apartments, condominiums or other multifamily dwellings impacted by the closure, Kent County is offering a partnership program for property managers to begin recycling services with a waste hauler. Contact Kent County DPW at recycle@kentcountymi.gov to inquire about this program.
Kent County DPW has created a list of alternative recycling options while this location is closed. Visit http://www.reimaginetrash.org/wealthystdropoff for alternative recycling options for paper, electronics and other recyclable materials.
Valley City Electronics Recycling works closely with Kent County DPW for electronic recycling and is offering residents the option to drop-off their electronics Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its location on 32nd Street in Kentwood.
“We encourage residents to explore all the options for recycling, including bringing in their electronics so they can be refurbished or properly disposed of by our team,” said Valley City Electronics Recycling General Manager Dave Perry.
Visit reimaginetrash.org for additional information on how and where to properly dispose of materials in Kent County.
The lead forecaster on Great Lakes water levels for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a planning leader for Ottawa County Parks will discuss the impact of rising lake levels during a Grand Valley State University virtual presentation.
“Confluence Conversations: Rising Great Lakes Water Levels” is presented by GVSU’s Making Waves initiative. Deanna Apps, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Curtis TerHaar, coordinator of park planning and development for Ottawa County Parks, will give presentations and participate in a Q&A.
The free virtual event is from 7-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Learn more information and RSVP on the event website.
The presentation will address both water levels and the resulting coastal flooding and erosion that have extensively damaged lakeshore properties and recreational areas. Experts will present data and images to show the impact.
Apps will give a presentation titled “Rising Great Lakes Levels.” TerHaar will speak on lakeshore erosion and impacts to those parks.
This talk is part of a series planned by organizers of the Making Waves initiative to explore water-related issues affecting not only Grand Valley but the region as a whole, said Peter Wampler, professor of geology and a leader of the Making Waves initiative. The presentations will be geared to provide information for both GVSU and West Michigan community members.
“We want to provide resources for the community and also provide a way for Grand Valley students to hear about compelling local issues,” Wampler said.
Making Waves is a university-led collaboration among students, faculty, staff and the community to explore the ways water touches our lives. The initiative includes research, activities and events as well as collective learning on campus and beyond.
Joe Lorenz, Kwin Morris, and Jeff Guy plan to paddle board the Chain of Lakes this August to help raise awareness on Great Lakes environmental issues and the Chain of Lakes Water Trail. (Supplied)
By Kwin Morris Paddle Antrim
This August three men, Joe Lorenz, Kwin Morris, and Jeff Guy, plan to paddleboard the Chain of Lakes all in an effort to raise awareness of Great Lakes environmental issues and also the Chain of Lakes Water Trail. They’ll begin their adventure at Six-Mile Lake near Ellsworth Michigan and end it at Elk Rapids Dam. The 60-mile trip is expected to take about 20 hours.
While the Chain isn’t reputed to be as cold or treacherous as the five Great Lakes, it still has dangers.
“You’ll have a current, boat traffic, and a route that changes north to south several times,” says Kwin Morris. “We’re comfortable in 2-3 foot waves, but we want to avoid larger waves as much as possible.”
Their first crossing was Lake Michigan in 2015, a 60-mile and just under 25-hour journey in 38-degree water. They raised $10,000 for the Great Lakes Alliance. In June 2017 they crossed Lake Huron and raised $7,000 for Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Their 90-mile paddle journey took over 28 hours to complete. Last summer they paddled across Lake Superior in 21 hours. Their 60-mile trip began at Sinclair Cove, Ontario and ended at Whitefish Point, Michigan and raised $15,000 for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Their fourth journey was a 70-mile Lake Erie crossing that raised 17,000 for the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research.
They had plans to cross Lake Ontario in June but was shut down due to COVID-19 and having the Canadian border closed.
Each paddleboarder carries all of his supplies on his own paddleboard: food, extra clothes, and straws that filter drinking water from the lake. They have taken precautions, such as having a safety boats follow them with an emergency medical technician on it. They are also bringing Photojournalist Corey Adkins with them to capture the event. “Corey is our master storyteller, so it’s great he’ll be there with us again,” says Guy.
Last summer the group paddled across Lake Superior in 21 hours. (Supplied)
Normally, the group paddles alone, but for this journey they are inviting the public to join for sections of the paddle. “We ask that a person donates and joins in! We want people to feel comfortable on the water trail, so they do their part in protecting it as well,“ says Lorenz. More information about where and when to meet the guys can be found on their social media pages.
The men researched the Chain of Lakes to decide where to donate the money they will raise. They spoke with Deana Jerdee, Executive Director at Paddle Antrim. Paddle Antrim is a non-profit organization, founded in 2014, with a mission to protect water resources in the Chain of Lakes in Northern Michigan by using paddle sports to connect people to these waterways. Through stewardship, education, improved water trail access, and promotion of our waterways we will increase water resource protection and enhance the economic vitality of the region.
“Our overall goal is to help keep the Great Lakes awesome,” says Jeff Guy. “Our hope is that people will join us in donating to this great cause.”
The whole reason we are called Stand Up for Great Lakes is although we believe THE Great Lakes are awesome, Michigan is full of other “great lakes” and this water trail highlights them.
About Jeff Guy: Guy, 33, is a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch. He also enjoys golf, hockey and fishing. He lives in downtown Traverse City.
About Joe Lorenz: Lorenz, 33, is a personal trainer in Traverse City. When he’s not helping people achieve their fitness goals, he’s up for almost anything involving water, travel, adventure, fitness, or beer.
About Kwin Morris: Morris, 31, was born and raised in northern Michigan, making him a keen waterman, traveler, and adventurer. He is a middle school science teacher in the Elk Rapids School District.
About Corey Adkins: Adkins is the Special Projects Executive Director for 9&10 News based in Cadillac. A gifted storyteller, Adkins has won several awards for the “Crossing Superior” documentary which was recently nominated for two Emmys. In 2018 he won “Best Documentary” from the Associated Press and Best News Special and Special Interest Programming for his filming of the Huron crossing. He also won a 2015 award on a commemorative Edmund Fitzgerald production.
The Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) has unveiled plans to produce free educational videos through the end of the traditional school year (June 5), and share those videos with the public on social media. The organization has already produced 20 videos, all of which are now are available for viewing on its Facebook page and YouTube channel.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the learning landscape for Michigan teachers, parents and students”, said Wendy Ogilvie, Director of Environmental Programs at Grand Valley Metropolitan Council. “We have always provided hands-on environmental programs for students at our partner schools. With caregivers taking on new responsibilities for their children’s education, we decided to share elements of our traditional hands-on programs in a format that provides educational support to caregivers at home as well as our partner teachers.”
On Meadownview Street is featured in the May 18 video.
The LGROW staff began producing and posting the videos on May 18. Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, LGROW hosts a Facebook Live session at 1:00 pm. The content is recorded and then shared on LGROW’s Facebook page. The videos focus on inspiring children and families to get outdoors and enjoy the watershed. They include demonstrations of science experiments and place-based activities, read-aloud story times with water-related books, and nature-themed craft tutorials.
“We’re extremely proud of the work the Environmental Programs team does every day, but their innovative approach during the COVID-19 pandemic is especially impressive,” said John Weiss, Executive Director of the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council. These videos clearly show how committed the staff is to sharing information about water quality and our environment.”
The archived videos can be accessed via the LGROW YouTube channel or clicking here. Upcoming topics are May 20 Soak up the stormwater experiment; May 22 craft activity A-Maze-ing Water; May 25 story “Beyond the Pond” by Joseph Kuefler; May 27 demonstration Who polluted the Grand River?; May 29 craft project Aquatic Plant Art; June 1 story on clean air action; June 3 a demonstration clean air action; and June 5 a craft project on clean air action.
