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Students from Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin are among the winners of a contest for innovations in sustainability.

State awards financial aid to 86 communities for projects to address lead pipes, PFAS contamination.

Restoring habitats and supporting green infrastructure with houses of worship in Detroit.

Rebeka Ndosi — founder of Maji ya Chai Land Sanctuary — is a healer, teacher, public speaker and community coach.

“The outcome of the election can have a very significant impact on the potential growth rate of EVs in the U.S. market.”

With lots of domestic well users and plenty of polluting industries, Michiganders are among the nation’s most likely to have ‘forever chemicals’ in their well water, according to a landmark federal study.

Advocates say Democrats and Republicans are leagues apart on climate change, so when looking for a climate-minded candidate, it’s best to turn to past actions and statements.

New research suggests pollution from Chicago-area waterways might be creating an invisible barrier, deterring migration. But for how long?

As the season shifts and the air chills, the warmth and sustenance that the wild foods of fall offer become evermore appealing, among these appealing concoctions is Woodland Chai Tea.

See how Minnesota and New York stack up against other states across the nation with water on the ballot.

Just in time for Halloween, learn about the SS Kamloops — an eerie story about a shipwreck in Lake Superior, and “Old Whitey” who seems to follow divers around the wreck.

In 1998, a hunter named Mitch Rompola claimed he’d shot the biggest whitetail in North America. It was all over the news, but instead of becoming a famous hunter, he became an infamous one.

The biochemical benefits of manoomin, or wild rice, according to collaborative research being done at the University of Minnesota.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

In polls, climate change ranks near the bottom of voters’ list of concerns.

Researchers make sense of the extensive variety and effects of invasive species.

From public health to public lands, here are 15 ways the next president could affect the climate and your life.

Freighter food, mail delivery, and the life of a Great Lakes freighter pilot.

The leaks occurred at an ADM well in Decatur that’s part of a booming industry that promises to capture planet-warming carbon dioxide underground. ADM insists the well is safe, but locals are worried.

Great Lakes Now Host Anna Sysling moderated a panel of journalists as they spoke about the big topics they’re covering in advance of voting day.

Netting, tagging, shocking, sampling — a lot of things are done to fish in the name of science. So, it begs the question, who decides what can be done to Great Lakes fish?

A study in the journal Science outlines the many consequences of the loss of ice on lakes because of climate change. Fishing, cultural activities, transportation, water quality, and greenhouse gas releases are all consequences of the loss of lake ice coverage.

If elected, Trump has vowed to revoke unspent funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, a climate spending law that has heavily benefitted Michigan governments and industry. But experts say it wouldn’t be easy.

Federal aid is coming to Michigan’s sweet cherry farmers, who lost much of their crops this year due to erratic weather patterns and subsequent pest infestations.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

Using trackers to follow the path of plastic bottles in rivers around the Greater Toronto Area, the students found hot spots for garbage before it enters Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

Organizations from northern Michigan have been sending people to assist with relief efforts on the ground. Here are some ways to help from home.

Ontario’s southernmost herd illustrates how hard it is to bring a species back from the brink — and why we need to recognize tipping points before we reach them.

Environmentalists say the plan doesn’t go far enough while industry says no action is needed.

Michigan and Ohio are key for continued Great Lakes restoration support. Line 5, groundwater and an emphasis on science make experts list.

Owners of the S.S. Badger, one of the last coal-fired ships in the world, are trying to decarbonize. They recently received government funding that would help.

When Theresa Eischen heard about the original Star Wars film being translated into Anishinaabemowin, she auditioned for Princess Leia. She had zero voice acting experience, so it was a long shot.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

The state’s dairy industry is suing towns over denied permits and environmental regulations.

For decades, presidential candidates from both major parties have committed to cleaning up and protecting the Great Lakes. Here’s why.

With spotted lanternfly populations on the rise in Ohio, experts are weighing their response. 12 counties are under quarantine on the transportation of plant material.

A rule finalized Tuesday gives water providers across the country 10 years to get lead pipes out of their drinking water systems.

Next time you are on the Detroit River, keep an eye peeled for a mink! This keystone species is now thriving along this once-polluted river.

Many dams in the Midwest do not meet grant eligibility requirements, leaving safety officials and residents worried about how they’ll prevent future collapses as flood risks increase.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

State is a center of manure biodigester development.

As aquifers dry up, some Midwest communities are looking to the region’s greatest natural resources for a solution.

Existing Great Lakes vessels are exempt from installing treatment systems to control the spread of invasive species.

Ashley Williams is committed to realizing a just and equitable transition for her community.

The Chicago River’s hardened shorelines, stormwater pollution events and limited habitat would seem inhospitable to fish. Yet, native species are finding ways to call the city home.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

Lake Michigan’s surface temperature has been above average nearly every day this year so far. All five Great Lakes are heating up.

The rice harvest — manoominike — has officially started across Ojibwe country. Columnist Staci Lola Drouillard talks with her cousin about harvesting and processing wild rice, as well as the importance of water quality for growing “the good berry.”

A researcher in Ohio was surrounded by hundreds of dead ash trees. They had been wiped out by the emerald ash borer. But in that same forest, she found a lone tree thriving. Could this be the key to saving ash from extinction?

Chris Bzdok has argued to state regulators that utility customers shouldn’t have to pay for coal infrastructure, because the investment isn’t worth it in the long run.

As groundwater resources are increasingly under threat in the U.S. — including the Great Lakes region — regulation, oversight and planning for the long-term are diffused and often lacking.

The future of rising lake levels, Great Lakes shipwrecks, and the secret lives of fish.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is banking on public oversight to help gauge the threat of algal blooms.

The new recovery strategy isn’t likely to tip the scales in the fish’s favor.

Baby boomers are part of a “silver tsunami” of retirements sweeping across the nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems.

Data collected by weather balloons in various Chicago neighborhoods should help scientists better understand extreme heat in the city.

Extreme heat and precipitation events are becoming more frequent and intense in Chicago. It’s the city’s preparation efforts that will determine climate resiliency.

As plastic items dominate beach littering, Alliance for the Great Lakes’ says we need to ramp up reusable items and sustainable packaging. What about personal responsibility?

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

Most Michigan wetlands have been destroyed, even as climate change means we need their benefits. Here’s how groups are working to change that.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear a case that could have sweeping effects on state environmental regulators’ authority to force businesses to clean up PFAS pollution under the state’s spills law.

Akron-based organizations are working to reduce food waste, and greenhouse gas emissions, by diverting food scraps from landfills to compost piles.

An elaborate system for tracking fish movements is rewriting our understanding of how fish use the Great Lakes.

For more than 20 years, Nic Theisen has spent his days on his hands and knees in the dirt farming. It’s a tough way to make a living, and for years Nic didn’t always know if the farm would make it. Until something big changed.

A rural electric cooperative that serves Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin is getting more than $570 million to develop four wind solar installations and four wind power installations.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

Natural gas power plants put in place just five years ago to replace coal in the state’s Upper Peninsula are now a conundrum for regulators.

The federal government will provide more than $600 million to help two rural electricity cooperatives buy money from the nuclear plant. While proponents celebrate, anti-nuclear activists say the money could be better spent elsewhere.

A couple hundred people gathered to witness the release of the sturgeon, known as nmé to the Potawatomi, with many children participating by helping to release the fish by hand.

The U.S. EPA announced four tribes in Michigan would receive grants to install renewable energy infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Residents want more soil testing to prevent future harm from contamination that’s plagued their neighborhood for decades.

So far, no wolves have killed livestock within the fences on farms where they’ve been installed.

With 28 years of experience in the water sector, Cheryl Porter shares her inspiring journey from junior chemist in Detroit to leading the American Water Works Association.

New requirements to consider cumulative impacts in hazardous waste facility licensing could represent a shift in state permitting practices.

Autumn brings with it a bounty of fruits and nuts that often go unnoticed in our modern culinary landscape. Among the most abundant and overlooked are acorns and wild apples.

Get your bicycle or kayak ready and consider adding these close-to-home natural wonders to your Great Lakes adventure bucket list.

Peter Quakenbush’s dream is to create a conservation burial forest – a place that would both preserve the woods and give people the option to be buried in nature. But not everyone is on board with that idea.

Indigenous communities in Ontario are flooded with mining claims that chip away at their territories. It’s a “racist, colonialist” system, the lawyer leading a new court case said.

On Carl Gawboy’s new book Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe’s Graphic History and how it’s “a field guide to the Ojibwe.”

New research shows that Americans have positive feelings toward nature but also detects strong undertones of longing, guilt and worry.

A southeast Michigan waste disposal site will soon be home to nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project, the World War II effort to develop an atomic bomb.

State Supreme Court strengthens authority to prevent mammoth tide of manure from contaminating water.

As part of the state’s energy transition, the Public Service Commission has to pay special attention to the Upper Peninsula and the natural gas plants that went online there just five years ago.

Michigan is removing some of its abandoned and obsolete dams. The benefits include cleaning up pollution and restoring nature.

Heritage sailing on Lake Huron and a historic passenger ship returns to its former glory.

The proposed 2025 city budget lacks funding to protect urban forests.

Author and hydrologist Bob Otwell calls for an end to “inertia” and “lip service” on climate change and expresses concern for Michigan’s groundwater.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

Lake trout are on life support in Lake Michigan. Every year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spends tens of millions of dollars raising and stocking them. But what if there was another way: genetic engineering. Could it be used for conservation?

Updated water testing technology needed to make Great Lakes safer.

Lessons and activities based on the monthly Great Lakes Now program.

A changing climate is causing psychological distress across the Great Lakes. From the loss of heritage crops, disappearing ice and record-breaking floods, residents across the region are looking for new forms of support.

To feed or not to feed is the question at hand. Kathy Johnson dives into the ethics of feeding fish.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

It’s been ten years since Toledo issued a ‘don not drink’ order for its water system for three days due to cyanobacterial blooms near its water intake in Lake Erie. The blooms are not any worse, but they are not any less.

Seeds of Success, a federal program that conserves and restores native flora, has come to Michigan.

The community has more reports of sanitation code violations than any South Side neighborhood.

“That contract means nothing if our Earth is on fire.”

The Oberlin Food Hub facilitates a supportive network of Ohio’s small and midsized farmers to connect them with customers while delivering fresh produce to communities in need.

Michigan State’s Jason Rowntree is out to prove that ranching is an ecological asset.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

Lessons and activities based on the monthly Great Lakes Now program.

A biological cure for contaminants is being studied.

The new owner of a large dairy farm with a history of manure spills is seeking to build trust among residents who worry about water quality.

A provincial spill report details a list of issues that arose as crews responded to an oil spill in two Toronto creeks that eventually made its way to Lake Ontario.

Valuable critical materials are sitting in junk drawers. Michigan is working with electronics manufacturers and researchers to recirculate these products back into the state’s economy.

To reestablish the Potawatomi’s presence along the Detroit River, the local Indigenous group is interested in partnering on a project to restore wild rice in protected areas in and along the river.

Decision sets stage for stemming mammoth tide of farm pollution in Great Lakes State.

Efforts to cut nutrients in Lake Erie remain ineffective.

Two guys are hunting coyotes in Michigan, and say they lure in the biggest coyote they’ve ever seen. But it’s not a coyote at all — it’s a federally endangered gray wolf about 300 miles from its normal habitat. How did it get there?

For seven decades, the SS Badger has ferried people and goods across Lake Michigan while polluting the air with black smoke. The ship’s new owners are considering greener options.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

Voters in the Traverse City area will choose whether to approve a $180 million bond for the school district to pay for what officials see as nuts and bolts upgrades to buildings. For some, it’s a chance for schools to become more energy efficient.

When released into the wild, koi compete against fish and damage native plant life. Preservation experts partnered with bowfishers to remove invasive koi to keep the ecosystem safe.

Lessons and activities based on the monthly Great Lakes Now program.

Last summer, contaminated sludge from a fire at a chemical plant reached Lake Ontario. The spill report raises questions about what the province told the public.

An effort to raise dozens of monarch butterfly caterpillars can not only teach summer campers about the insects, but is also an effort to call attention to the threats monarchs face.

A former Wisconsin state toxicologist who was involved in creating nitrate standards for drinking water alleges the science that has informed those standards for decades is flawed.

Formal water shutoff policies in some cities are ill-defined for extreme heat.

The history of the Chevron precedent and how advocates can work within this new legal landscape to protect the future of the Great Lakes.

On the complicated history of naming a place and the value of language.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

Canadian conservation groups purchase land from farmers to increase biodiversity around the Great Lakes region.

This year’s fires are much smaller than 2023’s historic blazes. However, persistent dry conditions in Western Canada could mean more fires and smoke are coming.

Updates on Lake Erie algal blooms, Flint’s water, and coal ash regulation.

Hotter days make heat exhaustion a greater hazard for kids. Unusual weather events, particularly storms that cause flooding, add stress to children’s lives.

Lessons and activities based on the monthly Great Lakes Now program.

“There are people counting on us to get this done,” says Senator Stephanie Chang in a Great Lakes Now interview.

There’s this biker in the Upper Peninsula. He competes in some of the most challenging mountain bike races, but he doesn’t even ride one. He competes on a single-speed BMX bike. Why does he do it?

The Seneca Nation of western New York officially filed a Notice of a Claim against the City of Olean after its city’s wastewater treatment plant overflowed into the Nation’s waterways for the second time this year.

As more green infrastructure projects are installed across the state, more workers are needed to maintain them. Local organizations offer training for workers who want to expand their skills.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

A Detroit-built sailing ship that sank in Lake Michigan during an 1864 storm has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Getting folks out to fish in Ohio means long hours, collaborating and cooperating.

Lessons and activities based on the monthly Great Lakes Now program.

High summer brings an explosion of wild herbs and edible flowers like elderflower, Queen Anne’s lace, monarda, and chicory. Discover where to find and forage these delightful, edible plants and how these can add extraordinary flavors and colors to your summer dishes.

To prepare local communities for climate change, Michigan and other states are borrowing from a long American tradition of civilian service programs. Meet the inaugural members of the MI Healthy Climate Corps.

Largemouth are like 8-year-old English bulldogs; fierce guardians of their own with a standoffish demeanor and no interest in making friends.

Supporters say it’s a step toward making rooftop solar and other energy efficiency measures more accessible to many in Michigan who belong to an HOA.

With the definition resolved, will the EPA come for polluting coal plants?

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

As a result of warming waters, walleye numbers in some lakes are dwindling. Losing the species would mean losing a food source for community members, and a deep connection to tradition and nature.

The federal agency is overhauling its disaster rules in a bid to end a cycle of rebuilding in unsafe areas.

Lessons and activities based on the monthly Great Lakes Now program.

We spoke with Regina Strong, Environmental Justice Public Advocate at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).

As work continues to alleviate the impact of pollution on the Cuyahoga River, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is beginning to tackle the emerging threat from stormwater runoff.

Wave energy converters use the movement of the water to generate electricity. A research team from the University of Michigan will spend the next couple years developing a prototype to install in the waters off the island.

The Chevron decision could jeopardize federal policies addressing PFAS pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is using a couple of roving robots on tracks to sift through the sand on beaches, cleaning up debris.

Environmentalists are challenging Michigan regulators’ decision to approve encasing part of an aging Enbridge Energy oil pipeline that runs beneath a channel connecting two Great Lakes, arguing that they failed to properly consider alternatives that would minimize climate impacts.

Anthropologists discovered trees harvested for canoes during the fur trade formed a healing lobe like a scar. A symbol of survival — for the trees and for the Indigenous people of the border country.

Michigan has a program to restore a large wetland area to reduce fertilizer runoff from getting into Lake Erie because it feeds toxic cyanobacterial blooms that spread in the western basin.

Summer in the Great Lakes region is a magical time, with long, warm days and the sweet taste of freshly picked berries.

AADHH received a $5,000 climate action plan grant to support Detroit’s climate resilience goals, including a community garden and solar panels.

A method for co-producing knowledge and co-innovating holistic ecological solutions in natural resource management.

Kim Wasserman played a major role in a years-long campaign to close two Chicago coal plants that were negatively impacting residents’ health.

The hidden impact of outdoor air pollution in the Great Lakes region is the public health epidemic of poor indoor air quality.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

Some experts fear the total collapse of whitefish in just a few years. The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Natural Resources Department is taking steps to ensure the future of this culturally important fish in the Great Lakes Basin.

Experts say the wildfire smoke in the Great Lakes region, in 2023, was unique and will likely continue to be the case. However, some conditions making fires more likely are being exacerbated by climate change.

Doctors need to understand how climate change plays a role in health, so Michigan medical students are pushing for climate health education in their programs.

A recording of our live webinar on summer in Southeast Michigan– extended heat waves, high-intensity rainstorms and worsening air quality.

By blending the old with the new — traditional recipes with wild, foraged foods — we not only preserve our culinary heritage but also embrace a sustainable approach to eating and land conservation that honors both our past and our planet and our collective future.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is Copper Country. Some see copper mining as an economic boon for the region, but others worry it could come at the cost of some of the Great Lakes’ most pristine wild spaces.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has improved conditions in polluted lakes and rivers, but sometimes failed to deliver on environmental justice goals.

A heat wave extending from the Midwest to New England moved closer to a breaking point Thursday, with millions of people sweating it out for another day.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news in Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

Heat is becoming a threat in cities everywhere. Here is the second half of our two-part series which looks at the connection between heat and health, the role water plays, what’s being done, and where these cities have room to improve.

Cleaning up toxins caused by copper mining, and foraging for Great Lakes wild foods.

Floating solar panels are somewhat new in the U.S. In some places, the competition for land makes putting solar panel on plastic rafts feasible.

“Sustainable prosperity” and innovation are key to mayors’ 10-year plan. Expert says economic transition from the Rust Belt era is more appropriate, cautions “today’s abundance may be tomorrow’s drought.”

White bass are like freshwater wolves: elusive, with a love of wide open spaces and killer teamwork.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

Heat is becoming a threat in cities everywhere. Here is part one of our two-part series that takes a looks at the connection between heat and health, the role water plays, what’s being done and where these cities have room to improve.

Three butterflies are racing to become Michigan’s official state insect – and one of them is ahead, at least politically.

Audubon Great Lakes members held an advocacy day for the first time in Michigan. Wetlands topped the agenda, but was just one item in a list to improve the environment.

It’s a dry spring – 1984 in Wisconsin – and all these suspicious fires are popping up. A conservation warden named Dave is pretty sure it’s arson, but he can’t catch a break. So, he and a pilot decide to get creative.

The U.S. Coast Guard says a freighter in Lake Superior has hit something underwater and started taking on water.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

Michigan is requiring more biosecurity measures on farms because of an outbreak of bird flu in dairy herds.

Tough talk followed a public outcry six years ago, but the push for policy reforms and monetary compensation has petered out.

The state denied, for now, an application to destroy wetlands.

Scientists studying unregulated “emerging contaminants” say Ontario and the federal government need a coordinated plan to protect our water and health

American white pelicans were considered “a rare vagrant” to Lake Erie up until 2014. Then, sightings of these fascinating waterbirds became more common.

Coming of age in the 1970s, Jane Elder “cared about the environment and wanted to be in that space.” Now, Elder is concerned with today’s lack of oversight on climate change in the Great Lakes region.

The hunt for tick varieties began after discovering that 30-40% of the local moose had “serological signs of having had Lyme Disease at some point.”

Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.

More than 120 years ago, a Native American village in northern Michigan was burned down at the behest of a white land speculator. Now, the descendants of that village want the federal government to know they’re still here.

From mosquitoes to sewer overflows, the heat and moisture of a changing climate are creating new health threats in the Great Lakes region, prompting a call to educate residents and doctors about the risks.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

The pesticide DDT nearly wiped out North America’s bald eagles. Communities, scientists and politicians worked hard to bring this symbolic bird back from the brink.

Teaching Lake Whitefish to thrive and getting up close at Niagara Falls.  

My confidence that no other species had a chance of unseating muskies as the reader’s favorite seemed like a safe bet. But I was wrong.

“No Mow May” is a catchy concept, but it doesn’t provide the food that native North American pollinators need or lasting support for them.

Looking back on the warm, snowless winter that wreaked havoc on cherished outdoor recreation, and how Great Lakes communities made do.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

Like clockwork, Michigan’s Ford Lake and its downstream neighbor, Belleville Lake, turn bright green every summer due to harmful algal blooms.

People are unprepared for smoke from forest fires worsened by intense drought and heat.

“Innovation is integral to delivering on all of our water priorities,” says top executive. What about conservation?

Smoke from Canadian wildfires has prompted health warnings across the Upper Midwest and Montana for the second year in a row.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in the Great Lakes region.

The Rouge River got a D+ in a recent report card, but after 35 years of river activism, Bill Craig still has the energy to clean it up.

Author Jerry Dennis revisits his sailing journey from Lake Michigan to the Atlantic Ocean where he searched for “the heart of the inland seas.”

This spring, the Grand Traverse Area Children’s Garden teamed up with the GT Butterfly House & Bug Zoo to encourage people to help out pollinators.

As spring unfolds its vibrant hues, what better way to celebrate the season than by embracing the often overlooked splendor of dandelions and violets?

In 2006, lake whitefish spawning was documented in the Detroit River for the first time since 1916. Today, the Detroit River proves essential to the survival of the species.

The Department of the Interior and Indian Health Service are partnering to develop safe drinking water and improve community sanitation across Indian Country, the agencies announced this week.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

“My journey through the pipes of Lafayette Park revealed the importance of proactive measures and city-wide advocacy for clean, safe tap water.”

COP29 could make carbon markets permanent. Indigenous leaders are calling for a moratorium before it’s too late.

A group analyzed 20 years of beach cleanup data, finding that 86% of litter is composed at least partially of plastic.

U.S. nuclear industry is closely watching Palisades, amid a surge of investments as demand climbs for low-carbon sources of electricity. Other recently shuttered nuclear plants could take a cue from Palisades.

Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.

An Ojibwe story about nenookaasiwag (hummingbirds) and how small actions lead to larger impact. With shared wisdom on how to properly care for your hummingbird feeder this season.

Iceland has figured out how to use almost 100% of every fish caught — not just the filet. By making things like durable leather, it’s increased the value of an Atlantic cod from about $15 to over $5,000. Can this approach help the struggling Great Lakes fishery?

Dozens of the children of Flint, Michigan’s lead-contaminated water crisis have turned their trauma into advocacy 10 years after it began.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Cloning crustacean were found several miles from Lake Ontario.

Money from a bond voters authorized in 2002 is a big one-time boost for Michigan’s crumbling water infrastructure, but state officials say more is needed.

Sounding the alarm on an invasive crustacean and rising temperatures in Lake Superior.

As the Great Lakes winter recedes, the forests from the shores of Lake Superior to Lake Erie begin to show signs of life. Among the first to announce spring are the ramps emerging in the undergrowth.

Amid climate and habitat concerns, the Biggest Week in American Birding festival will draw tens of thousands in May.

In the interview, we discuss storytelling that centers community advocacy, and the history and present of the environmental justice movement.

Scientists are thinking holistically about biodiversity, sustainability, and resilience when it comes to the role invasive cattails play in the Great Lakes.

State officials warned against eating too much of the silvery panfish due to high PFAS levels. Scientists now say that was an error, but aren’t yet ready to abandon fish consumption advisories altogether.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news in Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

In a late move, the Department of Justice sides with Canada on continued operation of Line 5, citing treaty and the public’s interest.

An introduction to “A Year in the Wild Kitchen of the Great Lakes” — a content series in partnership with expert forager Lisa M. Rose with the mission of nurturing a deeper connection with the natural world through the lens of foraging.

Smallmouth basses are like 3-year-old German Shepherds: powerful and intelligent with lethal guarding instincts.

Small, silvery fish called kiyi used to roam the deep, cold waters of nearly every Great Lake. Remnant populations still exist in Lake Superior, and scientists are wondering: Can we find them?

How unprecedented water levels are fluctuating in the Georgian Bay, impacting the lives of long-standing residents, including humans and trees.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Two suits allege pollution from the plant into waterways exceeded the company’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

The secret to success? Build affordable housing next to transit.

Everything you need to know about bald eagles in Ohio: where to see them, and what to know about their population return.

The pollution is so bad that one westside family hasn’t constructed a playground for their kids.

Non-native species of salmon and trout have become an important part of Lake Ontario’s ecosystem. Keeping them healthy is often at odds with stocking fish for anglers.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said this week that with warm winters expected to continue, businesses need better access to federal assistance.

Since an eclipse only lasts a few minutes, you need more than just a handful of scientists collecting data. That’s where a new app comes in.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency defended a new $20 billion federal “green bank” program, saying it will finance a variety of projects to create low-carbon solutions to combat climate change.

With key species like whitefish nearing the brink of collapse, Michigan’s largest Native American tribe wants fewer restrictions on when, how and where its members can fish.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

The Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert Township could be the first shuttered nuclear facility to reopen in the U.S.

Outgoing CEO of Conservation Halton reflects on government cuts and how to enable development while protecting nature and future generations.

Local conservationists coined the term “Conservation Crescent” 25 years ago to better understand and protect several islands in the Detroit River. Here is the recent history of those islands, detailing the success of this movement.

When hunter Ben Karasch sees something move out of the corner of his eye, he assumes it’s a deer. But as Karasch gets a better look, he realizes it’s not a deer, it’s a cougar. And it’s slowly creeping towards him.

Antidepressants can affect reaction times in fish and birth control gives male specimens female traits. How might pharmaceutical pollution impact life around the Great Lakes?

An Ojibwe elder traveled to Serbia to learn about the successful fight against a mining giant looking to set up a similar operation in Minnesota.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm touted the southwest Michigan plant as a key part of America’s energy future. Opponents questioned the safety of the 53-year-old facility.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

New rules reduce buffer zones between development and wetlands and empower Doug Ford’s cabinet to issue permits without their say.

Waves of Change is an online interview series highlighting the diverse faces and perspectives shaping the environmental justice movement throughout the Great Lakes region.

Gov. JB Pritzker sent a letter expressing concern over costs of the $1 billion project and the burden to Illinois taxpayers.

The Great Lakes region has a lower risk of extreme weather compared to other parts of the country.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news.

The ups and downs of the southernmost Great Lake.

Educators, students, and science enthusiasts in the region are teaming up with NASA to take important weather measurements during the event.

The city’s first urban agriculture director aims to help gardeners access land and water while making urban farming a seamless part of the city’s policy.

Michigan in poised to save $10 million in road salt costs, bucking a trend of increased use — and pollution — in lakes, rivers and groundwater.

Holtec’s lack of nuclear operating experience is cited as a potential issue, and expert Mycle Schneider urges a focus on renewables.

A solar eclipse is expected to draw large crowds to Lake Erie, and tourism officials are preparing for an early start to the 2024 season.

A skier’s paradise on Lake Superior shores, Great Lakes sauna culture and more.

Rock bass are like 10-month-old golden retrievers: playful, energetic and a lot of fun to watch.

BridgeDetroit found the city cited the company operating the crushing operation with nearly 300 blight violations over two years.

When U.P. snowboarder Nick Baumgartner lost in a qualifying round at the 2022 Olympics, he broke down. It was his fourth Olympics, he’d never medaled, and he might not get another shot. But then he got some news.

The city was supposed to finish replacing all lead service lines in Flint by 2020. The work still isn’t done. The ruling includes no financial penalties.

A divided Wisconsin Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that limited the DNR’s ability to regulate PFAS and other contaminants. The case is one of two efforts to weaken the spills law.

Maple sap typically runs from mid-March to mid-April in Wisconsin. This year, the tapping process started almost a month ago.

As national parks around the country try to raise awareness about climate change, those around Lake Superior are taking steps to get cut their emissions.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Two Pennsylvania farmers have been found guilty of poisoning over two dozen migratory birds with a restricted substance. Many species of birds are declining in North America and many are at risk of extinction, Macdonald said.

Michigan Tech University biologists have been observing a remote Lake Superior island’s fragile wolf population every winter since 1958, but they had to cut this season’s planned seven-week survey short after just two weeks.

Tribes across the Great Lakes are asking the federal government to weigh in on a case in the Bad River Band Reservation.

A new report asks whether supposedly green livestock practices have proven benefits.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news in Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

The U.S. Supreme Court rolled back protections for wetlands last year, leaving states like Illinois vulnerable.

First-of-its-kind agreement takes aim at leading threats to Great Lakes region.

In a critical response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Equity Commission Final Report, the Native Farm Bill Coalition co-chairs say the report doesn’t adequately address inequities in Indian Country.

Where will you be watching the April 8 total solar eclipse? There are just a few weeks left to pick your spot to see the skies darken along a strip of North America, whether by land, sea or air.

World’s longest trail is about to become even longer. Plans are underway to make the Trans Canada Trail connect from Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, Michigan.

In the mid-1900’s, a man moves to northern Michigan to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. He starts having religious visions and builds big stone monuments to commemorate them. That’s where the story starts to get twisted.

The upper Midwest rarely sees the type of high-intensity, destructive wildfires that the west coast sees, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen here.

About 250 acres of Indiana wetlands have been lost in the two years since wetland protections were eased. Since the 2021 law passed, mitigation requirements have decreased.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Filmmaker Mary Mazzio talks about capturing the Bad River Tribe’s fight to shut down Line 5 oil pipeline.

“Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge & Living Connections to the Cosmos” incorporates a “two-eyed seeing” approach to learning about the cosmos.

The Ojibwe Winter Games give Lac du Flambeau students a chance to learn about their culture while having some fun, but a growing concern is how climate change may impact the games.

We spoke with Brenda Coley, co-executive director of the urban network and non-profit organization Milwaukee Water Commons.

More anglers are targeting muskie and spending more on the pursuit. Fish populations are thriving in most Great Lakes states due to a combination of factors.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news in Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.

The Biden administration announced that states will share $5.8 billion in federal funds for water infrastructure projects around the country.

Michigan is tackling implementation of a law that approves large renewable projects, and they’re hoping public input will guide the process.

Great Lakes muskellunge, optimizing solar panels for snow, and another short winter.

The goal of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources muskellunge rearing program is to stock 40,000 new fish into the Great Lakes each year. But their challenges are real.

Each summer, 15 educators join the EPA on a research trip around one of the Great Lakes. Applications for next summer are due February 19.

A staple for centuries, the fish are struggling to reproduce in the Great Lakes. So scientists hope to convince the whitefish to spawn in rivers, away from threats.

For businesses that depend on snow and cold temperatures, this weather has been tough.

Michigan Muskie Alliance founder William Schultz finds that lakes with the best walleye fisheries across the country are also the best spots for muskie, and it’s not a coincidence.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne called on the EPA to finalize proposed federal clean car standards for new vehicles.

The EPA recently proposed new rules that would remove lead pipes from America’s drinking water infrastructure over the next decade. But with more lead pipes than any other city, Chicago is a notable exception.

Researchers in Minnesota are creating a national map to identify peatlands – soggy areas of slowly decaying organic matter – and guides for how to restore them. The PeatRestore project is set to span several years.

A food waste digester in Fremont is closing after a years-long permit dispute with the state. Environmental groups say the outcome of that dispute could have far-reaching impacts.

Chicago is joining a nationwide trend of large cities incorporating equity or justice goals into preparing for climate change’s impact on public health.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

There are big discrepancies among jurisdictions on what fish to eat and how often, making it difficult for individuals and communities to make informed decisions that affect their health.

An attorney for the energy company Enbridge tried to persuade a federal appellate court to vacate an order that would shut down part of a pipeline running through a Wisconsin tribal reservation.

After Detroit’s 2021 catastrophic flooding event, new ideas emerged about climate adaptation. Curt Wolf sat down with Great Lakes Now to discuss how the Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation is bringing solutions to the table by getting everyone to the table.

Shipwreck hunters have discovered a merchant ship that sank in Lake Superior in 1940, taking its captain with it, during a storm off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Scientists once believed little important happened during winters. But as they vanish, the study of snowpack is increasing.

The DNR is rebuilding the Father Marquette National Memorial in St. Ignace. The exhibits, art work and signage will focus on the area’s rich Native American culture and history.

For the eighth straight month in January, Earth was record hot, according to the European climate agency. That was obvious in the northern United States, where about 1,000 people were golfing last month in a snow-starved Minneapolis during what the state is calling “the Lost Winter of 2023-24.”

Michigan photographer Danielle Jorae wrote, designed and published Lighthouses of Michigan-Lower Peninsula to fulfill a wish of her childhood self. “I ran across a document from when I was in kindergarten that outlined how I wanted to become an artist and a writer one day.”

Cancellations mount as Michigan experiences one of the warmest winters in memory. Experts blame El Niño and climate change.

Historically restoration work focused on measurable ecological outcomes. Researchers make the case to codify human well-being into the process.

Today, the Detroit River is much cleaner, and sentinel wildlife species have returned. It is good to look back at the 1960s pollution of the river, notably oil pollution, and recognize how far we have come.

A stretch of unusually warm weather has forced federal officials to suspend researchers’ annual wolf-moose count in Isle Royale National Park for the first time in more than six decades.

Saying fossil fuel use will decline, the Ontario Energy Board told Enbridge Gas to charge developers, not homeowners, for new natural gas hookups.

The race takes place on a one-mile track of ice, so snow isn’t critical. But even though the race doesn’t need a lot of snow, the region’s trails do.

Deer culling is common across the Midwest. Cities often hire sharpshooters or allow hunters to kill a certain number of deer.

Engineering company Veolia North America settles class-action lawsuit before a trial was set to begin. The company consulted the city of Flint after its disastrous 2014 water switch.

Buildings are Chicago’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, but efforts to decarbonize them are facing union opposition.

Catch the latest updates on what’s happening with PFAS in this biweekly headline roundup.

Residents are divided over whether financial benefits outweigh risks.

Cleanup efforts are still underway in East Palestine nearly a year after a train derailed. Officials say progress is being made at restoring water quality and aquatic life.

Lake Erie is the first of the Great Lakes getting connected to the internet with a series of offshore “smart” buoys. And it’s not just for sending texts on the water.

The National Science Foundation has given a consortium of Great Lakes-area universities and tech companies $15 million to develop ways to extract harmful substances from wastewater.

Pollution plays a role in preventing shoreline erosion for lakeside properties.

We spoke with Huda Alkaff, an ecologist, environmental educator and the founder and director of Wisconsin Green Muslims.

Organizations across the country are focused on getting more houses of worship to install solar panels, including in Michigan.

The U.S. Department of Defense plans to install two more groundwater treatment systems at a former Michigan military base to control contamination from forever chemicals.

Catch the latest in Great Lakes energy news in Great Lakes Now’s biweekly headline roundup.