Echo
New vessels to advance Great Lakes research
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Two new research vessels built in Cleveland will aid U.S. Geological Survey researchers who study fish in Lakes Erie and Ontario.
Echo
Farmers, filming and Flint: Seed to sale
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Brian Johns is a farmer and an educator at his own Happy Family Farm.
He teaches students to grow vegetables using traditional and cutting-edge technologies such as hydroponics and aquaponics.
They learn “seed to sale” – from growing to entrepreneurship. (Video)
Wildlife
Invasive species: Scourge to some, revenue to others
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It’s not often that an invasive species is welcomed into its host community. But some northern Michigan beekeepers want to keep spotted knapweed around because honey bees collect nectar from it.
Echo
Farmers, filming and Flint: Solar panels and a rain cistern
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This week the farmers begin building a second greenhouse and installing solar panels to support geothermal heat.
They start planning a rain cistern to capture rainfall
Echo
Farmers, filming and Flint
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Producers of an award-winning video about Flint, karate and urban agriculture are working on an hour-long version.
It will include additional footage – some shot by urban farmers themselves – to create an organically grown storyline about growing food in the city.
Echo
Swapping water for oil scrutinized in Michigan
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Water flooding has been around for decades, but now it is becoming more economically viable as energy prices rise.
A new report says energy extraction is pressuring the nation’s water supply.
But there is little information on how much water is being traded to produce oil.
Echo
Handouts keep waterfowl year-round
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By Ellen Mitchell
For Michigan State University junior Kaitlyn Strehl, nothing feels better than getting out of the house and feeding the ducks along the Red Cedar River in East Lansing, Mich. But the activity she shares with others in the Great Lakes region causes problems for wildlife. Ducks don’t naturally stay for a frigid Great Lakes winter, but these stubborn waterfowl will stay put year-round if they have a steady food supply. As many of their relatives fly south, some ducks brave the cold and stay in northern states due to the promise of food from residents. “It’s pretty much good practice not to feed wild animals,” said Ben Purdy, land management specialist for the Grand Traverse Conservation District, a natural resource management company in Traverse City, Mich. Purdy said ducks in the Great Lakes region naturally feed off the greenery on the bottom of rivers and ponds in the spring and summer.