Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/author/great-lakes-echo/page/3/)
By Eric Freedman
Motorcycles and deer don’t mix. And motorcyclists are especially vulnerable to injury or death when they do, according to a recent study of a decade’s worth of crashes in Michigan.
By Maya Moore
Blight Hernandez is a master of turning everyday trash into something of value. A Southwest Detroit native, Hernandez has called himself an artist since he was 6. Now a full-time working artist for five years, his sustainable business is called Be The Light. It’s born out of intention and focused on higher consciousness, keeping things out of the landfill, and making things that people love, Hernandez said.
By Eric Freedman
The iconic Blue Water Bridge has received a clean bill of operational health from the Michigan Auditor General’s Office. Based on its preliminary survey of procurement, fleet vehicles, employee training and toll transactions, the office said it saw no need to do a full performance audit of the bridge’s effectiveness and efficiency.
By Clara Lincolnhol
Online rumors are swirling that a comet from another solar system might be a UFO — but Michigan State University researchers say that’s pure speculation. It’s definitely a comet, they insist, with no credible reason to believe otherwise.
By Clara Lincolnhol
Meet former K-9 Maple. She made a big career switch earlier this year—from a human remains detection dog to a beekeeper at Michigan State University’s Pollinator Performance Center. The friendly brown-and-white dog, with a long tongue that hangs out of her mouth, dons her own beekeeping suit and uses her powerful nose to detect American foulbrood — a bacteria that left undisturbed, means certain death for an entire honeybee colony.
By Rachel Lewis
The Michigan Invasive Species Program is asking the public to be on the lookout for the invasive Asian longhorned beetle. The inch-and-a-half long black beetle with white spots and long antennae is known to attack at least 12 species of hardwood trees, including maples, elms, horse chestnuts, birches and willows. Although the beetle has not yet been found in Michigan, the state Department of Natural Resources said the earlier they are found, the easier they are to eradicate.
By Donté Smith
Despite being surrounded by the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, Michigan imports the vast majority of its seafood, between 65% and 90%, according to Michigan Sea Grant. As global aquaculture has grown to meet increasing demand for protein, a small but determined group of inland fish farmers in the Great Lakes region are building a more sustainable, local supply. Researchers say doing so could ease pressure on wild populations, create jobs in rural areas and help restore public trust in the food on their plates. But with high regulatory costs, limited consumer awareness and strong competition from imports, these farms face an uphill swim.
By Clara Lincolnhol
One of Michigan’s most rare, iconic and celebrated bird species is the Kirtland’s warbler. Once nearly extinct in the 1970s, decades-long, targeted conservation efforts helped their population rebound. But this year’s census revealed something concerning: a significant drop in warblers– nearly 700 fewer pairs.
By Clara Lincolnhol
You may notice new bright and colorful murals surrounding a number of Mid-Michigan storm drains in your community by the end of this summer.
By Emilio Perez Ibarguen
The popularity of groups like Wednesday Night Ride, Black Girls Do Bike and Soul Roll is an indicator that Detroit, long known for its ties to the auto industry, is making strides in becoming a cycling destination. However, Detroit streets remain unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians compared to other cities.