Wildlife

Photo Friday: Bois Blanc Island bullfrog

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This close-up photo is of a bullfrog in a marsh on the southwest end of Bois Blanc Island (known as Bo-Lo to locals), located in Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. It was taken by  Terry Heatlie, a habitat restoration specialist working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. We’re always open to viewer submissions for our Photo Friday series, so feel free to message us on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.  

Water

Photo Friday: Wisconsin sunrise

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This picture of a clear early morning on the western side of Lake Michigan was snapped by Wisconsin resident Catherine Egger last summer. The photo was taken from the shores of Manitowoc, home to the Wisconsin end of the SS Badger car ferry, which transports cargo to and from Ludington, Mich. You’ll notice a small gathering of geese near the bottom of the picture that joined in watching the sun come up. Have a photo to submit for our Photo Friday series? Send it to us on Facebook or Twitter, or in an email to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.

Water

Photo Friday: Moonrise over Lake Michigan

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The moon is bright enough in this picture to perhaps make one think it’s the sun for a brief moment. This photo of a rising full moon was snapped by Jodie Opie in Kenosha, Wisc. looking east over Lake Michigan. We’re always open to viewer submissions for our Photo Friday series, so feel free to message us on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.  

Water

Giant aquarium coming to metro Detroit mall

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By Greg Monahan
Great Lakes Echo

Starfish, seahorses and sharks are coming to a southeast Michigan shopping center. Crain’s Detroit reports Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills announced plans for the construction of a 35,000-square-foot aquarium that could be completed by this time next year. Sea Life Michigan will feature an array of tropical marine life, including sharks, rays and shrimp. It will also have a section to showcase aquatic animals from around the Great Lakes basin. The plans are a result of an agreement between Taubman Centers Inc., which owns Great Lakes Crossing, and UK-based Merlin Entertainment, which has helped construct six other Sea Life Centers in the United States, including the aquariums at the Mall of America in Minnesota and Legoland in California.

Nearshore

Photo Friday: Crystal clear Lake Superior

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Tired of all those ice-choke pictures of Lake Superior. Here’s a view from warmer times. This picture of Lake Superior was taken by Tim Trombley in the summer of 2013. The remarkably clear water might be nearly invisible if it weren’t for the ripples of the waves. We’re always open to viewer submissions for our Photo Friday series, so feel free to message us on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to greatlakesecho@gmail.com.

Recreation

New book highlights eco-friendly Michigan travel destinations

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By Greg Monahan
Great Lakes Echo
A new book from longtime journalist Sally Barber takes an environmentally conscious look at exploring outdoor attractions around the Great Lakes state. A new book from longtime journalist Sally Barber takes an environmentally conscious look at exploring outdoor attractions around the Great Lakes state. The Michigan Eco-Traveler is for a “new and growing breed of travelers” who travel with the intention of minimizing the ecological footprint they leave behind. The book has nine chapters, with sections that include features on sustainable kayaking, ski slopes and the most eco-friendly lodging options in the state. “I wanted to show travelers that they can make a positive impact while they’re enjoying the outdoors,” said Barber, a lifelong Michigan resident.

Land

Photo Friday: Pitcher’s thistle

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Here’s a reminder of Great Lakes beaches in warmer times. This plant is the federally and state-protected Pitcher’s thistle, which is also known as a dune thistle. The photo was taken last summer by habitat restoration specialist Terry Heatlie at Bois Blanc Island in north Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The Pitcher’s thistle is native exclusively to the Great Lakes region, according to the National Fish and Wildlife Service. It was added to the government’s list of threatened species back in 1988.

Nearshore

Beach funding dwindles

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Michigan received $152,000 in federal grants in 2014 to monitor the cleanliness of its lakes and beaches.

That’s more than $200,000 less than the state was allotted in 2013.

Recreation

How many U.S. Olympians are from within the Great Lakes basin?

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How many U.S. Olympic athletes are from the Great Lakes watershed? Well, that probably depends on the map you’re looking at. We know that the eight Great Lakes states are home to 82 of the United States’ 230 Winter Olympic athletes. But accounting for each that also lives within the Great Lakes watershed is open for interpretation. The watershed, also called a basin, is all the land that drains into the Great Lakes.