Wildlife
Researchers pioneer method to combat swimmer’s itch by relocating ducks
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Jeff Stratton’s beloved Larks Lake left his feet and legs covered in hundreds of itchy red welts.
“It was horrible,” said Stratton, 68, “Crazy itchy. Crazy painful.”
Solutions
Limited access to health care contributes to higher rural death rates
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Rural Michigan residents who suffer from a chronic illness that requires specialized treatment may have to drive hours to receive care.
That barrier to access to health care is one reason rural county death rates tend to be higher than their urban counterparts, according to Robert Howe, the medical director of the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department.
Water
Community input sought for cleaned-up lakes, shorelines
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It’s taken over 30 years and $80 million to restore Muskegon Lake and a few nearby smaller bodies of water.
Decades of pollution and rapid urbanization created ecological problems so severe that the lake was designated a “Great Lakes Area of Concern” by the U.S. and Canada in 1987.
Solutions
Rural reporting needs trust, common ground
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When reporting in rural communities, journalists must “listen and shut up.”
That was the advice of former Native News Online managing editor and author Valerie Vande Panne, a panelist at a session of the recent Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference in Philadelphia.
Solutions
Experts give insights on effective, ethical environmental reporting
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Environmental reporting experts at the recent Society of Environmental Journalists conference in Philadelphia discussed how to report on climate in a more productive way.
Allen Arthur, the engagement director at Solutions Journalism Network, emphasized the need to avoid negative sentiments while engaging in the climate crisis dialogue to promote engagement in community-based activities.
Wildlife
Making obscure animals and ecosystems compelling characters
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One of the many challenges of environmental journalism is making the general public care about animals that are not cute or ecosystems that are obscure.
A recent session of this year’s Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference taught journalists how to do just that.
Climate
Unearthing climate change challenges along Delaware Bayshore
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New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore isn’t called the road less traveled without reason.
Persistent rainfall, exacerbated by global warming, has increased the wetlands in this area of Cumberland County.
Water
Salty groundwater in Michigan could hurt agriculture, business and homeowners
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A worrisome environmental issue is bubbling up from deep below Michigan’s ground with little public awareness, experts say.
The salinity of the state’s groundwater is on the rise, raising concerns about killed crops and corroded pipes.
Land
Corn farmers again reject assessment bump amid “bad timing” for industry
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Michigan’s corn farmers rejected a recent proposed assessment increase amid low prices, blocking additional funds for research and lobbying.
The proposal would have raised the assessment from 1 cent per bushel to 2 cents.
Solutions
Liaison office would be first to connect tribes and Legislature
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While the House and Senate have never had a direct, official connection to tribal governments throughout Michigan, new legislation could change that.
A bill would make Michigan the first state with a formal legislative connection with its tribal governments,