Recreation

Michigan’s winter festivals adapt as warmer winters test traditions

By |

By Donté Smith

Capital News Service

With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasting “warmer-than-average” temperatures for parts of the Great Lakes, Michigan’s winter festivals from Metro Detroit to the Western Upper Peninsula are preparing to adapt. Many, such as Detroit’s Noel Night, Grand Haven’s Winterfest, the Magical Christmas Parade in Zeeland and Holland’s Winter Dutch Fest, count on seasonal cold to enhance their winter ambiance and allure. Detroit resident Dorrian Brooks, a frequent winter festivalgoer, reflected on warmer weather’s impact on these long-standing traditions. “It’s disheartening to imagine a winter festival without the cold and snow – recent warmer winters make the atmosphere feel muted,” she said. According to the National Weather Service, Metro Detroit recorded its fourth-warmest winter on record last year, with average December temperatures rising from 33 degrees in 2022 to 40 degrees in 2023.

Recreation

Audit: Michigan must do better monitoring recreational trails

By |

By Eric Freedman

Capital News Service

Michigan boasts thousands of miles of trails for snowmobilers, hikers, off-road vehicle operators, dog-walkers, bicyclists, snowshoers and horseback riders, but the Department of Natural Resources needs to improve how it monitors them. That’s the conclusion of the state Auditor General’s Office, which said DNR fell short in monitoring and inspecting the trail system. The office is a nonpartisan legislative agency that assesses how well state programs and departments operate. Its report also said DNR should do better in communicating with county sheriffs’ departments on funding for trail-related law enforcement and safety. The Auditor General said the department failed to notify sheriffs’ offices about $180,000 in additional funding that the Legislature authorized for ORV law enforcement grants in fiscal year 2023.

In Michigan, e-bikes are banned from state-managed dirt trails, and some e-bikes are banned from paved trails. Image: Shutterstock
Land

Michigan officials mull more access for e-bikes on state trails

By |

By Gabrielle Nelson

Electric bicycle use is expanding, welcoming a new group of riders to the cycling community. But under current Michigan state park policies, the bikes are banned from many trails. That could soon change. The Department of Natural Resources has proposed a yearlong pilot program that would open 3,000 miles of trails to e-bikes. The change could take effect as early as July.

Recreation

Reporting on local food systems

By |

“Place both feet on the ground and take a moment to breathe,” said Malaika Hart Gilpin, executive director of One Art Community Center. “Give ourselves a moment to feel a connection with Mama Earth.” 

Chairs and floor slightly vibrate in response. After a short meditation, the reporters attending a recent Society of Environmental Journalists conference in Philadelphia open their eyes.

Recreation

High tech, AI, boost farm productivity, earnings

By |

Precision agriculture technology has been evolving over the past decades, and farming has become more productive and efficient with the further implementation of artificial intelligence.

A 2023 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found only 27% of farms and ranches nationally used such precision agriculture practices, but the rate was around 40% in Michigan.

Recreation

Food banks face crunch as demand rises

By |

As the winter progresses, food banks and other nonprofit organizations continue to tackle the increasing demand to alleviate hunger in Michigan.

One in nine people in the state faced hunger as of 2021, requiring $696 million more per year to meet their food needs