Osprey from Michigan refuge arrives in Cuba

For the first time in Michigan, three ospreys have been fitted with tracking devices in order to get a better look at the birds’ migration patterns. One of the birds, named Monroe Spark, recently made it to Cuba.

Green Gridirons: Penn State University

A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Beaver Stadium

School: Penn State University

Built: 1960

Capacity: 106,572

2009 diversion rate: 48.6 percent

Scouting report: Penn State has been recycling at Beaver Stadium for almost 16 years, but a recent initiative to promote recycling helped the university more than triple its recycling average. Since 2008, Penn State has diverted more than 100 tons of trash from landfills from Beaver Stadium, university officials said.

Little Things, Big Problems: Aquatic invaders

Last year, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative began producing a series of educational videos about invasive species in the Great Lakes for the National Park Service. New videos are being uploaded this spring, and you can watch the entire “Little Things, Big Problems” series here on Echo. This video discusses invasive species in Lake Michigan and how they are affecting the food web and the health of birds.