By Akia Thrower
A new study reveals how gray wolves in Isle Royale National Park seasonally alter their habitat preferences to align with beavers’ habitat preferences, a shift that might have implications for the island’s ecosystem.
Wildlife
New research in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula shows how invasive earthworms are changing forest soils
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By Georgia Hill
Scientists studying the body size and growth patterns of non-native earthworms in the UP’s Huron Mountains say they are disrupting forest ecosystems. Contrary to popular belief, most North American earthworms are invaders unintentionally introduced during European colonization. They have a significant impact on ecosystems, especially in the Great Lakes region where they affect soil structure, nutrient cycling and biodiversity.
Wildlife
Michigan DNR wants you to look out for invasive Asian longhorned beetle
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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.
Wildlife
Iconic Michigan songbird undergoes concerning population decline
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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.
Wildlife
Dead deer and small fish: Michigan students learn to investigate poaching
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By Emilio Perez Ibarguen
For students hoping to become conservation officers for the state Department of Natural Resources — tasked with enforcing fish, game and natural resource protection laws — one Northern Michigan University class gives a glimpse into their day-to-day work.
Wildlife
Mooz the dog helps scientists study threatened turtles
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By Rachel Lewis
The Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians’ Natural Resources Department has been working to conserve the threatened wood turtle. Their top team member is Mooz, a 9-year-old labradoodle who has been helping his owner, Bill Parsons, find wood turtles for the past five years.
Wildlife
John Ball Zoo Fights for Great Lakes’ Rarest Butterflies
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By Donté Smith
Butterfly populations are in decline across the continental U.S., dropping by 22% between 2000 and 2020 according to a study in the journal Science. Almost a third of the 342 species studied have seen their numbers fall by more than half. To help combat that trend, the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, launched its Great Lakes Rare Butterfly Program in 2021 to protect the region’s most threatened species.
Wildlife
Researchers studying why Michigan’s moose population isn’t growing
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By Rachel Lewis
After the great “moose lifts” in the 1980s, researchers were confident Michigan’s moose population would continue to grow, with a projection that the population could reach numbers in the thousands within 15 years. However, since 2010, the DNR has seen the moose population growth stagnate, with population estimates half of what was expected after the reintroduction. This prompted a collaboration among researchers to look into what’s causing the lack of population growth.
Wildlife
Michigan residents encouraged to report wild turkey sightings this summer
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By Clara Lincolnhol
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking state residents to report the number of wild turkeys they see this summer. The statewide survey will be used to get a sense of the turkey population to find out if baby turkeys are replacing adults. The survey, which runs through the end of August, asks residents to report when and where they’ve seen the birds in Michigan.
Wildlife
New state program encourages Michigan residents to report bat roosts
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By Clara Lincolnhol
The Department of Natural Resources is encouraging residents to report bat roosts. These are the places where bats sleep and raise their babies like chimneys, trees and bridges. DNR bat specialist John DePue says the Michigan Bat Roost Monitoring Program will collect data that will help scientists better understand bat behavior and improve conservation methods.
Wildlife
Wildlife changes found on Lake Huron island
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By Eric Freedman
In nature, a lot can change on a largely uninhabited Great Lakes island over the course of a century. And a lot can stay the same. That includes the disappearance and appearance of wildlife species. That’s what scientists discovered when they inventoried mammals and amphibians on Charity Island, a 252-acre speck near the mouth of Saginaw Bay in Lake Huron. It’s one of about 35,000 islands in the Great Lakes, most of them even smaller than Charity Island, according to a recent study.