Wildlife
Chronic wasting disease found in new county
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A deer with chronic wasting disease has been found in Ogemaw County — a county that had never seen the disease before.
And that worries the Department of Natural Resources.
Wildlife
‘Little Red Riding Hood syndrome:’ Wolf controversy in the UP
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The state’s Natural Resources Commission wants to know more before deciding whether to allow the hunting of wolves – if Michigan’s largest predator is taken off the federal endangered species list.
They are one of the most controversial animals in the state, according to Brian Roell, a Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist.
Wildlife
Invasive insect threatens carbon storage in Great Lakes forests
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An invasive insect increasingly threatens one of the Great Lakes region’s most important trees for storing the carbon that causes global warming.
Researchers have found that eastern hemlock trees felled by the invasive woolly adelgid could emit 4.5 tons of carbon across almost two and a half football fields.
Wildlife
Local farms compete with imported turkeys during Thanksgiving
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When you reminisce about the Thanksgiving season, it’s easy to envision a belly stuffed with turkey, then leaning all the way back in your favorite recliner for a nap.
The hard work of small-town turkey farmers around Michigan is likely to go unnoticed when many consumers head to the supermarket for their frozen bird
Wildlife
Invasive earthworms threaten hardwood forests in the Great Lakes region
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You’re wrong if you think the lowly earthworm has little to do with the health of Michigan’s hardwood forests.
To the contrary, “exotic” – non-native – earthworms can have “widespread and complex effects” on individual trees and overall forest health
Wildlife
You can help fight invasive species, on land and water
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Check your car, kayak or a nearby rail car – it might be providing free transportation for an invasive pest or plant. And you can be part of a renewed effort to stop the invaders.
Wildlife
Happy cows are healthy cows: Why Michigan’s cows produce the most milk
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Michigan ranks No. 1 in the country for producing the most milk per cow — and has been for the past few years.
Although not the nation’s biggest overall milk producer, the state’s specialty in dairy has led farmers to find the most efficient way to get more milk from their herds.
Wildlife
Disease-carrying mosquitoes moving north
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As if climate change-related rising lake levels, extreme weather and threats to biodiversity weren’t enough to worry about, now we can also worry about the public health threat of invading mosquitoes.
North America has about 250 species of mosquitoes, of which about 70 are found in Michigan.
Wildlife
Curbing feral cat populations in Michigan
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Feral cats have colonies across the state, and their inbreeding, overpopulation and constant pregnancies have caused these strays to multiply.
Some feral cats are born with defects due to inbreeding. Misshapen heads, extra toes or crossed eyes could be results of incest among them.
Wildlife
State budgets and daylilies mix just fine
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On Parman Road in Dansville, Michigan, is a hidden oasis of beauty called Along The Fence Daylilies. A flower farm run by Saundra Dunn and Mary Ann Cleary, this acre is home to around 12,000 plants.