University researchers rescue mussels from dams

Lake Superior State University is surveying river habitats to learn how to rescue native mussels threatened by hydropower dams. The project is funded by We Energies which put money into a mitigation fund as part of a settlement agreement.

Tiny wasp could give hope to Northern Michigan cherry growers

For the past 10 years or so, entomologists have been looking for a way to control the population of spotted wing drosophila, a fruit fly that feeds on healthy cherries and blueberries. They say they may have found their answer in releasing the samba wasp, which kills fruit flies by laying its eggs inside them.

Potter Park Zoo encourages people to help save monarch butterfly population

In July, the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the monarch butterfly as endangered for the first time in history. Potter Park Zoo in Lansing, Michigan, first installed a pollinator garden in 2018. With the recent news of the monarch’s decline, the zoo is encouraging people to build wildlife habitats of their own.