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Great Lakes Echo - Environmental news of the Great Lakes region

Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/prominence/category-featured/page/2/)

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Featured in Category

Not yet implemented, in the future this will allow you to designate a story (or stories) to appear more prominently on category archive pages.

Field of a purple plant called blazing star.
Climate

Study finds climate warming directly affects the makeup of plant communities

By Anna Barnes | July 7, 2026

By Anna Barnes 

In Michigan, sugar maple populations are rising and eastern redbud trees are making their way north, while coniferous trees, like the black spruce, continue to decline. One suspected cause: climate warming.

Corn being harvested by machines.
Agriculture

Excessive rainfall in Michigan may affect nutrients in soil amid fertilizer price increases

By Anna Barnes | July 6, 2026

By Anna Barnes 

Michigan’s supply of nitrogen and phosphorus-based fertilizers has taken a hit from shipping disruptions caused by the U.S. war with Iran. High prices and historic flooding are causing problems for the state’s corn and soybean farmers.

A worker putting a band around the ankle of a heron.
Wildlife

Refuge in the Windy City: Declining wetland bird makes a home in downtown Chicago

By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva and Great Lakes Echo | July 5, 2026

By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva 

While urbanization continues to displace natural ecosystems across the Great Lakes region, one declining wetland bird has managed to adapt to city life — the black-crowned night heron.

A firefighter conducts a prescribed burn.
Solutions

Setting fires on purpose to cut risk of catastrophic wildfires

By Victoria Witke | June 28, 2026

By Victoria Witke

Wildfire risk is predicted to stay elevated in the Upper Midwest from drought and high winds. That’s risky for the region’s pristine inland lakes, but land managers are working to reduce wildfire risk in the Northwoods with controlled burns.

A wildland firefighter completes burn operations around a Smokey Bear sign that reads "Fire Danger Very High Today!"
Water

When forests burn, lakes suffer

By Victoria Witke | June 27, 2026

By Victoria Witke

Wildfire risk is high in the upper Great Lakes, and research shows that large, scorching wildfires spell trouble for lakes in the region’s remote watersheds.  

Damage left behind from a tornado.
Climate

Tornado activity surpasses yearly average as peak season begins

By Great Lakes Echo | June 26, 2026

By Demonte Thomas

Michigan has already exceeded its average annual tornado count. The active season comes as communities across the state continue recovering from severe weather that has left behind widespread damage.

Close up of a sea lamprey's circular mouth.
Solutions

What’s that smell? Researchers explore new ways to deter sea lamprey

By Great Lakes Echo | June 25, 2026

By Elizabeth McGowan

Researchers are exploring a new approach to controlling invasive sea lamprey populations: Chemicals that disrupt pheromones rather than lampricide.

Three researchers examine a bald eagle laying on a blanket the ground in the woods.
Wildlife

Bald eagle success story faces new threats

By Isabella Figueroa Nogueira | June 24, 2026

By Isabella Figueroa Nogueira

The number of bald eagles in Michigan is declining. Workers are finding empty and damaged nests, malnourished eaglets and adult bald eagles attempting to nest a second time after failed attempts. Funding delays aren’t helping.

Michigan State University farm.
Agriculture

‘The outlook is pretty bleak’: Farmers brace for difficult season

By Great Lakes Echo | June 23, 2026

By Julia Roeder

An April survey from the American Farm Bureau Federation found nearly 70% of U.S. farmers say they cannot afford fertilizer. It also found almost half of Midwestern farmers report they cannot afford all the supplies they need.  

Students and staff sort waste at Michigan State University.
Cities & Suburbs

Takeout trash piling up at universities

By Isabella Figueroa Nogueira | June 22, 2026

By Isabella Figueroa Nogueira   

As takeout containers pile up across college campuses, universities are struggling to balance sustainability goals with a growing culture of convenience.

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About Great Lakes Echo

Environmental news of the Great Lakes region from the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University.

Recent Articles

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  • Great Lakes Echo

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