The Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative released strategies at the end of January on how to prevent an Asian carp invasion of the Great Lakes by modernizing the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS). “Physically separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds is the best long-term solution for preventing the movement of Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species, and our report demonstrates that it can be done,” [...]

Male bluebirds have it pretty easy. All they have to do is find a prime piece of nesting site and then attract a female to come build a nest for the family. That’s right: Once the female is suckered in by a little song and dance, she is then on the hook for building the nest alone and incubating the eggs. Of course, male bluebirds haven’t had it easy finding natural nesting sites in Michigan [...]

It may be easier being green than is often lamented by a certain popular puppet frog. At least, that’s the message Sharon Greene, public relations director for the Highland Equestrian Conservancy (HEC), is hoping to get across with the organization’s Green Sustainability in Our Communities visioning session on Monday, Feb. 27. “We will be talking about how residents, small farms and businesses, and even township officials can focus on saving energy and learning tools to [...]

Kowall The state Senate has approved a lakes area lawmaker’s bill seeking to govern the use of road ends — the publicly-dedicated streets that terminate at the edge of navigable waterways. Road ends are generally held to provide public access to the adjacent water for boating. However, there has been an ongoing battle about whether these public access rights include the ability to lawfully build a dock or install a boat hoist at road ends. [...]

The Highland Recreation Area will be holding two volunteer stewardship days this month, on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sunday, Feb. 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. On Feb. 18, volunteers are needed to help restore the Highland Recreation Area to open grassland by hauling and piling brush and stacking fire wood. Those wanting to help are asked to meet at the Silo Field Trial Area parking lot on [...]

The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s (WRC) Office recently received a $750,000 Energy, Efficiency, and Energy Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The grant funds will be used to make improvements to water and sewage facilities under the jurisdiction of the Water Resources Commissioner’s Office, which plans to purchase new pumps, premium-efficiency motors, and other equipment for the Evergreen-Farmington Sewage Disposal System and wellhouses in Highland, Lyon, Oakland, and Oxford townships. The [...]

The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s (WRC) Office is hoping to test some new and innovative technologies from Israel and elsewhere right here in Oakland County. Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner John P. McCulloch traveled to Israel in November in hopes that these measures can be implemented not just in North America, but right here in Michigan in order to stimulate economic growth. “When we go to conferences in Israel, we are not only trying [...]

Kerri Reid, a White Lake Township resident, was running his dog on the open land south of Wise Road and west of Union Lake Road — formerly part of the state-owned Proud Lake Recreation Area — in Commerce Township last week when his dog began to pull him in a different direction. “You know how dogs are when they find something smelly,” said Reid, who knew right away that what his dog was smelling was [...]

Gov. Rick Snyder has appointed two new members to the state’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC) on Tuesday, Jan. 10. The NRC is a seven-member public body whose members are appointed by the governor. Their appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the state Senate. The NRC works with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in ways to conserve, protect, manage, use, and enjoy the state’s natural resources for current and future generations. [...]

Each January three local watershed advocacy groups — the Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC), the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC), and the Friends of the Rouge (FOTR) — brave frigid temperatures to go searching for winter stonefly nymphs, and each is about to embark on another search and could use the assistance of interested volunteers. Stoneflies are very sensitive to changes in water quality and habitat, and as such tell researchers a lot about the [...]