Great Lakes Echo

Winemakers pressing for new grape varieties

Capital News Service — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:59:58 +0000

As wine grape growers prepare for what many hope will be another strong season, some members of the industry also hope that this year’s crop will reflect innovation. Experiments with new grape varieties have been underway since 2007 at Michigan State University’s Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center in Traverse City.

“Sunken Treasure”: Documentary explores Great Lakes shipwrecks, promotes respectful diving

Becky McKendry — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:57:51 +0000

With hundreds of shipwrecks scattered across the bottom of the Great Lakes, divers have access to an unrivaled underwater playground. The freshwater environment lends itself to preserving shipwrecks so well, some ships look ready to board. Divers tempted to swipe an artifact for their mantle or crank a wheel and pretend to sail away could be fined or even imprisoned. A recent documentary aims to educate those with misguided intentions before it gets that far. “Sunken Treasure: Preserving Michigan’s Shipwrecks” was recently released by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council to foster respect ...

Some farmers bank on drought-resistant corn

Capital News Service — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:59:56 +0000

Michigan farmers who purchased drought-resistant corn last year don't feel they've wasted their money on the more expensive hybrid. Many farmers agree that recent wet weather doesn't mean there won't be a drought later this summer.

Fifty Lakes, One Island: Exploring Isle Royale

Celeste Bott — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:10:18 +0000

Chicago filmmaker George Desort spent 80 days on Lake Superior's Isle Royale, making a documentary about the island's 50 inland lakes, its wildlife and his experiences connecting to the wilderness.

Mr. Great Lakes: Ice, energy and transportation

Jeff Kart — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Mr. Great Lakes (Jeff Kart) reports from Bay City, Michigan’s Delta College Q-90.1 FM. This week Kart discusses the Greenland ice sheet, Delta College energy forums and transportation improvements in Bay City. Text at Mr Great Lakes

Watch Great Lakes cities grow (and nature disappear) from space

Matthew Hall — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:37:30 +0000

Google Earth has released a cache of time lapsed images that depict the Earth’s changes over the past 28 years. Users can watch the sprawl over time of Great Lakes cities such as Detroit, Toronto, Chicago, Milwaukee and other places by typing locations in the search field. The release represents “the most comprehensive picture of our changing planet ever made available to the public,” according to the website’s official blog. Users can witness the deforestation of the Amazon and glacial retreats in Alaska. The images were collected as part of a joint mission between ...

Where’s the Concern? Week Fourteen

Great Lakes Echo — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:01:32 +0000

Each week, Great Lakes Echo features a photo story about a different Area of Concern designated by the U.S. or Canadian governments in the Great Lakes basin. Guess where the area is located, based on the description of the site.

Flash Point: Shawn Malone on capturing northern Michigan’s night skies

Celeste Bott — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:36:15 +0000

Shawn Malone, owner of Lake Superior Photo, describes the process behind North Country Dreamland as a combination of “luck and persistence.” Malone is a veteran photographer, who focuses on shooting images of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the Lake Superior Watershed. This is her first time-lapse compilation. It’s put together with more than 10,000 photo frames and 33 northern Michigan night sky events last year. These night skyscapes include multiple northern lights scenes, meteor showers, nebulae, planets, constellations, the Milky Way and comets. Many of them were taken over both Lake Superior and Lake ...

Distillers name gin for fish long gone from Michigan

Lindsay Dunbar — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:33:00 +0000

Greyling Modern Dry Gin is named for the Arctic grayling and features an image of the fish on the label. It recently was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Fishery workshop surveys show more positive attitudes about Lake Huron

Celeste Bott — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:07:01 +0000

Surveys from a series of Michigan Sea Grant workshops show growing Lake Huron fish populations and improving attitudes about the Great Lake’s fishery. Researchers gave presentations on invasive species research and management, and experienced anglers in Lake Huron communities attended.