Why It’s Time to Clean, Drain & Dry
The clean, clear beauty of Northern Michigan’s lakes and streams are threatened. Non-native plants and animals invading our waters can change water quality
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Managing Resources
Citizens rely on nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and governmental agencies to discover, research and respond to changes in the natural resources of Northwest Lower Michigan. In fact, there are dozens of nonprofit groups across the region dedicated to measuring, assessing, limiting and managing the impacts of development, invasive species, climate change and climate variability. The region’s land conservancies, watershed groups, conservation districts, hunting and fishing organizations and many others are playing critical roles in preserving our natural resources and preparing for what comes next.
These short multimedia stories explore some of the many ways public organizations are working to retain the regions abundant natural resources while helping to add resilience against the adverse impacts caused by invasive pests and diseases, development and disruptive climate changes.
The stories in this section answer the question: What are our nonprofit and public organizations doing to conserve, preserve and protect the natural resources, critical ecosystems and heritage landscapes of Northwest Lower Michigan?
Why Native Plants Are the Better Choice for a Changing World
In this article by Emily Cook, we learn why and how plants native to this region are best for landscaping around our buildings
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The Fisheries Management Biologist
As dam removals and restoration efforts proceed on the Boardman River, how is the fishery faring? How is Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources
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Nature Change TV: Alewife, Chinook, Quagga, Goby – Waves of Change in Lake Michigan
In this video, the Executive Director for Interlochen Public Radio (IPR), Peter Payette leads an informative discussion on the status and possible future
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Nature Change TV Episode 3: The Ratliff Family Affair
What are the challenges resource professionals face today? Why would four of five brothers strive to build careers in preserving natural resources? In
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Viewers’ Choice 2017
In all, 39 photo and video essays were published on Nature Change in 2017. Here’s a quick review of the ten most popular
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The Conservationists of Tomorrow – Nature-based Childhood Education
The clean waters and beautiful landscapes we grew up with have changed. In less than a generation, invasive pests and diseases have completely
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Fire & Stewardship at Angell Farm
This video essay is about land stewardship and some of the people dedicated to preserving and caring for Northern Michigan’s historic landscapes. This
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Thanking the Farmers – A Visit at Providence Farm
Traveling the rolling landscapes of Northern Michigan, you can see a beautiful patchwork quilt of small farms brimming with natural beauty. Many of
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Nature Change TV Episode 2: A Legacy of Conservation Leadership
Too many deer? Michigan Weather? Old growth forests? Invasive species? These are some of the topics taken on by two of Northern Michigan’s
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Slow, Scarce and Sacred
Author, teacher and bioregionalist, Stephanie Mills offers our readers the fifth in her series of essays on natural resource experts and their work in Northwest
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Controlling the Spread of Aquatic Invaders
All summer long and into the fall, Jane Perrino and two dozen volunteers have been setting up a portable boat washer and an information
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Nature Change TV – Episode One: Fighting Invasive Plants
In this made for TV, 28-minute video, we learn about three separate efforts to battle three highly-destructive invasive plants: Garlic Mustard, Japanese Knotweed and
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An Eye in the Sky Watching for Change
Little Traverse Conservancy (LTC) holds over 350 conservation easements in Northwest Lower Michigan. In most cases, the land owner has donated development rights
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Seeing the Forester and the Trees
Author, teacher and bioregionalist, Stephanie Mills offers our readers the fourth in her series of essays on natural resource experts. In this thoughtful and sympathetic
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Monitoring Change in the Waters of Leelanau
Change is inevitable. But some changes in the region’s natural resources are caused and accelerated by human activities. In these cases, informed people can make
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Improving Tree Canopy for Climate Resilience
The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay is sharing some good news. Mature trees can play an important role in controlling and limiting stormwater
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Grass River Natural Area – Facing the Challenge of Climate Change
This video is about people who are entrusted with the protection and preservation of one of northern Michigan’s most important and revered natural
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Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch – Part 2. Ed Pike and the Young Owl Banders
In this short video, Nature Change offers an optimistic story about people – young and a bit older – who demonstrate true commitment
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The Once and Future Otter Creek
Author, teacher and bioregionalist, Stephanie Mills offers this essay to Nature Change readers about the long-term restoration of Otter Creek (a tributary to Lake
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Japanese Barberry & Blacklegged Ticks – On the Thorns of a Dilemma
In this video, Nature Change explores the impacts and rising concerns over an invasive species of plant that increases the threat of lyme
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Walking in a Good Way
My name is Hank Bailey. I am an Anishinaabe and a Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians tribal member who is
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Regenerating Damaged Forests & the Challenge of Overbrowsing
Are there too many deer in Northern Michigan? Many foresters and forest land managers respond with a resounding YES to that question. This
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Let the River Flow: Free-Spanning the Maple
Since the first big timber cut over 150 years ago, northern Michigan’s rivers have been constricted and polluted by many human activities.
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