As winters shorten, the impact goes beyond skiing and ice fishing. Here are five ways the future will change.
Michigan Environment Watch
Michigan Environment Watch examines how public policy, industry, and other factors interact with the state’s trove of natural resources.
Great Lakes News Collaborative
Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television, The Narwhal and Michigan Public work together to report on the most pressing threats to the Great Lakes region’s water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. You can find all of the collaborative’s stories here.
Shockwave
The Great Lakes region is in the midst of a seismic energy shakeup, from skyrocketing data center demand and a nuclear energy boom, to expanding renewables and electrification. In 2026, the Great Lakes News Collaborative will explore how shifting supply and demand affect the region and its waters. Read the series here.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Climate change is erasing Michigan winters, taking our heritage with them
Lost winters like 2024 may soon be the norm. That threatens so much of what makes Michigan unique, from ice fishing and snowmobiling to cross-country skiing and just traipsing in the snow.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
What to know about the April 8 total solar eclipse in Michigan
The April 8 total solar eclipse will be visible in just a small part of southeast Michigan. Everyone else will have to travel to see it.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Piping plover faces new peril, as climate change threatens Great Lakes bird
An endangered Great Lakes shorebird that has survived earlier threats to its habitat now faces new challenges. Report a banded plover and learn more at the Great Lakes Piping Plover website.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Skunk spray season has arrived in Michigan. And that stinks
It’s skunk mating season in Michigan, which means they’ll be out and about more often – and more likely to spray.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan Dems abolish panel that gives industry say in regulations
Legislative Democrats on Tuesday voted to do away with an environmental oversight panel that critics said gave too much power to outside parties.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Amid repeal push, Michigan seeks input on solar, wind siting law
Michigan is tackling implementation of a law that gives the state final approval of large renewable projects, and they’re hoping public input will guide the process.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
The Great Lakes go digital as smart buoy network launches in Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the first of the Great Lakes getting connected to the internet with a series of offshore ‘smart’ buoys. And it’s not just for sending texts on the water.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan’s backyard bird enthusiasts can join global count this weekend
Michiganders can join observers around the world and participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Whitefish are on brink in Michigan. Can they learn to love rivers to survive?
A staple for centuries and ‘synonymous with northern Michigan,’ the fish are struggling to reproduce in the Great Lakes. So scientists hope to convince the whitefish to spawn in rivers, away from threats.