LANSING — A “pig bomb” went off at the turn of the century, flinging wild hogs north from their southern stronghold. Jack Mayer resorts to such pyroclastic porcine imagery when describing the transcontinental spread of wild pigs across the United States. He’s one of the foremost ...

MARQUETTE — Tru Hubbard, a biology master’s student at Northern Michigan University, is the recipient of NMU’s Technology Innovation Student Award for her research on how human recreation impacts carnivore habitat use and behavior across multi-use lands. Her Yooper Wildlife Watch ...

“There’s a long-distance train, rolling through the rain, tears on the letter I write.” — Bob Dylan When the rain comes down, I want to be out in it. I love the smell of the damp, charged air. There’s an excitement out there beyond windows, walls and doors when it rains — either ...

LANSING — The first invasive grass carp capable of reproducing in Michigan was caught this spring during an annual fish survey by the Department of Natural Resources. The fish was in an area of the Tittabawassee River running through Midland County. The Tittabawassee flows into Saginaw ...

CHAMPION — Having gathered public input from boaters and anglers, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will not develop the Silver Lake Basin boating access site in Marquette County as a walk-in-only facility. Earlier this year, the department said it was considering installing a ...

“That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep of shady summertime, of old dogs and children and watermelon wine.” — Tom T. Hall With the bony, white claws of the Wintermaker still clutched tightly around late April, I followed my footprints down the driveway toward the mailbox. I noticed my ...

LANSING — Hunters and anglers are struggling to understand and live under new state government regulations that limit recreational activities, especially a ban on motor boat use. The end of April marks the beginning of Michigan’s spring turkey season statewide, as well as walleye season ...

MARQUETTE — It’s one thing to travel down the Mississippi River on a large riverboat meant for inland water excursions, like something out of a Mark Twain novel. It’s another to take on this mightiest of American rivers by canoe, especially with physical challenges. No later than May ...

“Cold days and ice nights only, hard times for sure.” — Steve Forbert Over the past few weeks, I have been taking brief nighttime trips outside the front door to take a good hard listen to the night. In these days of pestilence and quarantine, I have found these moments to be relaxing ...

ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK — Nobody knows how many abandoned mine features such as tunnels, shafts, pits and waste piles remain on federal land in Michigan and elsewhere, but untold numbers of them pose safety and environmental threats, a new General Accountability Office report says. The ...

MARQUETTE — Support for people at the front lines during the COVID-19 crisis can come in many ways. You can’t get much more front line than a hospital. Of course, it needs physical items such as personal protective equipment in the form of masks, shields and other items. However, ...

“Daddy won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County, down by the Green River where paradise lay.” — John Prine The difference between black and white is a big contrast. It’s easy to see. Hard to forget. It makes a strong and lasting first impression. I spend most of my time inside ...

LANSING — When Michigan State University graduate student Jared Gregorini studies in the forest, he often leaves a tobacco plant. That’s because Gregorini, also known as Leading Crow, is Native American. Before becoming a biological conservation researcher, he worked with the Sault Ste. ...

MARQUETTE — Warmer weather means people can sit back and enjoy the wildlife that comes to their homes, right? Not necessarily. Higher temperatures mean many animals seek food for their young. During this time, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources asks people to help their ...

“Way up on Bear Creek, watching the sun go down. Well, it makes me feel like I’m on my last go ‘round.” — A.P. Carter As the afternoon light dwindled, a drab gloom that had fallen over the scene the night before continued to hang around, as it had all day. I was determined to get ...

MARQUETTE — Outdoor recreation-related companies are struggling to stay afloat amid the fallout from COVID-19. “There’s going to be a lot of sacrifices throughout this time and the sacrifices are needed,” said Jon Swenson, the director of community services in Marquette, a city that ...

GLADSTONE — Formal and non-formal educators in the Upper Peninsula recently received training on how to integrate interdisciplinary lessons into the indoor and outdoor classroom. The U.S. Forest Service said the educators attended a workshop that focused on teaching environmental science to ...

“And it’s cold on the tollgate with the wagons creeping through.” — Mark Knopfler Whether graveled, wet, muddied or dry, or covered with snow or leaves, there must be thousands of trails crisscrossing the countryside of my mind. I recall each one not because of their consistency ...

MANISTIQUE — Michigan’s first rail trail is 50 years old. Some residents who live near the Haywire Grade, a multi-use trail that crosses the Upper Peninsula north to south from Shingleton to Manistique, are glad the trail is getting the recognition it deserves. “I’d say over the ...

MARQUETTE — Small talk with your coworkers and every scroll through the various social media platforms has been consumed over the last couple weeks, and most likely in the coming, with the COVID-19 pandemic, but nature can still provide a much needed escape. As the pandemic has ...