While it’s trout that get all the attention on Northern Michigan’s river systems, there would be no trout to speak of without macroinvertebrates. We can use the presence and diversity of aquatic insects like mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies to gauge a stream’s health. … More What bugs tell us about water quality
Members of our water team — Amy Nowakowski, Josh Leisen and Samantha Nellis — surveyed six road/stream crossing sites in the watersheds of the Thunder Bay and Pigeon rivers last month. Their nets revealed a diverse assortment of aquatic insects, indicating healthy waters. Have a look at what they found in our gallery. … More Meet the Aquatic Insects of the Upper Pigeon, Thunder Bay Rivers
Let me lead off with a “good” fact about ticks even though it involves another one of Michigan’s maligned creatures: A single opossum can eat thousands of ticks every season. Say what you will about the opossum, whose leathery tail and scraggly fur strike a chord of disgust in some people, but the thought of … More A Few Good Things (and the Obvious Bad Ones) About Ticks