Outdoors

Michigan DNR to track fish stocking using 23andMe-style gene testing

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has begun using genetic testing to track the success of some of its fish-stocking operations. The goal is to find out if fish living in a particular water body descended from the parents of stocked fish. Doing so helps the DNR know if its multimillion-dollar stocking efforts are paying off by telling them if the stocked fish are living on in the waterway. "Think about genetics (testing) like Ancestry.com, 23andMe," Jen Johnson, senior fisheries management biologist for the DNR, told the Michigan Natural Resources Commission during its ...

What’s all the buzz about yellowjackets this fall?

LANSING – Yellowjackets are a commonly found pest flying around your residence during the summer and fall. They sting, bite and are more aggressive than your average bumble bee. A noticeable rise in yellowjacket populations in Michigan has left people wondering: Why am I getting stung so ...

The rest of the story

As latitudes and annual precipitation increase, the complement of tree species gradually changes. Winter low temperature is key factor in this matrix of habitat characteristics. Michigan straddles a broad east-west oriented transition zone between the central hardwoods and the northern hardwoods. From Canada, there’s even a bit of the boreal that dips down into the state. This geography results in a host of atypical tree species that are more common outside the state lines. About fifteen tree species wiggle into Michigan which are more common elsewhere. Collectively, they ...

35 Years on the Course: Golfers Celebrate Bay College Golf Outing Milestone

ESCANABA, Mich. – For 35 years, the Bay College “Swing for Scholarships” Golf Outing has brought together community members, businesses, alumni, and friends in support of student scholarships. Two familiar faces have been part of the tradition from the very beginning. Bill Marmalick and ...

A drier than usual fall

“Either get ready for elimination or your hearts must have the courage for the changing of the guards,” – Bob Dylan With a rush and a mighty rustle through a pile of downed leaves, the autumn changing of the guard blew into these Great North Woods in no uncertain fashion. This was the ...

Fall fishing