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Tree Town is looking to find new and productive ways to avoid wasting wood. The City of Ann Arbor is partnering with the company “Urban Ashes” to repurpose storm-damaged and diseased trees. We often discuss the ecological benefits of planting and maintaining trees but rarely look at the environmental impact wood can have once it’s down. Urban Ashes CEO Paul Hickman joined WEMU's David Fair to look at the partnership, how it will work and the benefits it can provide.

What do you think one single animal can tell you about the health of the environment? It turns out quite a bit. Innovative research at the U-M’s School of Environment and Sustainability is using animal tracking data to document environmental and ecological threats and to advance conservation strategies. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Dr. Scott Yanco about the research and what it is telling us so far.

Today is World Mental Health Day. Mental health awareness has become a greater focus throughout the country. The pandemic has exacerbated a number of such issues for people. Students seem to have been particularly affected. WEMU's David Fair checks in with Erin Goldman, a counselor and clinical non-case manager at Washtenaw Community College, and Rachel Barsch, WCC's student activities supervisor, to look at the changes and what lay ahead.

For more than 50 years, the Spectrum Center at the University of Michigan has been a leader in serving LGBTQIA+ students. The need remains, but the nature of the needs is changing. WEMU’s David Fair was joined by the director of the center, Jesse Beal, to look at the center’s role today and where it's headed.

For the second year in a row, giant billboard-sized artworks have sprouted in parks throughout Washtenaw County. "Embracing our Differences" is back in full bloom. Julie Brooks Malone and Chris Gant spend many days among the artwork greeting guests and telling them about the art on view. Students on tours, it seems, teach these docents as much in return. We find out what is shared when Julie and Chris join Deb Polich on this edition of "creative impact."

Do you have a moment to talk about kidney disease? "Meet the Moment" is a Washtenaw County-based program that addresses excess chronic kidney disease in the African American community, particularly among Black men. It looks into what can be done to make improvements and enhance the quality of life for the affected. Dr. Silas Norman is Co-Medical Director, Kidney and Pancreas Transplant at the University of Michigan, and he'll discuss what has been and what still needs to be done with WEMU's David Fair.

Right now, the waiting list for a space at the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County’s women’s shelter goes about 50-deep. The wait time for those women averages about seven months. That’s why the Shelter Association is undertaking a women’s shelter expansion initiative. WEMU's David Fair spoke with the association’s development director, Sarah Paspal-Jasinski, about the effort to expand capacity by 50%.

You may not have noticed, but the Ann Arbor Climate Corps has been quietly working this year to combat the affects of climate change and help the city achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. The program is designed to increase the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability’s outreach capacity and help residents take action toward that end. WEMU's David Fair talked it over with Ann Arbor Climate Corps program manager, Maggie Halpern.

There are still a good number of people in Washtenaw County without health insurance. The Affordable Care Act has helped, but there is more work to be done. Additionally, if there is a change in administrations in Washington after the November elections, the ACA could become a thing of the past. What then? WEMU's David Fair talked it over with Jeremy Lepedis, who serves as executive director of the Washtenaw Health Project.

For as long as we’ve been discussing advancements in mental health care and the work to destigmatize mental health issues, there is still a lot of work to be done. One of the efforts in Washtenaw County is the “#wishyouknew” campaign. It is put forth by the Washtenaw County Health Department. WEMU's David Fair talked with the county's communications coordinator, Lisa DeRamos, about the program, who it is helping and how it can connect you with available resources.