Invasive Species

Between 1995 and 2023, the City of Ann Arbor’s Natural Area Preservation (NAP) division coordinated a continuous butterfly monitoring program using trained community science volunteers. Ludovico Behrendt is an environmental data specialist with NAP and conducted a retrospective analysis of this nearly 30-year dataset. He joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the findings on the health of butterflies in the area and what it says about the health of the local environment.

A trendy species of mushroom could be a new threat to Michigan’s forests. Colin Jackson has more.

Throughout the Huron River Watershed, there are areas plagued with invasive species. A group of environmentalists are looking for the best ways to replace them with native plants. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The Michigan House of Representatives is meeting again this week after a few weeks off for spring break. Colin Jackson has more on what leadership says to expect.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer told a business group that she was caught by surprise last week to walk into with President Donald Trump to find she was in a televised press conference. Rick Pluta has more.

The City of Ann Arbor’s Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting "Love a Park Days" in November. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has more.

Engineers aim to keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes. Colin Jackson has more on an agreement between Michigan, Illinois, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Ann Arbor residents could soon start noticing smoke coming from some of the community’s parks and other nature areas. We get the details from WEMU’s Taylor Pinson.

The federal government has renewed an investment in the University of Michigan’s Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, or CIGLR. The funding renewal is for five years. WEMU’s Josh Hakala has more.

Washtenaw County is chock-full of non-native, invasive, plant species. In many cases, they pose a threat to native species and the health of the habitat that supports our wildlife and pollinators. There are also human implications. WEMU's David Fair discussed the progress being made toward local habitat restoration and expanding efforts to reintroduce native plant species with Doug Reith from the Washtenaw County Conservation District.