nature

"Hidden In Plain Sight" offers a window into a rare, local ecosystem. WEMU's Joshua Nieman invites you to explore Ypsilanti's Highland Fen.

Ann Arbor youth are very lucky to have not one, but two, fantastic educational venues. The Leslie Science and Nature Center gives kids a great outdoor experience, while the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum stimulates their minds with indoor activities. Charlie Reischl is the Director of Advancement at both institutions, and he joined Decky Alexander to talk about their latest work, including the "Access for All" initiative and the upcoming "Flutter" fundraiser.

Trinity Health Ann Arbor is launching a new program designed to show that in-patient healing can go beyond hospital walls. Its "Hospital Without Walls" initiative fundamentally redefines modern healthcare by physically integrating medical wellness with the surrounding natural ecosystem. Rebekah Warren discussed this innovative and environmentally friendly plan with Lacey Sapkiewicz, Senior Vice President of Operations at Trinity Health Ann Arbor and Livingston.

The Ypsilanti District Library is bringing in new stories for its ongoing Ypsilanti Farmers & Gardeners Oral History Project. Among the storytellers is Shalina Nicohl Rankin, a local herbalist and founder of Fiery Maple Wholistic Healing, Inc. Shalina shared her contribution to the oral history project in a conversation with Lee Van Roth.

The Great Lakes are under attack with invasive species and other dangers. A major state fisherman’s association is honoring Ann Arbor Congresswoman Debbie Dingell for her work to protect the industry. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

The expansion of Washtenaw County's Border-To-Border Trail continues, and the next piece of the puzzle is the "Dexter Connection." This stretch of the trail will connect hikers and bikers to downtown Dexter and is expected to be completed this fall. Roy Townsend serves as Project Manager for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission. He spoke to Rebekah Warren about the expansion's current progress and how it may impact Washtenaw County's overall environment and infrastructure.

Are you familiar with pocket forests? These are dense plantings of native trees and shrubs that can influence water movement and soil conditions and improve the environment and ecosystem in a targeted area. There are already some in Washtenaw County, and more are coming. WEMU's David Fair talked about the growing number of small-scale ecological projects with Dr. Heather Chen-Yost, who is a volunteer with the Tree Town Urban Forest Team.

Just about 40 miles from our WEMU studios sits a 440-acre lake plain prairie. It’s called the Sibley Prairie, and you’ll find it in Brownstown Township. It is the largest and highest quality lake plain prairie in Michigan. As such, work is underway to try and permanently preserve this rare ecosystem. Jeff Vornhagen is Director-at-Large of the Huron Valley Chapter of the Michigan Botanical Society. He spoke about the preservation project with WEMU's David Fair.

Local advocates for protecting the Huron River are raising concerns about the potential environmental impact of a proposed University of Michigan–Los Alamos computational facility planned along the riverfront in Ypsilanti Township. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

A big crowd was on hand in Ann Arbor Wednesday morning as officials cut the ribbon on the long-awaited Barton-Bandemer Pedestrian Tunnel. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert has this report.