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Great Lakes Now
@greatlakesnow.bsky.social
Catch our monthly show — produced by Detroit PBS — on our network of stations in the Midwest. Drop by our website for daily news about the Great Lakes and information on our virtual events: greatlakesnow.org
At Farrand Hall, chefs don’t just source their ingredients. They forage for them. What began as a vacation home for owners James Gray and Jacob Hagan has grown into a one-of-a-kind dining experience.

GLN News Editor @lisajohn.bsky.social visited Farrand Hall to learn more: youtu.be/ISnwxwTUcKQ
At This Michigan Restaurant, Chefs Forage For Your Food | Great Lakes Now
YouTube video by Great Lakes Now
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December 12, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Lead exposure remains a serious health risk in Michigan, but many residents don’t know whether their water system complies with state rules or whether their service line contains lead.

Story by @planetdetroit.org: www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/how-...
How to check if your Michigan water system is replacing lead pipes | Great Lakes Now
Michigan’s ambitious plan to replace 580,030 lead and galvanized lines is underway, yet many residents remain in the dark about their water safety. The Michigan Lead Service Line Tracker empowers comm...
www.greatlakesnow.org
December 10, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Wisconsin’s wetlands are under threat just as climate change is intensifying rainfall. Despite proven success in mitigating flood damage, protections are eroding and critical funding streams face an uncertain future.

Story by @circleofblue.bsky.social: www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/the-...
December 10, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently revived an alternative to the Line 5 tunnel. The new option was proposed in a supplemental environmental impact statement published by the federal agency last month.

www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/tens...
Tensions flare as Line 5 public comment deadline nears | Great Lakes Now
Public comments are due by the end of the week after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed a tunnel alternative last month.
www.greatlakesnow.org
December 5, 2025 at 5:19 PM
One of the most valued fish in the Great Lakes is in serious trouble, and the race is on to find a solution and save them.

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Whitefish are disappearing. What can we do? | Great Lakes Now
YouTube video by Great Lakes Now
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December 3, 2025 at 9:15 PM
For 118 years, MSU Extension has existed to serve the public with programs ranging from canning classes to soil testing and financial literacy workshops. Now, it aims to bill itself as an antidote to online misinformation.

Story by @bridgemi.com: www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/12/in-w...
In world of AI, Michigan State University Extension bets on human expertise | Great Lakes Now
For 118 years, Michigan State University Extension has existed to serve the public with programs ranging from canning classes to soil testing and financial literacy workshops. Now, it aims to bill its...
www.greatlakesnow.org
December 2, 2025 at 6:51 PM
What’s being done to keep whitefish from disappearing? Why do chefs at a restaurant in our region forage for your food? And how did the Erie Canal shape the world we live in?

Find out in our latest episode: youtu.be/cDasyGwwVMM
The Fight to Save Lake Whitefish | Great Lakes Now | Full Episode
YouTube video by Great Lakes Now
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November 27, 2025 at 6:42 PM
November is Native American Heritage Month, and we teamed up with One Detroit and @bridgedet313.bsky.social for a report on wild rice, a part of Indigenous history in Michigan.

Also known as "manoomin," it used to grow in abundance. Now there’s an effort to bring it back: youtu.be/nPz1KFOdvJI
Harvesting manoomin, Michigan’s Indigenous wild rice
YouTube video by One Detroit
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November 25, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Environmental groups warn the proposal to change the definition of "waters of the United States" would eliminate crucial safeguards for "countless" bodies of water.

Story by @insideclimatenews.org:
www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/trum...
Trump administration moves to weaken federal protections for waterways and wetlands | Great Lakes Now
Environmental groups warn the proposal to change the definition of "waters of the United States" would eliminate crucial safeguards for "countless" bodies of water.
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:23 PM
TONIGHT on Detroit PBS!

The race to save whitefish, a restaurant with local flavors and the Erie Canal turns 200.

Read about "The Fight to Save Lake Whitefish" and catch the episode premiere at 7:30 PM ET: www.greatlakesnow.org/the-fight-to...
November 24, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Before farms and suburbs, the Great Black Swamp thrived. Restoring it could help curb Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms today.

www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/the-...
The history of taming the Great Black Swamp | Great Lakes Now
Before farms and suburbs, the Great Black Swamp thrived. Restoring it could help curb Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms today.
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 24, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Our latest episode is almost here!

Join researchers as they race against the clock to save whitefish. Then, take a seat at Farrand Hall, a restaurant that serves up local flavors. Plus, the Erie Canal celebrates its 200th anniversary.

Catch the premiere MONDAY, 11/24 at 7:30 PM ET on Detroit PBS.
November 20, 2025 at 5:02 PM
In the latest PFAS news roundup:

690,000 customers in Pennsylvania are eligible for a water bill credit, a “cover-up” in Canada’s North Bay and Wisconsin legislators estimate pollution cleanup could cost several billion dollars.

www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/more...
$18M approved in bill credits for Pennsylvania customers in ‘forever chemicals’ settlement | Great Lakes Now
More PFAS news with a “cover-up” in Canada’s North Bay, and Wisconsin legislators estimating pollution cleanup could cost several billion dollars.
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 19, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Stanton Yards, a Detroit riverfront development, aims to be a gathering place where people find inspiration in art and reconnect with nature 🌲

www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/detr...
Stanton Yards development merges art, nature on Detroit River, envisions ‘thriving new community destination’ | Great Lakes Now
A waterfront extension of Detroit’s Little Village cultural development is planned as a 13-acre public gathering place.
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 14, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Great Lakes Now contributor Kathy Johnson visited Monroe, Michigan to board the oldest operational tugboat on the Great Lakes, providing insights into life aboard and examining the essential role these vessels play.

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How Tugboats Keep the Great Lakes Moving | Great Lakes Now
YouTube video by Great Lakes Now
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November 14, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Drivers around the Great Lakes region beware! In the weeks following “fall back,” collisions between wildlife and vehicles rises by 16%.

www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/road...
Roads in the Great Lakes region get riskier after daylight saving ends | Great Lakes Now
Darker commutes and seasonal animal patterns make late fall one of the most dangerous times on regional roads.
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:41 PM
50 years ago today, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank and 29 lives were lost.

A new excerpt from “Wrecked: The Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy” looks at the legal battles families faced in the aftermath.

www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/fift...
Fifty years later: The little-known story of the families the Fitz left behind | Great Lakes Now
After the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, grieving families faced another storm: unequal insurance payouts, corporate pressure and a legal system stacked against them.
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:59 PM
It's #GarWeek! Celebrate these living fossils by learning all about what makes this freshwater species known as "trash fish" so special in our latest conversation with @solomonrdavid.bsky.social.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw84...
Why Gars Deserve a Week of Their Own | Great Lakes Now
YouTube video by Great Lakes Now
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November 7, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Situated in a town of a little over a thousand people in Colon, Michigan, is an idyllic and pastoral outdoor dining experience. It’s become a hub for city folks traveling from Chicago, Detroit and Ann Arbor who are yearning to dine amongst tall timbers.

www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/goin...
Going Country at Farrand Hall | Great Lakes Now
How a small town dining experience is bringing the farm to the table.
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 6, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Fifty years after the tragic loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald, she remains the Great Lakes’ last major shipwreck.

These disasters were once a regular part of life on the lakes. How has shipping changed since the loss of this iconic vessel?

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How the Edmund Fitzgerald Changed Great Lakes Shipping | Great Lakes Now
YouTube video by Great Lakes Now
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November 6, 2025 at 4:27 PM
An internal memo from Ontario’s electricity system operator outlines concerns with TC Energy’s large pumped storage proposal in Meaford, including cost overruns and an inability to meet short-term energy needs.

Story by @thenarwhal.ca:
www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/onta...
Ontario is subsidizing an energy project in Georgian Bay despite expert advice | Great Lakes Now
An internal memo from Ontario’s electricity system operator outlines concerns with TC Energy’s large pumped storage proposal in Meaford, including cost overruns and an inability to meet short-term ene...
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 4, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Sludge and septage are spread across around half a million acres statewide, but most of it has never been tested for PFAS.

www.greatlakesnow.org/2025/11/slud...
Sludge is used as fertilizer across Wisconsin. How much is tainted by PFAS? | Great Lakes Now
Sludge and septage are spread across around half a million acres statewide, but most of it has never been tested for PFAS.
www.greatlakesnow.org
November 3, 2025 at 9:19 PM
For Halloween, artist and educator Geo Rutherford brings you four spooky stories from around the Great Lakes 👻

Learn about the permanent resident of the sunken SS Kamloops, the mystery of Flight 2501, a tragedy at Niagara Falls and the loneliest lighthouse in North America.

youtu.be/JOvO6acPP8o
4 Spooky Lake Stories with Geo Rutherford | Great Lakes Now
YouTube video by Great Lakes Now
youtu.be
October 31, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Just in time for Halloween, learn about the SS Kamloops — an eerie story about a shipwreck in Lake Superior, and “Old Whitey” who seems to follow divers around the wreck.

www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/spoo...
Spooky Lake Superior: The SS Kamloops | Great Lakes Now
Just in time for Halloween, learn about the SS Kamloops — an eerie story about a shipwreck in Lake Superior, and “Old Whitey” who seems to follow divers around the wreck.
www.greatlakesnow.org
October 30, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Long after the Halloween season has ended, some Great Lakes’ invasive species remain a scary sight: blood-sucking parasites with suction-cup mouths, thousands of rotting fish carcasses washed ashore and sharp mussel shells that puncture the feet of beachgoers ☠️

www.greatlakesnow.org/2024/10/grea...
Great Lakes most unwanted: Top 10 invasive species | Great Lakes Now
Researchers make sense of the extensive variety and effects of invasive species.
www.greatlakesnow.org
October 30, 2025 at 6:26 PM