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Strategic plan targets invasive species
The Superior Daily Telegram (11/17)
Douglas County’s Land Conservation Committee is forwarding a plan to the county board that takes aim at invasive species.
Mich. Clean Marina Program: Public-private partners work together to improve water quality
Grand Rapids Environmental News Examiner (11/9)
Partners from the public and private sector in Michigan are working together in a voluntary program to improve the quality of the Great Lakes.
Researchers seek funding for wind test site in Lake Michigan
Grand Rapids Environmental News Examiner (11/7)
In a recent article in The Muskegon Chronicle, it was reported that researchers at Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) cited a lack of year-around data (on wind platform testing) needed by prospective development companies.
COMMENTARY: Senate needs to pass clean energy act to help Michigan
The Grand Rapids Press (10/26)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was absolutely correct with his recent proclamation about the current condition of the Great Lakes State: "The State of Michigan," Reid declared from the Senate Floor, with a copy Time Magazine in his hand, "is in trouble."
First Nation women 'walk the environmental talk'
WeNews (10/23)
Tomorrow's global day of climate activism aims for media and political attention. First Nation women have another way. Since 2003, they've walked the shoreline of a Great Lake or major river, meditating on the needs of an unborn generation.
City making big push for water school
The Business Journal (10/23)
The push is on to convince the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee that the best location for its new School of Freshwater Sciences is near the university’s existing Great Lakes Water Institute on East Greenfield Avenue.
What's going on in your neighborhood this month? Meet other people and learn together at recreational and educational events! Our new dynamic calendar is updated daily with current educational events.
6 | Native flora fun facts!
State & Provincial Trees
Illinois: white oak (Quercus alba)
Indiana: yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Michigan: eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)
Minnesota: red pine (Pinus resinosa)
New York: sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
Ohio: Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Ontario: eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)
Pennsylvania: eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Québec: yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
Wisconsin: sugar maple (Acer saccharum)
State & Provincial Flowers
Illinois: native violet (Viola sororia)
Indiana: peony (Paeonia spp.)
Michigan: apple blossom (Pyrus coronaria)
Minnesota: lady slipper (Cypripedium reginae)
New York: rose (Rosa spp.)
Ohio: scarlet carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus)
Ontario: white trillium (Trillium L.)
Pennsylvania: mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Québec: white lily (Lilium candidum)*
Wisconsin: wood violet (Viola sororia)
*not a native plant
Reference: Geobop's Symbols
Why do leaves change color in the autumn?
- Morton Arboretum: What Makes Fall Color?
- Wisconsin DNR: Why Do Leaves Change Color?
- Science Made Simple: Why do leaves change color in the fall?
- GLIN: Fall colors in the Great Lakes region
Why do plants have a common name and a Latin name?
Carl von Linne created scientific names for plants, or botanical nomenclature, in order for scientists and plants lover all over the world to be able to identify the same plant with the same name. Von Linne's Latin names for plants often include a noun, the generic name, and an adjective, the specific name. The first name is the generic name, and states the genus to which the plant belongs; the second name, called the specific name, describes the species of the plant. The generic name is always capitalized and italized, and often honors the person who found the plant, or relates to mythology or description. The specific name is italized and usually lowercase, and provides a good clue to the plant's look or character.
Reference: Iowa State University Horticulture & Home Pest News
Some examples:
Quercus alba (white oak): Quercus means strong, and alba means white.
Pinus resinosa (red pine): Pinus means pine, and resinosa means resinous (translucent and sticky plant secretion)
Go to the Glossary of Roots of Botanical Names to read more!
Graphics: yellow poplar (credit: USDA PLANTS database); lady's slipper (credit: Raphael Carter); Sassafras fall color
