“We have to grow caretakers. That means creating environments—indoors and outdoors—that have a culture of belonging from the top down. There’s a line that Artina Sadler likes to quote, from the engineer W. Edward Deming: “Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.” It is apt when it comes to environmental organizations, […]
Posted inCommunity
Nature cropping up in Midland lakes where dams failed
LANSING, Mich. — Nature is returning to craters left from lakes drained by two dams that failed in May during torrential rain in mid-Michigan. But not always in a good way. “Shortly after the water receded, you could look out over the exposed bottom lands of the lake and it was like looking at the […]
Posted inCommunity
Bridget Quinn joins Planet Detroit as an Artist in Residence
Quinn is an artist, activist and experimental nature therapy guide who invites people to reconnect with nearby nature using their senses and imaginations. Planet Detroit is pleased to announce that Bridget Quinn of the A.W.E. Society will be joining us for a Community Engagement Artist Residency! Bridget Quinn is an artist, activist, and experimental nature […]
Posted inCommunity
Introducing ‘Sidewalk Botany’ with the A.W.E. Society
Once I stopped immediately judging plants as weeds, the landscape became alive with stories. About five years ago I set out to recover from plant blindness. This has proven to be a deeply rewarding and at times, delicious, personal project. While some people focus on plants often sold at nurseries, I started my plant education […]
Posted inAccountability
A new plan to reduce phosphorus pollution in Lake Erie pits farmers against Detroiters
State’s plan prioritizes upgrades to Detroit’s wastewater treatment plant over agricultural runoff. Western Lake Erie’s annual algal bloom has begun. And though the National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) forecasts it to be moderate this year, the yearly growth of green slime is not going away anytime soon. The annual phenomenon that threatens wildlife, recreation, and […]
Posted inVoices
Ask Planet Detroit: Why is there so much trash in Detroit’s parks (and what can we do about it?)
Dear Planet Detroit, Why are our parks so trashed with garbage all the time? Is there anything that can turn this around and keep our parks clean? Sincerely, In search of clean and green Dear Clean and Green, Detroit has so many wonderful parks (309 to be exact!). We asked the city what they’re doing […]
Posted inVoices
OPINION: Why public water shutoffs are a crisis multiplier for coronavirus
by Nadia Gaber, PhD “Wash your hands.” If we’ve heard one thing consistently since the start of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, it is “wash your hands” — wash them well, wash them often, wash with soap and water. But for 15 million people across the country, washing your hands at home is out of […]
Posted inAccountability
Power outages in Highland Park and Detroit add to heatwave’s misery
Following the storms on July 8, Highland Park resident Michelle Jones had to leave her house on account of an outage that lasted for 36 hours. This was the second time she had lost power in two months, after a June storm knocked out her service for ten hours. But this time the outage came […]
Posted inGuides
Q&A: Bees in the D founder on why it’s critical to build up Detroit’s pollinator population
Brian Peterson-Roest and Brian Roest-Peterson (yep, you read that right!) are the founders of Bees in the D, a Detroit-based nonprofit with the mission of installing hives across the region and teaching about the importance of pollinators. They manage 175 bee hives at almost 60 locations across Michigan, including 15 rooftops. The robust nonprofit is […]
Posted inAccountability, Deep Dives, Lead poisoning
Michigan is testing water for lead under the nation’s most stringent rules. It may not like what it finds.
Flint is the most notable example. But we might soon find out about many more. Aside from a few infamous cases—like Flint, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.—public officials across the United States have continually downplayed the pervasiveness of lead contamination in water. But if preliminary evidence holds up, a new Michigan rule for testing lead will […]