Taxonomy term

By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva

In the late 1970s, when most wildlife conservation programs in the United States focused almost exclusively on game species, a quiet but historic shift began in Minnesota. It was here that one of the nation’s first state programs dedicated to protecting so-called nongame wildlife emerged from butterflies and bats to bald eagles and river otters. That story is now told in detail by Carrol Henderson in his new book, “A National Legacy: Fifty Years of Nongame Wildlife Conservation in Minnesota."

By Kyrmyzy Turebayeva

More than 30 years ago, a group of scientists planted just 4,200 seeds of the rare Pitcher’s thistle in the sandy dunes of the Great Lakes. At the time, no one knew if the new populations would survive. Today, three decades later, the restored populations are thriving and spreading.

By Anna Ironside

Caroline Miller is a botanical technologist at Michigan State University’s W.J. Beal Botanical Garden, as well as a master’s student. Her work has made her a driving force behind restoration projects on campus and beyond. From invasive species removal days to a growing movement to replace traditional turf lawns with native landscapes, Miller doesn’t quit.

By Bauyrzhan Zhaxylykov

New U-M survey finds only about 5% of rural Michigan residents say they would choose an electric vehicle as their next car. Researchers attribute much of that reluctance to misinformation about the availability of public chargers and the cost of EVs and replacement batteries. The Whitmer administration is pushing to expand electric vehicle use to meet climate and clean energy goals.