ECO Program Funding

Project Title: Environmental Reporting for the Great Lakes Region Key Project Personnel: David Poulson (Michigan State University Knight Center for Environmental Journalism) and students About: A countless number of intriguing environmental, Great Lakes stories often remain trapped in labs, fieldwork, journals and in the minds of science resarchers. If shared, these stories can ignite significant interest and support throughout local and regional communities around the Great Lakes and beyond. Michigan State University’s (MSU) Great Lakes Echo is an environmental news service produced by the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism that translates Great Lakes research and information into journalism for the public. With funding from a CIGLR Engagement, Career Training and Outreach (ECO) Award, MSU’s Great Lakes Echo trained and developed 11 undergraduate journalism students that produced, distributed and broadly shared 52 news stories that referenced and highlighted the work of CIGLR’s research institute and regional Consortium. “Funding from CIGLR’s ECO Award was vital for helping our team share and write about research created by Great Lakes scientists around the region,” said David Poulson, Senior Associate Director of MSU’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. “News organizations, nonprofit and government agencies and others use stories directly from Great Lakes Echo, including MSU’s Capital News Service wire that distributes relevant Great Lakes news to 40+ newspapers around the state of Michigan ranging from large, high impact publications to smaller, weekly periodicals. Our team also developed new text and radio partners, extending our regional reach, and created a TikTok channel to showcase Great Lakes research to a wider, more diverse audience. CIGLR’s support helped our team inform the public around the Great Lakes region about environmental challenges, solutions and important science research stories.”

Video Media:

• • Michigan State University student Daniel Schoenherr created this TikTok about Lake Huron cyanobacteria, one of many research stories produced by Great Lakes Echo under a grant from the Cooperative Institute of Great Lakes Research.

News Media:

1. 1. Michigan study linking environment to cancer provides ammo for health policy – September 22, 2022
   2. Belle Isle study lights way for savings – September 27, 2022
   3. Study: Why are Lake Superior’s quiet winters so important? – October 4, 2022
   4. UWindsor undergrad cuts research costs with DIY erosion sensors – October 6, 2022
   5. Study nudges college students to eat more fruits, veggies – October 14, 2022
   6. University researchers rescue mussels from dams – October 19, 2022
   7. Minnow researcher uses You Tube, children’s literature to connect people with at-risk species – October 21, 2022
   8. An ancient building material could be the wave of the future – October 28, 2022
   9. Plastic pollution robs fish of nutrients – October 31, 2022
   10. Grand Valley student chalks up a research success – November 1, 2022
   11. Study finds lake cleanups help house values recover – November 11, 2022
   12. The future of sustainable aviation could be electric – November 15, 2022
   13. What lies on the lakebed of the Great Lakes? NOAA ship conducts survey mission – November 16, 2023
   14. Study shows value of culturally appropriate environmental health resources – November 17, 2022
       

       Ben Chittle (UWindsor undergrad ) holding a homemade water wave sensors. See #4 under “News Media” for more on this project.

   15. Cornell researchers farm pixels – November 22, 2022
   16. Ancient invention may safely move fish across barriers while blocking invaders, study finds – November 23, 2022
   17. Researchers in Minnesota acquire first genome for doli algal bloom – November 28, 2022
   18. Exploring Lake Huron sinkholes may help find life on other planets – November 29, 2022
   19. Smartening up a beach could save lives – December 6, 2022
   20. City street trees mitigate climate change better than expected – December 12, 2022
   21. Lake Erie algae mucks up fishing trips – December 15, 2022
   22. Ice makes oil spills harder to detect, easier to contain – December 22, 2022
   23. Joyous Noel: Great Lakes’ great waves give surfers a gift – December 23, 2022
   24. Beach cleaning robots are coming to Lake Erie – December 26, 2022
   25. Algae depresses Lake Erie home values – December 27, 2022
   26. Climate change prompts rise in fungal toxin – December 29, 2022
   27. Study details impact of COVID-19 pandemic on energy bills – January 3, 2023
   28. Melanoma cases higher in rural areas, study finds – January 10, 2023
   29. Study finds Great Lakes influence bird migration patterns – January 11, 2023
   30. New Northwestern Michigan College two-year degree readies students for water technology jobs – January 13, 2023
   31. Pipedream: Researchers hope to convert exhaust into fuel – January 16, 2023
   32. A cost-effective solution to beach erosion – January 23, 2023
   33. Effectiveness of cormorant hunting questioned – January 30, 2023
   34. Climate change is killing our trees, study finds – January 31, 2023
   35. Gardening with a whole community could reduce violent crimes in neighborhoods, study says – February 3, 2023
   36. Oilseeds could help farmers and soil alike – February 7, 2023
   37. Woof, there it is: A spotted lanternfly! – February 8, 2023
   38. MiWaterNet monitors quality of northern Michigan streams – February 27, 2023
   39. Michigan’s list of birds at risk updated for first time since 2009 – April 18, 2023
   40. Could young students be Michigan’s next environmental stewards? – May 4, 2023