Summer Whitetail, photo by Arnie Bracy
Arnie quietly paddled his kayak closer to get this awesome shot of our state animal, the White-tailed deer on the shore of Hamlin Lake. View it bigger and see more in his Summer slideshow.
More white-tailed deer on Michigan in Pictures including this cool pic of a white-tail grabbing a drink in the fall.
High Dive into Lake Superior, photo by Craig
I want to say some things about this photo.
First and foremost, how incredibly awesome is someone to leap into Lake Superior any time of the year? Pretty doggone awesome is the answer, and if you’re wanting to go into Michigan’s coldest lake, August (when this photo was taken) is a pretty good time!
On Michigan in Pictures I post a lot of photos of people doing amazing things in this four-season playground we are blessed with. While summertime is certainly the best season for flamboyant fun, in June especially, the waters of Michigan’s Great Lakes can get very cold. Cold enough to kill as this tragic story from Marquette earlier this month illustrates.
My safety tips would be to really check water you’re leaping into for depth, obstacles, temperature, and whenever possible ASK A LOCAL what they think about whatever ridiculousness you’re considering. Chances are they know a thing or two about currents, weather patterns, or at least a good place to grab a bite and a beverage after your epic stunt.
Remember – having fun is what it’s all about, so figure out how to do it right and then DO IT!
View Craig’s photo bigger, view & purchase work at Craig Sterken Photography, and be sure to follow him on Facebook.
Trachemys scripta (Red-eared Slider), photo by Nick Scobel
One of the most popular posts on Michigan in Pictures is Know Your Michigan Turtles, and World Turtle Day (May 23rd) is the perfect day to add another turtle to our list!
Jim Harding’s MSU Critter Field Guide entry for the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) says that the turtle is named for the broad red or orange stripe behind the eye, which may extend onto the neck. He continues:
Red-eared sliders prefer still-water habitats (lakes, ponds, sloughs) with abundant aquatic plant growth and numerous basking sites in the form of logs or other emergent objects. These turtles are called “sliders” because they quickly slide from their basking spots into the water when disturbed. They feed on aquatic plants, and animals such as crayfish, snails, insects, tadpoles, and carrion. The young turtles are mostly carnivorous but eat increasing amounts of vegetation as they get older.
…This is a common turtle from northwestern Indiana south to Georgia and west to Texas and Oklahoma. Red-eared sliders are probably not native to Michigan, but breeding populations exist locally in the western and southern Lower Peninsula. Many thousands of baby sliders were once imported into this state for the pet trade, so it is likely that released or escaped specimens are responsible for the established colonies. Isolated specimens may turn up almost anywhere in Michigan.
Read on for more in the MSU Critter Guide.
Nick runs the excellent Herping Michigan Blog where you can find lots more of his excellent photos of Michigan’s reptiles and amphibians along with informative writeups. View his photo bigger and see more in his slideshow.
Mackinaw City and Mackinac Bridge, photo by Sandy Hansen Photography
“There is a pipeline that‘s sitting at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac. It was designed for a 50 year life and it’s been down there for 63 years. There’s a risk involved in this.”
-Mark Shriberg, National Wildlife Federation
In Line 5 puts Great Lakes at risk on Absolute Michigan via the University of Michigan (video below):
Up to 152 miles (245 km) of coastline in lakes Huron and Michigan could be fouled by a single oil spill at the straits, according to the simulations. When all 840 simulated spills are plotted on a map, a total of 720 miles (1,162 km) of shoreline in the U.S. and Canada are considered potentially vulnerable to spills that would require cleanup. Seven hundred twenty miles is roughly the distance from Detroit to Atlanta.
Areas at highest risk include Mackinac and Bois Blanc islands, as well as locations directly east and west of Mackinaw City. Communities also at risk include Beaver Island, Cross Village, Harbor Springs, Cheboygan and other places along the lakes Huron-Michigan shoreline.
…”Until now, no one knew exactly how much shoreline was vulnerable to spills in the Straits of Mackinac,” said Schwab, a research scientist at the U-M Water Center. “These findings show that under the right conditions, a spill in the Straits of Mackinac could affect a significant amount of shoreline and open-water areas in either Lake Michigan or Lake Huron, or both, very quickly.”
View Sandy’s photo bigger, see more in her aerial slideshow, and follow her on at Sandy Hansen Photography on Facebook.
Whipped Up, photo by Terry Clark
mLive reports that big waves are expected for parts of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan this weekend:
High winds and an arctic air mass are set to hit Michigan this weekend, and gales are in the forecast for the Great Lakes as a result.
A gale warning for much of Lake Huron’s offshore waters, issued by the National Weather Service, is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2 to 5 a.m. Sunday, April 3.
Winds are expected to reach up to 41 mph from the northwest with gusts up to 53 mph. According to the warning, waves will build up to 13 feet tall with the potential for an occasional 19-footer. The largest waves in an area 5 nautical miles off shore and out are expected around 1 a.m. Sunday on Lake Huron.
If you want to tune in, check out NOAA’s Great Lakes Coast Watch and the Great Lakes Webcam page.
View Terry’s photo background big and see more in his Wintry Scenes slideshow.
More waves and more wild weather on Michigan in Pictures!
winter solstice, upper tahquamenon falls, michigan, photo by twurdemann
I wrote that the actual moment of the solstice was 11:48 PM last night, but it’s actually TONIGHT! Anyway, here’s a simply gorgeous photo from the 2013 winter solstice at Tahquamenon Falls to kick off the shortest day of the year. I hope you can fit everything in and get a great start to your week!
View twurdemann’s incredible ten-second exposure bigger and see more including some more shots of the dramatically different scene at the Falls in 2013 in his winter slideshow.
Lots more Tahquamenon Falls and more about the winter solstice on Michigan in Pictures!
Michigan Rock, photo by Seasons Photography
A few weeks ago I featured a great shot of kayaking to Turnip Rock from Seasons Photography. Here’s another shot from that trip!
View the photo bigger, see more in their Michigan slideshow and visit the Seasons Photography website.
Where Two Waters Meet, photo by Robby Ryke
Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, the three universities that make up Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC), have released a report titled “Innovating for the Blue Economy“. The report cites nearly $300 million in awards for water-related research and outreach from 2009 to 2013 that have led to innovations from dealing with invasive species and monitoring water quality to finding ways to optimize water use in agriculture. Their news release on the report prepared by the Anderson Economic Group (AEG) says in part:
AEG’s analysis showed that Michigan ranked fourth in the nation in the percentage of jobs associated with industries related to water, at 718,700.
“One in five Michigan jobs is tied to having good and plentiful water,” said AEG founder and CEO Patrick Anderson. “It is an important economic driver in Michigan, and extends to Great Lakes shipping, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and fishing, and over 80 other industry subsectors where Michigan workers are employed today.”
While most of Michigan’s water-related jobs are in water-enabled industries such as agriculture, mining and manufacturing, about 138,000 are in core water products and services producing water treatment facilities and solving water quality and quantity issues.
“Water isn’t just Michigan’s defining characteristic but the foundation of life on earth,” said Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon. “Our three universities make significant commitments to support water-related research and programs. These not only support Michigan’s economy and quality of life, but position the state as a knowledge wellspring for the world’s most precious natural resource.”
Read on and read the full report right here. The report is chock full of interesting facts including that those 718,700 jobs represent 21.3% of Michigan’s total employment (4th in the nation) and details many of the accomplishments of Michigan’s investment in our “Big Three” university research programs. Also note that “downstream” industries like tourism that rely on healthy water resources aren’t included in the numbers.
Robby writes that Otter Creek Beach has to be the reason why Sleeping Bear Dunes was Voted “Most Beautiful Place in America” by Good Morning America. View his photo bigger and see more in his slideshow.
Michigan in Pictures has over 40 pages of water-related photos – drink deep!
I feel certain that spring is about to break over us in a warm & refreshing way … I just wish I hadn’t felt this way for 3 weeks.
Check it out on black and see more in Abby’s Water slideshow.
More spring on Michigan in Pictures!
Michigan in Pictures 