For Friday, Oct. 2, 2015

[audio https://dl.dropbox.com/s/dpsyuk4noy65zz2/10-02-15-mrgrealakes.mp3]

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1 – The National Wildlife Federation is honoring the Top 10 eco-schools in the U.S.

The schools are being recognized for “their commitment to wildlife protection, sustainability and environmental education” as part of the Federation’s Eco-Schools USA program.

The top schools are in Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, California, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Maryland and Florida.

According to the NWF, the Top 10 schools in total saved more than $207,000 in energy, water and waste that was diverted or saved.

There are already 67 eco-schools registered in Michigan. They include St. James Elementary in Bay City, Vassar High School, Frankenmuth High School and Marshall Greene Middle School in Birch Run.

2 – Successes of the federally funded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative are being highlighted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Service has received more than $41 million this year to support new and ongoing Great Lakes projects, and more than $271 million over the past six years.

A “Restoring the Great Lakes” report from the agency says the conservation investments are starting to show tangible returns.

Lake trout, for instance, have been a central focus of Great Lakes stocking efforts for decades.

Now they are starting to make a resurgence, and reproduce naturally.

In Lake Huron, annual lake trout surveys recently revealed that more than 60 percent of the fish collected were of wild origin, the agency says.

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– Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 9 a.m. Fridays in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR.

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