For Friday, March 12, 2021

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1 – Are there invasive zebra mussels in your aquarium?

An employee at a Petco in Seattle discovered the mussels in a shipment of Marimo moss balls, which are popular in fish aquariums, according to Michigan State University Extension. 

Since the initial report, dozens of states including Michigan have reported zebra mussels in moss balls available for sale at popular pet stores. 

The products have since been removed from retail shelves, but officials say people with aquariums should still inspect them for the striped mussels, which are about two inches in size. If you find them, they should be frozen for 24 hours, boiled for 1 minute or submerged in bleach or vinegar for 20 minutes before they’re double-bagged, sealed and disposed of in the trash. 

For more information, see the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service online at fws.gov and search for moss balls. 

2 – Michigan has a new Facebook page, for Michigan State Parks, Trails and Waterways. 

Officials say the page at Facebook.com/MiStateParks will feature the latest announcements and opportunities for input. 

It also will include images of destinations in the state. People are encouraged to use the hashtag #MiStateParks when posting photos, to be featured on the page. 

Michigan has more than 100 state parks, 13,000 miles of state-managed trails, 1,300 state-sponsored boating access sites, 140 state forest campgrounds and 83 public harbors. 

3 – There’s a company called Cloverly. 

It connects people and organizations that are looking to neutralize their carbon impact. 

Among those participating is Populace Coffee in Bay City. Starting in mid-January, the coffee shop started using Cloverly to purchase carbon offsets for every order, to mitigate the fossil fuel emissions from delivery trucks. 

In February, the total offsets purchased were equal to 634 pounds of carbon. 

That’s the equivalent of protecting more than 29,000 square feet of forest, 356 tree seedlings or 23 days of average electricity for a U.S. household. 

More information on the app is at Cloverly.com. 

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM (listen). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

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