For Friday, Dec. 1, 2023

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1 – Michigan has joined four other states in requiring utility providers to achieve 100 percent carbon-free energy generation by 2040. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the clean energy legislation this week. The state also has set a goal for utilities to generate half of their energy from renewable sources by 2030, up from the current 12 percent, according to the Associated Press. 

A Michigan advocate with the National Resources Defense Council says the bills “translate into better air, water, and health for everyone.” But the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition criticized the bills for repackaging natural gas as a clean energy source.  

The four other states sharing Michigan’s 2040 timeline are Connecticut, New York, Oregon and Minnesota.

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2 – Landscape enhancement and restoration efforts are underway at two nature preserves and a federal wildlife area through the Native Seed Program.

The Huron Pines program is supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. 

Seeds are gathered from sites across Northern Michigan to take advantage of genetics adapted for life in the region. 

At Hubbard Lake Nature Preserve in Alcona County, a half-acre of ground overgrown with invasive plants was recently harrowed and seeded. 

Brush also was cleared and native seeds scattered at Emily Min Hunt Preserve in Presque Isle County.

A similar effort is underway at Tuttle Marsh Wildlife Area, a 5,000-acre refuge near Oscoda managed by the U.S. Forest Service. 

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3 – Halloween is over but some bats are still here.  

If you want to learn about bats and build a bat house from recycled material, check out an event on Sunday in Standish. 

On Dec. 3 from 1-3 p.m, the Arenac Conservation District is holding a free Bat House Workshop, including the materials to build a bat house. 

You also can learn about the benefits of bats.  

Bat houses can provide good homes for bats when their preferred natural habitat is scarce, according to Michigan University Extension. 

Bats in Michigan hibernate or migrate during the winter. 

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

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