For Friday, Nov. 7, 20251

1 – Solar panels on farmland can have benefits. 

Michigan State University scientists plan to build a first-of-its-kind outdoor lab to study the issue. 

The project is funded by a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation. 

The university says a team will study existing solar parks to find out how panels affect soil and surrounding ecosystems. 

Then, they’ll install solar panels near corn and soybean fields to teach farmers, scientists and others how to plant solar panels in underproducing portions of their fields.

One goal is to provide a trusted source of science-based information to help property owners and communities make informed decisions about how best to use their land.

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2 – What happens to those little baby sturgeon after they’re released to the Saginaw River system? 

You can find out more in a new documentary called “Dinosaur Fish.”

The Conservation Fund’s Great Lakes Office and Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network produced the 23-minute documentary.

The fund, network and a bunch of organizations and agencies have been working for years to restore lake sturgeon in Saginaw Bay and its river system. 

The film details their work to bring the fish back from the brink of extinction through restocking and other efforts. 

Reporting Mushrooms, Releasing Baby Sturgeon, Expiring Clean Energy Credits

The screening is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, at the Delta College Planetarium in downtown Bay City.

It’s free, open to the public and will be followed by a question and answer session with Mike Kelly from The Conservation Fund’s Great Lakes Office. 

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3 – Speaking of fish, a newly constructed reef near Channel Island in Saginaw Bay is poised to increase fish habitat and improve resilience.

According to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, the Channel Island Reef will provide critical spawning grounds for native fish and help ensure the bay’s fisheries remain productive for years to come. 

Construction of the Channel Island Reef, about 2 miles from the Saginaw River mouth, began in early September and was completed in early October. 

A barge deposited over 20,000 tons of natural limestone cobble from a local quarry to form a long, narrow rock mound on the bay floor. 

The new 2.5-acre reef is about 670 feet long and 190 feet wide. It rises 3–4 feet above the existing lake bottom and sits at least 5.5 feet below the water’s surface.  

Construction of the reef was supported by a variety of federal, state and private partners and grants. 

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard at 6:45 and 8:45 Friday mornings on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM WUCX in University Center, Michigan, near Bay City (listen live). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes