A new U-M-led international study finds that fruits and vegetables grown in urban farms and gardens have a carbon footprint that is, on average, six times greater than conventionally grown produce. However, a few city-grown crops equaled or outperformed conventional agriculture under certain conditions.

‘Migration Stage,’ an outdoor installation along Seattle’s Elliot Bay, serves a once-and-future purpose, says artist Buster Simpson, MFA ’69. Its movable ‘kit of parts’ provides a unique place to gather, while it functions as ‘sea armor’ to protect shoreline infrastructure against extreme storms. (Image credit: Joe Freeman Jr.)

A thriving environment depends on engaging people in its stewardship, says Kris Sarri, MPH ’97. She has spent two decades in Washington, D.C., where her commitment to public health weaves together environmental protection and community development.

Birds and other animals rely on Earth’s magnetic field for long-distance navigation during seasonal migrations. U-M researchers are now learning how periodic disruptions of the planet’s magnetic field, caused by solar flares and other energetic outbursts, affect the reliability of those biological navigation systems.

School of Information students are looking through the ‘lens of an information professional’ and using data to tackle urgent water-related issues in Michigan and around the globe. Partners in the school’s inaugural ‘theme year’ include representatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation will establish the Global Center for Understanding Climate Change Impacts on Transboundary Waters. Partners include Cornell University, the College of Menominee Nation, the Red Lake Nation, and more.

Targeting aquatic life and shoreline species in and around Douglas Lake in Northern Michigan, researchers and private citizens logged a total of 503 species during an intensive three-day initiative in July. And yes, that’s a bald eagle.

Jocelyn Anderson does not consider herself an expert birder. Not yet, at least. But one look at her website or Instagram account is like walking into an aviary chock full of birds from all corners of Michigan.

Bogs have a reputation as soggy, inhospitable places teeming with insects and unseen hazards. But to Bryan Pfeiffer, BS ’80, they are sacred spaces brimming with life lessons and slow rewards. The 65-year-old ‘boy explorer’ is a Vermont-based field biologist, photographer, and nature writer with a passion for dragonflies, birds, and butterflies.