Advertise on podcast: Issues of the Environment

The Youth Environmental Press Team supports aspiring young journalists who write about the climate crisis and other environmental issues. The team is spread across several schools across America, including a new chapter here in Michigan. Ann Arbor Community High students Anna Birchok and Zia Walker co-lead the new chapter. They joined Rebekah Warren to discuss their work and how it may lead to a promising journalism career for themselves and other students.

Based out of Adrian, the Raisin Valley Land Trust was dedicated to preserving natural habitats in Washtenaw, Lenawee and Jackson counties. This past January, the land trust was dissolved and had its assets transferred to the Legacy Land Conservancy, which guaranteed the protection of 700 acres of land. Raisin Valley Land Trust co-founder Sybil Kolon looked back on her conservation work and shared her hopes for the future with Rebekah Warren.

With numerous recent bouts of severe weather, managing stormwater is more critical than ever. The city of Ann Arbor will soon release its new Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan, which will bring more eco-friendly infrastructure to the city. Rebekah Warren discussed the plan with Ann Arbor Water Quality Manager Jennifer Lawson.

In response to numerous severe weather events over the years, the Washtenaw County Resiliency Office introduced a countywide Hazard Mitigation Plan, which would allow municipalities to secure necessary funding for disaster relief while also advancing local carbon neutrality goals. Resiliency Office Director Beth Gibbons joined Rebekah Warren to discuss the current state of the plan and its impact on the environment.

The spotted lanternfly is considered an invasive species in Washtenaw County, due to the fact that it feeds on trees, leaving serious damage in its wake. Right now, the county is taking action to protect local forests. Rebekah Warren shared more on these efforts with Matt DeJonge, Community Forester for the Washtenaw County Conservation District.

Washtenaw County's rain garden system has filtered millions of gallons of stormwater runoff every year. Now, the program is expanding further into the county. Catie Wytychak from the Washtenaw County Water Resources Office spoke to Rebekah Warren about the expansion and Ypsilanti's upcoming Fall River Day.

Ann Arbor has set a bold goal for carbon neutrality by 2030, and the work is already underway, from renewable energy and electric vehicles to smarter growth and energy efficiency. Rebekah Warren talked to Ann Arbor’s Sustainability and Innovations Director, Missy Stults, about the progress and the upcoming A2ZERO Green Fair, which takes on Friday, September 18.

Trinity Health Ann Arbor is launching a new program designed to show that in-patient healing can go beyond hospital walls. Its "Hospital Without Walls" initiative fundamentally redefines modern healthcare by physically integrating medical wellness with the surrounding natural ecosystem. Rebekah Warren discussed this innovative and environmentally friendly plan with Lacey Sapkiewicz, Senior Vice President of Operations at Trinity Health Ann Arbor and Livingston.

The mid-July Canadian wildfires released intensive amounts of smoke, resulting in days of hazardous air quality in Washtenaw County and all across Southeast Michigan. Studies have shown that climate change remains a major factor in these extreme conditions. Dr. Stuart Batterman, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Health Sciences and Global Public Health at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, joined Rebekah Warren to discuss these studies in detail and what future precautions should be taken.

A number of Ann Arbor businesses have started to phase out using single-use plastics. Not only has this lowered their operational costs, it's beneficial to many local environmental initiatives. Phillis Engelbert, owner/operator of Detroit Filling Station in Ann Arbor, is among these entrepreneurs leading the way in working towards zero waste. She talks more about her actions and how others can follow her example with Rebekah Warren.

Residents in the Middle Huron River Watershed are facing an escalating environmental challenge as warmer summers and severe storm events increasingly trigger harmful cyanobacteria blooms, which threaten recreational water use, local wildlife, and the health of our regional impoundments like Ford Lake. Rebekah Warren discussed the matter and the actions being taken to fight it with Ric Lawson, director of programs for the Huron River Watershed Council.

The expansion of Washtenaw County's Border-To-Border Trail continues, and the next piece of the puzzle is the "Dexter Connection." This stretch of the trail will connect hikers and bikers to downtown Dexter and is expected to be completed this fall. Roy Townsend serves as Project Manager for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission. He spoke to Rebekah Warren about the expansion's current progress and how it may impact Washtenaw County's overall environment and infrastructure.

An outbreak in cyclosporiasis recently spread all over Michigan, and a large number of cases were identified here in Washtenaw County. Kristen Schweighoefer, Director of the Washtenaw County Health Department's environmental health division, joined Rebekah Warren to discuss the source of the outbreak and what precautions residents should take to prevent another.

For years, Washtenaw County’s relationship with the "forever chemicals" known as PFAS has centered on massive industrial pollution along the Huron River, like the Tribar industrial spill upstream. Yet, a two-year, proactive study by the Multi Lake Water and Sewer Authority entirely flips that script, revealing that the low-level PFAS consistently detected in local wastewater isn’t a corporate spill—it's coming from everyday consumer products used inside Dexter and Lyndon Township homes. Rebekah Warren discussed the study and what actions may come from it with Daniel Brown, climate resilient specialist and emerging contaminant for the Huron River Watershed Council.

July is National Park and Recreation Month, and as Washtenaw County honors its 200th anniversary, its park system—which celebrated its own 50th anniversary in 2023—is showcasing how public spaces serve as vital community infrastructure rather than just places for leisure. Rhonda Bouma is Deputy Director of Operations for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission. She joined Rebekah Warren to talk about what the county's park service has achieved and what it has planned for the future.