1. Bumblebee populations higher in Detroit than in some less-urbanized areas; vacant lots could be a factor

    A new study of native bumblebee populations in southeastern Michigan cities found, surprisingly, that Detroit has more of the large-bodied bees than some surrounding, less urbanized locations.

  2. Very young lake sturgeon and artificial spawning reefs in the Detroit and St. Clair rivers

    A study of the St. Clair River by U-M scientists shows that despite river-current speeds of more than 3 feet per second, some recently hatched lake sturgeon manage to remain in the St. Clair’s North Channel, a surprising finding with implications for the siting of future spawning reefs.

  3. Studying Detroit River Phosphorus

    Researchers at the University of Michigan Water Center were awarded a $3 million grant from the Erb Family Foundation to determine the Detroit River’s contributions to algae blooms that plague Lake Erie each summer.

  4. Managing Stormwater, Beautifying Neighborhoods

    On the former sites of vacant Detroit homes, University of Michigan researchers and their partners have built innovative gardens that help manage stormwater while removing neighborhood blight.

  5. Climate Change + Public Health in Detroit

    How does a city grappling with how to thrive in the present day begin to think about what it will look like 50 years down the road? That was a question the Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice (DWEJ) wanted answered when it assembled the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative (DCAC) in 2011.

  6. Turning Vacant Land into Productive Green Spaces

    Alleys, vacant lots and underutilized urban spaces hold great potential for fostering more sustainable cities.