MAGAZINE

March 27, 2014

YAK’S

CORNER

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The Yak checks out the view from the Ford F-150.

Photo by Marty Westman

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January 22, 2015 | Issue 884

Invaders in Michigan, Pages 2-3.

Yakking About the News, Pages 4-5.

Show-stoppers, Page 6-7.

Your Page, Page 8

2015 North AmericAN iNterNAtioNAl Auto Showweek 2

More on the Auto Show

MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM2 Thursday, January 22, 2015

The Yak has written hundreds of animal stories in our 20 years of publication.

In the beginning, we wrote mainly about exotic species, including the Chinese alligator, the South American Spectacled bear, and even Tibet’s wild and domesticated yaks!

Eventually, we focused exclusively on Michigan native species, and for good reason: There was a lot to learn about the critters in wildlife areas and our own backyards, such as the Red-Winged blackbird, porcupine, black bear, and gray wolf.

In 2013, we expanded our focus to include the illegal pet trade and the dangers of buying pythons, monkeys, lions, and other exotic species.

Now, we’ve decided to kick off the New Year by further widening our coverage to include invasive species, animals that make their way to Michigan from other states or countries, often becoming a threat to native species.

It seems a long time ago that Zebra mussels topped Michigan’s “most unwanted” list. The pesky mollusk was introduced into the Great Lakes in 1988 through ballast water from a transatlantic freighter. With females able to produce more than a million eggs a year, the Zebra quickly spread to all five Great Lakes and river basins in other states. Game over.

“Early detection is our only hope for eradication,” said Sue Tangora, invasive species coordinator for the state Department of Natural Resources. “Most of the time when you get something as widespread as Zebra mussels, then you’re looking at only control. There’s no magic bullet.”

You’ve probably also heard about two other successful aquatic invaders, the Quagga mussel and the Sea lamprey. There’s no hope of getting rid of them, either, though various methods are being used to control them.

tusk, tusk!But have you heard of the Rusty crayfish,

an invader from southern Ohio that is overwhelming two natives, the river and the lake crayfish; or feral swine — wild pigs — some of Russian lineage with fearsome tusks? An estimated 1,000 to 3,000 of the swine are on the loose in more than 70 Michigan counties, including Wayne, Oakland and Macomb. We didn’t know that and were shocked to find out. The pigs can carry diseases and be aggressive. Un-friend them immediately if you encounter one.

“The Rusty crayfish has largely taken over Michigan waterways right under everyone’s notice,” said Brandon Schroeder, northeast district coordinator for Sea Grant Michigan (www.miseagrant.umich.edu).

Lake crayfish live in lakes, but river crayfish prefer rivers, so the two don’t compete, Brandon said. The Rusty crayfish

continued on Page 3.

Courtesy of Michigan Sea GrantThis is a Rusty crayfish, which looks like a very small lobster. Crayfish and lobster are both crustaceans.

Get Ready: Invasion of the Rusty Crayfish and the Wild Pigs

Photo Courtesy of Michigan Sea GrantKaylee Rondeau (at left) and Jade Schultz got so excited about Rusty crayfish after a 2013 field trip that they helped Michigan Sea Grant write a poster on the invasive species. The girls attended Sanborn Elementary, in Ossineke, near Alpena, but are now in middle school.

MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM Thursday, January 22, 2015 3

likes both lakes and rivers and is more aggressive, tending “to beat up on both species,” he said.

“Say it’s competing (with a native crayfish) for a hiding spot under a rock. It’s going to look for the best spot. If a lake crayfish and a Rusty crayfish show up at the same spot, the Rusty is going to be more willing to fight for it and better able to.”

The Rusty “has a harder shell, which makes it harder for fish to eat.” It also has “bigger claws, so it’s better able to defend itself against native crayfish.” Without a good hiding spot the native is more likely to get eaten by a fish; the invader will survive. Think of Rusty intruders as “thousands of straws drawing nutrients out of the water system,” Brandon said. The crustacean is bad for native species and for water quality.

Brandon has worked with 6,000 kids in 30 schools in the Thunder Bay River Watershed, taking them on field trips to test water quality and learn to identify aquatic species. One group of elementary students from Alpena Public Schools “got all excited about crayfish,” he said.

After showing the kids a study from the 1970s, indicating just one small area of Rusty infestation in the watershed, he took them out to search for crayfish.

“They found Rusty crayfish everywhere they went,” Brandon said. At one point, we challenged them to find a native crayfish and it took them a couple of years.”

Another time, Brandon recruited a handful of students to help him collect 500 Rusty crayfish over two days. Using dip nets in the Thunder Bay and Cheboygan rivers, the kids caught 400 in an hour!

Rusty crayfish make good eating. They’re not as large as edible crayfish in the southern United States, “but they’re still meaty,” said Brandon.

The DNR recently changed the Rusty’s classification from restricted to prohibited. Most prohibited species have not been found in Michigan, though many have invaded nearby states. Others have been found in only a few places in Michigan.

Prohibited species cannot be brought into the state or possessed live for any reason.

“What we’re trying to prohibit is their arrival in Michigan,” said Nick Popoff, a DNR fisheries biologist. “We don’t mind if you bring them in dead.”

Restricted species are generally widespread in Michigan, so the Rusty better fits in that category. And they can now legally be trapped and eaten. However, it’s still illegal to introduce them to an environment or use them as bait.

To learn more about Michigan’s invasive species, check out the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) at www.misin.msu.edu. Based at Michigan State University, the user-friendly site can be searched for information and images of 311 invasive species: 258 plants, 49 animals, and four pathogens, or microscopic organisms that carry diseases. There’s also a new MISIN app that can be downloaded for free to identify and report sightings of invasive species.

Sue encouraged kids to use it.

“Kids are sponges,” she said. “They’re just better (than adults) at picking thing out of the environment.”

Come back for more stories about Michigan’s invaders.

By Patricia Chargot

continued from Page 2.

The Longhorn beetle is on Michigan’s early watch list. It hasn’t been seen here, but it has been seen in Chicago, Illinois, Ohio, and Toronto, Ontario. The large black-and-white beetle feeds on maple trees.

Photos Courtesy of MISINAn estimated 1,000 to 3,000 wild pigs are on the loose in Michigan. Some were brought here by farmers to crossbreed with domestic pigs. Others were imported by hunting clubs to hunt. The animals are shy and secretive, but if you come across one, steer clear.

You can print out the whole Rusty Crayfish poster if they go to this page: www.miseagrant.umich.edu/rusty-crayfish-poster.

Thursday, January 22, 20154 MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM

Boston Olympics?It seems a long time away, but now is

when cities are putting in their bids for the 2024 Summer Games! The United States has chosen Boston, Massachusetts for the United States bid to host these Olympics. The United States Olympic Committee picked Boston over Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Of course, the final decision is a global one. In the spring of 2016, the International Olympic Committee will review the cities around the world and pick finalists. Then the final city isn’t chosen until 2017. To see the vision of Boston’s Olympic venues, check out www.boston2024.org.

Time Capsule FoundSpeaking of Boston, the historic city

recently made the news when a time capsule was unearthed from a state building during construction. The time capsule goes back to 1795 and includes a silver plaque likely made by Paul Revere! The capsule was actually unearthed in the mid-1800s, and then put back. This time, it will be on display at the Museum of Fine Arts before being re-buried. You can learn more about it at www.mfa.org. If you were going to make a time capsule for 2015, what would you put in it?

Lizards Get HomeThe Detroit Zoo is now the home for eight

lizards that were being smuggled into the U.S. illegally. “These eight lizards represent a global crisis in wildlife trafficking. Many individual animals die in situations like this,

and the impacts on wild populations can be catastrophic,” said Scott Carter, chief life sciences officer, in a statement to the press. The lizards, from Mali, are in quarantine, or isolation, but will eventually be on display at the zoo’s Holden Reptile Conservation Center.

Cookies Get TweakedIt’s already Girl Scout Cookie time and

this year the Scouts have something new: Gluten-free cookies. That means they are made without gluten, which people can be allergic to. The two new types of cookies are called “Toffee-tastic” and “Rah-rah Raisins.” See more on these cookies at www.girlscouts.org. Click on “cookies.”

Big DiscoveryRemember last month when the Yak

visited the Michigan Science Center for the “Ice Age” exhibit? Since then, Michigan is home to another big discovery from the Ice Age. A contractor working in Bellevue Township unearthed more than 40 bones of mastodons. Contractor Dan LaPoint and his neighbor Eric Witzke have had their find confirmed by the University of Michigan’s Museum of Paleontology experts. According to the Lansing State Journal, the two men will donate most of them to the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology. You can see photos and learn more at www.lansingstatejournal.com.

Michigander in ‘Idol’Last year, Michigander Jena Irene Asciutto

was the Fox TV show’s runnerup. It’s early, but at least one Michigan native, Alex Shier, 19, of Fort Gratiot (near Port Huron), is scheduled to be in the first round in Hollywood. See www.americanidol.com to follow more.

Compiled by Cathy Collison

Yakking about the newsA weekly wrap-up for young readers

Photo Courtesy of the Detroit ZooA Sahara-spiny-tailed lizard is one of the eight lizards rescued.

5MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM Thursday, January 22, 2015

You have been reading a lot about Michigan’s wolves in Yak’s Corner this school year. During our fall election coverage, you learned about Proposals 1 and 2 involving wolves and

hunting. You also read about “Wolves,” an art show at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources. (See the Yak’s archives on www.yakscorner.com and click on December 4 and November 13 for earlier stories.)

Voters defeated the proposals in November, but another law, set to take effect this spring, could have still allowed hunting because it gave power to the state’s Natural Resources Commission to decide on rules for hunting and fishing, including wolf hunting. But Great Lakes gray wolves will be protected from hunting, at least for now.

In December, a federal judge ruled that wolves in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota can no longer be hunted and must be protected. Jill Fritz, Michigan senior state director for the Humane Society of the United States called the ruling “a victory for wolves.”

Great Lakes gray wolves were taken off the U.S. endangered species list three years ago and Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota later allowed hunts. In February of 2013, in an effort to protect the wolves, the Humane Society of the United States, along with several other groups, filed a lawsuit. “The lawsuit argued that the states had proven very quickly that they could not responsibly manage the wolves that had been put under their care,” explained Jill, who also is the director of Keep Michigan Wolves Protected.

After being delisted, the HSUS wanted the animals returned to the federal endangered species list and that is exactly what a judge has ruled.

But not everyone agrees with the judge’s decision. Ed Golder, public information officer with the state’s Department of Natural Resources, shared this statement with Yak’s Corner: “The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is surprised and profoundly disappointed by this court decision. It will have negative impacts on Michigan farmers. This action by a federal judge will mean that wolves can be killed only in the immediate defense of human life. Farmers will no longer be allowed to kill wolves that are in the act of killing their cattle. Dog owners can’t defend their dogs against wolves, either.”

He added, “This doesn’t make any sense. Wolves in Michigan attained federal goals for a recovered population 15 years ago and clearly do not meet the definition of an endangered population. The Endangered Species Act was designed to help fragile populations recover, not to shield recovered populations from the use of effective and sustainable wildlife management techniques. The DNR is working to determine next steps, including the possibility of an appeal of this decision,” said Ed in an email to Yak’s Corner.

What will happen next? It’s hard to say, says Jill. She knows there

could be an appeal or further legal action, but for now Jill is happy for the protection of wolves.

“Wolves are such an incredibly important part of a healthy eco system,” says Jill. “They are pretty amazing, incredibly intelligent animals. And very family oriented – their packs are basically extended families,” says Jill. “It’s important for them to stay together …Hunting wolves will only disrupt (the packs) and cause more problems than if we left them alone to raise their families and live their lives and be the wonderful wildlife managers that they naturally are.”

By Janis Campbell

You can read more about the wolves of Isle Royale at www.freep.com.

Wolf Habitat UnderwayThe Detroit Zoo is scheduled to open the new Cotton Family Wolf Habitat this spring. The habitat, near the Australia Outback exit in the zoo’s southwest corner, is a two-acre space that will include a pond and stream as well as dens and rock outcroppings. See www.detroitzoo.org for more updates later this winter on the project.

Yakking about the newsWolves Back on Endangered List

STATURE: 26-38 inches at the shoulder; 57-130 pounds (males are larger)

DIET: Small and large mammals, livestock and pets if opportunity presents

REPRODUCTION: Mate for life beginning at age 3

LIFE SPAN: 10-18 years

FAMILY LIFE: Live in well-structured packs

THREATS: People; habitat loss

MICHIGAN POPULATION: There were an estimated 636 in the state’s Upper Peninsula in winter, 2013-14.

GRAY WOLFCanis lupus

THREATS:

4 1/2”

3 1/2” SOURCES: Michigan Department of NaturalResources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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WIS.

MINN.

CopperHarbor

CANADAU.S.

50 miles50 miles

41

Houghton

Ferry toisland

Isle Royale National Park

MARTHA THIERRY/DETROIT FREE PRESSSOURCE: Google MapsSOURCE: Google Maps

N

OntarioCANADA

By Martha Thierry

Have you been down to the auto show yet? If you have, you may want to share with the Yak a

drawing of your favorite cars. (See our address at the bottom of Page 8.)

The show is a big one for Detroit, not just for the automakers, but because it is a global gearing up for the entire industry. Many foreign automakers are showing off their new concepts, which help attract press from around the world.

The show makes a $400 million impact on metro Detroit, says the NAIAS. Last year, more than 800,000 people visited the show during a record-breaking cold winter. So perhaps this year’s attendance will be even higher by the time the show closes Sunday.

Here are more trends and highlights to share.

City ImpactWe shared last week that Ford’s

F-150 won North American Truck of the Year. You can take pride that it’s made right here in Dearborn, at the historic Ford Rouge Center. (Come back later this year when Yak takes a tour of the Rouge plant!) Another plant that will produce the F-150 is in Kansas City. The show gave visiting journalists a chance to tour the plant, which was retooled so it could produce the F-150. While you may have visited The Henry Ford, which hosts the tour, many visitors have not. That is just one way the show spreads the word beyond autos about Detroit.

Foreign FlavorsYou really get a global feel walking

the show floor. From the United Kingdom, the John Cooper Works

Thursday, January 22, 20156 MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM

Photos by Marty WestmanWow, the Porsche lineup is snazzy in red.

A World of Wonder in the dThe Yak is back with more

on the North American International Auto Show.

The displays aren’t just on the floor, but on the walls, too! continued on Page 7.

7Thursday, January 22, 2015MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM

Mini display is all checkered-fun. This year, the company premieres its John Cooper Works Mini Hardtop. Not far away, you can find the North American Car of the Year, the Volkswagen Golf. Or dance along with the big screen music when you see those lovable Kia hamsters hip-hopping. If sporty cars are your inspiration, you’ll be awed by the bright red rows in the Porsche exhibit area.

downstairs, Something different

And you can get schooled downstairs. Don’t forget to check it out. It’s one big creative space to learn about future designs from students. You’ll get a chance to meet with people from the College for Creative Studies, and also the University of Michigan and Michigan State University solar car team members, as well as other students from University of Michigan-Dearborn, Wayne State University, Kettering University and Oakland University with their designs. We caught up with Cameron Van Dyke, from the Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan. Cameron showed us

two unique vehicles that are not autos, but are transportation! He and his wife, Rachael, have founded the company, The Future People. We liked The Zeppelin, what he calls a human electric vehicle. It takes a human cycling to power the electricity. Check out www.thefuturepeople.us for more.

The Yak also spotted a 3-D printed car! This is a place to find the future.

Finally, the Yak couldn’t help but notice all the slogans each automaker has. Whether you are inspired by Ford’s “Innovation,” or like the Yak, you’re drawn to “The Power of Dreams” of Honda, you’ll find the bright lights and dynamic displays give you an optimistic feeling that anything is possible.

Maybe you’ll want to be a designer? Or an engineer? Or a race car driver? (Yes, there are race cars here, too!) You’ll be revved up!

By Cathy Collison

IF YoU GoThe show runs through 7 p.m.

Sunday. Friday is Channel 7 Family Day and includes celebrity appearances. Plus every day, look for the parade through the show.

See www.naias.com for details.Get a British feel with the always cool John Cooper Works Mini display.

continued from Page 6.

Reporters check out the colors and this year, there were several purple cars, including this beauty at the Bentley exhibit.

Photos by Marty WestmanThe Yak gets up close with the North American Car of the Year, the VW Golf.

MICHIGAN K.I.D.S. | WWW.DNIE.COM8 Thursday, January 22, 2015

Draw on only white 8 -by-11 paper and use bright colors. Be sure to print your name, age, city and phone number clearly on the back of your drawing. Send your art to Yak’s corner Art, c/o DNie, 160 w. Fort, Detroit, mi 48226.

Send usyour art

Yak’s Corner is brought to you by Cathy Collison, Janis Campbell, Patricia Chargot and Marty Westman. For more information, contact Yak’s Corner publisher Deb Scola, Michigan.com, Community Affairs Director, at dscola@michigan.com or at 313-222-6895. Yak’s Corner is printed once-a-month for classrooms and is available to all subscribers with the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News e-editions every Thursday. Our next e-edition is January 29.

By Helya Qenyaqos, 6, Troy

By Chakayla Cline, 3rd grade, Detroit

By Tamyra Thompson, 2nd grade, Detroit

By Noah King, 3rd grade, Detroit

By Chloe Jones, 6th grade, Troy

We WAnt ARt!

The Yak loves to publish artwork. Our mailbag is empty! How about sending us

art for Valentine’s Day? Please mail it to the address below by Sunday.