Wednesday August 6

Lansing, Mich. - Help your community go green: Apply for Michigan’s $100,000 tree planting grant program. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the DTE Foundation and ReLeaf Michigan, is offering $100,000 in grant funding through the DTE Foundation Tree Planting Grant Program. This initiative supports community tree planting efforts across Michigan.

The DNR is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 grant cycle. The program provides financial assistance to communities served by DTE Energy’s electric and natural gas services. Grants are available to support projects that plant trees away from utility lines along streets, in parks and near schools – all of which can help to mitigate climate change, enhance local beauty and engage residents in environmental stewardship.

Since 1996, this grant program has been a joint effort between the DTE Foundation and the DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry program to improve communities and the environment through tree planting. ReLeaf Michigan, the only statewide nonprofit dedicated to tree planting and homeowner education, was added to the program to provide technical support to grantees and help ensure successful and sustainable tree planting efforts.

“At the DTE Foundation, we believe that real change takes root when communities come together,” said Rodney Cole, the foundation's president. “Tree planting is more than an environmental initiative; it’s a way to bring neighbors together, strengthen local pride and create healthier, more vibrant places to live.

“We’re proud to support this work alongside dedicated partners like the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and ReLeaf Michigan, whose efforts continue to strengthen our communities and protect the environment for future generations.”

Application info

Applicants can request up to $4,000 with a 1-to-1 matching requirement. Additionally:

• Applications must be submitted through DNR MiGrants by Sept. 15.

• Grant awards will be announced in October 2025.

• Projects must be completed by Sept. 1, 2026. 

Learn more and apply for a tree planting grant at Michigan.gov/UCF.

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New study shows impacts to native mushroom species

LANSING, Mich. - What started as a fun and tasty culinary trend – growing exotic mushrooms at home from a simple storebought or online kit – has become another threat to Michigan’s natural resources.

A recent article published in The Conversation describes U.S. Forest Service researchers’ findings regarding the impact of golden oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) on Wisconsin forests.

Native to Asian and Russian hardwood forests, these imported mushrooms are now growing in the wild in areas of the Midwest, including Michigan’s southern Lower Peninsula. Golden oyster mushrooms, known for their bright yellow caps   and nutty flavor, are featured on restaurant menus and in cooking videos. The   mushrooms became popular among DIY enthusiasts with the introduction of grow   kits in the early 2000s. By 2010, they began appearing in U.S. forests.

According to Aishwarya Veerabahu, a graduate student in the Department of Botany at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, “No one knows exactly how golden oyster mushrooms escaped into the wild, whether from a grow kit, a commercial mushroom farm or outdoor logs inoculated with golden oysters – a home-cultivation technique.”  To assist with research efforts, Michiganders are encouraged to report any sightings of golden oyster mushrooms in the wild. Observations can be recorded at iNaturalist.org.

Veerabahu and colleagues sampled fungal communities in forests around Madison, Wisconsin, and determined that in logs colonized by golden oyster mushrooms, only half the expected diversity of native fungal species was present.

“Fungi are sources of revolutionary medicines, including antibiotics like penicillin, cholesterol medication and organ transplant stabilizers,” said Veerabahu. “The value of undiscovered, potentially useful chemicals can be lost when invasive species push others out.”

Veerabahu recommends that people consider refraining from using golden oyster mushroom grow kits to prevent any new introductions.

“For people who make a living selling these mushrooms, consider adding a note that this species is invasive and should be cultivated indoors and not composted,” she said. “If you enjoy growing mushrooms at home, try cultivating safe, native species that you have [lawfully] collected in your region.”

New species are often introduced by people long before the species’ invasive qualities are known. To avoid introducing or spreading species that may be invasive, never release pets, aquarium plants or other species into the wild, choose native speciesfor gardening, and keep exotic plants – and fungi – indoors.

For more information on golden oyster mushrooms, read Veerabahu’s full article.

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MIDLAND, Mich.  – Cameron Leary lined a two-out game-tying RBI double in the ninth inning,   and the Lansing Lugnuts (16-21, 52-51) went on to score five runs in the 10th   inning to beat the Great Lakes Loons (21-15, 55-45), 6-3, on Tuesday night at   Dow Diamond. The Lugnuts pulled within 5.5   games of the Loons, who fell a half-game behind the Lake County Captains for   the second half East Division playoff berth.
 

 Through eight innings, the game’s only run was a Logan Wagner solo home run   in the fourth off Ryan Magdic.  Great Lakes starter Adam Serwinowski, making his Dodgers organizational debut   after being acquired at the deadline from Cincinnati in a three-team deal,   blanked the Lugnuts on one hit through 6 1/3 innings while striking out nine,   and reliever Joseilyn Gonzalez followed with a 1 2/3 one-hit scoreless   innings.

With one out in the ninth, Darlyn Montero grounded a single into right   field off Christan Ruebeck. Montero then stole second on a strikeout of Davis   Diaz, putting himself in position to score the game-tying run on a Leary   laser to right.
 

The 10th inning was wilder: the Nuts broke the 1-1 tie on a T.J.   Schofield-Sam bloop RBI single, added another run on a Myles Caba wild   pitch, tallied two more on a fielding error by second baseman Jordan   Thompson, and wrapped things up on a Diaz single coupled with a fielding   error by center fielder Kendall George. Great Lakes scored two runs in the bottom of the tenth against Mark   Adamiak before bowing out.
 

In the win, Diaz finished 2-for-4 with a walk, Leary drew two walks in   addition to his double, and Casey Yamauchi was walked three times,   including an intentional walk in the 10th. In contrast, the Loons tossed three wild pitches (all by Caba in the 10th)   and had four runners caught stealing. Right-hander Grant Judkins starts the second game of the six-game   series on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m., facing Loons lefty Wyatt Crowell.
 

The Lugnuts play in Midland through Sunday, returning home to welcome in   Dayton from August 12-17. Tickets are available for purchase at the stadium   box office, (517) 485-4500 or by clicking here.

-courtesy story