Great Lakes Echo

Green clues: Crime-busters turn to moss to help solve crimes 

5 min read

By Eric Freedman

Tiny pieces of moss can be crime-busters, says a study examining how law enforcement agencies, forensic teams and botanists have used moss to solve murders, track missing people, calculate how long ago someone died and – in a notorious Mason County case – try to locate the body of a baby murdered by her father.

The post Green clues: Crime-busters turn to moss to help solve crimes  first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Great Lakes Echo

New research in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula shows how invasive earthworms are changing forest soils  

3 min read

By Georgia Hill

Scientists studying the body size and growth patterns of non-native earthworms in the UP’s Huron Mountains say they are disrupting forest ecosystems. Contrary to popular belief, most North American earthworms are invaders unintentionally introduced during European colonization. They have a significant impact on ecosystems, especially in the Great Lakes region where they affect soil structure, nutrient cycling and biodiversity.

The post New research in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula shows how invasive earthworms are changing forest soils   first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Great Lakes Echo

Michigan court refuses to reinstate lawsuit over runaway carriage horse at Greenfield Village  

3 min read

By Eric Freedman

A horse-drawn carriage. A runaway horse. A crash. Sounds like an old-fashioned drama – not a bizarre 21st-century event. But that’s what happened three years ago when a visitor was injured while riding in a horse-drawn omnibus at Greenfield Village. The Court of Appeals has refused to reinstate her negligence suit against The Henry Ford and the driver.

The post Michigan court refuses to reinstate lawsuit over runaway carriage horse at Greenfield Village   first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.