Publisher David Hohendorf previews the May issue contents and plans for editorial additions in future issues of LAKE, and reminds readers about submitting photos for the magazine’s covers.
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Microplastics invade lakes Today, the world is heavily invested in plastic in every aspect of life. But this once-great innovation has become one of the world’s biggest problems, especially in the waterways like oceans and freshwater rivers, lakes and streams.
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Amphibians in the ecosystem Warmer weather arriving in March sets the stage for the annual orchestral performance by the frogs and toads symphony featuring each species' mating songs, a good sign because these amphibians play a critical role in the ecosystem of the local lakes.
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View from above
An aerial view of Gilbert Lake in Bloomfield Township.
Cover credit: Photo of hot air balloon over Manitou Lake in Lake Orion by Frank Ryde.
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Writer Mark H. Stowers in this issue takes a look at how a 1907 invention of plastic has become a major environmental problem in general and more specifically for inland lakes as microplastic particles make there way into the waterways in Oakland County.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes reports that 22 million pounds of plastic are dumped into the Great Lakes annually. Of that amount, 86 percent is plastic that breaks down into microplastics, which find their way into aquatic life, other wildlife, and eventually humans.
Further, groups like the Friends of the Rouge consider microplastics a major threat for the watersheds of Oakland. Researchers at Wayne State University published a paper last year, looking at the Huron and Clinton watersheds, which showed that stormwater drainage, infrastructure and land use have a major influence when it comes to microplastics entering the environment, including the inland lakes.
Stowers also takes a look at world of frogs and toads that are a critical part of the aquatic ecosystem of the lakes in Oakland County.
World-wide, there are some 8,000 species of frogs and toads, 14 of which can be found in Michigan.
It seems timely to look at this topic as these species contribute to the symphony of sounds we all hear as spring arrives in the lake community. They are also an important part of the lake environment, responsible for controlling the insect population and they have their own predators who look at them as a food source.
This longform piece also raises the concern that the overall population of frogs, on a world-wide basis, is in decline. As one of our sources told Stowers, “Frogs are definitely an indicator species. When something goes bad in the environment, amphibians such as frogs and salamanders are going to be the first things that start dying. Their skin is very semipermeable, making them susceptible to any type of environmental change that affects pH, or that affects the environment. If there is
some sort of environmental contamination, the first things that go are the frogs.”
Looking forward at issues coming up, next month we will be introducing a new feature, the Islands of Oakland, a look each month at the many islands that exist in our inland lakes. We are excited to add this to the issues of LAKE that we bring to 17,000 homes by direct mail.
Our June issue will also contain an editorial piece on the lakefront and lake-view restaurants in Oakland County, a timely piece to be sure.
We are also looking forward to expanding our editorial coverage to include home design topics in coming months so stay tuned as we broaden our coverage.
As always, we are focused first on critical environmental issues that impact the quality of our local inland lakes. But we look forward to exploring other lake-related topics in coming months.
FRONT COVER: The front cover photo this month of a hot air balloon over Manitou Lake in Lake Orion was provided by Frank Rye. We are still encouraging lake residents to send us possible covers for our magazine. As lakefront residents know, there is a variety of activity that takes place on local lakes and if you think your photo would make a good cover, please send a jpeg to lakephotos@downtownpublications.com. We ask that the photo be high resolution so it reproduces well. Vertical photos work best for the magazine’s cover. When you send in your photos, please include your home mail address so, if your photo is selected, we can send you a check for $100 and some extra copies of the magazine to share with friends. We already have selected a Fourth of July cover and a cover for October that fits with the Halloween theme but a few months (June, August, September) are still open.
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MICROPLASTICS ENTERING INLAND LAKES OF MICHIGAN
IT’S A MAN-MADE PROBLEM THAT REQUIRES MAN-MADE SOLUTIONS THAT MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN DATES BACK 70 YEARS AND POSSIBLY MORE SO IT WILL BE NO EASY TASK TO BRING THIS CONTAMINATION UNDER CONTROL, LET ALONE ELIMINATED COMPLETELY
BY MARK H. STOWERS
Leo Hendrick Baekeland innocently invented plastic in 1907. The easily shaped, durable, and inexpensive material became a staple in homes and businesses, with thousands of beneficial uses. Other scientists would come along and build upon the invention, but few probably foresaw the global problems they were creating in their labs.
Today, the world is heavily invested in plastic in every aspect of life. But this once-great innovation has become one of the world’s biggest problems, especially in the waterways like oceans and freshwater rivers, lakes and streams. The world’s oceans cover 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and produce 50 percent of the world’s oxygen. Over 1.25 billion people rely on fish from them as their main source of protein. However, plastic is now widespread in the world’s seas with estimates of total plastic ranging from 75–199 million tons, with about 5.25 trillion pieces of debris and growing. That's equivalent to dumping one garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute.
This problem keeps growing and leading to even bigger issues. The North Pacific Ocean contains the most plastic (198.2 million pounds) As of early 2026, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is estimated to cover approximately 1.6 million square kilometers (roughly 620,000 square miles). Located between California and Hawaii, this area is about twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France, with pollution levels described as growing exponentially. According to the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI.com), a major Switzerland-based academic publisher of open-access, peer-reviewed journals, these emerging contaminants, 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of plastic, enter the world’s oceans annually via rivers, with 74 percent transported between May and October. Asian rivers contribute 67 percent of this total, led by the Yangtze River, which delivers 0.33 million tons annually to the East China Sea, followed by the Ganges River, carrying 0.12 million tons to the Bay of Bengal. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that plastic pollution incurs a financial cost of $13 billion per year.
But only one percent of plastic floats on the surface while the rest sinks to the sea floor, threatening marine ecosystems from the surface to the deepest trenches.
The Great Lakes, the world’s largest collection of freshwater, are a target for plastic pollution, according to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, which reports that 22 million pounds of plastic are dumped into them annually. Of that amount, 86 percent is plastic that breaks down into microplastics, which find their way into aquatic life, other wildlife, and eventually humans. Most of this plastic originates from local land-based sources, such as urban areas and litter, rather than coming from distant oceans, with 86 percent of beach litter being plastic. Microplastics are broken-down pieces of plastic defined as particles smaller than five millimeters.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Microplastics have been found in every ecosystem on the planet, from the Antarctic tundra to tropical coral reefs, and have been found in food, beverages, and human and animal tissue.”
Plastic pollution poses a serious threat to the environment and could also threaten public health. It’s estimated that each person ingests about a credit card-sized amount of plastic every week. The building blocks of plastic are harmful on their own. Once in water, plastic fragments absorb toxic chemicals and can harbor potentially dangerous microbes. This poses a serious threat to the environment and could pose a threat to public health.
As far back as 2012, a study found an average of 43,000 microplastic particles per square kilometer in the Great Lakes. And in some places, the total was much higher. In one area downstream from two major cities, researchers found 466,000 particles of plastic. Hotspots like the Detroit River exceeded two million particles/km². The United States Geological Society (USGS) conducted a study in Wisconsin of inland streams to the Milwaukee River to Lake Michigan in 2019, looking at water surface, water subsurface and sediment and microplastics were detected in each of the 96 water samples and nine sediment samples collected.
Patricia Corcoran, PhD, Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Western Ontario, has been part of studies regarding microplastics and the Great Lakes from her Canadian view in 2018, 2020 and 2024.
“We were able to compare concentrations and distribution across all five Great Lakes. And then determine if the overall amount of plastic has decreased after six years. That was a more recent study. We did notice that those visible plastic debris items and the pellets have all decreased,” Corcoran said.
The problem has been building for decades and her research unfortunately underscored the fact.
“We did one study in which we had lake core from Lake Ontario and Lake Huron, and we were able to determine the pollen dates, and we were able to determine that we have fifty-six years of microplastics accumulating in Lake Huron and seventy-two years in Lake Ontario. It was already accumulating in lake bottom sediment. I was very surprised as there was about 280 microplastic particles per gram of sediment. That’s crazy. It’s a lot of microplastic,” she said.
The problem is hard to contain because it’s so pervasive in society, according to Corcoran.
“Microplastics are everywhere. Anything that we use that’s synthetic is considered plastic, even tire
rubber. It’s everywhere. It’s in the air that we breathe. It’s in the food that’s packaged in plastic but it’s also in the air. On a daily basis, we are eating microplastics, and we’re breathing them in. They’ve been found in all types of human organs and fluids. They’ve been found in human feces. They’re found in lungs, in the brain, in placenta, in urine – it’s everywhere. It’s not just animals and waterways. There are two big concerns. One is that because microplastics are so small, if they’re more available to a wider range of organisms of different sizes. The other issue is that a lot of plastics in general are produced with chemicals, such as additives and dyes. When they are in the water, they’re hydrophobic. They actually accumulate chemicals. It’s the chemicals that are the biggest concern. Because if we are ingesting so many or inhaling so many microplastics, how are those chemicals in the plastics affecting us?”
She explained some steps have been taken over the year including bans.
“BPA used to be in baby bottles. But now it’s banned. You no longer have baby bottles composed with BPA. But there’s still BPA in our in food cans because BPA is used as a resin. The lining inside a food can or soup can is a type of plastic, but they use BPA to make it stick to the can. These are awful types of chemicals. We also have flame retardants, which used to make sense because you don’t want your carpet or your furniture to easily catch fire. But the problem is flame retardants contain dioxins, really bad stuff. And so even if you burn plastic, it’s really bad for you. Horrible for the environment, but horrible for you to breathe in that because the dioxins can create cancer. The persistent organic pollutants, they mimic estrogen in our systems. You end up with a male species that starts to have some female attributes or infertility. So, the hormonal system, the endocrine system, is what those disrupt.”
Ashley Flintoff, Executive Director of the Friends of the Rouge, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit dedicated to restoring, protecting and enhancing the Rouge River watershed through stewardship, education and collaboration, notes the organization monitors the health of the river and is concerned about microplastic contamination.
“This whole issue of microplastic contamination and PFAS and PFSs ties in to our mission because the work we’re doing is really about connecting people with their river and letting them know that this river is an asset, and it’s something that they can recreate on and near,” Flintoff said. “And if it’s also at the same time contaminated or fish are contaminated, that becomes a barrier to folks really truly being able to access the river.”
The problem has been around a while and the Rouge River has been a focal point.
“It’s something that we have been really aware of for a very long time. We’re the most urbanized river or watershed in the state. And we’re also an EPA area of concern. Issues of contamination are really the reason why our organization was started 40 years ago.”
Those issues have included major concerns over the years and now, Flintoff said, “Microplastics are just unfortunately the next on the list of emerging contaminants that we have to worry about. But quite honestly, the top items we find in the river, whether during a cleanup or just while monitoring and being on the river, are plastic. Plastic bottles, plastic caps, food packaging and plastic cups. The majority of the items that we pull out of the river are plastic. In 2023, we worked with the Ecology Center in Ypsilanti to conduct a study and test fish in both the Rouge River and the Huron River for PFAS. They were really looking at, what are these chemicals? Many of which come from plastic or the production of plastic. How are they showing up? It’s something that we’ve been aware of since before 2023, but really 2023 was the year where we really started to lean in and partner with folks to say, let’s do some like really intensive testing on some of these contaminants in some of these issues.”
Flintoff noted that a paper published by Wayne State University researchers last year focused on the influence of drainage, infrastructure and land use on microplastics looking at the Huron and the Clinton watersheds.
“They looked at the microplastic, levels of microplastic and then where it was coming from and realizing how much of it really is coming from stormwater runoff. Everything that folks are throwing away, that they’re tossing out on the ground, that they’re dropping in parking lots and then it rains and all of that gets washed into the rivers and washed into our streams. It’s a major source of microplastics. One of the easiest things that people can do is just properly dispose of items, properly dispose of litter, reduce, recycle and obviously reuse as much as possible. Not tossing stuff out your car window, or tossing it in the parking lot or not walking the 10 extra steps to the trash can. You are taking all of that and putting it in the right place and keeping it out of the rivers and streams and lakes.”
Flintoff also explained elementary lessons can make a difference.
“The three R’s that we all learned in grade school – reduce, reuse, recycle – are the best way that we can try to combat this. The other thing, too, is really supporting research. Supporting science, there’s very little research done right now on microplastics.
There’s more and more every day but supporting research so that we truly understand how and what these things are doing to our bodies, what these things are doing to our environments, understanding how they’re getting there, understanding ways that we can continue to push for new ways to be able to recycle or reuse that sort of thing.”
Microplastics find their way into waterways, ground surface areas across the world. From the Arctic Circle to Antarctica and everywhere in between. From garbage that gets into drainage systems and breaks down, flowing into Michigan lakes, streams and rivers, to home-created pollution from washing clothes and using simple plastic implements, to even a major spill on a Michigan highway.
In late January, 26,000 pounds of plastic pellets or ‘nurdles’ spilled from a semi-trailer on I-96 and were spread for 11 miles near Saugatuck, mixing in with snow and eventually found their way into soil, the bottom of the Kalamazoo River. Even more was spilled when the truck was not properly secured and was towed away.
Wayne State University Professor Donna Kashian has been studying microplastics for several years with her students.
“One student recently published her work, looking at how it’s entering the system once it goes into the outflows,” Kashian said. “By measuring downstream of wastewater discharge, that’s what eventually gets in your inland lakes. We are trying to determine where it’s partitioning. ‘Is it going in the soil? Is it in the water?’ It’s in bulk. A bit of it settles out into the soil, but some of it still continues downstream into your receiving waters, like your inland lakes, or if it’s a bigger stream, it’ll go into the Great Lakes.”
When it hits Michigan lakes, microplastics start to clog up the natural filtering systems.
“We’ve also done work on how it interacts with other living organisms in the lakes, in zebra and quagga mussels, they can actually disrupt the filter feeding. Microplastics clog gills, so anything with gills has the potential to clog the gills and make it harder for them to breathe.”
Microplastics are also disrupting aquatic food sources.
“When you go out and step on a rock, it’s always slimy. That happens to microplastics. They’re in the water, they get algae build up on it, but that algae build up makes it look like food. Then you have fish and insects, seeing it and eating it because they think it’s food. You are getting food and it’s not actual nutritional food. That could potentially cause health issues. The aquatic life is not getting the nutrition and the calories they need.”
One study Kashian participated in examined how microplastics disrupted the life cycle of frogs.
“It sped up their metabolism, so it essentially is acting like a stressor and their conversion from tadpole to frog, the microplastics speed up their growth. We see this in the environment, with many stressors. When a tadpole feels stressed, it’ll metamorphose into a frog sooner because it’s trying to get out of a pond that might dry up. We actually didn’t expect this result. When tadpoles ate these microplastics, they grew faster. We actually thought we’d see the opposite.”
She also observed decreased growth rates in Yellow Perch that ingested microplastics.
“They’re getting full, but they’re not getting full on something that’s actually helping them,” Kashian said.
She explained that microplastics are coming from everywhere.
“One, they’re made by industry, so there’s microplastics being put in products. But then they are also coming from soda bottles, fleece-like clothing. Those are microplastics. The paint on the road is latex that turns into microplastics. Tire wear, that’s a microplastic. Latex paint in your house is a microplastic. But then you think of everything else. Your plastic pencils, your straws, your bags, all of your medicinal equipment, your packaging. There’s no slowing to this stuff coming in the environment. It doesn’t decompose to nothingness. It stays around a really long time.”
Yoorae Noh, an Assistant Professor in the School of Packaging (SoP) at Michigan State University (MSU), has been studying microplastics for the past decade. The South Korean native has a PhD in civil engineering and studied chemical engineering, and her research made her an expert in environmental engineering. With a varied focus, she realized she needed to become an expert in plastic. She first went to Auburn University and then MSU, landing in the school packaging program.
“I realized that the packaging sector is primarily using virgin plastics. That’s why I chose school packaging at Michigan State University,” Noh said. “Microplastics are the emerging issue in the plastic world. That’s why I have to study microplastics in soil, water and the atmosphere and the microplastics released during or after the manufacturing. We try to investigate the overall fate of the microplastic. But the source of the microplastic will be various.”
Microplastics are divided into two categories –primary and secondary.
“The primary microplastic is intentionally manufactured as a smaller size of plastics and the
secondary microplastic is unintentionally but artificially broken down into small pieces. The microplastics that are found in the ecosystem or the environment, that is the secondary microplastic, but still we can capture some of the primary microplastics,” Noh explained. “The plastic model is intentionally manufactured to a size similar to that of the plastic. We can consider it as a primary microplastic. The debris is usually degraded into the natural environment. The source can be from the resident area wastewater treatment plant, as well as emissions from the polymer manufacturing or the packaging manufacturing facilities.”
She noted that, “In 1970, we realized that plastic debris was present in the open ocean area. This is twenty years after we produced the first commercial plastic around 1950. We are generating a lot of the microplastics.”
Noh is part of a research collaboration between Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and Michigan Tech.
“We try together to gather the microplastic experts. And then see what the current limitation of the microplastic is. What is the gap in making the connection between the current practice versus the strategy building? Michigan launched the MSU PHC, which is a Plastic and Health Consortium. This PHC is designed to foster the interdisciplinary collaboration by supporting the individual research projects and the individuals. And we are facilitating the network within or beyond MSU about the microplastic work. We try to organize the academic conferences or statewide programs on plastic and the health implications,” Noh said.
The consortium was created eight months ago and includes a variety of academic experts, including those in molecular toxicity, agricultural engineering models and hydrology modeling, environmental contamination, environmental communication, medicine, polymer science and more.
“We try to bring a different perspective to the complex microplastic study because, when people think about microplastics, they usually assume it's just plastic that can be cleaned up. However, that's not the case. There are thousands of polymer types with various additives, making the situation much more complicated. Their fate and behavior vary greatly depending on their composition. That’s why we need to collaborate with experts from different fields. My expertise is in polymer science, so my group is investigating what types of polymers and what size and what surface energy the microplastics have that exist in Grand River, the water source that enters Lake Michigan by estimating the abundance
and diversity of the polymer,” Noh said.
There is also a project – a bubble barrier – being set up in the Grand River to try and clean up microplastics. MSU Professor Ruth Kline-Robach explained more.
“The Great Bubble Barrier – we’re working with Meijer and the city of Lansing and a group of faculty members from Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University to put a device called a bubble barrier in the Grand River in the city of Lansing that will help to separate the plastic out of the water,” Kline-Robach said.
A bubble barrier is a perforated rubber tube placed diagonally across the bottom of a waterway. A compressor pumps air through the tube, creating a curtain of bubbles with an upward current that pushes garbage to the surface. Once it’s at the surface, the flow of the water directs trash into a catchment system. The system’s designers estimate a catch rate of 86 percent of floating plastic pollution with pieces as small as one millimeter and as large as one meter.
One significant “polluter” actually comes from our homes, according to Kline-Robach.
“Our laundry. Synthetic fabrics like polyesters, our polyester fleeces, our acrylic textiles, when we do the laundry, that comes out in the wash water. So those microfibers then are discharged if you’re in an area that has a municipal wastewater treatment plant, and then if you are on your household onsite wastewater system, a septic system, those microfibers are potentially in the discharge that goes into your drain field. Wastewater treatment plants were primarily designed to remove pathogens, suspended solids and nutrients from the wastewater. They have settling and filtration processes that can remove a significant amount of the microplastics, but not necessarily all of them. So then after the wastewater goes through the treatment process, then it’s discharged to our area waterways. And so that’s one potential pathway.”
Another source is our roadways and the debris from automobile tires. “When we have rain events, that stormwater is picking up all of that debris from synthetic rubber polymers with the road, dust and rinsing that into our storm drains into our surface waters,” she said. “Another pathway is agricultural plastics. Wrap for hay bales and irrigation tape, things like that. And that weathers over time and can potentially end up in the waterways. It’s coming at us from different areas. And atmospheric deposition too.”
When those microplastics end up inside our bodies, they can cause horrific damage to human tissue.
“There is a widely cited study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, ‘Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events.’ They’re looking at microplastics or nanoplastics in human tissue. And what does that mean in terms of blood and the arterial plaque samples? There’s a lot that we don’t know about human health impacts. It’s an emerging area of research, like the long-term health effects of chronic human exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics.”
In order to find ways to minimize the microplastics problem, Kline-Robach notes, “We usually break it down into source reduction, and then how we are treating things, and then how we are manufacturing things. Source reduction is where people who live on a lake can play a role. Use alternative materials, not plastic bags, not buying plastic bottles of water. Then, we can look at better filtration techniques either for drinking water sources or wastewater treatment plants, membrane filtration or different types of filtration that will filter out some of those smaller particles that might not otherwise get filtered and will make it their way through the treatment plant.”
Kline-Robach also noted that septic systems need to be looked at to help with the solution of keeping microplastics out of water systems.
“It’s estimated that we have 1.3 million septic systems in Michigan. And we don’t really know if microplastics are being adequately treated in these drain fields or they’re getting through into the soil and into our groundwater. That’s another gap in the research,” she said. “If you have an onsite wastewater system, your laundry is going into that septic system.”
Noh from MSU added, “Another student in my lab is investigating the microplastics derived from agricultural plastic because they are found not only in the wastewater treatment plant facility near the river but also during our agricultural practices. However, many people usually ignore the microplastics in agriculture. They often use a lot of pesticides covered with plastic liners. The ideal cycle would be to fully recycle this microplastic into a new, value-added product. But studies show that even during recycling, a lot of microplastics can be released. Also, not all microplastics enter recycling facilities because, in the U.S., the focus is mainly on recycling high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate). Theoretically, we could recycle LDPE, similar to linear low-density polyethylene, or polystyrene, but that isn't economically feasible given current facility operations. That’s why most U.S. recycling facilities only accept HDPE and PET. Our
goal has been to seek funding for this, but ultimately, we want to explore how microplastics can be incorporated into value-added products, even if they aren't fancy. For example, they could be used as filament material for 3D printers or part of artificial structures on beaches, like benches.”
With aquatic animals and organisms, microplastics are absorbing these heavy metals and are getting ingested, causing even bigger problems.
“That’s why we call it the Trojan horse effect,” she said.
Microplastics pose a human hazard because once they enter the body, they can contain harmful substances. BPA (bisphenol A,) is an industrial chemical that research has shown can alter fertility and fetal development. It can mimic and disrupt the body’s natural hormones.
Phthalates are a group of chemicals added to plastics to make them more flexible and durable. Phthalates can be found in some cosmetics such as nail polish, perfumes and some shampoos. These can change hormone functioning and increase a person’s risk of cancer. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and chromium are known to accumulate in many organs over time and can lead to heart disease. All coming from microplastics.
As these are ingested by fish and other marine life, the food chain slowly becomes a toxic stream that reaches our dinner tables. The Department of Energy, Great Lakes and Environment (EGLE) has received funding for testing of Michigan rivers, lakes and streams. Eddie Kostelnik, an environmental quality analyst - emerging pollutants section of the water resources division for EGLE, explained more.
“We’re working on microplastics in multiple avenues. One of the main things that I am involved with is that we’ve been sampling microplastics and rivers and streams in Michigan. This sampling randomly targets rivers and streams throughout the state three times a year, and we’ll be doing it for four years.”
By the end of the sampling period, 200 rivers and streams will have been sampled three times each year.
“There is going to be various data analysis and quality checks that need to happen with that data. On top of that, we’re also developing more targeted sampling plans to potentially sample Great Lakes inland lakes and do some more method development,” he said. “We’re working on surface water sampling side, then we’re also developing a plan to assess impacts of microplastics and drinking water in Michigan. Then we’re in the process of developing a statewide microplastic strategy, which will look into what we need to do to better
understand microplastics problem in Michigan, and that plan would include monitoring, policy education and outreach.”
One year of sampling has already taken place with three more to go.
“I am working on developing the targeted sampling for this year. The data is still being qualitychecked, and based on the way we sampled, we need a larger data set to draw stronger conclusions. But what I can say is that we did find microplastics in the rivers and streams across the state in widely varying concentrations.”
For the random river and stream sampling, EGLE is using “grab” samples.
“We’re taking a glass bottle that’s known not to have microplastics in it. It’s been rinsed by the lab and we’re taking a grab sample at a specific depth in the river or stream. We’re looking into other methods that have been recommended from places such as the International Joint Commission, which has some methods that they recommended for microplastic sampling that we’ll be looking into,” Kostelnik said.
EGLE is also working with other states such as New Jersey and California where such sampling is being done to try and find a consistent way to sample for better results.
The state legislature is looking to help in the fight against microplastics with the implementation of legislation aimed at the problem. According to the Michigan Environmental Council, there are three bills working through the legislature as a package, Senate Bill 503/House Bill 4766, Senate Bill 504/House Bill 4768 and Senate Bill 505/House Bill 4767.
Senate Bill 503, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Irwin (DAnn Arbor), and House Bill 4766, sponsored Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) is legislation that would ban the use of microbeads in Michigan. Microbeads are tiny, manufactured plastic particles that are usually smaller than one millimeter (similar to the size of glitter) and can be found in personal care products like toothpaste. This bill goes beyond the scope of the federal Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 to cover additional products, such as cleaning supplies.
Irwin’s interest in microplastics piqued when he saw the dangers they created in the world’s oceans, and he wondered what microplastics were doing to the Great Lakes.
“The first thing I found was that we didn’t know enough, right here in the heart of the world’s greatest assemblage of fresh water,” Irwin said. “This was a problem that didn’t receive enough attention. We started working on putting together legislation.”
He formed a partnership with former
Representative Rachel Hood to build expertise with EGLE with budget support.
“That legislation does a few things,” he explained. “It calls for a statewide strategy on microplastics. It calls for more monitoring and it calls for getting microplastics out of some of the products where they’re really not necessary and where it’s easiest to remove them from our waste stream.
At press time, that legislation had made it out of committee to the Senate floor. Though the bills are bipartisan, Irwin noted there hasn’t been enough across-the-aisle support.
“I think that Republicans will say that they’re clean water fans when they’re asked on the campaign trail,” he said. “They’ll say what I think everyone as voters believes, which is we need clean drinking water, we need that to be safe. And I think they believe that as well. But that belief gets chased away pretty quickly when the Chemistry Council or the Michigan manufacturers or big retailers come to Lansing and say, ‘We don’t want to have to follow additional rules. We don’t want to have to change our products. We don’t want to have that responsibility for the Great Lakes into clean water.’ And their influence speaks loudly and also financially.”
According to Irwin, big business wants to continue business as usual. “When these bills came up in committee, we heard from big industry and big business saying that they didn’t think this was a good idea and that this is going to bring Michigan’s economy to its knees, it’s going to kill jobs, blah blah blah. We can’t protect the environment and have a healthy economy at the same time.”
He noted this argument came in the middle of the nurdle spill on I-94 that dumped tons of microplastics along 11 miles of roadway that wasn’t reported for another month. The beads were cleaned up as much as possible but there is no way to know the environmental damage as of yet.
“Emerging research that shows we’re finding out that microplastics are in all of our body and our bloodstream and our brain. So, it’s interesting that they’re still coming with the same playbook,” Senator Irwin said.
He noted the bills “build on some of the work that we were able to do through the budget a couple years ago, which I was mentioning with Representative Hood, where we funded some research within EGLE to look into this and to start to develop some data and start to look around the state. Much like we started doing with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) ten years ago. That started with an investigation, and that’s definitely got to be part of it. I would just encourage people to trust their eyes.
We’ve all been in Michigan parks, we’ve all been along Michigan roadways, we’ve all been on Michigan beaches and we’re seeing an increase in plastic pollution. And it makes a lot of sense for us to attend to that very visible pollution. But I just want to remind folks that while you are seeing that around us in our environment, These plastics, particularly when they become microplastics or even nanoplastics, they enter our bodies, and they start to pollute the pathways within our bodies. There are some very real health consequences that could be coming from these. And I just think it makes a lot of sense for us to take it very seriously and to be the place in the world that focuses on this and really focuses on figuring out how we, in a freshwater environment, make sure that microplastics don’t ruin this jewel that we have here in Michigan.”
Senate Bill 505, sponsored by Sen. Sue Shink (D-Ann Arbor), and House Bill 4767, sponsored by Rep. Denise Mentzer (D-Mount Clemens) require EGLE to create a comprehensive research and monitoring plan for microplastics in the Great Lakes across the state. The plan will examine the presence of microplastics in the environment and the Great Lakes ecosystem to assess ecological, health and economic impacts.
Shink first became aware of the microplastic problem from a governmental view as a Washtenaw County Commissioner.
“In terms of working for policy solutions, I was a county commissioner, starting in 2019, and I worked in that position to get support for a bill to allow local governments to ban or tax or otherwise regulate larger plastic items, single-use plastics,” Shink explained. “The legislature preempted that kind of action before then, around 2016 or 2017. Now I’m fighting to get that back. Since I’ve been in the legislature, I have worked to lift that preemption so local communities can make their own decisions. That bill is called SB 195 this session.”
Shink’s initial work began with her interest in contaminants and toxic chemicals while as a law student in the early 1990s.
“My first legal job was working on polluter pay legislation. I was able to work on cases under the polluter pay law at the time,” she said. “Now we’re fighting to get polluter pay back. But I’ve been very interested in toxic chemicals. I’ve worked to reduce plastics in my personal life, but that’s not really enough because there are so many plastics in the environment that they end up in our bodies through our drinking water without our permission. There are actually microplastics in the air and rainwater now, and they’re definitely in the lakes. I heard from researchers that even in the deepest parts of Lake
Superior, there are microplastics and macroplastics, too.”
In explaining Senate Bill 505, Shink said, “This bill would add legislation that would create a statewide micro prep, microplastics research and monitoring plan, and would require EGLE to develop a statewide microplastics research and monitoring plan that would assess the occurrence and the impact of microplastics on the plants, animals, waterways, and drinking sources of the state. And then figure out, ‘what the heck are we going to do about this?’”
She noted its harder in the United States to stop the microplastic invasion as “you have to double and triple prove that something is harmful before you can get anyone to do something about it. Microplastics affect us in so many ways. I read an AARP (story) about a research study that showed if you have microplastics in the plaque in your arteries and you have a heart attack, you are much more likely to die than if you don’t. And we know that plastics are endocrine-disrupting, so they affect our hormones. And many cancers are very sensitive to hormones. I know a lot of doctors suggest to cancer survivors, or people who are trying to prevent it that they avoid plastic, but it’s hard if it’s in your drinking water.”
She noted that Senate Bill 503 would help rid microplastics that are put in everyday consumer products.
“Microbeads are tiny bits of plastic, people often don’t even realize they are tiny bits of plastic. You could see them in facial scrub, but they’re in so many other things as well that you wouldn’t even notice.”
High-tech clothing, such as polar fleece and other synthetic clothing, is a “microplastic polluter.” When washed and even dried, these clothing items shed microplastics that if not filtered find their way into the atmosphere.
“One thing we can do is get filters for our dryers, and then we put them in the trash, and that is better than sending them out into the air. But also, if you line dry your synthetic clothing, it helps reduce the plastic shed,” Shink said.
Simply reusing bags for shopping can make a small impact that builds into a larger one.
“I do want to encourage people to take those actions in their life. Also, I think when people realize they can live with less plastic, it helps them understand that legislation that would require us to find alternatives,” she said.
In explaining more about Senate Bill 504, Senator Shink said, “It would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to require EGLE to establish microplastic baseline conditions in public water supplies. And then develop methodologies for measuring that. We would eventually have a limit on how much microplastics could be in public water supplies. It’s
really this is a stepped approach. It’s not as fast as some would like. But it’s what we think is practical and can actually get done.”
She noted there is opposition to the legislation from manufacturers and industry.
Senate Bill 504 is sponsored by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) and House Bill 4768 is sponsored by Rep. Veronica Paiz (D-Harper Woods).
This legislation would require EGLE to establish a statewide microplastics monitoring program focused on public drinking water supplies. EGLE must conduct quarterly testing across various water sources, including the Great Lakes, tributaries, and inland lakes, to evaluate baseline levels and potential health risks. The department must also publish a detailed report summarizing findings, including microplastic characteristics, possible sources, and recommendations for risk assessment and mitigation.
Kashian from Wayne State University explained, “There are three bills on the table that we need to get on the ballot.
The third bill is about providing funding to the DNR to conduct more monitoring, as we currently do not have microplastic monitoring in the state. We don’t even know, other than academics like me who are doing these short-term spot monitoring by outfalls. This bill would give the DNR the resources to actually figure out how much it is and where it is. Then we could start doing a better job of at least cleaning up a spot or preventing it from spreading.”
Samantha Pickering, Policy Manager with the Michigan Environmental Council, added more insight.
“I want to be optimistic, but it’s oil companies. They have a lot more money and power than any of us do, and they want to produce. And honestly, it’s super cheap for people to buy and make their products. They’re going to opt for that option over anything else. Basically, all environmental issues are really complex, and we have to go about mitigating and finding solutions from a few different angles. Right now, have our bill package that has had some good action in the Senate. They were recently passed out of the Senate’s Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee. They’ve moved on to the Senate floor, and from there, if they were voted out, would move over into the House Natural Resources Committee. There are three bills and one calls for comprehensive research and monitoring, a microplastic strategy bill that would have EGLE basically put together a sampling methodology for sampling for microplastics in the Great Lakes and give us a foundation to start building off of because a lot of the data and research here is still emerging. We don’t have many long term databases. So his would help us build towards that.”
VIEW FROM ABOVE
Gilbert Lake
Gilbert Lake in Bloomfield Township is a 63-acre water body with a relatively shallow profile, featuring a maximum depth of 18 feet and a mean depth of 5.7 feet. Holding approximately 110 million gallons (338 acre-feet) of water, the lake is encircled by a 1.8-mile shoreline that directly borders roughly 45 residential properties. Its 390-acre watershed is over six times the size of the lake itself and is largely urbanized, with water entering through a single intermittent tributary at the northwest end. As part of a larger aquatic network, Gilbert Lake drains into the Rouge River, eventually flowing into the Detroit River.
Michigan’s water and woods set the stage for an annual orchestral performance that begins when March weather warms and continues through late summer. The Michigan toads and frogs symphony features each species' mating song, from high-pitched trills and whistles to low-pitched moos. Common sounds include the high-pitched chorus of spring peepers, the long musical trill of the American toad, the banjo-pluck of Green Frogs, and the deep, loud bass of American Bullfrogs. These wetland and woodland creatures are key to Michigan's ecosystem, playing a vital role in the food chain and helping control insect populations. Michigan frogs and toads are also indicator species, offering insights into the health of water bodies—whether good or bad.
According to AmphibiaWeb March 2026 data, there are nearly 8,000 known species of frogs and toads worldwide. Michigan is home to 14 of these species. Experts across Michigan have studied, written papers and books about these creatures, and enjoyed the amphibian symphonies.
Frogs and toads found in Michigan include the Wood Frog, Northern Spring Peeper, Western Chorus Frog, Northern Leopard Frog, Eastern Gray Treefrog, Cope’s Gray Treefrog, Green Frog, American Bullfrog, Mink Frog, Pickerel Frog, Boreal Chorus Frog, Blanchard’s Cricket Frog, Eastern American Toad, and Fowler’s Toad.
Mark Vasallo, the Detroit Zoo Curator of Amphibians and the Director of the National Amphibian Conservation Center, offered a definition and described the benefits of frogs:
“The word amphibian means dual life. Most frogs have a larval stage which is fully aquatic. Then the tadpole stage, where they inhabit this aquatic ecosystem. They’re part of that system, meaning they’re being eaten and they’re eating things. They’re exchanging energy in this trophic cycle. They are a huge part of the aquatic ecosystem. They eat flies. They eat mosquito larvae as tadpoles. They eat algae. They control insect populations both as larvae and as adults, so that’s one advantage. But the big thing about amphibians is they inhabit those aquatic environments, and then they morph out. They grow their legs and get their lungs. They move on to land, and then they eat food and are eaten in that trophic cycle too. They play a big part in the energy transfer from aquatic to terrestrial environments on top of being an insect deterrent or an insect predator as well.”
The difference between frogs and toads? Retired Michigan State University Professor Jim Harding offered this explanation.
“The joke in my Herpetology class was ‘a toad is just a lumpy frog with short legs.’ The word toad used to be used real loosely, and in fact, some people called the tree frog a ‘tree toad.’ A toad has little round warts on the skin, which are mostly keratinized except for the parotid glands right behind the eyes. A toad is very
short-legged, and it doesn’t leap; it kind of walks or makes short hops because it has short legs. And it’s mainly terrestrial. Of course, they have to breed in the water and they’re the ones that will take up residence in your garden underneath a shrub or something and just dig in there and just stay there.”
A frog is smooth-skinned and jumps using its long legs.
For 27 years, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducted an annual statewide frog survey where volunteers were organized to listen and document frog mating calls to estimate frog and toad populations. The survey ran from 1996 until 2023, when, after nearly three decades, the DNR canceled it due to staffing issues. The survey simply required too much time, energy and resources to coordinate. The DNR received federal funding until 2017. The survey involved volunteers visiting frog and toad habitats to listen, look and identify what they heard. Some organizations still conduct limited surveys, including the 2025 Rouge River Watershed Frog and Toad Survey, which covered 202 survey blocks, with data submitted for 154 of them. Eight species were heard, including (by highest average) American Toad, Green Frog, Gray Treefrog, Spring Peeper, Midland Chorus Frog, Wood Frog, Bullfrog, and Northern Leopard Frog. Experts in the study of frogs and toads explained their roles, what their food sources are, their reproduction cycles, predators, environmental challenges, which species are endangered, and more. Frogs and toads both follow the same cycle of laying eggs, which hatch into tadpoles that eventually morph into frogs and toads. Each species lays a different number of eggs in various locations and patterns depending on their size. Smaller frog species lay fewer eggs than larger ones. Here is a closer look at each species.
The first Michigan frog to make an appearance on stage each year and begin their mating calls is the Wood Frog. This endangered, small creature can be 1-1.5 inches but gives one of the most distinct and loudest mating calls. Found in vernal pond areas (a temporary, shallow wetland that fills with water in spring or fall from rain and snowmelt, drying out completely by late summer) where they mate and then go back to the woods, Wood Frogs sound much like ducks quacking. Oakland County Wildlife Program Coordinator Sean Zera described them as, “One of the fun ones. They are our one woodland frog, hence the name. They honestly look like they are carved out of wood. They are often different shades of brown.”
Wood Frogs live in moist woodlands in mixed forests and can be brown, grayish brown, bronze, reddish or tan background in color. They have a dark brown or blackish mask from the eye to the shoulder with a white stripe on their upper lip. Males can be nearly black.
Keith Berven, retired professor from Oakland University, spent 40 years studying Michigan’s Wood Frogs. His findings are being summarized in papers and a book. But frogs weren’t the first interest of this northwest US native. He thought he was going to work with birds, but when he came to the University of Maryland for his undergrad, he got interested in amphibians on a research trip to Ecuador. His four-decade study is a pond outside of Ann Arbor.
“The pond was completely surrounded by a fence with buckets buried in the ground that would
allow me to catch all of the adults when they moved into the pond,” Berven explained. “I would count how many juveniles actually left the pond and I was able to follow survival and changes over all those years.”
Wood Frogs are the first to breed in Michigan and have a special capability.
“These frogs can tolerate freezing,” he explained. “They get through the winter months sort of buried slightly below the surface of the ground under leaf litter. They tolerate ice in their body and are pretty much frozen throughout the winter. In spring, when temperatures warm, they literally thaw out and emerge from hibernation and move to ponds to reproduce. They tend to breed in small woodland ponds, vernal ponds.”
He noted the male Wood Frogs have “a little black eye patch like a raccoon. They blend in well with the leaves. They have a short breeding period of a week or so.”
For those looking to find a Wood Frog, he notes, “They are more active in the evening or when it’s raining or wet.”
The Wood Frog is mostly threatened by habitat destruction, according to professor Berven.
“What people see as a weedy, wet area usually are viable habitats for reproduction for many amphibians. By filling in wetlands and those habitats, you are basically getting rid of areas where they would reproduce. There has also been a lot of work looking at the effect of road salt as that runoff tends to accumulate in bodies of water and negatively affects amphibians.”
Climate change has a continuing effect on amphibians and Berven explained that “Wood Frogs spend the winter in a frozen state and if temperatures fluctuate, they’re basically thawing and refreezing and they expend a lot of energy and that could affect their survival.”
that if a vernal pond that usually dries up, doesn’t.
“Green Frogs will successfully come in, and breed in August or September, and their tadpoles have to overwinter to complete their development the following year, and when Wood Frogs come into lay their eggs, the Green Frog tadpoles consume them,” Berven explained.
Wood Frog egg predators include Dragonfly larvae as the main one, as well as Diving Beetle larvae and salamander larvae. Harding noted the early March warm days get Wood Frogs in action.
“They’re like the first little plants to bloom. They’re pretty hardy. They come up and get snowed on, and then they’re okay,” the Detroit Zoo’s Vasallo said. “And I think the little frogs, the vernal pond species, are all pretty tough. They call when it’s warm, and then when it gets cold, they sink to the bottom and go back into their dormant state. Then wait out a few days until it warms up again.”
For those looking to listen for Wood Frogs or any frogs in particular, he offered some advice.
“If you go out about 8 p.m. on a warm spring day and don’t make a big fuss and don’t splash around a lot, you can go out where they are calling and just stand still, and they’ll start calling again,” Professor Harding said. “A trick my photographer friends taught me is to put a flashlight on them, and they get mesmerized for a minute or
temporary and permanent ponds, marshes, flooded areas as well as ditches during their breeding season. Then they move back into woodlands and fields. These brown, tan or gray background frogs have an X shape mark on their backs and a V shape mark between their eyes. A dark stripe from nostril to the eye and sometimes down the side of their body. With a pale yellow, white or cream belly, their legs are dark bars on top and are yellow or pinkish on the bottom. They have a high pitch peep mating call and may also have a low-pitched whistle which is used as a territorial marking response.
Their diet consists of any insect small enough to fit into their mouth such as ants, beetles, flies, caterpillars, and spiders. They are also a food source for many other animals such as fish, birds, snakes, and larger frogs.
Berven noted the Northern Spring Peeper breeds at the same time of the Wood Frog but for several more weeks. Thomas M. Goniea, a Sci Coll Permit Program Specialist and DNR Fisheries Division Biologist, described the small amphibian’s mating call.
“The peepers are really, really high-pitched and loud. It’s interesting because they are so loud, but they’re incredibly small. They can sit on your thumbnail. Incredibly small frog even as a fullgrown adult. What’s really interesting is seeing them calling. Their throat pouch will actually inflate almost the entire size of their body and then deflate pushing that air out and making that noise that they make. They’re very, very common, but most people don’t see them.”
Another climate change effect is
Peeper is active in March along with the Wood Frog. They can be found in
WESTERN CHORUS FROG
Another small frog, anywhere from 0.7 – 1.5 inches, the Western Chorus Frog is a brown, reddish or even tan to gray and sometimes olive background color with a white or cream strip along their upper lip
and a dark brown stripe that runs from the nose through the eye to the groin. They can be found in marshes, meadows, swales, wet woods or wooded swampy areas and are often found taking refuge under logs, rocks and leaf litter. Their mating call is a short scratchy creek that goes up in pitch much like the sound you hear when running your fingernail across a pocket comb.
Harding notes the Chorus Frogs are usually the third frog species to start calling but their numbers have diminished.
“The chorus frogs seem to be declining pretty precipitously over the last couple of decades. If I hear them at all, it will be one or two where it used to choruses of hundreds of them,” he said. “They breed in very shallow, very ephemeral waters which depend on rainfall to maintain the water in what are basically puddles. I was at Dansville State Game area many years ago and a farmer there had driven his tractor through leaving big tractor ruts which had filled with water and believe me, the Chorus Frogs were just going nuts in those ruts. We’ve had some pretty severe drought years, and that knocks them right back because those puddles they breed in dry out and don’t refill. They can lose whole breeding seasons.”
NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG
This once-abundant frog suffered declines in the 1980s when the chemical DDT was widely used. Usually 2-4.4 inches, they are currently uncommon or rare in Michigan. When found they enjoy marshes, bogs, lake and stream edges as well as fields, meadows and suburban lawns. With dark round spots, these frogs are green, greenish brown and brown to copper. With a dark spot over each eye and nose, they have a white line running from their nose to shoulder and their upper lip often has a white stripe bordered by a black blotchy line along with a while belly and very pale green or yellow tinted groin.
Harding explained the call of the Northern Leopard Frog.
“In early April, if you get some warmer days, you get the Northern Leopard Frog. It has a snore-like, very low-pitched call, which some people have a hard time even hearing because it’s such a subtle call. But it’s a very low kind of snort and snorkel-type call.” He also explained the Northern Leopard Frog has had a rough time in Michigan.
“Northern Leopard frogs will live in most permanent water situations, farm ponds and such. We still have a few leopard frogs around here. At one time, when I was a kid, and that was a long time ago, the Northern Leopard Frog was probably the most common frog in the state. I mean everywhere. They used to call them the Meadow Frog because after the breeding season was over, they’d wander off into the fields and woodland, edges and whatnot. You’d see them hopping all over the place. But they declined drastically during the DDT years when they were using lots of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides. Leopard Frogs were unusually sensitive to those and they declined very, very rapidly. And for many years, there were almost no leopard frogs at all.”
Vasallo noted that “Leopard Frogs have a pretty robust population on Belle Isle.”
This frog ranges in size from 1.22.4 inches and is found in deciduous or mixed forests, farm woodlots, swamps, old fields, well-vegetated yards and suburban areas, and can inhabit areas with suitable breeding ponds near trees or shrubs. These frogs can change color but are mostly gray but can be brown or pale brown with dark blotches on the back and dark stripe from the eye to the front leg. With a white belly their inner thighs are often bright yellow or orange. Their skin is warty and moist. The Eastern Gray Treefrog has a loud, musical trill lasting up to three seconds.
Harding offered more detail:
“About the same time the Northern Leopard Frogs are finishing up, the Eastern Gray Treefrogs begin to call. You get some nice rains in in mid to late April, and some warm weather and you get the Tree frogs calling. We still have some really good populations of gray tree frogs in this area. They seem to be fairly tolerant of whatever is being done to the land.”
Treefrogs are often found on the sides of houses, as “We can watch them hopping around on windows catching the insects that are attracted to the light inside,” he added.
COPE’S GRAY TREEFROG
Nearly identical to the Eastern Gray Treefrog but far less in number, the mating call of the Cope’s gray
Treefrog is faster, harsher and a more nasal trill sound.
“The Cope’s gray Treefrog is found in Michigan. It’s not as common as the Eastern Gray Tree Frog, but it has a different call and the call is faster and harsher,” Harding stated. “Cope’s Gray Treefrog are common in small areas like a marsh.”
Their toe pads are very large, and they have granular skin. Their coloring varies from gray to light green, and they have orange inner thighs. They also sport a whitish spot right below their eyes. This frog has an amazing chameleon-like camouflage defense mechanism. It can slowly blend with its environment. The Grey Tree frog can be seen all over Michigan in wooded habitats like backyards, forests and swamps. Various types of moths and insects are all part of its diet. Snails are rare prey for these frogs and other types of similarly-sized frogs across Michigan.
GREEN FROG
As one of the most abundant frogs across the Great Lakes region, the Green Frogs are a bit larger running anywhere from 2.4-4.2 inches and can be found in ponds, lakes, swamps, sloughs, impoundments and slow-moving streams. The may be green, yellowish green, olive, brown or any combination. With a green or yellow upper lip, they often have dark spotting on back and sides with a white belly and dark bars on their hind legs. A Blue Green Frog is not uncommon. Their mating call can be one or series of descending metallic notes like a banjo being plucked. They can also let out a low growl to ward off any other Green
Frog from entering their territory.
Green Frogs maintain small home ranges around water sources and spend about a third of their time foraging for resources (especially in regions of abundant leaf litter and dense vegetation), returning to the water for refuge. Their habitat has also been impacted by human interaction from the development of roads, buildings and other infrastructure and agriculture which involves the destruction of their habitat. However, if there is abundant and quality habitat nearby, green frogs have the capability to flee from deforestation and are also somewhat tolerant of that destruction. Green frogs tend to move primarily among three distinct types of aquatic habitats: ephemeral wetland, stream, and swamp. Additionally, green frogs look for soil moisture, fine woody debris, and fewer trees with water cover as they tend to inhabit areas near water and with open environments in order to survive.
“The Green Frog is like an American Bullfrog but has a different call. It is smaller,” Vasallo said. “The males when they call sound like a person snoring. It’s just really interesting.”
AMERICAN BULLFROG
With mating calls lasting deep into summer, the American Bullfrog is the only species that is permitted to be hunted in the state of Michigan with a limit of 10 from May to mid-November and those 17 and older must have a fishing license. Ranging in size from 3.7-8 inches, these are the largest frog species in North America. American Bullfrogs can be found in just about any still, permanent body of water
with a preference for those with plenty of submerged and emergent aquatic vegetation. They can be all green, yellow green, olive and sometimes brown with spotting or blotches on their backs and dark bars on upper legs with a white or cream belly.
“Obviously, your biggest frog in the state is the bullfrog,” Goniea said. “It’s really the only one that has any kind of recreational following as far as people going and catching them for food. I would describe their populations as stable but middle of the range. They’re certainly not super common, and part of that’s because they call and give away their position every night. So, if somebody does want to harvest bullfrogs, their call is a ‘come and get me’ kind of thing for people to home in on their positions.”
Cool, permanent bodies of water with lots of emergent and floating plants are the main habitat for Mink Frogs. They range in size from 1.8-3 inches and can live in slow streams, boggy lake inlets and spring fed ponds with a penchant for lily pads. Their backs and sides may be green, olive, or brown, with heavy dark spots or blotches. The top of the hind legs have rounded spots or vertical stripes and their underside can be completely yellow. Careful if you pick one up, their skin produces a musky odor like rotting onions.
Many frog hunters will have to head north to find this Michigan native that resembles another Michigan frog.
“The Mink Frog is specific to the UP (Upper Peninsula),” Goniea said. “It looks very, very close to a green
MINK FROG
frog. When I get pictures from the UP of mink frogs or green frogs, I usually have to get a second opinion on my ID because they are that close.”
Harding added more information:
“They’re a northern adapted frog. They’re a late breeder. Superficially, they look very much like a Green Frog and they even breed in some of the same areas that green frogs breed in. They look like a small bullfrog and they like deep water, and like areas with a lot of lily pads. So, they’ll sit out on a lily pad in three or four feet of water. And if they’re frightened, go all the way to the bottom and sit there. They’re pretty shy little things. They have a little chuckle like call that I’ve heard quite a few times in the Upper Peninsula there, and they they’ll call it right into July. They are a late breeder and their call is interesting. It sounds like roofers hammering shingles on our roof.”
He noted the call was so real his father thought a house was actually being built on the lake. Vasallo pointed out another interesting feature of the Mink Frog.
“It releases this interesting toxin, this smelly toxin. That’s why it’s call it a Mink Frog, because it smells like the toxin of a mink or the mink musk,” he said.
PICKEREL FROG
This species can be uncommon and rare across the state and small in stature from 1.7-3.4 inches and the most likely habitat would be a bog, fen, pond, stream, springs, sloughs and lake coves. They prefer clear water but often inhabit grassy stream banks and where
streams flow into the abovementioned habitats. Pickerel Frogs have square brown back spots in two irregular rows on a light brown, tan, gray or olive background. Their spots are usually outlined in black and their groin and hind legs undersides can be yellow, orange or gold while their throat and belly are usually white. Their mating call is a low pitched, croak that sounds like a snore. They are more common in the northern part of the state and are only rarely found in southern Michigan.
The Pickerel Frog secrete a skin toxin that can cause irritation to human eyes and mucous membranes, which also acts as a defense mechanism against predators.
BOREAL CHORUS FROG
There have been recent declines with the Boreal Chorus Frog in suburban and agricultural areas. They range in size from .7-1.5 inches and prefer open habitats like marshes, meadows and swales and can be found in wet woods or swampy areas with lots of trees and like to make homes under logs, rocks and leaf litter. These endangered frogs are brown, reddish, tan to gray or olive background with white or cream stripe along their upper lip. They also have a brown stripe from their nose to the groin with three greenish-black stripes on their back that often break into spots. Their belly can be cream or white with dark speckling on the chest and throat. With a scratchy creek that rises in pitch like the Western Chorus Frog’s fingernail on a pocket comb, the frogs skin is
moist and slightly rough.
“They are in the extreme western UP bordering Minnesota and Wisconsin. And on Isle Royal,” Harding said.
BLANCHARD’S CRICKET FROG
A rare and declining specie, The Blanchard’s Cricket Frog is small, ranging in size from .6-1.5 inches and lives on the edges of ponds, bogs, lakes, sluggish rivers or streams and is known to be found in mud flats and sandy shorelines as well. With a brown, tan, olive or gray back, the Blanchard Cricket Frog has patterns consisting of green, reddish or black with broad, light stripe down the center of the back with two light bars from the jaw to the eyes where you can usually see a triangle between the eyes. Many times, they have a dark stripe from the shoulder to the groin with another inside each thigh. There can also be a dark band of pigment on the upper leg. Their skin is warty and their mating call sounds like pebbles being tapped together sounding like clicks that can last more than half a minute with a slow to increasing tempo.
The Blanchard Cricket Frog is a late breeder for a small frog, mating in May and early June and according to Harding, “You’re not going to find them in big lakes but in deeper marshes and marshy lakes with a lot of thick vegetation. They’re called Cricket Frogs because they have this little click sound, ‘tick, tick, tick, tick.’ It’s an unusual little frog.”
The name comes from a University of Michigan professor, Frank Blanchard, who was a herpetologist for the university
and discovered the frog.
“The Blanchard Cricket Frog is a very rare frog. In fact, it’s considered a threatened species in Michigan. Very little populations of cricket frogs anymore,” Harding said. “Found, mostly in the western side of the state. But they’re not at all common anywhere. They have really long leaps, twenty times the length of their bodies. They’re pretty amazing, but they, for some reason they’re not doing well in this state. I suspect it has to do with their not being good at overwintering. They tend to overwinter in little spring creeks that seep through the soil. They get into these little seepage areas around the edge. If they can find the edge of a lake with a little spring coming in there, and that’s where they try to overwinter.”
EASTERN AMERICAN TOAD
The most common of the toads in Michigan, the Eastern American Toad can be 2-4.4 inches and enjoy living in open woodland areas, forest edges, prairies, meadows, marshes as well as suburban areas and agricultural land. They have dark rounded spots on the back and their colors range from tan, brown, red-brown to gray or olive and their throat and underside are pale with black or gray spots. Their mating call is a high pitched trill than can last more than 30 seconds. Berven explained the Eastern American Toad starts mating when temperatures get near 80 degrees.
“They will come out and move to the ponds,” he said.
FOWLER’S TOAD
The Fowler’s Toad is hard to find toads. They are anywhere from 2 – 3.7 inches and live in open woodlands, sandy prairies, meadows and beaches as well as farm and city landscapes. They like sandy soils found on shorelines and rivers. The Fowler Toad’s colors can be tan or brown or olive green or gray with a lighter central back stripe. Their backs have several dark spots or blotches with underside that is light in color with dark spots on the chest as well. They have a very warty skin and have a low-pitched, nasal bleat as a mating call that last anywhere from two to seven seconds.
“If you live along Lake Michigan, you’re more likely to see Fowler’s Toads or hear Fowler’s Toads. They’re very hard to tell from an American Toad but their calls are totally different. An American Toad has this long trill, very, very long, sometimes even a minute long. Whereas a Fowler’s toad just goes and they’re so completely different,” Goniea said.
Frogs can be a precursor to environmental problems according to Goniea.
“Frogs are definitely an indicator species. When something goes bad in the environment, amphibians such as frogs and salamanders are going to be the first things that start dying. Their skin is very semipermeable, making them susceptible to any type of environmental change that affects pH, or that affects the environment. If there is some sort of environmental contamination, the first things that go are the frogs,” according to Goniea.
He also explained that the frog population in general is in decline, saying “The U.S. Geological Survey did a study about 10 years ago that basically showed frogs in general were in decline. And it didn’t matter whether it was a common species or a rare species, they were in decline. And not a Michigan thing, not a U. S .thing, this appears to be worldwide phenomenon.”
Not wanting to discourage young children’s curiosity, Goniea noted one way to help keep the frog population safe is to wash your hands before handling them.
“If you have some sort of hand sanitizer or perfume, frogs are sensitive to picking up and absorbing those things,” he said.
Michigan does not any poisonous frogs but some species can emit a distasteful secretion that helps them survive predators.
“If a dog picks up a toad, they can have a bad reaction to the toad,” Goniea said.
Frog and toad predators are mainly large birds, such as herons, storks and crains.
“Obviously, your wading birds –blue herons, storks – those birds that are walking in the shoreline area of your lakes or your ponds, or any places that have lily pads. Main predators in the water are fish and snakes.”
Vasallo added, “Frogs and toads are preyed on by other amphibians. So larger amphibians, sometimes of the same species, can eat them.
In order to help frog and toad species prosper, waterfront landowners can play a big part. Goniea notes that a pristine, clean beachfront isn’t a frog’s best friend.
“There is nothing worse that you can do for a lake than to have a ‘golf course’ lawn that goes right down to the water’s edge. Lake shorelines are meant to have cattails, lily pads and if a tree falls in it, it’s meant to be. It provides places for frogs, turtles and juvenile fish to hide. You don’t have a completely untamed shoreline. If
you’ve got 100 feet of shoreline, leave 50 feet in a more naturalized state and manicure the other 50. Find photos of natural shoreline on a wild lake and try to mimic that on your own property.”
Michigan State University Extension Natural Resources Office offers advice of, “Use a diverse mix of native plant species that can provide ample food and protection. You can also maintain natural wetlands or add water features. Minimizing the use of chemicals, such as applying fertilizers and pesticides on non-windy and dry days, mowing from the inside out, and controlling rainwater runoff are all simple ways to help protect frogs.”
A knowledge of native and invasive plants is key as invasive plants do not provide a normal habitat for amphibians. At the Detroit Zoo, Vasallo explained the conservation center was created to help preserve and benefit amphibians around the world.
“That’s a big reason that this building even exists, the National Amphibian Conservation Center. In the early 80s, it was pretty obvious that amphibian populations worldwide were declining. There is a statistic out there that says, roughly 40 to 50 percent of all amphibian species are either endangered, threatened or at risk of extinction. A lot of the folks that I work with in Central America, South America are witnessing kind of the same phenomenon. This is significant because they are our indicator species. What we’re experiencing is maybe an indication that a lot of our ecosystems are degrading because of this loss of amphibians. There’s several reasons for that. There’s an infectious disease, a pathogenic fungus known as ‘chytrid fungus. And that has really had a very ill effect on survivorship and amphibians worldwide. And that’s a fungus that has become even more
prevalent in the last 20-40 years because of the change in the environment, the change in the climate. And also, because of the global nature of our world, where people are transferring pathogens all over the planet. This particular fungus evolved in Asia and eventually was brought to Central America and that started decimating amphibian populations in Central America, as well as South America. This building was created in the early 2000s in order to become a leading facility in breeding and reintroducing amphibians because of this decline. A big part of our mission now is to conserve amphibians.”
The 14 species of Michigan frogs and toads sing their mating songs from spring to summer and their harmonies are the backdrop to a peaceful summer night. Living in harmony and keeping the population thriving is key for nature’s amphibious music to continue.
THREATENED PLANET
Threatened Planet is a newsletter of curated information gleaned from over 30 print and online news sources where reliable information is provided on the health of the environment and the efforts to remedy problems facing the planet. We constantly monitor a diverse list of sources – the major daily newspapers in the country and in Europe, a variety of scientific journals and government websites, along with newsletters from environmental groups, as well as a wide-ranging list of other reliable print and online news outlets. For those concerned about the environment, we do the legwork by aggregating relevant information from a wide swath of sources and attempt to offer links mostly to those sources not restricted by a paywall. Those interested can sign up for the newsletter at ThreatenedPlanet.com.
Research and composition of the Threatened Planet newsletter is the work of Austen Hohendorf.
The record setting March heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change, according to an international group of scientists who study causes of extreme weather events. (Seth Borenstein/The Associated Press)
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) waived environmental laws to issue more than $1 billion to install buoys stopping border crossings, but won’t share environmental assessments with the pubic. (Martha Pskowski/Mother Jones)
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A coalition of more than two dozen statesincluding Michigan - are suing the Trump administration for relinquishing the governments legal authority to fight climate change. (Grant Schwab/The Detroit News)
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Michigan Governor Whitmer declared an energy emergency in response to high gas prices to allow continued sale of cheap fuel blend. (Colin Jackson/Michigan Public Radio) ▾
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official in charge of methane regulations helped write arguments against them for the oil industry. (Alex Cuadros/ProPublica)
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President Trump set the highest rate of rejecting disaster aid for Democratic-run states in 47 years of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Thomas Frank/Politico) ▾
New research shows data centers powering AI create “heat islands” warming the land around them, and scientists say the environmental impact is alarming. (Laura Paddison/CNN)
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A panel of Trump administration officials unanimously voted to waive environmental rules for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico that have protected endangered species. (Maxine Joselow/The New York Times)
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The World Meteorological Organization released the latest State of the Global Climate report showing Earth’s climate is out of balance as indicators hit new extremes. (Bob Berwyn/Inside Climate News)
The Trump administration agreed to pay a French energy company $1 billion to stop wind farm developments off the East Coast, directing investments into oil and gas projects instead. (Evan Halper, Jake Spring/The Washington Post)
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moves to weaken limits on a cancer-causing gas from manufacturing facilities that sterilize medical devices. (Maxine Joselow/The New York Times)
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Experts say the bombing of Iran’s oil infrastructure will have major long-term environmental repercussions - including acid rain, toxic air, and contaminated water and soil. (Damien Gayle/Mother Jones)
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A new study finds climate change is exacerbating physical inactivity causing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths by 2050. (Fenit Nirappil/The Washington Post)
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A new 339-mile hydropower transmission line from Quebec will provide clean electricity to NYC this spring. (Hilary Howard/The New York Times)
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The FBI is supposedly investigating environmental activists as the Trump administration broadens its efforts to target political opponents. (Nicholas Kusnetz/Inside Climate News)
METRO INTELLIGENCER
Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area. Metro Intelligencer is reported/ created each month by Gigi Nichols who can be reached at GigiNichols@DowntownPublications.com with news items or tips, on or off the record.
Rock Legends plans to open in Royal Oak
Rock & Brews Restaurant and Concert Bar, a national restaurant concept started by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS will be opening this spring at 208 West Fifth Avenue, Royal Oak. The three-story space promises an immersive rock & roll experience, like no other, amplified by classic food and drink for music lovers of all ages to enjoy. “We’re excited to bring a Rock & Brews Restaurant and Concert Bar to Detroit Rock City,” said Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons in a joint statement. “We’ve all worked hard collaborating as a team to create Rock & Brews destinations we could be proud to share with the community, and that is without a doubt what we will do for our newest location in Royal Oak.” The new Rock & Brews Restaurant and Concert Bar, featuring three floors will include: a main dining room on level one; live concert stage and bar on level two; an open-air rooftop Sky Lounge with DJ and great views of the city on level three; over 30 TVs and a 16-foot state-of-the-art LED screen for an immersive viewing experience for sports and entertainment; and private dining rooms and meeting rooms. On the menu, guest will find scratch-made American classics, signature “rocktails,” local and craft beers on tap, plus weekend brunch. In addition to Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, the Rock & Brews team includes CEO Adam Goldberg, entrepreneur, restaurateur, and hotelier Michael Zislis, who is behind some of Southern California’s most well-known establishments, such as The Strand House and Shade Hotels; as well as concert industry veterans Dave and Dell Furano. The team opened the first Rock & Brews near LAX Airport in Southern California in 2010 and since then, have expanded to over 20 locations in the U.S. 208 West Fifth Avenue, Royal Oak rockandbrews.com
Medusa Cucina Siciliana opened in Detroit
Chef Anthony Lombardo, the force behind Detroit’s acclaimed SheWolf Pastificio & Bar, has opened a new restaurant — Medusa Cucina Siciliana, located at 644 Selden Street in Detroit. Lombardo debuted SheWolf in the summer of 2018 and went on to earn recognition as a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes in both 2019 and 2022. With Medusa, the celebrated chef turns his focus to the rich culinary traditions of Sicily. The new restaurant draws inspiration from the complex history of the Mediterranean island. As Medusa’s website explains, “Sicily has been part of Italy since 1861, but before that, the fierce island had many different rulers, all leaving behind their own culinary imprint. At Medusa, we honor this rich, complex heritage by bringing the dynamic flavors of Sicily to the heart of Detroit.” That layered history is evident
throughout the menu. Sicily’s former rulers each introduced ingredients and techniques that continue to define the region’s cuisine. The Greeks brought grapes and wine, olive oil, honey, figs, pomegranates, wild herbs, chickpeas, and lentils. Under Roman rule came wheat and barley, bread baking, sheep and goat husbandry, cheese, garum (fish sauce), and dried fruits. Arab influence introduced oranges and lemons, couscous and rice, eggplant and prickly pear, pistachios and almonds, as well as cannoli. Later, the Norman rulers added timbales, meat and sausages, advances in fishing and aquaculture, butter and lard, and the use of capers and anchovies. At Medusa Cucina Siciliana, these influences come together in boldly flavored dishes. Starters include vibrant salads such as Finocchio e Arancia, featuring sliced navel orange, shaved fennel, green olives, radicchio agrodolce, red onion, and bottarga dressing. Entrées highlight Mediterranean seafood and rustic Sicilian preparations, including Branzino—a whole grilled Mediterranean sea bass served with salmoriglio, aglio olio emulsion, and lemon, and Agnello alla Agglassato an onion and Marsala-glazed lamb shank paired with olive oil–whipped potatoes and crispy onions. 644 Selden Street in Detroit medusa-detroit.com
CoCo’s Chop House to debut in Rochester Hills
A refined new dining destination is preparing to make its debut in Rochester Hills on May 5. CoCo’s Chop House promises an elevated steakhouse experience centered on meticulously dry-aged steaks and seafood—while pursuing an ambitious goal: becoming Michigan’s first zero-waste kitchen. Leading the vision is Dean Cicala, part owner, executive chef, and general manager. He is joined by principal partner John DeAngelis; chef de cuisine Clifton Booth, formerly executive chef at Madam; and awardwinning chef Jimmy Schmidt, former owner of Rattlesnake Club, who serves as a consultant on the project. The menu extends well beyond premium cuts of steak, veal, and pork. Guests can also expect specialty dry-aged seafood, housemade pastas, and thoughtfully crafted plant-based vegan dishes. Designed by David Savage, CoCo’s interior features soaring ceilings and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light. Oversized cylindrical pendant lights hang at varying heights, while a sculptural starburst chandelier adds a striking mid-century modern accent. Seating blends plush emerald-green velvet banquettes with tan upholstered chairs, all arranged around white marbletopped tables. In pursuit of its zero-waste mission, CoCo’s has partnered with Make Food Not Waste, an initiative led by professional chefs who transform excess food into nutritious, dignified meals for community members facing food insecurity. Any remaining food surplus that cannot be repurposed will be composted through My Green Michigan, reinforcing the restaurant’s commitment to sustainability. 6810 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills cocoschophouse.com
Percent Coffee’s Bloomfield Township location
Noor Hamed and Rami Mounajed are two best friends who had a dream to bring a community together through quality coffee and pastries. They successfully launched their first store, Percent Coffee, in Troy and now a second locationhas opened in Bloomfield Township at the southwest corner of Square Lake and Telegraph. The Bloomfield location includes additional partners Rimi Hirmiz and Andy Najim. The name “Percent Coffee” reflects their unique blend of arabica beans sourced globally and roasted locally, resulting in what they deem to be “the perfect cup.” A few of the signature coffee drinks on the menu include the Spanish Latte with sweetened condensed milk and espresso; the Café Mil with espresso layered with milk, natural honey and a touch of cinnamon; and the Pistachio Latte with a hint of roasted pistachios balanced with espresso. A list of traditional drinks such as Cold Brews, Cappuccinos and Americanos and Turkish coffees and exotic teas round out the beverage menu. The café makes all of its pastries daily including Honey Comb and Bagel Bites which are baked by Rami Mounajed’s mother.Heartier options include the Avocado Toast, featuring toasted sourdough bread topped with a drizzle of olive oil and feta cheese or the Egg and Cheese Croissant filled with creamy scramble eggs, melted cheese and spicy mayo.The interior of Percent Coffee is contemporary with high ceilings and exposed black ductwork that emphasize vertical space and give the shop an airy, warehouse-inspired aesthetic. The atmosphere appears well-suited to today’s hybrid customer: individuals working on laptops, small groups meeting, and casual coffee drinkers. 2510 S Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hillspercent-coffee.com
Food Truck launches brick and mortar
Detroit 75 Kitchen, named one of the Top 3 Food Trucks in the U.S. and a Top 100 Restaurant by US Weekly, has opened its first brick-and-mortar. Brothers Chef Mike and Ahmad Nassar launched the business from a food trailer at their family’s truck stop near the Ambassador Bridge, serving truck drivers and local workers. Lines soon stretched down Fort Street. After testing demand with a pop-up at the former Sears Auto Center near Oakland Mall, strong community response led them to establish a permanent home nearby at 32275 Stephenson Hwy in Madison Heights. The restaurant features a bright, retro-diner aesthetic with clean lines, terrazzo-style floors, and warm midcentury inspired finishes, including fun details like recycled Faygo pop bottles sealed into the tabletops. The walls showcase awards and artifacts from the brand’s journey—including memorabilia from Detroit’s NFL Draft and the PGA Rocket Mortgage Classic—alongside custom illustrations created by a local artist and photographs celebrating Detroit’s food culture. The menu celebrates Detroit with favorites such as Atwater Chicken-Smoked chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, sweet pickled jalapeños, garlic cilantro aioli on a freshly baked sesame roll; Detroit Style Cheesesteak-Ribeye, sirloin, provolone and Swiss cheeses, roasted mushrooms and peppers, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, sweet pickled jalapeños, aioli, house-made vinaigrette on a freshly baked sesame roll; and Fisher Fwy Fishcatfish, gulf Maine haddock, or Lake Erie walleye with lettuce, tomato, pickles, sweet pickled onions, and house-made Old Bay tartar sauce on a freshly baked soft roll. 32275 Stephenson Hwy, Madison Heights detroit75kitchen.com
Lakefront homeowners in Oakland County are a special set... and now they have their own special niche publication.
LAKE MAGAZINE
Upscale, full-color, direct mailed to over 17,000 homes on the shores of Oakland County’s waterways. Produced by a seasoned group of award-winnng professionals directing their talents to the issues surrounding the concerns of living on the waterfronts.
Ride on our coattails into the homes of this important, affluential segment of the buying public before the start of each month.
Contact Pat Collins at 586.215.1400 or PatCollins@DowntownPublications.com to discuss how to include your message.
June issue reservation deadline is Friday, May 8. Issue mailed May 26.
A) Oxford Multi includes: Cedar, Clear, Long, Squaw, Michelson & Tan Lakes
B) Waterford Multi includes: Cemetery(Middle), Dollar, Greens, Maceday, Lotus, Lester, Van Norman, Williams, Mohawk, Wormer, Schoolhouse, Silver, Upper Silver & Loon Lakes
C) The Loon Lake control structure also controls Mohawk, Wormer, Schoolhouse Silver & Upper Silver Lakes
D) The Van Norman control structure also controls Green, Maceday, Lotus & Lester Lakes
E) Lake Angelus, Huron River, and Clinton River levels are not under the jurisdiction of this office
F) The Dawson Mill Pond and Sylvan-Otter Lakes are controlled by the Price Dam
G) Crystal Lake is controlled by the Walter Moore Dam
H) Lake Louise and Huff Lake are controlled by the Ruth Johnson Dam
I) Waumegah Lake reading in N.G.V.D (1983)
J) Some Winter Levels are set by Court Order. Others reflects customary drawdown
