Red Pine Radio

Frogs and toads are highly sensitive to habitat degradation, and that makes them a good barometer for environmental health.

Every year volunteers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources do a listening survey to determine which species of frogs and toads are present and how abundant they are.

Volunteer Kathy Gray's survey route is on Old Mission Peninsula.

“Well, I do love the toads. I love the trilling toads," Gray says.

At a time when many their age have retired, three northern Michigan artists are reuniting for a multimedia exhibit. They were the stars of the art department at Traverse City Central High School 50 years ago. Now they're getting back together and seeing each other in a whole new light.

The season of Lent ends for many Christians this week. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter. For Catholics, Lent means abstaining from many things, including meat on Fridays.

In northern Michigan, some local churches host fish fries on Fridays.  

Coyotes have an unmistakable howl that you’ll be hearing more and more as the weather warms up. They might have been quiet during the winter, but they weren’t hibernating. They can survive even a polar vortex. 

Domestic dogs share DNA with coyotes. That inspired Cheryl Bartz of Red Pine Radio to investigate whether dogs could also make it through a winter outside. 

For northern Michigan artists, getting in to the annual Regional Exhibit at Traverse City’s Dennos Museum Center is a big deal. But not everyone is accepted to the juried show.

Artists deal with rejection all the time, but this year the artists who were not admitted got together and created a show of their own.

After skiers and snowboarders leave at the end of the day, mountain manager Mike Cutler and his team of groomers take over the slopes at Crystal Mountain Resort.  They work all night to prepare downhill runs for the guests who will show up the next day anticipating perfect corduroy – that's the pattern left by the grooming machines. Weather and snow conditions keep the groomers on their toes.  Mike Cutler says that’s what keeps it interesting.

This week on Points North, a bacteria called cherry canker is attacking sweet cherry trees nationwide, but one Michigan scientist is developing a solution. Plus, how a new bill could help tart cherry farmers compete with cheap Turkish cherry imports.

Many of the best cross-country skiers in Michigan will line up in Traverse City this weekend for the 43rd annual North American Vasa ski races.

One of those skiers is local resident Anders Gillis, who won the 34-kilometer classic race last year. 

Anders was not always in shape for a ski marathon. After a personal tragedy, the lifelong athlete fell into depression and put on significant weight. 

At Gary Michalek’s house, food scraps don’t go into the trash can. Kitchen waste goes into the worm bin. The master gardener from Benzie County does vermicomposting – a technique that uses earthworms to recycle food scraps into nutrient-rich humus. Michalek says the recycled soil is like fertilizer on steroids.

When picking plants for your garden next spring, be careful about what you choose. A species called Japanese knotweed has been known to eat people’s houses. Well, not literally. But Emily Cook with the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network says knotweed roots grow through roads, sidewalks – and yes – even homes.

When it comes to wood carving, you can’t just pick up any old piece of wood off the ground and expect to do something nice with it. That’s what Lake Ann resident Jack Hannert says. He recommends using green wood – that is, wood that has been cut recently from a tree.

Bob Tarkington always wanted to go to music school. So when the Frankfort summer resident retired, he decided to do just that. It took two tries to get accepted, but now Tarkington is a senior in a jazz studies program in Georgia. He says it’s easy to spot him in his school choir: just look for the student with a shock of white hair.

Mike Webb says he’s always been fascinated by balloon twisting – the shaping of ordinary-looking balloons into extraordinary things. The Benzonia resident is the self-styled "chief entertainment officer" for Balloon Dog Productions. In other words, he’s a professional balloon twister.

Wendy Intrieri trained dolphins at SeaWorld for a decade. Now she’s training horses in Leelanau County. Intrieri says she uses positive reinforcement techniques with her animals, a method that can be used with all kinds of pets.

Oligotrophic. It’s a word that describes the oxygen-rich, nutrient-poor environment of Grand Traverse Bay. Nutrients are the enemy of a healthy bay, says former Grand Traverse Baykeeper John Nelson. And he says everyone has a role to play in maintaining the cold, clean water.

If you have your wedding in a public park, don’t forget that anyone could show up. That’s what Lake Ann resident Rachel Jones and her husband learned – and they thought it was wonderful.

Imagine not always being able to recognize the faces of the people in your life. For Benzonia resident Cheryl Bartz, it's something she has to deal with daily. It's a condition called prosopagnosia – also called face blindness – and it's more common than you think. 

'This You Should Know’ is a new series from Red Pine Radio. 

Red Pine Radio is a group of community members who are learning to make their own radio stories. This community workshop is sponsored by Interlochen Public Radio.