Green Elk Rapids

Green Elk Rapids Green Elk Rapids is a local volunteer org committed to raising awareness and appreciation for environmental issues and the natural environment.

🍽️ Clean your plate: Michigan’s K-12 schools, which dole out millions of meals each day, generate 17,000 tons of food wa...
05/31/2026

🍽️ Clean your plate: Michigan’s K-12 schools, which dole out millions of meals each day, generate 17,000 tons of food waste each year. Most of that winds up in landfills, where it takes up space and produces greenhouse gases. But a growing number of schools are launching composting programs that curb waste while teaching students sustainability.

Get the story: In school cafeterias, kids fight Michigan’s food waste problems
https://bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/in-school-cafeterias-kids-fight-michigans-food-waste-problems/?utm_source=Bridge+Michigan&utm_campaign=1c4d2cfc90-Enviro+Watch+05%2F26%2F26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c64a28dd5a-119be0d91b-82575112

Thank you to the MDOT crew for their time and work cleaning up the highway on Saturday, May 25th.
05/19/2026

Thank you to the MDOT crew for their time and work cleaning up the highway on Saturday, May 25th.

Happy Earth Week! We are excited to be on the front page of the Rapids News.
04/20/2026

Happy Earth Week!

We are excited to be on the front page of the Rapids News.

Spring is coming!
04/10/2026

Spring is coming!

The Great Backyard Bird Count, (GBBC) the annual citizens count of bird sightings in their back yard, contributes to res...
03/24/2026

The Great Backyard Bird Count, (GBBC) the annual citizens count of bird sightings in their back yard, contributes to research on birds and their status amid climate changes, and is based at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University.
Numerous Elk Rapids citizens participated. For ways to support birds in your gardens. www.gardenforbirds.org

One GBBC participant on Bass Lake submitted the following, via Merlin Bird app: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Northern Cardinals - male and female, Pileated woodpecker, Mourning Doves, Red bellied woodpecker, Black-capped chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Bluebird.
by Cheryl Bachman

A GBBC participant on the east bay included the Piliated Woodpecker in her count, via eBird app: Pileated woodpeckers are one of our largest forest birds and you can find them all year round. They pair for life. Pileated means crested or capped and this black bird with bold white stripes down the neck has a flaming red crest. The male has a streak of red on his cheeks. Large dead and dying trees and snags attract the birds foraging for carpenter ants, ants, wood boring beetles, termites, and other insects, or for roosting. Pileated woodpeckers also will eat wild fruits, nuts, and berries.
by Maureen Lorenz

Grand Traverse Bay has frozen over for the first time in 6 years (or for the first time since 2019). Data about when and...
03/17/2026

Grand Traverse Bay has frozen over for the first time in 6 years (or for the first time since 2019). Data about when and how long the bay freezes have been collected every year since 1851. Using this data, we can see the bay is freezing less often and for fewer days. Before 1980, the bay froze 86% of winters for an average of 47 days. Since 1980, the bay has frozen 35% of winters for an average of 16 days. This trend has been observed throughout the Great Lakes region, illustrating the impacts of our changing climate. Although Grand Traverse Bay is considered frozen, we emphasize that no ice is safe ice. Exercising caution is essential when recreating on ice, particularly when warming temperatures rapidly impact ice movement, fragmentation, and thickness.

Heather Smith, Grand Traverse Bay Waterkeeper, Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay

Winter is one of the best seasons! My favorite part about winter is the glistening snow. I love to follow the animal tra...
03/10/2026

Winter is one of the best seasons! My favorite part about winter is the glistening snow. I love to follow the animal tracks left behind in the snow, go ice skating, cross country skiing, and most of all sledding. Nature is all around us and is so beautiful! Remember to take time to enjoy the beauty of winter because Spring will be here before we know it!

By Elizabeth C (Age 9)

This year we’ve gotten a large amount of snow. With all of the snow and cold temperatures there are a lot of possibilities! There are so many activities like sledding, cross country skiing, and ice skating. Even grownups like to join the fun! But I think most grownups really like seeing the glistening snow and the pretty snow covered trees. Even if winter isn’t your favorite season, remember that nature is all around us and it’s beautiful!

By Annabelle C (Age 10)

Stay up late tonight - A total lunar eclipse, called a Blood Moon, will occur on tonight, Tuesday, March 3, beginning 3:...
03/02/2026

Stay up late tonight - A total lunar eclipse, called a Blood Moon, will occur on tonight, Tuesday, March 3, beginning 3:43 a.m., when the Moon makes contact with the outer part of Earth’s shadow, lasting 1 hour and 6 minutes, visible in our area, no special eye protection needed. Totality, the main event, begins at 6:03, lasting 59 minutes, and giving the “blood moon color. This happens when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its full shadow, “umbra”, across the entire lunar surface. During this event, the moon’s surface often turns a reddish color, making a “blood moon.”
​This is an awesome event, definitely worth getting up early for the show.

Green Elk Rapids AdventuresThe Red Woods National Park - California Zoe and Amanda took a short two-mile hike today in R...
02/16/2026

Green Elk Rapids Adventures

The Red Woods National Park - California

Zoe and Amanda took a short two-mile hike today in Redwood National Park in California in January while on a layover to Australia. The air was crisp and incredibly fresh as we wandered along the boardwalk, taking in the beauty of the towering trees and the spectacular river running alongside us. The water was higher than usual after a week of heavy rainfall in the area, which made everything feel even more alive. The mist in the air, the earthy scents, and the steady sounds of the river created a memorable experience. It was a truly beautiful place to slow down and take it all in.

**Green Elk Rapids Adventures. Do you have an adventure to share? Send us a photo of a place in nature you’ve discovered along with a short note about what you saw and how it made you feel. We’d love to feature your story on the Green Elk Rapids website and social media pages.**

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Elk Rapids, MI

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