WATERFRONT CELEBRATION: This summer, the Sail Detroit Festival will welcome several famous tall ships of various sizes and styles from around the world to the Detroit River and the Hart Plaza/Renaissance Center waterfront. The ships will begin arriving Aug. 7 and will be available Aug. 8-10 for public viewing and access (tickets required). The Detroit event is part of the 2025 Tall Ships Challenge, which includes stops in other U.S. ports. More than 1 million people gathered along the Detroit riverfront during the city’s tricentennial in 2001 to participate in similar tall ship activities. The family-friendly festival is sponsored by the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority. Its office footprint at Atwater Street near the Renaissance Center will be transformed into a hub of happenings for the celebration. saildetroit.com
MOOSE STUDY: The Michigan DNR, Northern Michigan University, and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community are investigating cause-specific mortality to help discover why the western Upper Peninsula’s moose population growth has become stagnant. A 2023 biennial aerial survey estimated there were only 426 moose, compared to initial expectations of 1,000 moose by 2000 after the animals were reintroduced in the mid-1980s. In late February, the researchers, assisted by aerial spotters, captured and fitted 20 moose with GPS collars to track their locations and movements. Hopefully this data will reveal the causes of mortality, habitats the animals rely on, and their distribution in the region, to reveal why the population isn’t growing. The effort will continue next winter, when about 40 more moose will be collared. michigan.gov/dnr/about/newsroom
HONORING LONGEVITY: Hats off to an exceptional collection of Michigan sites, cities, and institutions that are celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2025: Fort Gratiot Lighthouse/Port Huron (original lighthouse established), 200 years; National House Inn/Marshall, 190 years: Grand Rapids, 175 years; Michigan State University, 170 years; Bad Axe, Bridgman, Clare, Dutton, Harrisville, and Onondaga, all 155 years; Bay View Association/Petoskey, Gaylord, Osceola County Fairgrounds, Evart, and White River Light Station/Whitehall, all 150 years; Harbor Springs and Kent Theatre/Cedar Springs, 145 years; Better Made Chips/Detroit, and Crooked Tree Arts Center Building/Petoskey, 135 years; and Mackinac State Historic Parks, Round Island Lighthouse/Straits of Mackinac, and Seul Choix Point Lighthouse/Gulliver, all 130 years.
Have news that pertains to Michigan’s natural resources, travel, or exploration? Send a note to MSwoyer@Hour-Media.com.
