We think of the Great Lakes as shark-free, but as legend has it, a young boy named George Lawson was attacked by a shark while swimming in Lake Michigan near Chicago in 1955. Is this story true or just a bunch of bull shark?By Daniel Wanschura

Copper is a key metal for renewable energy, and experts say we’re going to need a lot more of it to transition to clean energy. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is Copper Country. Some see copper mining as an economic boon for the region, but others worry it could come at the cost of some of the Great Lakes’ most pristine wild spaces.…

It’s a dry spring – 1984 in Wisconsin – and all these suspicious fires are popping up. A conservation warden named Dave is pretty sure it’s arson, but he can’t catch a break. So, he and a pilot decide to get creative.By Daniel Wanschura

More than 120 years ago, a Native American village in northern Michigan was burned down at the behest of a white land speculator. Now, the descendants of that village want the federal government to know they’re still here.By Michael Livingston

Donna Martino stuck a photograph from the newspaper of a handsome kayaker on her fridge. A few months later, Donna matched with the guy on a dating website, and they decided to go out. This story is about what happens when two strangers take a chance on each other.By Daniel Wanschura

Iceland has figured out how to use almost 100% of every fish caught – not just the filet. By making things like durable leather, beauty products, and skin graft bandages, it’s increased the value of an Atlantic cod from about $15 to over $5,000. Can this approach help the struggling Great Lakes fishery?…

Small, silvery fish called kiyi used to roam the deep, cold waters of nearly every Great Lake. Remnant populations still exist in Lake Superior, and scientists are wondering: Can we find them? And bring them back to the other Great Lakes? CREDITS: Producer: Ellie Katz Host: Dan Wanschura Editor: Morgan Springer Additional Editing: Dan Wanschura, Pe…

When hunter Ben Karasch sees something move out of the corner of his eye, he assumes it’s a deer. But as Karasch gets a better look, he realizes it’s not a deer, it’s a cougar. And it’s slowly creeping towards him.By Daniel Wanschura

When U.P. snowboarder Nick Baumgartner lost in a qualifying round at the 2022 Olympics, he broke down on national TV. It was his fourth Olympics, he’d never medaled, and he was 40 years old. He might not get another shot at a medal. But then he got some news.By Morgan Springer

In the mid-1900’s, a man moves to northern Michigan to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. He starts having religious visions and builds big stone monuments to commemorate them. That’s where the story starts to get twisted.By Michael Livingston

Three guys went ice fishing on Lake Huron in February. Everything was great until it wasn’t. A collision of friendship, peer pressure and what it’s like staring death in the eyes.By Daniel Wanschura

Deer culling is common across the Midwest. Cities often hire sharpshooters or allow hunters to kill a certain number of deer. But one community in Ohio is trying out another solution: deer sterilization.By Ellie Katz

A team of archaeologists looks for signs of prehistoric life 100 feet underwater in Lake Huron. But they need help narrowing their search. So, they turn to artificial intelligence.By Morgan Springer

Red-eared sliders are one of the most common pet turtle species in the world. But they can grow to the size of dinner plates and can live around 40 years. Because of that, people often release their pet turtles into the wild. That causes a big problem.By Daniel Wanschura

In 2011, Ann Raiho and Natalie Warren climbed into their canoe and pushed off the banks of the Minnesota River just outside Minneapolis. Their goal was to paddle to Hudson Bay, thousands of miles away in Canada. It was a huge test of physical strength and friendship.By Daniel Wanschura

In October 1960, Prince Akihito of Japan visited Chicago for 21 hours. Chicago’s mayor presented the prince with a diplomatic gift: 18 bluegill. What happened next would change the underwater world of Japan forever.By Ellie Katz

David Exelby was scrolling through Reddit when he came across a mysterious post. This guy had stumbled on a ghost town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The problem was no one could find it. David and producer Max Howard go looking.By Maxwell Howard

Tom Wall is a West Michigan rock star who uses plants as bandmates. He uses a device to harness the electricity in plants, which then turns those impulses into musical notes. Tom insists the plants are talking to us through the music. But can they really do that?By Michael Livingston

Lane Frame was visiting the Great Lakes for the first time. It was a windy day and the water was rough, but Lane and his brothers headed onto a pier to see a lighthouse. Then a wave crashed over the breakwall and pushed him into the water. Lane drowned, but maybe it didn’t have to be that way.By Daniel Wanschura

The Great Lakes region — and the rest of the world — is seeing a huge push for solar power. But what happens when those panels expire?By Izzy Ross

Matt Parker was just out of college. Unsure of what was next, he got this idea to ride a horse across the country. This is a true American adventure story about one young Michigander’s solo ride from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.By Daniel Wanschura

Freshwater jellyfish have been in inland lakes and rivers throughout the Great Lakes region since 1933. But a century after their discovery, we still don’t know much about the elusive creatures. A team of student scientists is trying to change that.By Ellie Katz

Invasive species often spread by hitching a ride on anglers, especially anglers who don’t clean their gear after fishing. Though this is widely known, research suggests many anglers still don’t clean, even though it protects the very thing they’re after – fish. So, can anything be done to change their minds?…

This week we’re featuring an episode from the Outside Podcast from Outside Magazine. It's a story about Greg and Julie Welch's near-death encounter with the 2011 Pagami Creek Wildfire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota.By Daniel Wanschura

Rock hunting holds a special place in Joyce Fetrow’s heart. Years ago, she battled alcoholism that drove her to some dark places. Now, Joyce dedicates her life to helping others find recovery, and says rocks remind her of that journey and inspire her to keep on track with her sobriety.By Michael Livingston