The following story is set in Milwaukee. I hope there are neglected places in your city where similar stories may be told.
 
In the midst of active rail lines and towering industrial buildings, I find the activity of beavers most mysterious. Discovering the little haven of nature in a place so completely altered by humans is itself unexpected. The presence of a beaver, an animal also driven to modify its environment, seems miraculous and symbolic.
 
Against long odds, a wetland remains within the historic estuary of the Milwaukee River.

I highly recommend listening to the first half-hour of yesterday's broadcast of Detroit Today (even if you're not from Detroit). John Hertel of the Regional Transit Coordinating Council and Megan Owens from Transit Riders United talked about the newly-announced proposal for gradually developing a rapid transit system for SE Michigan. How do you like this factoid: $1.00 of federal money invested in public transit leads to an average of $6.00 of private sector investment. It's not just an issue for tree-huggers anymore...

There are a number of threats to the Great Lakes' health including sewage overflow, illegal dumping, stormwater runoff, overuse, diversion, and invasive species. All of these are serious, but the one that I wanted to know more about is invasive species. Here's what I found out: