New research shows that trees and greenspace don’t just make our communities look better–they actively support mental and physical health. In the U.P.’s cities, tree cover varies widely, meaning some neighborhoods benefit more than others. Planting trees is one of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to improve long-term health outcomes.
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Change isn’t the problem—Profitizing Michigan’s mental health system is
Tom Watkins wrote in Michigan Advance recently about the importance of community-based mental health, and the dangers of “profitizing” these critical services.
Big Year for Michigan Politics, Facts from 2025, UP Institution Changes Leadership, and Some Political History
Big Year for Michigan Politics, Facts from 2025, UP Institution Changes Leadership, and Some Political History. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.
Rural Voices
Global Service from Upper Peninsula Roots: Talking to Karen Ogle About Her Foreign Service Career
In the latest episode of the Rural Insights Podcast, David Haynes sits down with Karen Ogle, a Marquette native who has carved out a distinguished career in the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service.
Diplomatic Paths: From Marquette to the World with Robert Hilton
In the latest episode of the Rural Insights Podcast, David Haynes sits down with Robert Hilton, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Army and a Marquette native with a storied international career.
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The Issues
More From Our Articles
Happy New Year and Goodbye Blizzard, Big Bay Mine Changes Ownership, Love and Weed, University License Plates, and a Welcome to the UP
Happy New Year and Goodbye Blizzard, Big Bay Mine Changes Ownership, Love and Weed, University License Plates, and a Welcome to the UP. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.
Bay Mills Community College Gets Record Gift, NMU Student Leader Program Wins State Award, Michigan Constitution Change Opportunity, & Michigan Suicide Rates Higher Than National Average
Bay Mills Community College Gets Record Gift, NMU Student Leader Program Wins State Award, Michigan Constitution Change Opportunity, & Michigan Suicide Rates Higher Than National Average. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.
Belated Happy Thanksgiving, Housing the Homeless, and Line 5 in the UP
Belated Happy Thanksgiving, Housing the Homeless, Line 5 in the UP. Read this week’s Rural Whispers, Noise & Rumors by David Haynes.
Research
Assessing Socioeconomic Trends and Disparities in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula: A County-by-County Analysis
We occasionally publish research by NMU students, and this article is an…
Earned Income Tax Credit: Max Steele’s Analysis
Rural areas have several demographic components that lend themselves to having a…
Recent Population Changes in the U.P. Amidst the Pandemic
The population dynamics of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are well documented. Its population,…
Boom and Bust: Calumet and Keweenaw National Historical Park 30 Years On
Many communities throughout the Upper Peninsula have developed their sense of place…
Survey Shows Diversity of NMU’s Student Veterans
Diversity is something that members of America’s armed forces inadvertently come to…