This week, we’re headed outdoors to get a fresh perspective. A 5th-grade science teacher boards a Lake Erie research vessel to learn more about plastic pollution, and a kayak tour on the Allegheny River has a unique twist: Participants also make art together. Plus, a new nonprofit hopes to eliminate the barriers that keep people from getting outside.
We have news about Asian carp in the Great Lakes, horseshoe crabs, a new solar program for schools and a fee for electric vehicles.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google | TuneIn
Additional Links
WHYY: Advocates cheer new standards that could save horseshoe crabs from bloodletting
Kayak tour allows Pittsburghers to transform trash into art - An event focused on interactive public art led a group to Turtle Cove along the Allegheny River. Participants collected trash and constructed sculptures. 
Pa. mom starts non-profit to help everyone get healing power of nature - The new nonprofit Wild Wellness promotes outdoor recreation as a key component of overall health and well-being in northeastern Pennsylvania.
A Pittsburgh-area teacher finds plastic and inspiration on a Lake Erie research expedition - After a week-long expedition, 5th-grade Franklin Regional teacher Brienne May says she's better equipped to teach real-world science: "To see how questions are asked, how data is analyzed...and how obstacles are overcome."
Fishing and boating projects in Allegheny County win state grants - The Steel City Rowing Club received a grant to revitalizer its paddling fleet, as did Venture Outdoors for its "Vamos Afuera" program.
Electric vehicle owners in Pa. will need to pay an extra fee starting in 2025 - EV owners will have to pay an extra $200 fee when they register their vehicle in 2025. Environmental advocates are disappointed with the law.
Pa. schools can soon apply for grants to offset cost of solar projects - A new Pennsylvania law will set up a grant program using federal climate money for schools to install solar panels. Lawmakers also approved $25 million in state funds.
A project aims to stop the spread of invasive carp to the Great Lakes - A new agreement has unlocked the federal funding needed to begin construction on a lock and dam designed to keep Asian carp out of all the Great Lakes.
