Jane Elder once escorted a live cormorant to a Congressional hearing. 

Elder, then a Sierra Club lobbyist, and James Ludwig, a Great Lakes ecologist, in 1989 drove the bird named Cosmos from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Washington D.C. 

The post New book explores a lifetime of Great Lakes resilience first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/04/01/new-book-explores-a-lifetime-of-great-lakes-resilience/

Reese Carlson

Sitting at 26 miles long and 24 miles wide with nearly one-third of the sport fishing catch annually in the Great Lakes region, Lake St. Clair should be a household name. 

Author Daniel Harrison would tell you it's his hidden jewel. 

The post An underappreciated lake that’s great first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/20/an-underappreciated-lake-thats-great/

Anna Barnes

Fifteen years in the making, The Breeding Birds of Minnesota is the first all-encompassing Minnesota breeding bird book in nearly a century. 

Made for casual bird lovers and for professional ornithologists, the book features 250 breeding bird species in Minnesota. It will be available in April.

The post Three authors create the first Minnesota breeding bird book in nearly a century first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/11/three-authors-create-the-first-minnesota-breeding-bird-book-in-nearly-a-century/

Mya Smith

The fall of salmon in the Great Lakes can be seen as a good thing ecologically as some people prefer native species, said a Michigan biologist and author.

But the personal perspective and the local impact often is forgotten.

The post Upcoming book exposes local impact on introduction and loss of salmon in Great Lakes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/07/upcoming-book-exposes-local-impact-on-introduction-and-loss-of-salmon-in-great-lakes/

Shealyn Paulis

Three Michigan artists are spreading awareness about the value of the Great Lakes through creating trash murals, shredding waves and telling legends about shipwrecks.

Hannah Tizedes spends her time along the shores of the Great Lakes not sunbathing nor swimming, but collecting trash to make art.

The post The Great Lakes inspire murals, doodles and poems first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/23/the-great-lakes-inspire-murals-doodles-and-poems/

Guest Contributor

Michigan photographer Danielle Jorae wrote, designed and published Lighthouses of Michigan-Lower Peninsula to fulfill a wish of her childhood self.

“I ran across a document from when I was in kindergarten that outlined how I wanted to become an artist and a writer one day,”

The post Photobook illuminates the beauty of Michigan lighthouses first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/05/photobook-illuminates-the-beauty-of-michigan-lighthouses/

Guest Contributor

Environmental journalism is a difficult yet important field, says a freelance journalist who will be speaking at an upcoming environmental festival in Manistee, Michigan.

“Sometimes you’re asking people difficult questions,” said Genevieve Fox, a former Great Lakes Echo reporter who now writes for Planet Detroit, Metromode and The Keel.

The post Reporting on the environment is a tough job first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/01/24/reporting-on-the-environment-is-a-tough-job/

Guest Contributor

Pirouettes, leaps and pliés don’t come to mind when you think of environmental justice.

But for Michigan State University theater professors Deric McNish and Rob Roznowski,  dance and theater are the perfect communicative devices for such serious topics. 

The post Dance groups leap into environmental communication first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/01/20/dance-groups-leap-into-environmental-communication/

Reese Carlson

Books usually speak to readers through words and, sometimes, illustrations.

But we can learn what motivated their authors by speaking directly to them, as Great Lakes Echo correspondents did in interviews this year about new books about environmental issues in the region.

The post Great Lakes authors bare their motives first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/12/21/great-lakes-authors-bare-their-motives/

Eric Freedman

Contrary to the popular quote, author Douglas Wood says every man is an island. 

“Islands are connected, when you get deep enough, under the surface,” said Wood, a lifelong naturalist.

The post Author and naturalist guides readers to healing connection with nature first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/27/author-and-naturalist-guides-readers-to-healing-connection-with-nature/

Shealyn Paulis

A new book by a Michigan and U.S food policy advocate emphasizes that everyone is needed to create a sustainable and prosperous food economy.

“I hope people who read the book can see themselves in it,” Conners said. “Anybody can be a part of helping to bring locally grown food to people.”

The post Food policy advocate shares 20 years of food and farm lessons first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/23/food-policy-advocate-shares-20-years-of-food-and-farm-lessons/

Jaclyn Sellentine

The creators of a new television series about climate change describe it as a cross between Stranger Things and a nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough – and they say they hope it’ll help ease anxiety about the existential threat.no

The post New TV show bridges pop culture, climate change education first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/20/new-tv-show-bridges-pop-culture-climate-change-education/

Jack Armstrong

Plummeting temperatures, blinding snow and ferocious winds ripped through the air as three freighters struggled on Lake Michigan’s frigid surface.  

Unsuspecting and dangerously underprepared passengers braced for the worst, baffled at the stark contrast from the serene weather of the morning. 

The post Author preserves Great Lakes shipwrecks by writing novels about them first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/12/author-preserves-great-lakes-shipwrecks-by-writing-novels-about-them/

Mya Smith

Nibi Chronicles: A portal to the Burt Lake Band’s violent expulsion

Editor’s Note: “Nibi Chronicles,” a monthly Great Lakes Now feature, is written by Staci Lola Drouillard. A direct descendant of the Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe, she lives and works in Grand Marais on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. Her two books “Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe” and “Seven Aunts” were published 2019 and 2022, and she is at work on a children’s story.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/nibi-chronicles-portal-burt-lake-bands-violent-expulsion/

Staci Lola Drouillard

TED Countdown: Musician Tunde Olaniran from Flint, Michigan on the role of art in the climate crisis

Tunde Olaniran is a musician and multidisciplinary artist from Flint. Last year, their first exhibition premiered at Cranbrook Art Museum, featuring a short horror film — Made a Universe  inspired by their life growing up in Flint.

They were asked to perform one of their latest works for the TED Countdown Summit at the Fillmore Detroit on Thursday, July 13.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/ted-countdown-musician-tunde-olaniran-from-flint-michigan-on-the-role-of-art-in-the-climate-crisis/

Lisa John Rogers

The organization teaches kids at its brick and mortar building or travels to communities with a bus filled with recycled materials.

The post Detroit group reduces waste and improves education by merging art and science  first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/03/07/detroit-group-reduces-waste-and-improves-education-by-merging-art-and-science/

Genevieve Fox

They're drawn to it because of some personal connection to whether it be the neighborhood they grew up in, the forest they've walked in, the lakes [where] they've smoked salmon. So it's a natural thing to tie environmental matters to personal experiences.

The post New book connects the environment with a love of dogs first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/02/09/new-book-connects-the-environment-with-a-love-of-dogs/

Guest Contributor

This project really provides a leverage for organizations to be more actively involved, and engage the community into big societal issues of our time.

The post University of Michigan hosts smelly art installation first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/01/25/university-of-michigan-hosts-smelly-art-installation/

Guest Contributor

Heavily symbolic, Woodland art uses the vibrancy of primary colors to convey the ideology behind Ojibwe culture in the forms of animals, plants, people and even the land.

The post Northern Ontario art form pays homage to Native roots first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/01/10/northern-ontario-art-form-pays-homage-to-native-roots/

Guest Contributor

This year, Morton Arboretum 25 miles west of Chicago, is celebrating 100 years – and photographer Peter Vagt has over 20 years’ worth of photos to show for it.

The post Author of newly published “Light Through the Trees,” captures 20 years’ worth of photos from Morton Arboretum first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/12/14/author-of-newly-published-light-through-the-trees-captures-20-years-worth-of-photos-from-morton-arboretum/

Guest Contributor

A dog and a raven fostered a friendship that spanned eight years, and a children’s book just came out that details the improbable friendship. 

The post Children’s book features furry and feathered friendship on the Great Lakes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/12/08/childrens-book-features-furry-and-feathered-friendship-on-the-great-lakes/

Guest Contributor

A University of Windsor doctoral student studying conservation has a knack for science communication - and is using it to bring attention and support to at-risk species.

The post Minnow researcher uses You Tube, children’s literature to connect people with at-risk species first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/10/21/minnow-researcher-uses-you-tube-childrens-literature-to-connect-people-with-at-risk-species/

Guest Contributor

Humans, like all other animals, have an innate desire to find the right spot, an ideal place. Tim Mulherin, the author of Sand, Stars, Wind & Water found his sense of place in Northwest Lower Michigan during his first visit to the area 35 years ago.

The post Protecting your place: one man’s tribute to Northern Michigan first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/08/02/protecting-your-place-one-mans-tribute-to-northern-michigan/

Guest Contributor

A lesser known Great Lakes treasure: sea glass

The North American Sea Glass Association held its 16th Annual Sea Glass Festival at Maumee Bay State Park Lodge on Lake Erie – the first time it wasn’t held at a saltwater venue.

“This is probably the crème de la crème of festivals,” said Beverly Vinch, of Washed Ashore Jewelry, based in Avon Lake, Ohio.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/06/great-lakes-sea-glass/

James Proffitt

Geo Rutherford is a self-described Great Lakes enthusiast that built a large following—the same number that the Washington Post has—by making educational TikTok videos about the Great Lakes and other lakes around the world.

The post Spooky lakes and beach trash: How a Wisconsin teacher and artist gained 1.3 million TikTok followers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/05/20/spooky-lakes-and-beach-trash-how-a-wisconsin-teacher-and-artist-gained-1-3-million-tiktok-followers/

Guest Contributor

In the Great Lakes region, there may be no older and more intriguing historical mystery than the 1679 disappearance of the Griffon, one of French explorer Robert La Salle’s ships. Now after more than 40 years of searching, a Charlevoix diver says he’s 99.99% sure he found the answer, and he tells how in a new book.

The post Charlevoix couple offers theory on mysterious 1679 shipwreck first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/25/charlevoix-couple-offers-theory-on-mysterious-1679-shipwreck/

Guest Contributor

A new book explores the interconnected layers of the Great Lakes, from the leadership of local native tribes to the concerning intensity of resource extraction. The book took several years to write to fully and accurately capture a cohesive picture of the Great Lakes and their histories.

The post New book explores ecological odyssey of the Great Lakes first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/02/11/new-book-explores-ecological-odyssey-of-the-great-lakes/

Guest Contributor

103 years after National Geographic published its article on berries, Michigan is witnessing some changes due to climate change and invasive species.

The post Threats to the native berries amongst us first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/01/27/threats-to-the-native-berries-amongst-us/

Guest Contributor

With art ranging in size from giant mobiles to miniature paintings, artists from across the country are collaborating to face the climate crisis with a new exhibit in metro Detroit.

The post New Detroit art exhibit addresses climate crisis with hope first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/01/14/new-detroit-art-exhibit-addresses-climate-crisis-with-hope/

Guest Contributor

John Vucetich has studied wolves and moose for over 20 years on the pristine, isolated island in Lake Superior. He leads the island National Park’s wolf-moose project.

The post Ecologist ponders fairness to wildlife and the thoughts of moose first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/12/21/ecologist-ponders-fairness-to-wildlife-and-the-thoughts-of-moose/

Guest Contributor

Wisconsin Sea Grant’s videographer Bonnie Willison recently captured a video award through a regional competition coordinated by an organization called Madison Media Professionals.

The group presents WAVE Awards, which honor excellence in the video production industry as well as in web, audio, video and graphic design. The 2021 competition received over 90 entries, including materials created for international and national entities like Yamaha, BBC America, Google and PBS Kids.

The Wisconsin Sea Grant video Geo Rutherford: Voices of the Coast was awarded a WAVE merit award in the video editing category.

Woman holding small plastic bag walking along water with trees in the background.

Artist Geo Rutherford draws inspiration for her work from the Great Lakes. Image credit: Bonnie Willison.

“It was fun to meet Geo, interview her in her home studio, and then go beachcombing with her in Milwaukee,” Willison said. “It was a rewarding challenge to edit hours of footage into a short, 5-minute documentary-style piece.”

The winning video is a light-hearted, buoyant profile that matches the spirit of Wisconsin artist Geo Rutherford, who creates prints, collage and sculpture that explore the hidden elements of the Great Lakes. Showcased in the video are Rutherford’s colorful installations, which highlight small synthetic or natural objects that are washed ashore by the waves. Rutherford also draws attention to microplastics like nurdles, which are a growing marine debris problem in Great Lakes ecosystems.

Rutherford’s work also focuses on aquatic invasive species. She hand-prints images of alewives, sea lamprey, and invasive mussels and collages the images into chaotic, mesmerizing works of art.

The video is part of the Voices of the Coast series, which tells the stories of individuals who live, work and recreate around the Great Lakes. Their experiences provide a lens for larger topics that touch on the lakes such as social justice, fisheries and conservation. The ever-expanding series can be found here.

The post Sea Grant recognized for video production first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/sea-grant-recognized-for-video-production/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sea-grant-recognized-for-video-production

Moira Harrington

Cohen will be at Howe Memorial Library in Breckinridge, Michigan, on Nov. 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. presenting “Making Teas, Tinctures and Oils at Home.”

The post New book preserves relationship with plants through at-home herbalism first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/11/15/new-book-preserves-relationship-with-plants-through-at-home-herbalism/

Guest Contributor

The book tells the history of the Agatha Biddle Band, a band of primarily Native American women who lived on Michigan’s Mackinac Island in the 1800s.

The post New book spotlights Native American women’s band on Mackinac Island first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/11/03/new-book-spotlights-native-american-womens-band-on-mackinac-island/

Guest Contributor

“A Backyard Prairie. The Hidden Beauty of Tallgrass and Wildflowers” is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for $24.50.

The post New book celebrates ‘hidden beauty’ of native prairie through Illinois couple’s journey to turn back time in their own backyard first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/10/18/new-book-celebrates-hidden-beauty-of-native-prairie-through-illinois-couples-journey-to-turn-back-time-in-their-own-backyard/

Guest Contributor

Duck Stamp: Little stamp has big impacts in the Great Lakes and nationwide

Waterfowl hunters began buying them nearly a century ago. Just after that, collectors joined the fun.

Since its inception in 1934 when Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act into law, the duck stamp (as it’s commonly known) has garnered more than $1 billion for habitat conservation in the national wildlife refuge system.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

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Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/duck-stamp-impacts-great-lakes-nationwide-refuge/

James Proffitt

The collection of nature essays was recently selected by the Library of Michigan as one of the 2021 Michigan Notable Books.

The post A light to guide trees and people: “The Star in the Sycamore” is a broad take on the natural world first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/02/01/a-light-to-guide-trees-and-people-the-star-in-the-sycamore-is-a-broad-take-on-the-natural-world/

Guest Contributor

By Eric Freedman Looking for a holiday gift with the spirit of the Great Lakes region? If so, here are books (in alphabetical order by title) that Great Lakes Echo has written about this year, including interviews with their authors. Eating with the Seasons, Great Lakes Region by Dereck Nicholas This cookbook combines recipes, language […]

The post Great Gifts for Great Lakes enthusiasts first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

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Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/12/07/great-gifts/

Eric Freedman

Trash Fish: Marine debris becomes sculptures at Great Lakes aquariums and museums

An array of more than 80 marine-debris-turned-art works will be making another Great Lakes stop, adding a lake sturgeon sculpture when it’s installed at a Wisconsin site next year.

Made entirely of plastic trash, these larger-than-life figures have realistic designs. They come as part of the traveling exhibit, Washed Ashore, which aims to educate people about plastic pollution.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/09/trash-fish-marine-debris-sculptures-great-lakes-aquariums-museums/

Natasha Blakely

From crime boss and occasional visitor “Scarface” Al Capone to the Upper Peninsula’s own Public Enemy #1, John “Red” Hamilton, Up North has historic ties to organized crime and the baddies who used the area as a playground.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/07/09/mobsters-in-the-vacationlands/

Eric Freedman