Assessing the U.S. Climate in June 2023
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202306
NCEI News Feed
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-202306
Now three of Michigan's four Great Lakes are back to historically normal levels, and the sandbags must go.
The post State environment officials request removal of sandbags along Great Lakes shorelines first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/07/11/state-environment-officials-request-removal-of-sandbags-along-great-lakes-shorelines/
On May 25, the Supreme Court ruled 9 to 0, changing wetland protection in The Clean Water Act. The Sackett family, who took on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), were being fined $40,000 a day for building their Idaho property too close to an unnamed tributary. That tributary feeds into a creek, and that creek feeds into Priest Lake.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/what-are-wetlands-for-anyway/
During last month’s National Rivers Month, Melinda Myers took a moment to highlight the over 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams in the United States. In addition to outlining the amazing things our waters do for us (including supplying water for drinking and for irrigating crops), Melinda brought attention to a riverside invasive species; Japanese knotweed. This plant was original brought to America as an ornamental but quickly spread through much of the United States. With bamboo-like stems, this invasive plant is known to choke waterways and hasten erosion. If you are one of the folks who has Japanese knotweed growing along your shorelines, there are great control options available.
To learn more, including control methods, check out this Japanese Knotweed brochure: https://widnr.widen.net/s/jzxjqrs867/wy0090?fbclid=IwAR2q36KUKGAJ4NJfAZ7N8S6MOeOgx-NPEV1T-LD3lzp6nMdXFvRWum-ssKQ
Photo Credit: Paul Skawinski, Melinda Myers
Questions? Comments? Contact Chris Acy, the AIS Coordinator covering Brown, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties at (920) 460-3674 or chris@fwwa.org!
Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Winnebago Waterways Facebook page or @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.
Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.
Check out the Keepers of the Fox Program at https://fwwa.org/watershed-recovery/lower-fox-recovery/
Reporting invasive species is a first step in containing their spread. Maintaining and restoring our waters and landscapes can reduce the impacts even when we don’t have other management options to an invasive species.
The post Japanese Knotweed and our Rivers appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2023/07/10/japanese-knotweed-and-our-rivers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=japanese-knotweed-and-our-rivers
Love staring at a map and discovering something interesting? Then “Mapping the Great Lakes” is for you. It’s a monthly Great Lakes Now feature created by Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines cartography, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/mapping-the-great-lakes-summertime-fishing/
A study from Environment America found persistent problems with bacteria pollution along U.S. and Great Lakes coastlines. Where does beach pollution come from, and other key questions are answered. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-bacteria-beaches
Rebecca Meuninck, the new executive director of National Wildlife Federations’ Great Lakes Regional Center is looking to “expand the program to have more focus on climate resilience and making sure the communities that are most impacted by pollution and climate change are being reached by those programs and benefitting from them”. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-national-wildlife-federation
Oswego County’s rich marine history is on display – from events to exhibits. The H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, New York hosts a new display for the 2023 season, “Shipwrecks of Upstate NY.” The exhibit offers a detailed look at the shipwrecks below Lake Ontario using 3D printed and hand-painted scale models of shipwreck sites. Read the full story by Oswego County Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-lake-ontario
Canadian energy giant Enbridge has appealed a federal court ruling in Wisconsin to shut down its Line 5 pipeline that runs through Michigan. That action was met with strong criticism from environmentalists and tribal leaders. Read the full story by the Michigan Advance.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-line-5
The Ontario government is investing up to C$6.9 million in wetland conservation projects across the province. The Wetlands Conservation Partner Program sees the government collaborate with conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Read the full story by Sarnia News Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-wetland-funding
Weeks after two teenaged boys drowned while cliff diving in Silver Bay, Minnesota State Sen. Grant Hauschild is calling for the return of the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Grand Marais, Minnesota that closed after Labor Day in 2022. Read the full story by the Star Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-grand-marais
Dearborn Heights, Michigan Mayor Bill Bazzi was recently elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. The binational coalition of over 230 municipal and regional U.S. and Canadian mayors and local officials works toward advancing the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin. Read the full story by the Press & Guide.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-great-lakes-and-st-lawrence-cities-initiatve
Open water swimmers have been deploying sensors in popular swimming spots in Toronto and Lake Ontario to get information on changing water conditions and improve public safety. Listen to the full story at City News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-sensor-data
A big company’s decision to refocus its future operations will impact a series of small Upper Peninsula cities. American Queen Voyages, the company which owns the familiar Ocean Navigator as well as the Ocean Voyager, has announced it will not return to the Great Lakes next year. Read the full story by The Mining Journal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-great-lakes-cruising
Fifteen Michigan beaches were closed last weekend or were under contamination advisories for water quality that’s unacceptable or questionable for human contact. Water quality status should be checked before heading into the water. Read the full story at MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230710-beach-closings
The boat launch will now be called the Paint Lake DNR Boat Launch.
The post Michigan removes derogatory Native slur from Oxford Township boat launch first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/07/10/michigan-removes-derogatory-native-slur-from-oxford-township-boat-launch/
Have you ever heard of a win-win-win? Well, scheduling a team-building cleanup with the Trash Free Waters program does just that. This private cleanup event will help to strengthen employee relations, clean up our natural environment, and support continued Trash Free Waters efforts in northeast Wisconsin. It’s lots of fun too! There are several options to choose from. Strengthen employee relations, connect outside the office, and make an impact by protecting our water resources! Let Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance host your next team building event. Click to get started!
All team-building events include:
Option 1
On-Land Collective Cleanup (up to 10 participants per business)
This collective option allows small groups to join a mini-cleanup. Fox-Wolf staff may partner you with up to two additional organizations.
Cost: $400 per business
Option 2
On-Land Cleanup (up to 25 participants)
Cost: $1,000
Option 3
On-Land Cleanup (up to 50 participants)
Cost: $1,500
“I was one of about 14 participants in an event to clean up our riverside parks in Neenah! It was a beautiful day, made even better by the camaraderie and good deeds for the community. Kelly was super upbeat and helpful throughout the whole event! Really enjoyed spending time with my coworkers, cleaning up the parks in the city I call home.”
Team-Building Cleanup Volunteer, Plexus Corporation
For more information, please contact:
Kelly Reyer
Trash Free Waters Program Coordinator
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
kelly@fwwa.org
920-915-1502
Support Trash Free Waters
Join the Trash Free Waters Email List
The post Team-Building Mini Cleanups are a Win-Win-Win appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2023/07/10/volunteers-play-cleanup-bingo-at-23-walleye-weekend-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=volunteers-play-cleanup-bingo-at-23-walleye-weekend-2
By Ashley Zhou, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/michigan-removes-derogatory-native-slur-oxford-township-boat-launch/
Harmful algal blooms are forming in some parts of Lake Erie earlier than typical. Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research researchers are surprised to find the blooms this early in the summer, as they typically do not start forming until August and some years as late as September or early October. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-hab
For the fourth time in the past five years, the Port of Oswego Authority, (POA), has won the prestigious Robert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award for recording increases in international cargo tonnage shipped through the New York port during the 2022 navigation season. Read the full story by Oswego County Today.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-pacesetter-award
Property owners along three of the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair should remove sandbags that were placed along shorelines in 2020, when high water levels threatened lakeside properties. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-sandbag-removal
A group of scientists from The Nature Conservancy met up north to scuba dive in Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay, training how to stay safe while doing environmental research beneath the waves of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-dive-training
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently recovered five shipwreck artifacts that were taken from Lake Huron. The artifacts were transported to Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-shipwreck-artifacts
A 2012 study done by then-SUNY Fredonia Professor Dr. Sherri Mason found that Lake Erie has more microplastics per inch than the great Pacific garbage patch. Flows from Lake Superior and Lake Huron add to the problem. Read the full story by Spectrum News 1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-microplastics
Free boat washes at Michigan’s Lake Erie Metro Park are an easy way for mariners to help in the effort to quell the spread of exotic invaders in Michigan waterways. The event also helps educate citizens during Aquatic Invasive Species Awareness Week. Read the full story by the Detroit Free Press.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-ais-boat-wash
Duluth, Minnesota officials are celebrating a nearly $8.2 million federal grant that will help rebuild another section of the city’s popular Lakewalk pedestrian and bike trail that hugs several miles of the Lake Superior shore. Read the full story by Minnesota Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-duluth-lakewalk
In December 2015, the Flint drinking water crisis that had been brewing for two years finally hit the national spotlight. Then Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder apologized to the citizens of Flint and accepted the resignation of his top executive at the Department of Environmental Quality, the agency with direct oversight of Flint’s drinking water issues.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/environmental-justice-climate-resilience-priorities-great-lakes-executive/
Wisconsin’s newest biennial budget will provide millions of dollars in funding to address “forever chemicals,” allow for renovations in state parks, and provide grants for farmers wanting to reduce runoff from their fields. Read the full story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-wi-budget
The annual cleanup Stand Up for Great Lakes’ was held at Michigan’s Torch Lake. The lake is looking cleaner after a group of volunteers staged a major clean-up from the Fourth of July holiday. Read the full story by WWTV-TV – Cadillac, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230707-stand-up-for-great-lakes
By John Flesher, AP News
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Drinking water from nearly half of U.S. faucets likely contains “forever chemicals” that may cause cancer and other health problems, according to a government study released Wednesday.
The synthetic compounds known collectively as PFAS are contaminating drinking water to varying extents in large cities and small towns — and in private wells and public systems, the U.S.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/ap-study-drinking-water-nearly-half-us-faucets-contains-potentially-harmful-chemicals/
By Lester Graham, Michigan Radio
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/harmful-algal-blooms-appearing-lake-erie-earlier-usual/
Title: Media Director
Status: Full-time, Exempt
Location: Great Lakes State or Washington, D.C.
Role: The Media Director (Director) will develop and execute communications and media campaigns to advance our program and advocacy goals as guided by our strategic plan. The Director leads these campaigns across program areas and across the Great Lakes region. The Director is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with local, state, regional and national media outlets. The Director identifies and pursues opportunities to place stories about the Alliance’s program work that reach the media, decision-makers and influential voices and segments of the public. The Director works closely with program staff to develop strategic communication materials and prepare staff for media and other public speaking opportunities. The Director coordinates tightly with the staff leading engagement of our donor, volunteer and advocate constituents to ensure all our supporters receive consistent and targeted information about the Alliance’s work.
Structure: The Director reports to the COO and works closely with other senior program staff leaders.
Compensation and Benefits: Salary range begins at $100,000, with starting salary determined commensurate with experience. Medical, dental, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, FSA, 11 paid holidays plus the business days between 12/26 and 12/30 (staff who must work on any holidays may take those holidays at another time subject to the employee handbook), 3 weeks vacation to start + PTO, Fidelity 401(k) with employer match of up to 6% of salary.
Work Environment: Fully remote with some travel required. If based in Chicago, an office is available downtown for use.
_________________________________________________________________________________
The Alliance seeks its next Media Director to lead communications and media campaigns to advance our program priorities. The Director works collaboratively with program teams to ensure our work is successfully communicated across relevant channels to reach decision-makers and those with the ability to influence our goals. This work is critical to the success of our policy campaigns. The Director also supports program staff in their role as public communicators for the Alliance. This includes identifying and creating press-worthy stories and narratives from Alliance program work, ensuring the quality of public-facing products such as reports and presentations, and preparing staff for media interviews and for other public speaking engagements. The Director has a solid understanding of the Alliance’s programs, can speak with authority and clarity on our issues, and can field and direct media requests related to basic program work. The Director will also provide strategic support to Alliance partners in need of media relations capacity while working on shared goals. They work closely with the staff team that advances Alliance brand awareness and constituent engagement, which uses our media campaign materials and content to support outreach and storytelling to all of our supporters. The Director manages relationships with local, state, regional and national media outlets. The Director works as part of a team of senior program staff leaders across the Alliance’s issue areas.
The Director will start work from a position of strength. Our staff of 26 and 18-member Board of Directors include some of the country’s leading Great Lakes advocates, experts and communicators. Our organization has a well-regarded record of recent and historic successes dating to 1970. The Alliance’s capacity stands tall among state and regional environmental advocacy organizations across the country, with more than $10 million in assets of which more than 70% is unrestricted. The Alliance is growing toward an operating budget of $5 million by the end of 2024.
The long-term Development goals of the Alliance are:
By the end of 2024:
Within five years:
A typical week for the Director might begin by helping staff chart out a communications strategy for a new report we are releasing. Staff are hoping we can get supportive endorsements from elected officials and a business partner prior to release. Later you field a call from an Ohio reporter who wants to talk about the harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie. They are new to the beat and need some extensive background before working on their first story. The next day you set up a public radio interview for one of our Michigan staff. You work with staff to develop talking points and ensure they are prepared to answer tough questions. Concurrently, you also are working with other staff to help prepare a PowerPoint presentation highlighting our policy work to Congressional staff. You review the most recent quarter’s metrics and prepare a brief to present to the Leadership Team the following week.
Strategy
The Director leads the media strategy that supports the Alliance’s current strategic plan and positions the organization for its next phase of growth.
Relationships
The Director is the primary connector between the Alliance’s programs and those with the ability to reach audiences that advance our advocacy.
Accountability
The Director has primary responsibility for setting and reporting on the key performance indicators that demonstrate progress toward our media campaign goals.
Management
The Director is responsible for the attentive management of media strategy workplans and budgets.
_________________________________________________________________
Please e-mail a cover letter, resume, references, and writing or work sample that demonstrates relevant qualifications to: hr@greatlakes.org. Include job title in the subject line.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Materials should be compatible with Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. Applicants will receive confirmation of receipt of their materials and further guidance and updates about the hiring process by e-mail, with interviews provided for finalists. No phone inquiries, please.
About the Alliance for the Great Lakes
The Alliance for the Great Lakes is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The search process will reinforce the Alliance’s belief that achieving diversity requires an enduring commitment to inclusion that must find full expression in our organizational culture, values, norms, and behaviors.
Our vision is a thriving Great Lakes and healthy water that all life can rely on, today and far into the future. We aspire to be a voice for the lakes, and to support the voices of the communities that depend on the lakes and their waters.
The mission of the Alliance for the Great Lakes is to protect, conserve and restore the Great Lakes ensuring healthy water in the lakes and in our communities for all generations of people and wildlife. We advance our mission as advocates for policies that support the lakes and communities, by building the research, analysis and partnerships that motivate action, and by educating and uniting people as a voice for the Great Lakes.
To achieve our vision and mission, everyone in our organization will live our values of Community, Relationships, Courage, Integrity and Optimism, and weave the principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into all our work. Each value and principle is backed by measurable goals and expectations for our Board of Directors and staff.
The post Media Director appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2023/07/media-director/
Eat Your Heartland Out is a Taste Awards nominated program about the intersection of food and culture in the American Midwest. The show is produced by the Heritage Radio Network, a leader in culinary audio storytelling and distributed on the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), which provides content to public radio affiliates across the United States.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/eat-your-heartland-out-touring-thunder-bays-craft-brewery-scene/
This tool can be used to calculate the lake energy that is affecting your shoreline.
As we develop unique resources from Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, we will post them here.
To recommend a resource, please contact us.
The post Shoreline Restoration Resources appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2023/07/06/shoreline-restoration-resources/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=shoreline-restoration-resources
Learn how easy it is to grow native plants and how important they are in our landscaping.
What do you mean grow native plants?
Volunteers create mini greenhouses by using milk jugs to grow the plants. Participants will be able to keep what they want from the plants they grow and any extra plants will be used in restoration projects or as a fundraiser for the Winnebago Waterways Program at Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
There are different ways to volunteer with this program:
This program is locally coordinated by the Winnebago Waterways Program at Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance in Winnebago, Calumet, Fond du Lac and Waushara Counties.
To learn more or volunteer, please contact us.
The post Native Plant Growing Program appeared first on Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance
https://fwwa.org/2023/07/06/native-palnt-growing-program/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=native-palnt-growing-program
Case History: An adult male 19.6 kg Timber Wolf (Canis lupus) was found dead in Northern Wisconsin, USA.
Wisconsin
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/news/pathology-case-month-timber-wolf?utm_source=comms&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
https://noaaglerl.blog/2023/07/06/a-look-back-at-lake-erie-hypoxia-in-2022/
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widespread man-made chemicals that don’t break down in the environment or the human body and have been flagged as a major contaminant in sources of water across the country.
Keep up with PFAS-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2023/07/pfas-news-roundup-u-s-military-proposes-health-benefits-to-veterans-how-to-identify-contaminated-foam/
State park beaches across Michigan remain devoid of lifeguards to correct the flag system.
The post Great Lakes drownings bring updated flag system from DNR, concerns from others first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/07/06/great-lakes-drownings-bring-updated-flag-system-from-dnr-concerns-from-others/
A new study commissioned by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan makes a compelling case for how The Great Lakes Way – an interconnected set of greenways and water trails stretching from southern Lake Huron through western Lake Erie – enriches quality of life and place for residents and visitors, sparks outdoor recreation and an outdoor recreation industry, and nurtures heritage and cultural tourism. Read the full story by Great Lakes Now.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-greatlakesway
An estimated $1.8 billion plan to replace the Blatnik Bridge, which connects Superior and Duluth, will receive a $400 million boost under Wisconsin’s next two-year state budget. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-statebudget-bridgereplacement-lakesuperior
A panel discussion on June 14 at the Brown County Central Library explored the history of the Fox River cleanup project — and its impact on Green Bay. Panelists said nearly 30 years ago that future seemed anything but guaranteed. Cleaning up the river and the bay required federal regulators and local journalists to combat pushback from Wisconsin politicians and paper companies. Read the full story by Wisconsin Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-foxriver-cleanup-pushback
This year, the Michigan DNR enacted a new double-flag warning system on swimming beaches around the Great Lakes. The double red flags close access to the water and prohibit beach visitors from entering the water. The flags are an addition to the Great Lakes flag warning system, where a green, yellow, and single-red flag communicate the safety of the current water conditions for swimmers and visitors at state park beaches. Read the full story by Michigan Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-greatlakes-drownings-updatedflagsystem-dnr
The federal government is on track to underfund the mega-project to build a new lock at the Soo for the second year in a row, which could potentially force delays of when the project is completed and further balloon its price tag beyond $3.2 billion. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-soolocks-slowfunding
More than 50 boat landing events are planned across the state to as part of the 10th annual Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Landing Blitz, in which local partners give boaters tips to prevent the spread of invasive species and comply with recently updated laws for recreational boating. Read the full story by WHMI – Brighton, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-aquaticinvasivespecies-landingblitz
After more than 50 years on the water, the state of Michigan’s first research vessel is finally gearing up for retirement. Read the full story by Interlochen Public Radio.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-mi-boat-farewelltour
After a three-year absence, the crew of the S.S. Badger is bringing back overnight voyages across Lake Michigan. Read the full story by MLive.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-lakemichigan-carferry-sailing
Birdwatchers flocked to Euclid Beach Park early Saturday afternoon to catch a rare glimpse of a Pacific-based gull not known to frequent Cleveland’s freshwater coast. Read the full story by The Plain Dealer.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-westcoastgull-cleveland-euclidbeach
From toxic algal blooms in the Great Lakes to sewage pouring into Detroit basements to choking wildfire smoke that drifted south from Canada, Michigan has been contending with the fallout from climate change. Historically, Michigan has been resistant to environmental regulations in the manufacturing industry, but that could soon change. Read the full story by The New York Times.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20230705-climatelaggard-america-greatlakes
Aquatic Sciences Center systems engineer James Grandt is a fixer.
“A lot of people don’t like problems,” said Grandt. “I like problems to solve. Give me something, I’ll figure it out.”
Grandt, nicknamed “Frizby” for his love of disc golf and freestyle disc, retires in August after 25 years of service to the Aquatic Sciences Center and 36 total years to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. An Air Force veteran and electrical and computer engineer by training, he has worked on and fielded questions about the many technologies that help us do our jobs, from computer hardware and software to data storage systems and research instrumentation.
Notable projects include updating the conference room to touch panel controls, supporting the Grandparents University outreach program, and helping create the web version of the popular Wisconsin Fish ID app.
Grandt also worked to bring Great Lakes science and technology to the public. He assembled remotely operated vehicles (known as ROVs) that both children and adults use to take photos and video of underwater environments and a touch screen kiosk about aquatic invasive species that now lives at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
In short, if it’s got wires and goes through walls, if it’s got buttons and beeps and boops, Grandt will take a crack at it.
“That’s what I like about the job,” he said. “I don’t do the same thing every day. Always something different.”
Prior to the Aquatic Sciences Center, Grandt worked with the Department of Geoscience as an instrumentation specialist and helped develop a 4-channel digital sonar system to estimate how much biomass—or as Grandt describes it, “fish food and fish”—floated in the water column. He participated in research cruises on the Great Lakes, Gulf Stream and Bay of Fundy. One harrowing trip found him aboard a naval research ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
“We had lost propulsion in the Gulf Stream, and a large tropical storm was somewhere in the Atlantic,” said Grandt. Massive waves pounded the boat, stripping off equipment the crew had welded to the deck.
“Everything was gone when the storm was over. We rode it for 12 hours…but we survived.”
Risky voyages have been a theme throughout his life. When Grandt was 15, he and a friend biked 1,200 miles roundtrip from their home in Edgerton, Wisconsin to Thunder Bay, Canada. No helmets, no panniers—just two 10-speed bikes with a little bag to hold their tent and basic supplies. They camped at campgrounds and waysides, alternating who called home each night. They made the whole trip in around 14 days.
So, what’s next? Grandt has plans for an active retirement, one filled with travel (Vietnam and Thailand are already on the list), spending time with grandkids and getting outside. He enjoys canoeing, fishing, skiing and hiking—and may even return to Thunder Bay with his childhood friend, this time with a helmet and an e-bike.
After decades of fixing our problems, Frizby will leave us with one he can’t solve: we’ll miss him.
The post After 25 years, problem-solver-in-chief James “Frizby” Grandt retires first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/after-25-years-problem-solver-in-chief-james-frizby-grandt-retires/