Where’s the Concern? Week Sixteen

Each week, Great Lakes Echo features a photo story about a different Area of Concern designated by the U.S. or Canadian governments in the Great Lakes basin. Guess where the area is located, based on the description of the site.

Researchers tackle bee decline

MSU entomologist Rufus Isaacs talks about declining bee populations, and that Michigan bees that pollinate the state’s blueberry, cherry and apple crops.

Jeopardy in July: Lake Michigan’s native fish

This is part of our “Jeopardy in July for Lake Lovers” feature, where we will post Great Lakes trivia throughout the month. Check back for the answers – and new questions. polls & surveys
The answer to the previous question: Lake Huron’s pollution is the cause of widespread reproductive failure in fish-eating birds.

PSA: Don’t drink the lake water

      

Throughout the summer Great Lakes Echo will feature an occasional series of public service announcements produced by Michigan’s Ottawa County Health Department  to promote clean beaches. This one reminds swimmers — especially those with young children — of the harm in spitting or swallowing lake water, however fun it may be. “We don’t want young children to put water in their mouth and spit it back out like a fountain,” said Kristina Wieghmink, spokesperson for the department. Follow this link to other clean beach notices. The campaign is funded through grants from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Jeopardy in July: Pollution in Lake Huron

This is part of our “Jeopardy in July for Lake Lovers” feature, where we will post Great Lakes trivia throughout the month. Check back for the answers – and new questions. survey software
The answer to the previous question: The average depth of Lake Huron is 170 feet.

Farewell to Great Lakes United — what now for bi-national citizen leadership?

Great Lakes cormorants with deformed beaks like this one were used by members of Great Lakes United in the 1980s to lobby Congress for stricter pollution regulations.

The binational organization claims many longtime respected researchers and activists among its founders. It recently closed.

Jane Elder, a founding member of GLU when she led Great Lakes programs for the Sierra Club, reflects on the vacuum left by the loss of the binational coalition.

Photo Friday: Flotilla along Lake Ontario’s shoreline

 

This photo, taken on June 23, captured a group of kayakers in Lake Ontario. They were paddling along the shoreline during the Shoreline Shuffle, an event in Kingston, Ontario that raises awareness about the need for better waterfront planning and more public access to the waterfront. Hundreds participated, by walking, paddling or cycling alongside the lake. The event was organized by the Kingston-based Water Access Group, a community nonprofit that promotes access to public water. This photo was originally tweeted by Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and posted to the organization’s Instagram account.

Where’s the Concern? Week Fifteen

Each week, Great Lakes Echo features a photo story about a different Area of Concern designated by the U.S. or Canadian governments in the Great Lakes basin. Guess where the area is located, based on the description of the site.