Lakes Chat

This week marks national volunteer appreciation week, and on this Lakes Chat episode, we’re chatting about volunteering to help the Great Lakes.Guests included:Olivia Reda – the Alliance for the Great Lakes Volunteer Engagement ManagerEileen Ryan is a long-time Alliance Ambassador and an Adopt-a-Beach volunteerNovem Cheng, a volunteer with the Alliance Ambassador and Adopt-a-Beach programs

Temperatures this winter have been warmer than usual, leaving the Great Lakes nearly devoid of ice cover. In this episode, we chat with Physical Scientist James Kessler of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and dig into big-picture trends, and what this all means for the lakes.  

In a previously recorded webinar, Alliance policy staff discussed their top 5 federal Great Lakes policy priorities They focus on stopping invasive species, fixing our failing water infrastructure, stopping plastic pollution, preventing harmful algal blooms, and ensuring funding for Great Lakes restoration. During the webinar, our panel answered several questions submitted by listeners around the region.

In this episode, we chat with Joel Brammeier, the Alliance’s CEO, and Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director for Federal Government Relations, about what the results of the midterm elections mean for the Great Lakes.  *Note: We recorded this conversation at midday on Monday, November 14. Therefore, information may well have changed by the time you listen to this podcast. Also, the Alliance for the Great Lakes is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which means that we cannot and do not endorse candidates for office. However, we can – and do – educate candidates about Great Lakes issues.  

In this episode, we chatted with Drew Youngedyke a native Michigander with a deep love for the lakes, and a volunteer with the Northern Michigan Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. In his day job, Drew is Director of Conservation Partnerships for the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center.Youngedyke talked about Great Lakes surfing, the mission of Surfrider and a few of their campaigns, including their work to shut down the Line 5 pipeline and efforts to keep plastic pollution out of the lakes.  

REPLAY: In this episode, we chatted with Ramiro Berardo, an associate professor of environmental policy at Ohio State University. He’s written, directed, and produced a new documentary titled “…And Water For All,” which premiered on World Water Day in late March. The documentary takes on the issue of water affordability in Ohio but has lessons for the Great Lakes region and beyond. It examines the challenges governments and communities face to ensure access to clean, affordable water now and in the coming decades. 

A timely chat about our big day of action for the Great Lakes – September Adopt-a-Beach – which was held earlier this month. We also discussed more broadly about beach cleanups, plastic pollution, and volunteerism around the Great Lakes region.  

An eye-opening conversation with LimnoTech Principal and Senior Engineer Ed Verhamme on the importance of buoys and how they help daily to protect drinking water, have safe boating experiences, and more.ResourcesHow Buoys HelpTwo Yellow Buoys

In today's episode, we’re talking with Alex Novak, the Alliance’s Community Planning Manager based in Detroit. We're chatting with Alex about green infrastructure – what it is, and how it can help improve our Great Lakes communities. 

In today's episode, we’re reconnecting with Anna-Lisa Castle, the Alliance’s Clean Water, and Equity Policy Director. We spoke with Anna-Lisa earlier this season about the big problems facing water and wastewater infrastructure around the Great Lakes region. In this conversation, we’ll be digging into the problem of toxic lead pipes that carry water into homes in many Great Lakes cities.

In today's episode, we’re talking with Oscar Sanchez, the Community Planning Manager at Southeast Environmental Task Force, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to serving Chicago's southeast side and south suburbs. We’ll talk with Oscar about the community’s recent big win to stop General Iron, a major industrial facility proposed for the community, Calumet Connect, a community-led effort focused on sustainable economic development along the Calumet River, a tributary to Lake Michigan. 

In today's episode, we’re talking with Juliann Krupa, the Alliance’s Volunteer Engagement Manager. We’ll be talking about our upcoming Adopt-a-Beach Spring Kickoff and the problem of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes.  

In today's episode, we’re talking with Molly Flanagan, the Alliance’s Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Programs, to get an update on invasive species in the Great Lakes. We’ll be talking about invasive carp, the status of efforts to regulate ballast water which is a main pathway for invasive species into the lakes, and the latest from Washington, DC on efforts to keep invasive species out of the lakes.