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April 20, 2018
This weekend, we celebrate the 48th Earth Day –
nearly 50 years since the birth of the modern environmental protection movement.
In that span, we’ve come a long way.
The Great Lakes were once treated as the industrial
backdoors of our state, but actions and advocacy by people who cared made
incredible strides in cleanups and protection. There is always more progress to
be made, but we can be proud that the unsustainable ways our waters were treated
in the past are no longer the norm.
Many of today’s Great Lakes environmental problems now exist
on the “micro” level and are tough to see with the naked eye. Microplastic
particles, microcystin bacteria (better known as blue-green algae), invisible
contaminants and tiny aquatic invaders are the next frontier to tackle.
How do we ensure that we keep moving forward?
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It’s in our nature to protect what we love, and a connection
to nature is the spark that lights passion for the world around us.
Experiencing the outdoors is essential to reversing the
encroachment of “nature deficit disorder,” a term coined by Richard Louv in his
2005 book, “Last Child in the Woods” to describe a growing trend in disconnect from
the natural world.
It’s hard for many of us to imagine this happening in
Michigan. We’ve claimed the titles of the Great Lakes State and the Trails State.
Michigan is known for incredible opportunities to enjoy the outdoors year-round
and is a haven for those who love trail running, kayaking, fat tire biking, skiing,
and birding. So, it’s especially distressing to learn that many children in
this state have never seen the Great
Lakes.
Let that sink in.
In a place where we’re never more than six miles from an
inland lake or few hours’ drive from a Great Lake, there are children who have
never experienced the wonder of the freshwater seas right in our
backyard.
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Growing stewardship for nature starts with a connection to
it. Unplugging from screens and spending time outdoors with the next generation
catching frogs, building sand castles, and splashing at the beach is key.
Our staff at the Office of the Great Lakes understand that public
access to the Great Lakes is a recreational amenity, but also enhances the more
elusive “quality of life,” value which is hard to explain in words, but easy to
understand. The story of our connection to the Great Lakes is captured in video
through the Power of Nature series supported by the Coastal Program.
This Earth Day, we can thank the generations before us who advocated
for the first environmental protection laws and worked to heal our waters. Many
of them, like volunteers in Michigan’s Areas of Concern communities, continue
to inspire. Some have been working to restore waters impacted by pollution for
more than 40 years.
To enjoy the Great Lakes for generations to come,
we must take steps to ensure that the next generation experiences the wonder of
the outdoors. Passion to become stewards of our state’s outdoor spaces,
naturally, will follow.
Learn more about Great Lakes stewardship at www.michigan.gov/waterstrategy.
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The Office of the Great Lakes works in partnership
with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. |
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