ISEA Seminar on Avian Botulism Tuesday Evening

Inland Seas Education Association is excited to offer a seminar focusing on the avian botulism monitoring program at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Dan Ray, the Project Lead, will give an overview of botulism in the Great Lakes, as well as a bird’s eye view of the monitoring activity conduced in 2012.

Where:
The Inland Seas Education Center
100 Dame St. Suttons Bay
When:
Tuesday February 12th at 7:00 pm

Free and open to the public
Please contact 231-271-3077 with any questions

Beach & Underwater Clean-Up Coming September 19

ISEA Beach Clean-Up on Mackinac Island, June 2008

ISEA holds two Beach Clean-Ups each season. The fall 2009 date is Saturday September 19. The fall Beach Clean-Up is part of the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Clean-Up, in cooporation with the Great Lakes Alliance.

Beaches and waterways included are from Petoskey to Manistee. To participate please call the ISEA office at 231-271-3077. Let us know which beach you wish to clean. If that beach is already taken, we will help you select another nearby beach. We will also send you a Beach Data Card.

On the day of the Clean Up, you will need sturdy footware, gloves, a plastic pail (this works better than garbage bags), a clipboard and pencil for the Data Card, and a friend or two to help.

Over the last few years northern Michigan has seen a large die-off of diving ducks, loons, and other migratory birds. Click here http://www.schoolship.org/stewardship/?id=693 for more information about the die-offs and what to do if you find a dead bird on the beach.

This year, ISEA is partnering with the Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve to also clean-up the nearshore areas surrounding the Inland Seas dock. This underwater clean-up will also take place Saturday, September 19.

Call the ISEA office at 231-271-3077 for more information on how to get involved.Thank you for helping keep Michigan clean by participating in our Beach & Underwater Clean-Up! We appreciate everything you do to help keep the Great Lakes clean and healthy!! For more information check out the ISEA website http://www.schoolship.org/stewardship/?id=80.

Seminar This Evening to Address Botulism in Lake Michigan

Botulism - killed bird on shore of Lake Erie

See the Fox 33 News Report & Interview with Chris Crissman: http://www.fox33.com/category/story/?id=148947

Come to the Inland Seas Education Center this evening at 7 pm to hear Ken Hyde of the National Park Service present a program on Lake Michigan botulism and bird die-offs. For full details click here: http://www.record-eagle.com/archivesearch/local_story_041095541.html

Ice cover report: The small bays within in Grand Traverse Bay remain ice covered (Northport, Omena, Bowers), but most of the ice in the West Arm has melted/blown out during the past several days of warm weather and strong winds. The last time GT Bay froze over was in 2003 and before that, 1996.
-Tom K.