Winter Lingers On

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The local bays (Northport, Omena, Suttons) remain ice covered, but there is little ice on Grand Traverse Bay.

Watch Baby Sturgeon Feeding at Inland Seas Education Center

Potential Asian Carp Hotspots?

On my recent visit to Chicago, I wanted to familiarize myself with potential routes for Asian carp to get to Lake Michigan. When you hear talk of "closing the locks", one of these is on the Chicago River (actually in Lake Michigan) near Navy Pier. The other is the Thomas J. O'Brien Lock on the Calumet River, #6 on the map below. 



 Map from:  http://www.glmris.anl.gov/



As close as I could get to the Lock

 Unfortunately I could not get close to the lock to take photos (and there was a push-boat heading into the lock at the time I got there, which would have added interest).  Where there was once a public viewing area and restrooms, now was behind a fence with a very serious sign informing you that there is no entry, no photo taking, no note taking, map making, sketching, etc.  I assume this is in response to national security concerns, not fear of environmentalists coming to dump rocks in the canal.

I also visited the mouth of the Portage-Burns Waterway, also known as Burns Ditch, at Burns Harbor (# 5 on the map). There is a nice beach here that is part of the Indiana Dunes National Seashore. To the east are the Midwest Steel and Bethlehem Steel plants, hard on the lake shore. I guess we are spoiled here in Northern Michigan.

Portage Burns Waterway looking N towards Lake Michigan

Outlet of Portage Burns Waterway at Lake Michigan.

The Portage Burns Waterway is connected to the Little Calumet River and the Cal-Sag Canal to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.   These waterways are above (north) of the electric barrier (#7 on map).

----Tom K.

Tom Kelly to Present at the Chicago Maritime Festival, Feb. 26, 2011

I will be giving an illustrated talk on ISEA and Invasive Epecies Education at the Chicago Maritime Festival on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011.  Hope you can join me there.  Lots of good music and information.  -Tom K.



The Belize Culture and Heritage Association will be preforming at the Chicago Maritime Festival

 

Platte River Elementary Students Visit the Inland Seas Education Center

Today we had a visit from the Platte River Elementary School's second graders.  They spent the day looking at our invasive species exhibits and doing hands-on science with our Education Director Christine Crissman and six Volunteer Instructors. Lots of excitement and energy on a winter's day!

What's Happening in Lake Michigan...Find out tonight at Inland Seas

Changes in Great Lakes Fisheries: Testing the Theory of Natural Selection

Lake Herring (R. Kinnunen Photo)

Suttons Bay, MI – The Inland Seas Education Association will present a seminar that focuses on the Great Lakes fishery at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, February 22nd, at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay. The program will be presented by Randy Claramunt, Fisheries Research Biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. This seminar is free and open to the public.

The Great Lakes ecosystem is constantly changing, which has a large impact on its fishery. Claramunt will describe the special adaptations and beauty of fish that live in the Grand Traverse Bay area, including Chinook salmon, lake trout, and a native cisco thought to be extinct. He will also discuss factors that influence changes in the Great Lakes, what causes the rise and fall of salmon populations, and the future of fishing in our waters.

Randy Claramunt is a Fisheries Research Biologist from the Charlevoix Research Station of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. His interests include the design and implementation of fisheries surveys pertaining to recruitment dynamics of fishes in large freshwater ecosystems. Claramunt’s current work includes statistical analysis of survey data; catch-at-age modeling for lake trout, whitefish, and Chinook salmon; and cooperative multi-agency assessment of predator-prey interactions in Lake Michigan.

The Inland Seas Education Association is a non-profit organization based in Suttons Bay, Michigan, dedicated to science education on the Great Lakes. Its shipboard and shore-side education programs are designed to inspire young people’s interest in science and to provide for the long-term stewardship of the Great Lakes. For further information contact the Inland Seas Education Association at (231) 271-3077 or on the web at www.schoolship.org.

Grand Vision Asks: Is the View of the Bay Worth More Than Half Your Pay?

Is a View of the Bay Worth More Than Half the Pay?

Public Invited to Community Conversation about Natural Resources and the Economy on February 23rd

How important do you think natural resources are to the future of our economy? Join business leaders for a panel presentation and community conversation on February 23rd from 6:00 – 9:00 pm to discuss how these resources help to drive our region’s prosperity. The event will be held at the Oleson Center in Traverse City, located on the main campus of Northwestern Michigan College. It is being hosted by the Natural Resources Network of the Grand Vision, which includes businesses, civic , and environmental organizations.

The event will feature several components:

· Opening Remarks - Derek Bailey, Tribal Chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, will deliver a welcome and opening remarks.

· Panel Discussion – Confirmed panelists include Jim MacInnis, President and CEO of Crystal Mountain Resort; Matt Myers, Co-Owner of M-22; and Deborah Wyatt Fellows; Publisher of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine; Kim Pontius, Executive Vice President of the Traverse Area Association of Realtors; and Gene LaFave, Developer. Panelists will share their perspectives on the following:

o Which natural resources are most important to the success of your business?

o How do natural resource protection goals increase the profitability and sustainability of your business?

o How do you communicate this value with your customers?

o What do you see as the biggest economic development opportunities for our region?

o How do these opportunities relate to natural resource protection goals?

· Community Conversation – Participants at the event will be invited to join break out groups to discuss the following questions as they relate to different topics such as recreation and access to nature, regulatory frameworks, education, energy, food, transportation, and housing.

o How do you think natural resources can drive economic development and economic prosperity in the region?

o Where might there be potential conflicts?

o How do you think these opportunities relate to the goals of the Grand Vision Natural Resources Action Plan?

Pre-registration is encouraged due to limited space. You may register by contacting The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, 231-935-1514 Ex. 4 or by e-mail to dbaker@gtbay.org. On-site registration on the day of the event begins at 5:30pm.

Snacks will be served and door prizes, including several wildlife prints, will be awarded. There is no fee to participate. After the event, join us for an Afterglow at Right Brain Brewery in the Warehouse District, Downtown Traverse City, for continued conversation over a discounted pint!

The mission of the Grand Vision Natural Resources Network is to protect and enhance the water resources, forests, natural areas and scenic beauty that preserve our quality of life and sustain our regional economy. The action plan for implementing the Grand Vision’s guiding principle for natural resources can be found online at: http://www.thegrandvision.org/2011/02/11/action-plan-for-implementing-the-grand-vision%E2%80%99s-guiding-principle-for-natural-resources/