The 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Adventures

Sunday, February 26, 2012

A Symphony of Voices for the Great Lakes!


The orange shaded region on the map above represents the Great Lakes basin.
This means that every drop of rain that falls in this area will drain into the Great Lakes and then flow to the North Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence Seaway. Every river in the orange flows into the lakes, everything that is dumped onto the land or waterways here will eventually make its way to the Great Lakes.




The idea of a "Symphony of Voices" is being coordinated by the International Secretariat for Water, a nonprof based in Montreal. They say:

"The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Symphony is part celebration and part public awareness campaign to bring people together for a shared vision that can help influence policy and the way we treat this precious resource in the future.

The project began in the autumn of 2011 and will run into the summer of 2012. Several interested parties have signed on to partner with the ISW, including members of American Indian and First Nation tribes, regional sustainability groups, Great Lakes United, LSSU, Wayne State University and other universities.

The 1st Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Symphony is an attempt to unite the people who live and work along the hydrological basin of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River in an effort to protect this natural resource that plays such a vital role in our lives--from its importance as a shipping channel for commerce, to the fish we catch, and the water we drink."

They are seeking input from everyone in the basin, from scientists and environmental groups, to lake freighter captains, to CEOs of companies whose businesses rely on these waters, to fishermen, to parents who enjoy taking their kids to their favorite beach.
EVERYBODY!

Here are the questions they are asking people to address:

• What unites all of us who live along the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence system?
• What is important to us and what worries us regarding our water?
• What do we want to promote?
• What is our shared vision for 2035?
• What actions should we take to make our vision come true?


Read more about the project HERE
And post YOUR answers to the questions on their BLOG HERE as a comment

The group will gather input to help them form a vision statement for the region.

Friday, February 17, 2012

For the Love of Book Clubs!

Every writer hopes to be published. And when that happens, every author hopes that their book will go out in the world and find readers.

I have had the privilege of meeting so many of my readers while on my book tour this past year at lectures and readings in five states. People told me their favorite part of the book, or what they were surprised to learn, or about their connection to the Great Lakes.

Many book clubs have chosen my book to read and discuss. How thrilling is that for a writer? It's amazing!

Quite a few of these book clubs have extended an invitation for me to join them while they talk about my book, and I've been able to attend several of these gatherings. This photo is from the most recent book club I attended in North Carolina! They held a lively discussion of the book and had some great questions and comments.

Thank you to all the readers and
book clubs who have chosen and
championed my book!



Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Bird Island hiking

I've been hiking this nature preserve in NC to train for my next hike!


YouTube Video


Location:Sunset Beach, NC

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Training for the Next Adventure

I am having a fantastic time in North Carolina training for my next adventure.