A 1,000 Mile Walk on the Beach

Invasion of the Great Lakes: Quagga mussels least known, most dangerous invader

2012-01-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

The invasive quagga mussel has colonized all of the Great Lakes, tossing a wrench into the precarious balance of their ecosystems. This mussel is native to the Ukraine and was given a free ride to our vast Inland Seas in the ballast water of a ship bringing goods from far off ports.

Read the most recent update HERE. This final photo shows a mass of quagga mussels colonizing whatever they can find in the lakes. After a storm this fall, the beach along Lake Michigan was littered with these long strands of grasses and mussels. My boot is included in the shot to give scale to the cluster of mussels.

Keystone XL Pipeline Rejected

2012-01-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

President Obama rejected the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline this week. This pipeline was to stretch from Alberta, Canada, 1,700 miles across America's heartland to refineries in Texas.

You may wonder why I'm blogging about this issue when it doesn't seem to relate to the Great Lakes or Michigan. Well, check out these photos:

These are photos of the oil spill in West Michigan that happened less than two years ago. There is an oil pipeline running through Michigan that ruptured and spilled approximately one MILLION gallons of heavy, crude oil into the Kalamazoo River. Enbridge, the company that owns and maintains the pipeline, has spent over a year cleaning up the river and there is still residual damage to the ecosystem.

Some of the homes near the source of the spill were so contaminated that Enbridge bought out the owners and condemned the houses.

The Keystone XL Pipeline's proposed route passes through many environmentally sensitive areas, not to mention America's breadbasket where much of our grain is grown.

Yes, job creation is important, but it is about time that government had a vision for the future. And that vision should be looking for cleaner sources of energy. Refining oil from Alberta's oil sands is a much more toxic process than refining heavy or light crude. And the byproducts are not only more toxic, but in greater quantity.

I applaud President Obama's decision. No doubt this issue will be pressed again in the future, and I hope his resolve and vision are not shaken.

Lake Michigan Water Trail

2012-01-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

Last year, I met two men on involved in the creation of the Lake Michigan Water Trail. Kenneth had kayaker's hands, big, strong and weathered. Dave was shorter and introduced himself as a professor of geography at Western Michigan University.

They had come to hear me read from my book at Kazoo Books in Kalamazoo while I was on my book tour, and they told me about efforts underway to create a path around the lake for hikers, bikers and kayakers.

Both Indiana and Wisconsin have embraced this grand vision and are doing their part to add places to launch kayaks and places to camp along the lakeshore. The state of Michigan is lagging behind in embracing and funding the water trail. This is odd since Michigan probably has the most to gain from it. Lake Michigan could (and should) become a destination for paddlers from all over the nation and even the world.

Read more about the trail at the link above and check out this article on Mlive.com
Lake Michigan sunset

KEEN Ambassadorship!

2011-12-31T20:52:00.001-08:00

I love my KEEN boots. They kept my feet pretty happy during my 1000-mile hike. The boot on the left side of this photo has about 350 miles on it, the boot on the right is the new pair I got in Escanaba that took me all the way to Chicago.

KEEN has acknowledged my 1000-mile adventure and the work I continue to do to educate people about the importance of our Great Lakes by making me a KEEN Ambassador!

Check out their site HERE.

Winter on Lake Michigan

2011-12-27T07:16:00.000-08:00

For many people, the Great Lakes are a summertime place, a place of heat and sand and cooling waters in which to play.

There is a certain beauty, though, of the lakes in other seasons. And a serenity to these waters after the first snow of winter.

Some people have never seen the shelf ice form on the lake and stretch out miles from the shoreline, quieting the waves. Some have never seen that ice break up in the spring to get tossed around by a late winter storm and stacked like crazy ice houses on the sand.

There was one Easter Sunday when my family drove to the lake and met up with some friends. The day was incredibly warm and the sun had thawed the frozen ground to the point where we could shed our shoes and walk barefoot on the warm sand. The ice, however, still decorated the beaches, large slabs of lake ice marooned on land and slowly melting in the springtime sun.

The lake speaks to us in all seasons and I am thankful for my time on the shores of Lake Michigan this fall
and winter.

Tales from the Book Tour...Part 14

2011-12-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

I had a great time on this last full week of my book tour. Events in Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago were packed, and I'd like to thank everyone who hosted my events and those who came out to hear a lecture or reading.

A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH
has spent time on the Heartland Indie Bestseller List this year!

Thank you all, and the Happiest of Holidays!

Support your local indie bookstore this Holiday Season!

Webinar takes on Clean Water Act rollbacks, invasive species, SS Badger

2011-12-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to get access to a recent webinar about important issues
that impact our Great Lakes.

There are efforts to weaken the Clean Water Act at a time when our lakes are approaching a crisis due to invasive species, algae blooms, and other threats.

Be informed.
Contact your representatives in Congress.
View from the Empire Bluff Trail

Author shores up lake trek with new book -

2011-11-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

Nice review of my book from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Time on the Lakeshore

2011-11-19T11:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some highlights from my time at the lakeshore this fall.

Even after encircling Lake Michigan with my footsteps and recording it in my muscles and bones, the lake continues to captivate me.

Next year I will undertake another 1000-mile hike in the Great Lakes region.

In the Shadow of Giants

2011-11-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Two hundred years ago it was easier to move through Michigan by water -- rivers and the Great Lakes -- than to move through the land.

That's because the land had old growth forests that were dense and impassible in places.

While walking the lakeshore this November, I followed a stream inland, tracing the water's path as it meandered toward the lake.

The trees that lived near the stream shaded
the area and their fallen leaves decorated the surface of the slow moving stream.

This oak towered over the other trees.

It's not old growth, but it is a grand tree
and a glimpse of the past when this size
tree would have been growing in the
shadows of giants.

CMU Students Give Back

2011-11-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Last month I had the privilege of speaking to Professor Lorie Tuma's class at Central Michigan University. Her students are studying in the tourism and hospitality fields and many of them are also shooting for a leadership minor.

Part of the leadership minor is doing community service, and a large group of students headed north to give back in Rogers City, Michigan. The Purple Martin Nature Center & Lakeside Inn was recently certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a Wildlife Habitat. The mission of the Inn is to not only provide an ultimate retreat, but for the owner, Cindy Vezinau, to fulfill a lifelong passion of providing a respite program to children in the foster care system.

The CMU students put in a day of hard work renovating the old building and working on the grounds of the center on the shores of Lake Huron.

. .

Renovation in Rogers City from EHS Life on Vimeo.

Next year, my 1000-mile hike will take me along the shoreline by the center. I will be sure to stop in to check on the progress of getting The Purple Martin Nature Center & Lakeside Inn renovated and open to do this important work.

Sand Landscapes

2011-11-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

The waves of Lake Michigan constantly pulse or roll or pound the lakeshore, continually grinding stone to sand.

The reach of each wave on the sandy shore leaves a mark of wet-on-dry.

The waves often leave an edge where grains sorted by the motion of the water are left in a line at the crest of each wave before it retreats back into the lake.

The waves repeatedly flow over the land and these minimalistic landscapes are shaped and reshaped on the sand.

Sometimes they are embellished with a rock or feather.

Sometimes it seems there is fog in the distance.

...and sometimes the hills seem to stretch on forever.

The Case Against Mylar Balloons

2011-10-30T06:50:00.001-07:00

I have spent the month of October on the shores of Lake Michigan near the lovely town of South Haven, Michigan. It has been a wonderful time to reconnect with my favorite place while preparing for my next 1000-mile hike.

Every day, I have hiked a couple of miles in one direction, then returned to my cottage retracing my steps. And every day as I returned, I picked up trash along the shoreline.

Day after day I have picked up plastic bottles, aluminum cans and collapsed juice pouches.

The big surprise in lakeshore trash is the number of mylar balloons I have found. These festive inflatables take FOREVER to degrade. Some, like the one to the left, has all of the color worn off by wind and waves, but it is still intact. These three (below) were tied together and washed up together.

This photo is ONE DAY'S gathering of trash.

Sure, there is the expected plastic and aluminum...

and there were FIVE mylar balloons just this one day.

Oh no...

Et tu, SpongeBob?

Et tu?

Rocks and Waves

2011-10-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

Lake Michigan is constantly tumbling rocks.

The rocks of Lake Michigan are a colorful mix.

Some were dragged along with the glaciers from the Arctic Circle and deposited here for the lake to work on for thousands of years.

Wave after wave tosses and tumbles, smoothing and washing these stones.

Everyday is a treasure hunt on the shore.

Visitors to the Lake House

2011-10-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

I am spending some time by the lake...
and have had visitors.

I put up a bird feeder that has been frequented by white-breasted nuthatches and rose finches.

My sons came out to walk the lakeshore with me...

as did Maija, my writer friend.

And, of course, there are always the gulls and waves to converse with.

The Inland Seas

2011-10-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

It is on days like today with high winds kicking up Lake Michigan that you can understand why the Great Lakes are called The Inland Seas.

There is such power in these waves.

The Great Lakes contain 90% of the fresh, surface water in America.

My BOGS boots and I took a long walk today in the surf.

Attack of the QUAGGAS!

2011-10-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

One of the questions I often get at while on my book tour is:

What's the most pressing issue
facing our Great Lakes?

There are many issues facing our lakes including loss of habitat for wildlife, loss of buffering wetlands, toxic sites, invasive species (both present and threatening to enter the lakes), over-development of the lakeshore, and ongoing pollution.

But if I could magically fix just one thing, I would eradicate the invasive mussels in our great lakes. Specifically, the quagga mussels (in photos) that have so completely colonized four of the lakes and are eroding the foundation of the food web.

THIS ARTICLE gives more details about how the quaggas have thrived in our Great Lakes. It is estimated that there are over 400 TRILLION quaggas in Lake Michigan alone.

That's TRILLION with a "T"

What can be done about the quaggas? Unfortunately, it would take a magic wand to get rid of these invasive mussels. They spread rapidly, filter food endlessly out of the water, and reproduce prodigiously.

From the article:

"Quaggas are causing the biggest changes we've ever seen in Lake Michigan," said Tom Nalepa, a research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory who has studied the lake for more than 30 years. "The numbers are still going up. We are going to see more severe impacts."
The havoc they have created includes an increase in toxic algae, a loss of tiny plants and animals that fish feed on, a decline in prey fish, and skinnier game and commercial fish.

Short of a disease or poison that could be targeted at them in the lakes' depths, quaggas are here to stay, Nalepa said.

But they represent a lesson for the future.

Of the 186 invasive species in the Great Lakes, two-thirds came from ships in the St. Lawrence Seaway, which pick up ballast water in foreign ports and discharge it into the Great Lakes. "We need to cut off the tap," said Kerfoot.

The Windward Shore

2011-10-09T12:28:00.001-07:00

I have settled into a little cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan for a time. The season seems disjointed, though, with the unseasonably warm weather. We've had a stretch of seventy degree or higher days -- with two days pushing up against eighty degrees -- so it feels more like June and summer than October and fall. I just finished walking the beach for several miles, then turning back to retrace my steps back to my cottage.

It is odd for me to retrace my steps.

I am used to walking on and on and on...

It's been good hammock weather and I've been doing a lot of reading and writing here.

The first book I took with me to the hammock was just released by The University of Michigan Press.

It is by Jerry Dennis, the brilliant essayist whose work best captures the Great Lakes. This book is called THE WINDWARD SHORE: A Winter on the Great Lakes. It was a wonderful read and I'm glad I read it while the waves played background music along the shore.

Dennis has lived his life on the Great Lakes, mostly on Lake Michigan. He lives within sight and sound of the lake and he says:

"Day and night by the water -- it insinuates. Seeing it in all hours and in all seasons, hearing it even in your sleep, it changes you. You're reminded that everything is fluid, that time flows and carries us along from a springlike source to an oceanlike eternity. And although I know these inland seas are not oceans, I have followed them to an ocean and know the connectedness of waters -- and the connectedness of every other thing as well. And I know the lakes are treasures worth more than all the world's gold."

For this book, Dennis spent time in winter at several residences on the shores of the Great Lakes and tried to capture this least-celebrated season on the lakeshore. There are people who summer at the lakes who have never seen the many forms the ice can take in winter: frazil, shelf ice, pancake ice, boulders of ice and more. They've never seen a storm smash up the shelf ice, then toss it up into sculptures on the shore. They've never walked out on the ice and felt the waves pulsing beneath their feet.

Dennis captures this most harsh and beautiful season in this collection of essays. It's a book I'll pull down to re-read winter after coming winter.

Tracks on the Shore

2011-10-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

The sands of Lake Michigan temporarily records the passage of creatures there.

From bird parties...

To the crossroads of beetles....

To a crazy bird dance...

In a neat circle.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 13

2011-09-28T17:23:00.000-07:00

This has been the busiest month of my Book Tour, and this last leg took me all the way to St. Louis!

Second Year Anniversary of Lake Trek Finale

2011-09-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Today marks the second anniversary of the completion of my hike around Lake Michigan, a journey of just over 1,000 miles.

It is amazing to look back on that adventure. In some ways it feels like just yesterday, and in others so distant. It is nearly miraculous that the book about my adventure has been out for over six months, and I'd like to thank Crickhollow Books of Milwaukee and Philip Martin, my editor, for doing such a fantastic job editing and publishing the book.

I'd like to thank everyone who has embraced this book about "my" lake. A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH spent four weeks on The Heartland Indie Bestseller List this summer. And I've met hundreds of people on my book tour who share a love and concern for Lake Michigan and all of our Great Lakes.

What happens now? Well, I have many events still on my scheduled book tour (see sidebar here or go to LakeTrek.com). The big finale of my book tour will be a week-long tour of Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago in early December. Then, I will begin training for my NEXT ADVENTURE.

Next year I will undertake another 1000-mile hike,
one that lets me touch all five Great Lakes.

Please "LIKE" my fan page on Facebook (if you haven't already) and tell me about YOUR favorite place on the shores of the Great Lakes. Which Great Lake is YOUR favorite? Which park is YOUR favorite? Where have YOU found the best rocks? Where is YOUR favorite place to walk the beach? What is YOUR biggest concern about our Great Lakes?

I will announce my hiking route soon here and on my Fan Page, so stay tuned!!

ADOPT-A-BEACH

2011-09-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.greatlakesadopt.org/

There is still time to be part of the largest beach clean-up in the world!

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 12

2011-09-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

I took some time to focus on my second book released this year, my novella, ATLANTA. And it seemed logical to launch the novella in Georgia. I was able to take my Lake Trek book along, too, and to introduce a Southern audience to both works.

One gentleman in Savannah came to my author event wearing an "M 22" t-shirt. Those of you who have traveled the NW corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula will recognize this as the designation of the road that winds through some of the most beautiful places in Michigan.

It is a joy to have had one book published this year, and I am thrilled to have a second book come out on the heels of A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH. My novella, ATLANTA, grew out of my years living in this Southern metropolis. I tried to capture the neighborhoods, the vibe, the lives, and the energy of this unique city. Though I only lived there for a handful of years, Atlanta still has a place in my heart.

If you live in Atlanta, Macon, or Savannah, please ask for the novella, ATLANTA, at your indie bookstore. If you live elsewhere, you can support Kazoo Books (a great indie bookstore in Kalamazoo) by ordering my novella from them through Amazon.com.

My novella will be featured in the October issue of Atlanta Intown!
Look for it next month!

Thank you!

Decatur book festival

2011-09-03T12:00:00.001-07:00

Having a great time at the DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL!

Tom Perrotta reading at the festival (above).

Stop by booth #314 and say HELLO!

Location:Decatur, GA

Separation of the Mississippi and Great Lakes Water System

2011-09-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

The alarms are finally going off regarding the environmental destruction caused by invasive species. Six attorneys general in the Midwest have called for a coalition to demand the separation of the Mississippi River system from the Great Lakes water system.

From the AP news story:

"...the officials invited colleagues in 27 other states to join a lobbying campaign to separate the two watersheds, contending they have as much to lose as the Great Lakes do from migration of aquatic plants and animals that can do billions in economic damage and starve out native species.

"We have Asian carp coming into Lake Michigan and zebra mussels moving out of the Great Lakes and into the heart of our country, both of which are like poison to the ecology of our waters," Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said. "This is not just a Great Lakes issue. By working together, we hope to put pressure on the federal government to act before it's too late."

Zebra mussels (in photos) have caused the power industry BILLIONS of dollars in the 25 years they have inhabited the Great Lakes. The mussels clog intake pipes which must be continually cleaned of the tenacious invaders. The zebra mussels have also negatively impacted the fishing industry in the Great Lakes by disrupting the ecosystem.

If the Asian Carp enter the lakes and establish a breeding population, they will out-compete native and stocked species in the lakes. The round goby (an invasive fish transported from the Black Sea to the Great Lakes in ballast water) is already doing this to the perch in the lake.

Separation of these water systems appears to be a logical and necessary step to protect our nation's waters from invasives. Another no-brainer is to FINALLY mandate that all ballast water must be treated so that no new invasives get a free ride from the other side of the world to our Great Lakes.

To see the dramatic spread of the zebra mussel, click on the dynamic map HERE.

Sleeping Bear Dunes

2011-08-27T15:08:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more photos from
the place recently voted
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN AMERICA!

A Win-Win-Win-Win Situation for the Great Lakes

2011-08-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

I have blogged about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) several times. This is the largest investment into our Great Lakes in two decades and is a five-year plan to fund programs to improve the health of our lakes. The funding targets five specific areas:

Cleaning up toxics and areas of concern
Combating invasive species
Promoting nearshore health by protecting watersheds from polluted run-off
Restoring wetlands and other habitats
Working with partners on outreach

With the stalled economy, this ambitious program has been scaled back in the budget each of the years it has been included thus far. Still, it is doing a lot of good on many levels in the Great Lakes Region.

On August 23, the EPA announced that the GLRI is setting aside $6 million for federal agencies to sign up unemployed workers to complete projects "in federally-protected areas, on tribal lands and in Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin."

"These projects will help to restore the Great Lakes and put Americans back to work," said EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager and Regional Administrator Susan hedman. "In a sense, we will be using these funds to create a small-scale 21st century Civilian Conservation Corps."

This complex approach to a complex set of problems will benefit the Great Lakes Region on many levels. As I've mentioned before, the Brookings Institution (a nonpartisan group) estimated that for every $1 invested in the GLRI will give back $2 to the region.

This benefit must actually increase if the GLRI is used to employ the unemployed in the region. Those wages will be taxed in the region supporting schools, roads, and other community services. Those wages will be spent in the region supporting local businesses.

Win-win-win-win.

Contact your represenatives in support of the GLRI, and learn more about the program and the projects it funds HERE.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 11

2011-08-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

The book tour took me to NW Michigan in mid-August.

A big thanks to the bookstores that hosted me along the way and to the indie booksellers who recommended
A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH
to their patrons, and to their patrons who told
friends and family about the book.

And the winner of the MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN AMERICA is...

2011-08-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

When people ask me about my favorite stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline, I answer without hesitation:

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore!

Well, it's no longer a secret because it was just voted the most beautiful place in AMERICA by viewers of Good Morning America!

I hope this honor encourages the Great Lakes States (and the nation) to protect and preserve Lake Michigan and the entire Great Lakes system. Funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is an important step in this direction.

We have a national treasure here and it needs our attention and protection so it remains "The Most Beautiful Place in America"!

Enbridge Oil Spill...one year later

2011-08-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Efforts to clean up the Kalamazoo River continue one year after a leaking oil pipeline allowed over 800,000 gallons of crude oil to spill into the Kalamazoo River. For weeks following the spill, my home town of Battle Creek smelled of the thick, crude oil for weeks. People living near the origin of the spill had to leave their homes due to the smell and toxic effects of the spill.

The EPA is overseeing the clean-up. Here are the stats to help put it in perspective:

766,000 gallons of oil have been recovered
15 million gallons of oil/water mix have been recovered and disposed of
93,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil/debris have been disposed of
19,500 feet of boom have been deployed on the river
clean-up has cost $25.7 million so far
245 workers involved in these efforts

The Liquidation of Borders Books

2011-08-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

You may think that since I am such a big fan and patron of the indie bookstores that I was glad to see the Borders bookstore chain undergoing liquidation.
Not so.
It is always a negative for a community when a bookstore closes
whether it be a chain or indie.

And Borders began as an indie in Ann Arbor near where I lived for many years.

I read an essay in The Northville Record about going to the liquidation sale.
People were lining up to buy books at 10-20% off.
LINING UP.
Where were these people when Borders was in trouble?

Do I need to give the statistics about how spending money in your community improves your community because your money stays there, the jobs stay there,
and the tax base stays healthy in your community?

Think about it.

Think about it before you buy online. Think about it before you buy from Amazon.com. Think about the fact that your kids need places to work during their summers and those jobs need to be in your community.

If we don't think about it, we will lose our bookstores and small shops.
We'll wake one day to towns with only Walmart and McDonalds.

And we'll wonder what happened...

unless we THINK ABOUT IT.

I hope that the indies get a boost of support and love from their communities, and maybe even a few indies will emerge to fill the void left by the demise of Borders.

National Lighthouse Day, August 7

2011-08-06T09:19:00.001-07:00

On this National Lighthouse day (first established in 1789), I'd like to share some photos I took while on my adventure.

Seeing these sentinels on the lakeshore was always a welcome sight as I walked. I can imagine that they were a comforting beacon to early lake travelers.

There are many preservation groups working to maintain and conserve these historic lights. And there are several around the lake that seek out the help of volunteers.

I spent a week working at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse (below) in November 2009. It was fun to stay in the keepers' house and to climb the light tower to watch the sunset every evening. I worked in the gift shop and helped to get the buildings ready for the harsh winter and raked leaves. It was a great week and I met some wonderful people who also have a bond with this important part of our Great Lakes heritage.

Visit YOUR favorite lighthouse this summer and see what YOU can do to help preserve it. To learn more about this special day for lighthouses, click HERE.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 10

2011-08-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

The book tour took me all over the region in July.
The final week of the month had me heading Up North once again.

A big thanks to the bookstores and libraries
who hosted me along the way and to the indie booksellers who recommended
A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH
to their patrons, and to their patrons who told
friends and family about the book.

July has been a great month for the book, and you are all part of its success!

The Image of Our Great Lakes Takes Shape

2011-08-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

While on Mackinac Island, I had time to explore the new art museum there (in the renovated barracks building on the edge of Marquette Park).

I was captivated by these very early maps of the Great Lakes region.

Imagine trying to draw a map of a region you have canoed through over many months. The detail achieved is amazing and you can see the progression to what we can all access on Google Earth on a whim.

The Great Lakes Region has completely captivated me and I will soon announce my NEXT adventure, one I will undertake next year.

Stay tuned...

Book Review in Women 2 Women Magazine

2011-07-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Leslie Charles who wrote this book review for the upcoming issue of
Women 2 Women Michigan Magazine.
[Reprinted with permission.]

Michigan’s Write Stuff

She might be described as an ordinary middle-class, middle-aged woman but Loreen Niewenhuis is anything but. She’s a woman who had an extraordinary vision, dream, or passionate goal (call it what you will) and unlike most of her counterparts or peers, she fulfilled it.

In her book, “A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach” (Crickhollow Books) Niewenhuis chronicles her journey around Lake Michigan. Think of journey as in “walk.” Yes, step-by-step, she walked around her favorite place in all the world, Lake Michigan.

In a counter clockwise trajectory, she hoofed it, starting and ending at the Navy Pier in Chicago. I must admit my eyes teared up at the end of her trek where, accompanied by her family she was welcomed by admirers and followers of her journey.

Overcoming personal fears, physical challenges (including bleeding blisters and a rogue gall bladder and pancreas attack) this plucky woman stayed true to her passion of getting to know the lakeshore at an intimate level and studying its history so that each reader may emerge enlightened and invigorated.

On all levels, the author delivers, with honesty, gentle authority, and a restrained excitement for what she accomplished. Feeling a little stale, restless, or vaguely unfulfilled? Follow her advice and “live your life as an adventure.”

What is your secret dream, passion, or vision, and will you ever fulfill it? Read this book and take on the challenge Niewenhuis leaves her readers with: “I urge you to find those things and take them on, to launch out on an adventure to find yourself, be it on a weekend or weeks, be it a few miles or a thousand.”

Review her adventures on:

http://Youtube.com/LNiewenhuis

http://LakeTrek.Blogspot.com

C. Leslie Charles, author and speaker, one who pursues everyday life with a passion. http://LeslieCharles.com

http://www.w2wmichigan.com/

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 9

2011-07-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

The book tour took me to NW Michigan and then across the lake to Wisconsin in July.

I had the great pleasure of being hosted by the 'Book & a Dinner' book club on the shores of Hess Lake. What a great group of women, and the food was all Lake Michigan-themed!!

Thank you to Cindy and her great group of friends for the fantastic discussion, many laughs, and delicious, Michigan-themed dinner!!

Using water from the Great Lakes

2011-07-20T07:15:00.001-07:00

Who can take water from the Great Lakes? What laws regulate that usage? Can our Great Lakes water be diverted to water-starved Southwestern states?

There is an agreement in place called THE GREAT LAKES COMPACT which was hammered out over many years between the eight Great Lakes states (MI, WI, OH, IN, IL, NY, PA, MN) and Canada. It was signed into law in 2008.

[A great book explaining this compact is Peter Annin's The Great Lakes Water Wars.]

To read the language of the compact, click HERE.

A recent threat to this agreement was a move to let businesses extract water from Lake Erie without seeking permits. The Plain Dealer reported:

The bill would have required businesses to seek permits if they use more than 5 million gallons of water a day from Lake Erie, 2 million gallons a day from groundwater or 300,000 gallons a day from rivers considered "high quality." Opponents said those levels were much too high -- so high that few companies would need a permit, which could lure more businesses to use the waters.

Governor John Kasich wisely (and surprisingly) vetoed this bill. He said:

"Lake Erie is an incredible resource that demands our vigilant stewardship to maximize its environmental, recreational and commercial potential for Ohioans. Ohio's legislation lacks clear standards for conservation and withdrawals and does not allow for sufficient evaluation and monitoring of withdrawals or usage."

Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes. Siphoning off large quantities from this lake would have stranded boats in their docks, exposed mud flats, and stunted their tourism and recreation on the lake. And it's just bad policy to deregulate industry when it comes to our lakes. How many times will we have to learn that lesson the hard way?

Read the full article in The Plain Dealer HERE.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 8

2011-07-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

The book tour continues in NW Michigan this month. A big thanks to all the venues and organizations who hosted me for an event, and especially to the indie bookstores who have been so supportive of my adventure and book and book tour.

Sleeping Bear Beaches

2011-07-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a portion of my book tour that took me to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore area in NW Michigan.

This is my favorite stretch of Lake Michigan's shoreline.

And it's finally getting the attention it deserves. Click HERE to read a recent article in The Washington Post about these gorgeous beaches.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 7

2011-06-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a short video from my book tour travels in the Metro Detroit area.

I hope to see you along the way!

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

2011-06-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is now in its second (of five) year of funding. Initially planned as a $2.1 billion plan over five years, the funding has been scaled back to only $350 million dollars this year and will probably be scaled back to $300 million next year.

Some people may question the wisdom of funding this program at a time when the country has an economic slump. Well, consider this:

A 2007 Brookings Institution report predicts $50 billion in long-term economic benefits from rehabilitating
the Great Lakes.

I firmly believe that our Great Lakes should be restored and protected even if there is no economic benefit.

We are the caretakers of our environment. The Great Lakes are a natural treasure that should be enjoyed and respected and protected so that future generations can walk these beaches and dunes and enjoy these vast inland seas.

A recent article on the GLRI can be found in the Christian Science Monitor HERE.

Interview on WXYZ-TV today!

2011-06-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to Anu Prakash at WXYZ for the lovely interview this morning!

The Greening of the Great Lakes

2011-06-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

My
Greening of the Great Lakes
conversation with Kirk Heinze is scheduled to air on our program this weekend. That means flagship WJR AM 760 Sunday at 9 p.m. And it means Sunday at 11 a.m. on 1340 AM WJRW in Grand Rapids. And it airs Saturday at 11 a.m. on stations in Lansing, Mt. Pleasant, Muskegon and Saginaw.

Kirk Heinze

Greening of the Great Lakes host Kirk Heinze has served in MSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for three decades as a faculty member, a department chairperson and, most recently, as director of Agriculture and Natural Resources Communications.

Blog: bit.ly/GOTGL

Tweet: twitter.com/greenmichigan

The interview is now live HERE.

Detroit Free Press Series on the Great Lakes

2011-06-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Michigan is a state comprised of two almost-touching peninsulas. We are surrounded on three sides by water.

Vast water: our Great Lakes.

Michigan is the only state that touches 4 of the 5 Great Lakes. Our edges are mostly defined by water.

We Michiganders are peninsular people.

And we Michiganders are going through a tough time economically, as is most of the country. The Free Press is doing a series of articles titled:

"Water shaped Michigan's past:
Now it's a key to state's future"

From the first article in the series:

"Michigan grew up on the Great Lakes. It can grow anew from their cool, abundant waters -- if they are used wisely and protected.

The greatest natural resource in all of North America and perhaps on our planet, the sweet water seas brought people to Michigan's peninsulas and moved Michigan ore, timber and manufactured goods to markets around the world.

The lake waters nourish our crops, slake our thirst, cool our machinery and change our weather -- sometimes rather abruptly. They provide fun, fish and spectacular vistas for millions of people.

In a world where 1 in every 6 people lacks daily access to fresh water, the Great Lakes are a treasure of immeasurable value.

And yet they have been exploited, depleted and polluted. They are threatened by invaders, foreign and domestic, some already in the waters or on the way, others on dry lands."

This is an important look at our lakes and how vital they are to Michigan, our nation, North America, and, possibly, the world.

Read the entire first article HERE.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 6

2011-06-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend took me to the lakeshore in SW Michigan for three stops on my book tour. The first was at Buffalo Books in New Buffalo. This store is a combination bookstore and art gallery featuring 22 local artists. The art work is fantastic and ranges from oil paintings, to pastels, to stained glass windows and drawings. There is a lot of talent along the lakeshore!

My next two events were just up the shoreline a bit in South Haven. I gave a presentation with photos at the Senior Center there to a great group of about 30 people. They had great questions for me, too! Afterward, a few of the seniors joined me for a stroll down to the lighthouse and then back to Black River Books.

The next day, I had an author event at Black River Books. It was a combination signing/reading/conversation that stretched over three hours. There was a small circle of chairs in the store and as people filtered in and out, the circle would fill up for a time, then empty out again for the next group. It seems like everyone has questions about my Lake Trek, and I am always happy to answer them.

Black River Books is owned by Dick and Pam Haferman and they often bring their Labradoodles (Booker and Dewey) into the store. The store is mostly used books that the Hafermans acquire from estate sales and other book-sleuthing techniques. I never leave there empty handed!

Here's a short video from my book tour travels, and I hope to see you along the way!

Indie versus Big Chain Booksellers

2011-05-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

During my hike around Lake Michigan I visited independent bookstores along the lakeshore. I love indie bookstores. The people who own and manage and work in the indies are knowledgeable about literature and they love books.

And I love books.

I was a reader long before I was a writer or hiker, so I know the value of a good bookstore. And there IS a difference between a big chain or online bookseller and the independents.

I live in Battle Creek where the only bookstore is a Barnes & Noble.

Do I go there? Yes.
Do I buy books there? Rarely.

It's great for my little town to have ANY bookstore (B&N wasn't even here when I moved here), so I support it by buying coffee and games and greeting cards and music and movies and newspapers there.

And my book is on the shelf there, which I appreciate.

But I buy most of my books from independents either nearby or in communities around Lake Michigan.

On my website, you'll see a link to buy my books from Brilliant Books in Suttons Bay, Michigan. I have partnered with Brilliant Books because it's a great indie and I launched my book there.

That's another thing that the indies do:
they support emerging writers.

If you are a writer and you buy your books on Amazon or at the big chains, you are jeopardizing your own future as a writer because it is the indies that will work with you to build your career. Just as the smaller publishers will take a chance on publishing you before the big New York houses will.

Here is an excerpt from a blog post by Mara Lynn Luther, the owner of Chapter One Book Store, an independent bookstore in Montana.
It will give you a window into the life and frustrations
of the indie bookseller.

"Confessions of an Unapologetic Indie"

"I'm not an economic priest. My bookstore is not a confessional. I'm tired of handing out 'Hail Locals' to guilt-riddled shoppers. If you bought a Kindle as your sole reading device, you have cut out your local bookstore when there are options for e-readers that don't eliminate indies. It's your choice, but don't come whining to me that you really want to shop local, but you have to be 'smart about your money.' I agree, you should be smart about your money. You should know that local businesses hand out thousands of dollars worth of donations and items to schools, organizations, and clubs throughout your community every year. Maybe shopping local isn't a priority for you. Fine. Talk to Amazon about donating a silent auction item for your son's school trip to D.C. and ask for a discount on books purchased for your school district. I'm sure Wal-Mart would sell your dance recital tickets or put a bucket on the counter for summer camp applications. Maybe Costco will supply the food for a fund-raiser, but I doubt it."

Check out the entire post here.

Mara brings up a good point about e-readers. If you use a Kindle you can ONLY get books from Amazon.com. If you choose a Nook (or other e-reader), you can buy your e-books from many indies that sell e-books.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 5

2011-05-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have been going to a variety of venues on my book tour. Bookstores are the obvious first stop for an author with a new book, and I've been to many great indie bookstores so far (and have many more scheduled through the next few months).

A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach has taken me to less traditional book tour stops.

I've been to senior centers, retirement communities, the Inland Seas Education Association, Kingman Museum, Cottage and Lakefront Living Show, several libraries, and a fundraiser for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Whew!

Coming up, the book will take me to REI Stores in several states to
lecture about my adventure and my favorite gear from my hike. I'll also share my secrets for keeping my feet happy for 1,000 miles.

(Okay, my feet were pretty UNhappy for the first 400 miles or so until I learned these tricks.)

Here's a bit of video from the tour this month. A big thanks to Sunset Retirement's Waterford Campus for hosting a reading/signing and for choosing me to be their featured speaker at a dinner that evening. Also in this clip, The Nature Connection Store of Kalamazoo had me sign books during the city's monthly Art Hop. Then I did a reading and signing at Saturn Booksellers in Gaylord, Michigan. I had a fantastic time!

Breaking news:

A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach was just named a finalist in the
Science/Nature/Environment category of the
2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards!

Monday Night Live

2011-05-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

I was featured on Monday Night Live, a cable access talk show in Kalamazoo hosted by the charming Keith Roe.

Mr. Roe is Kalamazoo's own James Lipton,
and Monday Night Live is his
Inside the Actor's Studio.

That's how I felt being on the show. Gloria Tiller was also there (as she is every second Monday of the month) with Keith. Gloria is the owner of Kazoo Books in (where else) Kalamazoo!

Click HERE to view the episode.

I had a lovely time on the show. A big thanks to Keith and Gloria for the energizing conversation about writing, the publishing process, and my adventure of walking all the way around Lake Michigan!

NPR Piece About the Great Lakes Fish Hatcheries

2011-05-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Invasive species are eroding the food web and both native fish and "planted" fish from hatcheries (like Chinook salmon) are struggling to find food in the Great Lakes.

Here's a short piece from NPR about the situation.

Jean Klock Park

2011-04-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Joseph Harris, the emergency manager appointed to take over Benton Harbor, may also help facilitate a land-grab of Benton Harbor's Jean Klock Park.

This park was deeded to the city in perpetuity in 1917 for the use of Benton Harbor residents.

IN PERPETUITY.

There is a plan already underway to develop the city's lakeshore and to grab this park to build luxury homes and part of the golf course that is already under construction nearby.

Here's what the Michigan Messenger reports:

The Emergency Financial Manager of the city of Benton Harbor has issued an order stripping all city boards and commissions of all their authority to take any action.

The order, signed Thursday, limits the actions available to such bodies to calling a meeting to order, approving the minutes of meetings and adjourning a meeting. The bodies are prohibited under the act from taking any other action without the express authority of the Emergency Financial Manager, Joseph Harris.

Actions such as Harris’ are explicitly allowed under a newly approved law which granted sweeping new powers to emergency financial managers. That legislation had drawn large protests, including attempts by some protesters to take over the state capitol building. The sit-in resulted in numerous arrests.

And reporting on the Rachel Maddow Show:

Daniel Burnham's plan for Chicago was to keep the lakeshore open and undeveloped so that the citizens and visitors to that great city could enjoy the lake.

I guess the new vision is to push poor people out of the way, take power from their elected officials, grab their parks, and build luxury home for the wealthy.

If lakeshore access is restricted to only those with means, then the lake becomes a possession instead of what it should be: a natural resource and treasure that all should be allowed to enjoy freely.

Fan Mail!

2011-04-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

There is that moment in the life of a published writer when their book goes out into the world.

The writer wishes it well.

And then the waiting begins...and the questions:

Will the book find readers? Will readers find the book? What will readers think? Will they share it? Tell others about it?

I have been extremely thankful that some of my readers have taken the time to write e-mails or letters to me to tell me that they read and enjoyed -- and are now sharing -- my book.

Here are just a few excerpts from the fan mail I have received.

Have always thought I knew much about my Lake, but your book certainly opened my eyes and has given me some destinations for exploring! Thanks for sharing your vision, experiences, love to such a vital resource! Can't wait to send your book to my sister in New Jersey! We grew up near Sleeping Bear and I know she will enjoy your story too!

You have accomplished a feat that will inspire thousands of people. Pressing on through the trials and hardships says a lot about your strength of spirit.

I have finished your book and it was wonderful. You are one brave lady to go so much of the way alone and in such desolate areas and dangerous areas. There were so many times I felt like was there on the walk with you. Your descriptions painted the scenes so well.

Some were from fellow hikers:

So many people have called or written to me to tell me about your story -- I just want you to know that it warmed my heart every time someone mentioned it. There's not many like us out there. I know the high moments, I know the low moments . . . and I know the ability to just keep moving on.

You have rekindled our fire, and we will definitely get a couple more segments of our own trek completed this summer. Our ultimate goal is the lighthouse at the end of the Leelanau peninsula.

And some people were even inspired to take action:

I think you have given me the idea of what I might get involved in when I retire. The lake and its preservation would be a fitting endeavor to a lifelong love with the Great Lakes.
Thank you for writing this book and taking this journey.

Thank you all so much
for taking the time to write!

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 4

2011-04-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

This has been a great month on my book tour.

Thank you to the Friends of Allen Park Library who hosted me last night at the Leo Paluch Retirement Center.

In this first photo, I'm with my Aunt Nancy's friend, Rita.

The second photo is with Malcolm Alestra and Marge.

The last photo is (left to right), my mom (Theresa Rugel) me, my Great Uncle Teddy, and Great Aunt Nancy.

As I expand my events to the east side of Michigan, I am meeting up with many people I know. You see, I spent the majority of my life living on the east side of the state in the greater metro Detroit area including a few years living in downtown Detroit while my husband studied at medical school and I got my Masters degree from Wayne State Univeristy.

The event in Allen Park was organized by my Great Aunt Nancy who volunteers for the Friends of Allen Park Libraries and I was honored to be introduced by her at the event.

I will do a book signing at a fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on April 28th in Kalamazoo.

I have a packed schedule of events through the summer. Please check the sidebar here or Author Appearances page on my website: LakeTrek.com

I am thrilled to talk about Lake Michigan
with others who care about this Greatest of Lakes.

Say goodbye to the ice...

2011-04-02T18:24:00.001-07:00

Spring is approaching and the ice is receding from the shores of Lake Michigan.

Say goodbye to the snow-topped dock supports,

the shelf ice, the icicles,

and the boulders of ice clunking together in the surf.

Welcome Spring!

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 3

2011-04-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

March was a big month for my book tour. I launched my book in northern Michigan by giving readings, book signings, and lectures. I was even hired as a speaker at the Cottage & Lakefront Living Show in Grand Rapids. And I partnered with Grocer's Daughter Chocolates (voted one of the TOP 5 CHOCOLATIERS in the NATION) and Black Star Farms (one of my favorite places to stay near the lake) for the show.

I gave a reading to a packed house at Kazoo Books in Kalamazoo last night. Thanks to everyone who came to the event!

I have a packed schedule of events through the summer. Please check the sidebar here or Author Appearances page on my website: LakeTrek.com

I am thrilled to talk about Lake Michigan
with others who care about this Greatest of Lakes.

Take 5 with Me!

2011-03-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was on Take 5 this morning, a Grand Rapids morning show. Big thanks to Catherine for the lovely interview.

If you live Grand Rapids and make it to the Cottage & Lakefront Living Show this weekend, be sure to drop by my booth (#2615) to say hello.

You can also enter to win a $250 certificate for the Inn at Black Star Farm at my booth.

AND, I have samples from Grocer's Daughter Chocolates who are located in Empire, Michigan.

And, of course, I'll have copies of my book!

If you miss me at the show, drop in at Schuler's Books or Literary Life & More in Grand Rapids. They are great indie bookstores and they have

A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH.

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 2

2011-03-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

Speaking about my ADVENTURE...

2011-03-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

I will be a featured speaker at this show next weekend
at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids!

The hours of the show are:

Friday, March 25	3pm - 9pm
Saturday, March 26	10am - 9pm
Sunday, March 27	11am - 5pm

Check out all the details HERE.

I hope to see you there!

I'm at BOOTH # 2615!

World Water Day

2011-03-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

The U.N. designates March 22 as the day of the year when we spotlight the global safe water and sanitation issue and the collective efforts underway to get solutions to those struggling and in need.

The Great Lakes contain 20% of the fresh surface water

in the WORLD.

The Great Lakes contain 90% of the fresh surface water

in the U.S.

We are blessed with this natural source of fresh water in the Midwest and over 40 million people get their drinking water from the Great Lakes. There are many areas on the planet, though, where people struggle to find clean drinking water and where proper sanitation is non-existent.

What can we do?

...from the "About Water Day" website:

"Scale up the solutions that are already working. US support for water and sanitation has produced demonstrable results in thousands of communities around the world. Solutions include digging wells and boreholes, harvesting rainwater, protecting springs, water filtering and purification, and building safe and affordable latrines. Sustainability is key: programs must be implemented in a fashion that is sustainable on a local level, in technical, financial, social, and environmental terms. Integrating simple and cost-effective water and sanitation solutions into child survival, health, and nutrition programs can dramatically decrease both child mortality and long-term developmental problems caused by the most common child killers - diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition.

Encourage decision makers to target US funding to the countries and communities most in need of first-time access. The US government must ensure the funding it provides for international water and sanitation programs benefits the people who need it most. Most of those living without safe drinking water and improved sanitation are poor people in impoverished countries. Helping to provide first-time access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation in those communities will also ensure progress toward other related goals: improved health, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, and increased educational opportunities."

I live in Michigan.

We are a peninsular people, surrounded by water.

We take fresh water for granted, but there are so many in our world who do not have fresh drinking water.

Fresh water is essential for life.

Unexpected Gifts of the BOOK TOUR

2011-03-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

There are so many things to occupy everyone's time and energies these days, so seeing people file in to a bookstore or science museum, take a seat, and look up at ME waiting to hear about my adventure and my book...well, I consider that a gift.

And people have been exceedingly generous in their attendance and attentions at the beginning of my book tour these last few weeks. Most of my events have been packed and if anyone straggles in a little late, they've had to stand along the back wall. I am humbled and grateful for this response to my work.

Another thing that people have gifted to me has been THEIR stories of Lake Michigan. Sometimes they even bring a map and photos from their hikes and strolls along the shoreline (like in these two photos).

I met up with a couple in Suttons Bay who even brought along a photo collage of their walks to give to me. Jan and Bill Heston have walked many miles of my favorite stretch of shore from Frankfort north past their home in Glen Arbor.

The Hestons are a lively couple and they came to both of my events in Suttons Bay. A double gift of their presence and questions and smiles.

I had a meeting with Coryn Briggs who is the Director of Marketing for Black Star Farms. She brought her daughter to our breakfast meeting and the little girl quietly colored a picture of a birthday cake while her mother and I chatted.

When the meeting was over, the little girl solemnly gave me the picture of the cake! Since my kids are now 18 and 21, there is plenty of room on my fridge for this festive drawing!

At my first appearance for my book, Jessilyn (owner of Petoskey's wonderful McLean & Eakin Booksellers), was so intrigued with the section in my book entitled "Fascination with roadkill" that she gave me a copy of Roger M. Knutson's Flattened Fauna.

Needless to say, I was charmed by Mr. Knutson's cheeky treatment of roadkill. So charmed that I sent him a copy of MY book and he sent me a card which proves I am now a LIFELONG member of the society that counts and classifies roadkill.

Fantastic.

One of the people who attended my reading at McLean & Eakin brought me a pair of mittens that she had made. To keep your hands warm while you hike she said>>>

I was touched.

After discussing our mutual love of Bill Bryson's work, Lynn (owner of Great Lakes Book & Supply in Big Rapids) gave me a copy of In a Sunburned Country which I had not yet read.

I think it is a rare and special thing to return from a book tour so enriched by all these gifts.

Thank you all, and I look forward to meeting many more fans of Lake Michigan and good books (like Mr. Bryson's and Mr. Knutson's) along the way.

My sister Leslie joined me on the first leg of my book tour. This is a photo of us on the shores of Little Traverse Bay near Petoskey>>>

Keep checking my author appearances in the sidebar here or on my website: LakeTrek.com

Tales from the BOOK TOUR...part 1

2011-03-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

Budget Cuts Effect the GLRI

2011-03-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

I've blogged several times about the
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

This is the ten-year, $5 billion program to improve the health of the Great Lakes. With Congress cutting away at the budget, the GLRI is on the chopping block.

These are tough economic times, but the GLRI is an investment not only into the lakes but into the economy they support.

It is estimated that 15% of the jobs in Michigan
are related to the Great Lakes.

Jim Diana, Director of the Michigan Sea Grant, points out research done by The Brookings Institute:

"The Brookings Institute estimated that $18 billion to $31 billion in economic benefits would result from Great Lakes restoration, at a ratio of about 2 to1, benefit to cost. The investment for restoration is a one-time cost, while the benefits increase with time."

How many other budget line items promise
to give BACK to the country?

Let your representatives know that you support the GLRI and that it is a good investment in the economy of the Great Lakes.

Perils of the self-portrait

2011-03-01T10:15:00.000-08:00

While hiking 1000 miles around Lake Michigan, I got pretty good at taking the 'arms-length-headshot' photo.

Taking the 'set-up-the-camera-and-run-into-the-shot' photo still remained tricky...

Sometimes a wave would come in...

and soak my feet.

Ha-ha-ha
the lake has a sense of humor.

Sometimes the camera wouldn't wait for me to get into position.

Try, try again.

I ended up taking around 100 photos on every day of the Lake Trek. I will be giving a lecture with the best of these photos at many places while on my book tour.

Check out the Author Appearances page on my website to catch a lecture or reading near you.

I hope to see you along the way.

Lake Trek as Quest...

2011-02-27T11:02:00.000-08:00

I'd like to thank Kathy Drue for her blog review of my book.

She illuminates the quest aspect of my adventure:

"Her heart called her on
a Big Quest,
and she didn’t refuse
its calling."

She had some lovely thoughts on answering the call of the quest for all of us.

You can read the entire review here: http://upwoods.wordpress.com/

Cabin Fever Event at McLean & Eakin

2011-02-25T17:13:00.000-08:00

There was a packed house at McLean & Eakin this week to hear all about my book! Thank you to everyone who came out on this cold evening and for sharing your stories of Lake Michigan.

A huge thanks to Jessilyn and the entire staff at McLean & Eakin for hosting this Cabin Fever event. I am honored to be part of your winter line-up.

What a great audience with great questions. And one woman, Mary, even brought me a beautiful pair of mittens she made to "keep your hands warm when you hike." How lovely!

I have a jam-packed book tour developing. Check the sidebar for details and locations. I hope to see you along the way!

The formal BOOK LAUNCH will be at BRILLIANT BOOKS of Suttons Bay, Friday, March 11 at 7pm.

Please note that reservations are recommended.

The Sleeping Bear

2011-02-21T16:20:00.000-08:00

One of the questions people ask when they hear that I walked all the way around Lake Michigan is:

What was your favorite part?

While it's difficult to choose only one, I did fall in love with one stretch of Lake Michigan all over again: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

This park preserves 35 miles of lakeshore and the two large islands just offshore.

This is a place I return to in my mind...and I'll get back there soon to explore this national treasure.

The North and South Manitou Islands are just offshore.

The barns below are also part of the park.

Did You Know...

2011-02-14T15:47:00.000-08:00

…the French explorer Jean Nicolet was the first European to travel the Great Lakes.

…the name Michigan is probably from the Ojibwa word michigami meaning “great water.”

...the Great Lakes are relatively young, geologically speaking, around 10,000 years old.

...the state fossil of Michigan -- the petoskey stone (in photo below) -- is a fossilized coral that thrived much earlier. They populated the inland sea that covered much of this region in the Devonian Period over 350 million years ago.

Beginning of Book Tour

2011-02-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

Invasive Species

2011-01-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

The Asian carp is the 'poster child' of invasive species, but do you know that there are over 150 non-native species already established in the Great Lakes? From bivalves from Russia, to plants from Europe, to fresh water-tolerant species from the Atlantic, our Great Lakes are already populated with invasives that continually weaken and erode the ecosystem.

The Asian carp is a big and current threat. It has been making its way to the Great Lakes for many years and is now very near Lake Michigan.

A permanent solution IS possible.

Tom Kelly, Executive Director of the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay, Michigan, presented his recommendations at the recent US Army Corps of Engineers and Mississippi River Interbasin Study meeting in Traverse City.

See his recommendations here:

http://schoolship.blogspot.com/2011/01/tom-kellys-comments-to-glmris-scoping.html

FROOO------ZENNNNNN!

2011-01-28T16:07:00.000-08:00

Did You Know...

2011-01-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

…the Great Lakes are called “The Third Coast” and “Inland Seas.”

This coastline stretches over 10,000 miles. The state of Michigan, alone, has over 3,000 miles of shoreline.

… Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake completely within US borders. We share the other four Great Lakes with Canada.

Forming laws or guidelines governing the lakes is a complex undertaking involving eight states and Canada. The GREAT LAKES WATER COMPACT is a complex agreement between all parties (and ratified by Congress) governing how water may be used from the Great Lakes.

…the Great Lakes contain 20% of the world’s fresh surface water, and 95% of the US’s.

It is important that we preserve and protect this important resource.

To the LAKE!!

2011-01-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

I took my book out to see the LAKE this week!

I'd been away from Lake Michigan for too long. Several trips were scuttled by heavy snows or thwarted by other happenings.

It was so good to see the lake, to view the shelf ice reaching out from the shore, to see where the waves have stacked up broken chunks of ice to form these temporary hillocks and mounds on the surface of the lake.

I climbed one of these formations just to give some scale in the photo. While standing there, I noticed a large crack near my foot that was slowly opening and closing as the water pulsed beneath the layers of ice.

Yikes!

The lake has many moods and I am drawn to the frozen, quiet force of it in the winter.
These photos are of the Black River heading out to the lake, its surface covered with pancake ice.

Speaking of Black River, I'll be at South Haven's BLACK RIVER BOOKS on Saturday, May 28 from 1-4 signing books.

And I'll be at Buffalo Books in New Buffalo the Thursday before (May 26th) to do a reading/signing. Hope to see you along the way! Check the sidebar here for my developing Book Tour.

The book will be available everywhere
March 1 !!!
(Ask for it at your local indie bookstore.)

Did You Know...

2011-01-17T16:39:00.000-08:00

...there are over 150 invasive species in the Great Lakes. These range from fish like the alewife, to plants like the purple loosestrife, to mussels like the zebra and quagga.

...zebra mussels are native to the lakes in southeast Russia. They have been transported to the Great Lakes in the ballast water of ships.

...zebra mussels can produce up to 1 million eggs a year. All of the white in the photo here is from dead zebra mussel shells both in the water and piled up in a long windrow. This was just south of Cross Village, Michigan.

This photo shows a mixture of zebra and snail shells along with stones from the shore of Lake Michigan.

Did You Know...

2011-01-13T17:20:00.001-08:00

…Lake Michigan is the fifth-largest freshwater lake in the world (by water volume). Lake Baikal in Siberia contains the most water.

Lake Superior, at third on the list, contains more water than the other four Great Lakes combined.

…turn-over time for Lake Michigan is 99 years, so what we put in the lake will mostly be with us for a lifetime.

And all of the Great Lakes flow to the Atlantic Ocean. Pollutants that we flush into our lakes not only reside there, but gradually travel through the St. Lawrence Seaway into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then the Atlantic Ocean.

…the deepest point in Lake Michigan is approximately 920 feet and is in the middle of the lake between Frankfort, Michigan and Algoma, Wisconsin.

When you take the Badger Ferry, you pass just south of it.

Book Tour!

2011-01-09T15:44:00.000-08:00

50 days until
A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach
releases!

I am in the process of scheduling lectures about Lake Michigan, readings from my book, and book signings.

The formal launch of the book will be at the brilliant independent bookstore, BRILLIANT BOOKS, in Suttons Bay, on March 11.

Watch for additions to the book tour in the sidebar here or on my website, LNiewenhuis.com

Here are the events already scheduled:

Tuesday, February 24: Cabin Fever Series/Pre-Launch Event at
McLean & Eakin Booksellers Petoskey, MI 6:30PM [link]

Tuesday, March 1: Lecture at the Kingman Museum, Battle Creek, MI 6:00PM [map]

Friday, March 11: BOOK LAUNCH at Brilliant Books, Suttons Bay, MI 7:00PM [map]

Tuesday, March 15: Lecture at Inland Seas Education Center, Suttons Bay, MI 7:00PM [link]

Thursday, April 14: Plainwell's Ransom Library, Plainwell, MI 7:00PM [map]

Wednesday, July 6: Grand Traverse Lighthouse, Northport, MI 2:00PM [link]

Wednesday, July 27: Horizon Books, Traverse City, MI 3-5PM [link]

I look forward to meeting you along the way!

From My Stack of Reading...

2011-01-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

The Wild Places by Robert MacFarlane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a gorgeously-written book about Macfarlane's adventures in Great Britain as he set out to find the remaining wild places there. It is a strange amalgam of a travel-adventure-literary-nature book. A wonderful new mashed-up category which I hope continues to grow in the future.

This work inspired me as I wrote A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach.

Happy New Year everyone!

Advance Copy Giveaway

2010-12-28T05:54:00.000-08:00

My publisher, Crickhollow Books, is giving away a few advance copies of my book on Goodreads.

To enter, click HERE.

[Your friends will thank you for sharing this!]

Reading from A 1000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH

2010-12-23T10:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a short reading from my book...not for the squeamish:

(you may want to let it load completely before viewing...)

From My Stack of Reading...

2010-12-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas by Jerry Dennis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jerry Dennis is one of the best 'Great Lakes Writers.' His work has inspired me, and this account of his journey by boat through four of the Great Lakes all the way to the Atlantic Ocean is a great read.

I'm not much of a boater, but I do enjoy learning about the lakes and this book explores many aspects of the lakes.

Dennis also tells of his time as a crew hand on a sailboat in the Chicago to Mackinac Island race. I've been in Chicago for the start of this event when the lake is filled with sails. It was fascinating to be along for the ride by reading this book.

Another book!

2010-12-15T05:40:00.000-08:00

A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach will be released in March and will be available wherever books are sold.

I have a second book coming out next year, a novella set in Atlanta. I have been writing fiction for many years and was a finalist for the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction in 2009.

ATLANTA depicts the tapestry of life in this modern city.

ATLANTA follows the interweaving lives of mothers and daughters,

siblings, friends, and lovers.

ATLANTA explores finding yourself, losing yourself, and the strength discovered in a steadfast friend.

If you pre-order, there is a big discount. The book will be released this coming summer.

To read an excerpt and pre-order, go to:
http://www.mainstreetrag.com/LNiewenhuis.html

Quagga Mussels

2010-12-08T18:23:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a lot lately about the quagga mussel. This filter-feeding bivalve is native to the Ukraine and was transported into the Great Lakes in a ship's ballast water. It was first seen in Lake Erie in 1989. Since then, the quaggas have populated all five of the Great Lakes. Since then it has spread to the Mississippi River, to waterways in Colorado, and even as far as California.

As with any species transported into an ecosystem where it has not been before, the invader often has a competitive advantage. This is because it there may not be natural predators to keep the invader's population in check.

Transported over to the Great Lakes and dumped into these deep, phytoplankton-rich waters, the quaggas multiplied and spread.

It is now estimated that there are 900 TRILLION quaggas
in Lake Michigan.

Seriously. They number in the HUNDREDS of TRILLIONS, and they are crashing the lake's ecosystem.

Read more about this crisis HERE.

And here's one of the most comprehensive articles I've ever read on dealing with invasive species. It was in a recent issue of Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel.

The Avian Botulism Conundrum

2010-12-01T18:42:00.000-08:00

Dead birds on the Lake Trek

While on my walk around Lake Michigan, I passed many dead and dying birds. Most were victims of avian botulism. It was heartbreaking to know that there wasn't anything I could do for the ones that were partially paralyzed and helpless on the shore. They would either recover or die depending on how much of the toxin they had ingested.

What causes it?

The bacteria that produces the botulism toxin (Chlostridium botulinum) is naturally present in the environment. It the same bacteria that produces toxins that can kill people if not destroyed when canning food. It is an anaerobic bacteria which means it thrives in an oxygen-poor environment.

If the bacteria has always been around, why are more and more birds dying each year? And why has the end of 2010 had a particularly high mortality rate?

Changes in the lake

The lakes have changed with the introduction of the invasive mussels (both zebra and quagga mussels). You've seen the changes if you've walked the lakeshore. The striped shells of the dead zebra mussels are strewn in the sand along Michigan's western coast. And if you've spent any amount of time on the lake you've probably seen algae blooms that seem to grow larger each year.

Scientists haven't fully figured out all the feedback loops that allow increasingly more devastation to our bird population, but it goes something like this:

Algae blooms are encouraged by run-off from farms and discharges of untreated sewage from treatment plants overwhelmed by heavy rain. And the blooms increase when the water temperatures increase.
Algae blooms decay and use up oxygen in the process leading to anaerobic zones.
Anaerobic bacteria like Chlostridium botulinum proliferate in these 'dead zones' and release toxins into the water.
Toxins are filtered out of the water and concentrated in the mussels.
Mussels are eaten directly by birds or by fish that are then eaten by birds.
Birds are paralyzed by ingested toxins. The effects are dose-related and it takes very little to kill a bird.

Why has 2010 been particularly devastating?

This year on some stretches of shoreline, up to 50 dead birds have washed up per mile. Several bloggers covering the Leelanau Peninsula have reported on the increased mortality (check out Books In Northport Blog).

This year has had a confluence of several factors leading to this increase in mortality. It was a warm year, so the lake temps were up significantly. It was also an especially rainy year and that led to massive discharges of untreated or partially-treated sewage from major cities around the lake. Heavy rain can also carry run-off from farms which contain animal waste and fertilizer. All of this fertilizer and organic material feeds the algae.

What can be done?

It seems that the more that is learned about avian botulism, the more perplexed scientists and naturalists are at the best way to attempt to solve the problem. They admit that they may not know all the variables contributing to the problem. And a factor like increasing lake temps during an especially warm year are outside our immediate control.

It would seem logical to control the variables within our immediate control. Cities like Grand Rapids have updated their sewers to partition sewage from storm drain collection. This city has reduced their sewage discharge into the Grand River to almost zero while cities like Milwaukee, Chicago and Gary continue to divert billions (that's billions with a 'b') of gallons of storm water mixed with untreated or partially-treated sewage into Lake Michigan annually.

Green zones along the lakeshore are an important buffer for the lake and wetlands can serve to filter water before it enters the lake.

If you own property on the lake, don't fertilize, or check with the DNR for the type they advise using.

If you see dead birds on the lakeshore, don't handle them with bare hands or let dogs munch on them. The toxins persist after the bird dies and can be harmful to any other vertebrate coming in contact with it. Report number and type of dead birds to the DNR and make a note of any banding numbers on birds. If possible, bury carcasses or tie up in garbage bags and discard to minimize the chances of another animal being poisoned.

Pintail or Merganser Duck??

2010-12-01T14:18:00.000-08:00

Duck enthusiasts and experts, please comment: Is this a pintail or a merganser duck? I saw many of them in the greater Leelanau Peninsula area, usually with large broods of chicks.

Seeing this reminded me of the children's book
Make Way for Ducklings

I saw a lot of wildlife during my Lake Trek and tried to convey the wonderful 'wild places' we still have along Lake Michigan's shoreline in my book. Advance copies should be in my hands next week, and I'll be sending out ARCs to reviewers, many bookstores, and to those who walked at my side on the Lake Trek.

The book will be available everywhere March 2011.

Another Book from My Stack of Reading...

2010-11-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

Why Architecture Matters: Lessons from Chicago by Blair Kamin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blair Kamin has been writing about Chicago's architecture for more than a decade for the Chicago Tribune. This book was part of my reading before I began my walk all the way around Lake Michigan. I wanted to better understand Chicago -- since I began and ended my Lake Trek there -- and understanding its architecture was part of that.

This readable collection of Kamin's essays gives a wonderful overview of the choices that have made Chicago's skyline and city so special.

View all my reviews

From my stack of reading...

2010-11-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

Leelanau: A Portrait of Place in Photographs & Text by Ken Scott & Jerry Dennis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book combines the photographs of Ken Scott with essays by Jerry Dennis. And it's all about the Leelanau Peninsula, one of my favorite places in Michigan. Through all four seasons, this team portrays the riches of Michigan's 'pinky,' that spike of land jutting off the NW of the state's mitten.

Ken Scott is a master photographer and his images draw me back to this book. Jerry Dennis lives in this region; he knows it well because it's a part of him. His essays pair wonderfully with the images, rounding out each photo with stories that live.

A great holiday gift for people who love Leelanau!

I read a huge stack of books while doing research for my Lake Trek and I'll share some of them here over the next months leading up to the release of

A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach
March 1, 2011

Here's what Jerry Dennis had to say about my upcoming book:

"In her walk around Lake Michigan, Loreen Niewenhuis accomplished what many of us have only daydreamed about. Her adventure is told with verve and boldness, and she is a clear-eyed observer of the lake and its beautiful and sometimes ravaged shore. This book is a welcome addition to the literature of the Great Lakes."

- Jerry Dennis, author of The Living Great Lakes

I LOVE the Indies!!

2010-11-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

I had a fantastic weekend Up North celebrating my sister's birthday with a bunch of her wild friends.

Happy Birthday, Leslie!

While on the road, I stopped in at several bookstores to tell them about the March 2011 release date for my book

A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach.

During the Lake Trek, I stopped in at many bookstores along the lakeshore. Driving around the state has given me the freedom to visit stores farther inland.

I stopped in at Great Lakes Books & Supply in Big Rapids, Local Flavor Books in Boyne City, Round Lake Book Store in Charlevoix, and Saturn Booksellers in Gaylord.

Check out the links in the sidebar to get to each stores' website!

I also visited some stores I'd hiked to last year including Horizon Books in Traverse City, McLean & Eakin in Petoskey, The Book Nook & Java Shop in Montague.

Books + coffee = PERFECTION

I tried to visit the stores in Grand Haven, but Washington Street is all torn up for the brand new snow melt system they are installing under the sidewalks. Looks like the place to do some holiday shopping (once the construction is complete!).

So, I found my way to the beach to enjoy the waves and mild weather.

The official March launch of my book will be at Brilliant Books in Suttons Bay, Friday, March 11, 2011.