Freshwater Dunes

Loreen Niewenhuis is an author, adventurer, and Great Lakes speaker. She has completed a trilogy of 1,000-mile adventures exploring the Great Lakes and has written three books about the Great Lakes [A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach *a Heartland Indie Bestseller*, A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Walk *winner of the Great Lakes Great Reads Award*, and A 1,000-Mile Great Lakes Island Adventure]. To learn more about her work, or to book her as a speaker, go to http://LakeTrek.com

Sleeping Bear Dune

The tallest fresh water dunes on in the world are on our Great Lakes. 

The tallest Great Lakes dunes are on Lake Michigan on the shores of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. They rise over 400 feet above the lake.

Perched dunes have layers of stone mixed with the sand

Perched dunes are steeper than dunes made of pure sand. The layers of stone stabilize these dunes.

Close up of stone layer in perched dune

Wind sculpts the top of this dune

Dunes without plants or trees growing on them are called "living dunes." These formations are still responsive to wind, waves, and gravity.

Small sand eroisions pulled by gravity 

Gravity acts on sand

Dune frosted with clouds

View from Empire Bluff Trail

Here's a link to info on the Empire Bluff Trail, one of my favorite hikes.

Climbing the dune at the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (the black dots are people!)

Perched dune along Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior

Explore our Great Lakes!

Holland's Century Club

 I travel all over the Midwest (and beyond) giving talks about my Great Lakes Adventures.

This spring I was invited to give a talk to the Century Club of Holland.

This social club has been meeting to share the visual, literary, and performing arts for 120 years! 

They met at the Macatawa Yacht Club, a gorgeous facility on Lake Macatawa. 

Macatawa Yacht Club

Lake Macatawa

A painting of "Big Red," Holland's lighthouse

In the 1800s, the meetings were hosted in member's homes and the host would stage a play they had written, or share a concert with the club. Today, the club often brings in an author to talk to the group. Since they live so near Lake Michigan, they chose me for their spring meeting.

The president of the club

Night falls outside as I get ready to speak

If you are part of a group searching for a dynamic and engaging speaker, feel free to contact me at

LakeTrek@gmail.com

and learn more about me at

LakeTrek.com

Life should be an adventure,
-Loreen Niewenhuis 

Author, Adventurer & Speaker

"Loreen translates her passion for our Great Lakes into advocacy, education, science, humor, and beauty by taking her audience with her on these GREAT adventures. Her five-city speaking blitz awed and inspired Indiana conservationists. Her adventures are truly amazing!"

-Martha Bolyard, former Associate Director of Philanthropy

The Nature Conservancy of Indiana

"Loreen is a great speaker: funny, informative, approachable, and so interesting...she even makes geology fascinating! She's been featured in the Detroit Free Press, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Country Woman Magazine. I highly recommend her."

-Colleen Leddy, Head Librarian

Stair Public Library