Great Lakes Information Network – Comprehensive website on Great Lakes Environment, Economy, Education, Maps & GIS, and Tourism
Great Lakes Echo – Provides the latest environmental news from across the basin. Original content is produced by journalists working for the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University, additional content is produced by the Capital News Service.
Images
Great Lakes Image Collection - Public domain photographs of Great Lakes wildlife, parks, recreation, pollution, and commerce provided by the U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office
Office of Coast Survey's Historical Map & Chart Collection covers the land and waters of the United States of America, including territories and possessions (past and present). The images are free to download, and may be used for commercial or educational purposes
The Great Lakes Basin
Film & Video
MiEarth - A video project designed to celebrate great environmental work in Michigan, educate people about what they can do, and inspire them to take action. The website includes special coverage of Great Lakes Week in Detroit, October 11-14, 2011.
Freshwater Seas - A film about the Past, Present and Future of the Great Lakes from Detroit Public Television
Mysteries of the Great Lakes - An Imax film about the Great Lakes and Lake Sturgeon produced by Science North, it is now available on DVD
Millers Creek Film Festival - You Tube Channel with videos from Huron River Watershed Council's film festival entries
After the Storm - A video from the Weather Channel and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that explains the watershed concept and storm water runoff, a brochure is also available for download
Citizen Science & Monitoring
Marsh Monitoring Program is a bi-national long-term monitoring program that coordinates the skills, interests and stewardship of hundreds of citizens across the Great lakes Basin to help understand, monitor and conserve the region's wetlands and their amphibian and bird inhabitants.
Adopt-A-Beach program of the Alliance of the Great Lakes coordinates the clean-up and monitoring of beaches and shorelines. The program investigates beach health, checks water quality, removes litter, and tracks data on-line.
Government Organizations
International Joint Commission - Bi-national organization that implements the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
Great Lakes Ecological Protection and Restoration - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment - State agency to manage state lands and natural resources
Michigan Natural Features Inventory – Information about Michigan natural communities and biodiversity
Ducks on Lake Huron north of Lexington, MI
Non-government Organizations
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Scientific Research
The MI WaterWeb website was launched in September 2011 for Michigan water science professionals to better access online data resources relevant to water science, technology, policy and education in the state.
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory conducts research on the Great Lakes through ecosystem forecasting. Ecosystem forecasting predicts the effects of biological, chemical, physical, and human-induced changes on ecosystems and their components. These forecasts, both qualitative and quantitative, offer scientifically sound state-of-the-art estimations of likely outcomes.
USGS Great Lakes Science Center exists to meet the Nation's need for scientific information for restoring, enhancing, managing, and protecting living resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.
State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conferences (SOLEC) and State of the Great Lakes reports are produced jointly by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment Canada on behalf of the United States and Canada. They provide independent, science-based reporting on the state of the health of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.
Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) at Grand Valley State University integrates education, outreach, and research to enhance and preserve freshwater resources. The Institute occupies the Lake Michigan Center on Muskegon Lake in Muskegon, MI.
Great Lakes WATER Institute is the largest academic freshwater research facility on the Great Lakes. The mission of the WATER Institute is to provide the State of Wisconsin with a focal point for research, education and outreach aimed at a thorough understanding of the Great Lakes and other aquatic and environmental resources of local, state, national and international importance.
Institute of Water Research (IWR) at Michigan State University provides timely information for addressing contemporary land and water resource issues through coordinated multidisciplinary efforts using advanced information and networking systems.
University of Toledo's Lake Erie Center is an interdisciplinary research and education center dedicated to solving environmental problems at the land-water interface and bay-lake exchanges in the Great Lakes - the world's largest freshwater ecosystem.
The University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and the Environment
State of the Strait is a biannual scientific review of the environmental health of the Detroit River.
Ferris State University conducts Wild Rice Research and Education.
MSU Center for Water Sciences researchers explore linkages between ecological and human health.
The Urban Watershed Environmental Research Group (UWERG) at Wayne State University is a multidisciplinary organization focused on ecological and human health within the St Clair Watershed. This group of faculty and researchers shares interests in monitoring and evaluating the effects of regional pollution on human health, the health of the St Clair ecosystem, and in promoting the region's economic vitality. The geographical area covered by the group includes the St Clair River, Lake St Clair, the Detroit River and the watershed corresponding to these three connected bodies of water.
Zebra Mussels attached to a fallen, submerged branch
Invasive Species
Aquatic Invasive Species, Michigan Sea Grant
Aquatic Invasive Species, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Asian Carp, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Protect Your Waters
Recreation
Near Cranbrook Institute of Science:
DestinationOakland.com is Oakland County’s Recreation and Conservation Web Portal (Michigan).
Huron-Clinton Metroparks are a system of parklands that serve all of southeastern Michigan with recreational opportunities.
Rouge Green Corridor is an ark of biodiversity in the Rouge River Watershed. It flows through Birmingham, Beverly Hills, and Southfield in southeast Oakland County.
Springtime at Tobico Marsh near Bay City, MI
Throughout the Great Lakes:
The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated, scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.
Visit a National Park in the Great Lakes watershed:
- Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
- Grand Portage National Monument
- Pictures Rocks National Lakeshore
- Keweenaw National Historical Park
- Isle Royale National Park
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
- Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial
Visit a National Wildlife Refuge and experience the nation’s incredible wildlife!
- Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
- Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
- Seney National Wildlife Refuge
- Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Camping & Recreation page
Flowerpot Island in Lake Huron at Bruce Peninsula National Park
Land Protection
Michigan Nature Association is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting Michigan's exceptional natural habitats and extraordinary and endangered plants and animals. Our members have made it possible for us to preserve over 165 nature sanctuaries in 56 counties throughout the state today and forever.
Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy conserves natural land and open space -- including forests, wetlands, meadows, agricultural land, and places of scenic beauty -- to provide habitat for wildlife and to enrich the lives of people.
Six Rivers Regional Land Conservancy conserves and cares for land in Oakland, Macomb, Lapeer, and Genesee counties. They work within the watersheds of the Huron, Flint, Shiawassee, Rouge, Belle, and Clinton rivers.
Land Conservancy of West Michigan has permanently protected nearly 7,000 acres of West Michigan's forests, fields, wetlands and dunes in a service area that includes all or parts of Allegan, Kent, Ottawa, Newaygo, Muskegon, Oceana, Mason and Lake Counties.
The Nature Conservancy’s Great Lakes Project seeks to conserve the range of biodiversity — species, natural communities and aquatic systems — that defines and supports the incredible natural system that is the Great Lakes.
Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Protection Policy (state-wide organization)
Listing of Michigan Land Conservancies, Land Trusts and Similar Organizations from the Little Traverse Conservancy
Sand dunes at Wilderness State Park, Michigan
Our Great Lakes Links page continues to grow, please contact us if you know of an organization or resource to include, email us at water@cranbrook.edu.
Thanks!
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