Northland College receives major grant for outreach and education

October 8, 2010

ASHLAND, Wis. - Northland College has received a third Environmental Protection Agency grant to fund restoration and outreach initiatives for the Lake Superior Binational Forum. The grant, made possible through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, will fund four projects throughout the Lake Superior basin over the next two years.

Northland College has been home to the U.S. offices of the Binational Forum since 1992 through the Sigurd Olson Environment Institute. "The Forum has been funded through the EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office to conduct quarterly public meetings around the lake and collect public input from lake users," said Lissa Radke, Lake Superior Binational Forum coordinator at Northland College. "This additional funding will allow the Forum to reach tens of thousands more people in basin communities in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ontario with our printed materials. The funds will extend our current outreach from about 20 main communities to almost 100 communities basin-wide as we celebrate annual events such as Lake Superior Day and as we recruit thousands of new stewards who want to volunteer in local programs."

Projects funded through the Northland College chapter of the Lake Superior Binational Forum at Northland College grant include:

• Lake Superior Stewards Project to Build Watershed Capacity, a program to identify, recruit and train volunteers to undertake special projects to support the health of Lake Superior
• Development of a Bernie the Burn Barrel travelling display, which will highlight the environmental hazards posed by burn barrel use, including the release of dioxin which is a major pollutant affecting Lake Superior. The display will be available to agencies and organizations in the United States and Canada, including libraries, visitor centers, schools and other public locations.
• Climate Change Outreach to Watersheds through Webinars and Collaborations. The Binational Forum will organize and conduct two free webinars for local government officials and operators to inform these groups about how to prepare for changes their communities will face as Lake Superior undergoes environmental changes.
• Education/Outreach on Lakewide Management Plan Priorities. Since 2004, the Binational Forum has organized an annual, lake-wide celebration of Lake Superior. Funding from the GLRI grant will be used to design, print and distribute 250,000 informational placemats to restaurants and other venues to highlight lake issues and actions.

The Lake Superior Binational Forum has served as the principal public body linking the binational and tribal governments responsible for implementing the Lake Superior Binational Program and its Lakewide Management Plan with lake users. The Forum is composed of Canadian and American stake-holders representing multiple perspectives from locations all around the lake including environmental, Tribal/First Nations, industrial, business, recreational, tourism, health, labor, and academic interests.

Northland College and its Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute are located in Ashland, Wis., near the shores of Lake Superior. Northland's distinctive environmental liberal arts program, passionate faculty, and beautiful natural location create a community of engaged learners who develop the skills and experience to prepare for advanced studies and meaningful lives. Founded in 1892, Northland enrolls 600 students from across the nation and across the world. For more information about Northland College and its Institute, visit www.northland.edu.