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Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute Updates - Fall 2011

Did you know that the U.S. Office of the Lake Superior Binational Forum has been headquartered at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute for 20 years?

Since its inception in 1991 as part of an international agreement between the US and Canada, the Forum has been continuously funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, making it the longest-running grant at Northland College.

"The Binational Forum has been working for two decades to involve citizens in lake issues and protection efforts. For the last year or so, Lake Superior and the Great Lakes have been continually in the news, and freshwater issues are only get to get more important in the coming years," says Lissa Radke, U.S. Coordinator of the Lake Superior Binational Forum. "About 500,000 people live in the Lake Superior basin and count on the lake's surface water or groundwater for drinking, recreation, or business. It's critical that a binational group look at shared water quality and quantity issues."

The Lake Superior Binational Program is a partnership of government, industry, universities, native organizations, environmental groups, and the public from Canada and the United States dedicated to the restoration and protection of the Lake Superior Basin, including its water, air, land, wildlife, and people. The Program achieves its goals through pollution prevention, regulatory measures and cleanup programs.

Its ultimate goal for 20 years has been to develop a comprehensive long-term management plan, called a LaMP, for managing the Lake Superior ecosystem. Four tiers of participants work to accomplish this--the Task Force, Superior Work Group, the Forum, and the public. Agencies have been reaching goals established in the LaMP since 2000. The Binational Forum is a citizen stakeholder group that offers recommendations to governments about the LaMP activities and offers education campaigns to lake users and the public.

"For example, this summer the Binational Forum was really proud to launch several new projects using Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding appropriated by Congress," said Radke. This included the Forum's development of a two-sided educational paper placemat as part of the 8th annual Lake Superior Day celebration held all around the lake to highlight people's connections to this water body. About 300,000 copies of the placemat were printed and distributed to almost 200 locations in the basin.

Also with GLRI funds, the Forum launched its first electronic newsletter and a new friends of the lake campaign called Lake Superior Stewards that informs those who care about the lake how to take actions to protect it. You can find more information at www.superiorforum.org or follow the Forum on its two Facebook pages at facebook.com/lakesuperior.forum or as ‘Lake Superior Stewards.'

While the Forum's work is vital to informing lake users about high priority issues, the group can't do everything needed to protect the vast natural environment in the lake's watershed. That's why the SOEI hopes to develop additional educational resources and projects about Lake Superior that can inspire more people to take action.

• Download the Summer 2011 Updates (.pdf)

 

A sample of other outreach activities at SOEI this summer:

June 11-18 - Wild Careers: Animal Health and Science - This was a 2 credit course offered to high school students interested in pursuing a career in Veterinary Science. Students observed and helped with spaying, neutering and declawing. They assisted and observed the birth of a calf, learned how to do a physical exam on a horse as well as participated in a horseback ride. Then they were off to the Lake Superior Zoo where they met with staff and got a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility.  

June 20-21 - Forty eight students visited from the Wisconsin Association for Independent Colleges and Universities, College Readiness Tour. They spent an afternoon, evening and morning at Northland. They visited Maslowski beach and professors Tom Fitz and Clare Hintz offered activities in Sustainability, Systems Thinking and Geology. The next day they met with admissions staff, went on a campus tour, and enjoyed a scavenger hunt. The purpose of the visit was to give students a good time, a taste of the academic offerings at Northland and a chance to experience Lake Superior.

June 26-30 - The Center for Conservation and Leadership in Lake Forest, Illinois, visited with 19 students and staff. Katherine Jenkins, Summer Program Specialist and Hulings Teaching Fellow, created a week of programs that focused around the Superfund site in Ashland. They also kayaked to the sea caves. These students are committed to a two-year program where they develop leadership skills associated with conservation and environmental and social justice. They met with DNR staff, and Northland Professors Rick Dowd, Andrew Goyke and Joe Rose. They journeyed along the shore of Ashland learning about the history of the area and the superfund site, and attended the Alliance for Sustainability's Pie and Politics event at Big Top Chautauqua.