The 18th annual Freshwater Summit will be held on Thursday, October 30th from 9 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Hagerty Center at Northwestern Michigan College. A full agenda and registration information is available online at www.gtbay.org/freshwater-summit/

Cost is $40 per person or $20 per student and includes lunch.

“We are thrilled to host this event that provides our community with the latest research and information regarding the health of our Great Lakes,” Christine Crissman, executive director of The Watershed Center, said in a statement. “We have another great lineup of professional speakers and look forward to discussing current challenges and opportunities facing local and regional freshwater
efforts.”

The event begins with keynote speaker and author Stephanie Mills who will discuss bioregionalism and how to start and stay with the nature of place. Full discussion topics include sea lamprey control, the Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative, relationship between plankton and whitefish, and local projects led by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.

Lightning talks on local initiatives include using eDNA to track invasive species, the removal of Boyne Falls Dam, a lake level update, developing a scorecard to determine the health of the Boardman-Ottaway River, and FishPass and Michigan’s Blue Tech Innovation Hub.