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Great Lakes Moment

Check out this monthly column by Great Lakes Now contributor John Hartig

Great Lakes Moment: Ten natural wonders of The Great Lakes Way
- by John Hartig

Get your bicycle or kayak ready and consider adding these close-to-home natural wonders to your Great Lakes adventure bucket list.

Operation Manoomin: Restoring Wild Rice along the Detroit River
- by John Hartig

To reestablish the Potawatomi’s presence along the Detroit River, the local Indigenous group is interested in partnering on a project to restore wild rice in protected areas in and along the river.

Great Lakes Moment: Birds of a feather flock together
- by John Hartig

American white pelicans were considered “a rare vagrant” to Lake Erie up until 2014. Then, sightings of these fascinating waterbirds became more common.

Great Lakes Moment: Detroit River’s important role in lake whitefish
- by John Hartig

In 2006, lake whitefish spawning was documented in the Detroit River for the first time since 1916. Today, the Detroit River proves essential to the survival of the species.

Great Lakes Moment: Saving the Conservation Crescent
- by John Hartig

Local conservationists coined the term “Conservation Crescent” 25 years ago to better understand and protect several islands in the Detroit River. Here is the recent history of those islands, detailing the success of this movement.

Great Lakes Moment: Gordie Howe International Bridge becomes part of binational trail system
- by John Hartig

World’s longest trail is about to become even longer. Plans are underway to make the Trans Canada Trail connect from Windsor, Ontario to Detroit, Michigan.

Great Lakes Moment: Lest we forget – A history of Detroit River oil pollution
- by John Hartig

Today, the Detroit River is much cleaner, and sentinel wildlife species have returned. It is good to look back at the 1960s pollution of the river, notably oil pollution, and recognize how far we have come.

Great Lakes Moment: Ohio provides example for funding Detroit and Rouge rivers’ sediment cleanup
- by John Hartig

Ohio will soon embark on removing the Gorge Dam on the Cuyahoga River. Their approach could be a model for cleaning up contaminated sediments in the Detroit and Rouge rivers.

Great Lakes Moment: Creating a green oasis in southwest Detroit
- by John Hartig

Southwest Detroit has long been known for its heavy industry. In recent years, neighborhoods have teamed up with Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s Detroit refinery to strengthen and revitalize these communities.

Great Lakes Moment: A Detroit perspective on the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
- by John Hartig

On the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, it is good to reflect on some of its successes here in metropolitan Detroit’s backyard.

Great Lakes Moment: Detroit’s new Ralph Wilson Park will provide habitats for a healthy ecosystem
- by John Hartig

For over 100 years, the Detroit River was perceived as a working waterway that supported industry and commerce. As such, its shoreline was progressively hardened with concrete seawalls, steel sheet piling, or broken concrete.

Great Lakes Moment: University of Windsor to build capacity for Canada’s national urban parks
- by John Hartig

Canada is creating a network of urban parks not only to conserve nature, but to connect people and advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.