The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative restores and maintains the largest freshwater system in the world For Ron Zalesny, a plant geneticist with the U.S. Forest Service, 15 landfills within the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan watersheds are places that hold promise. Promise for a better watershed, a better understanding of the ecosystem, and ultimately, a … [ Read more]
Under the Freshwater Seas: Divers explore the otherworldy realm of Great Lakes shipwrecks
It’s a totally different world beneath the Great Lakes,” says Bob Thorpe of Scuba North, a recreational diving center based by Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay. “You’re suspended in that cold water—weightless, nothing but darkness around you. The sheer scale of it is humbling. Being down there is how I imagine an astronaut feels, floating … [ Read more]
Taste of the Great Lakes: The changing food scenes of Milwaukee, Detroit, and Toronto
The Great Lakes are home to some of the largest metropolises in the Upper Midwest, and it’s no surprise why. The shipping industry helped build port cities like Detroit, Milwaukee, and Toronto into the towering urban landscapes they are today. But while they are linked in their industrial origins, each city’s identity is as unique … [ Read more]
Artist Profile: Art with depth by Marnie Karger
Lakes are peppered across the land of Minnesota—11,842 reminders that this area was once covered in vast sheets of ice a mile thick, plowing inch by inch, and finally melting into what we see today. These water-filled, earthly scars are named after European explorers, topographical features, identifications by Dakota and Ojibwe tribes. And they are … [ Read more]
Opinion: Outdoors enthusiasts must fight to save conservation funding
Taylor Ridderbusch is the Great Lakes organizer for Trout Unlimited, which has 160,000 national members, including 36,000 in states bordering the Great Lakes. Ridderbusch is a lifelong resident of Wisconsin. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. As anglers, and as sportsmen and women, there is always a mood of excitement that … [ Read more]
Roaring Dan Seavey: Pirate of the Great Lakes
When you envision a pirate, there’s a definite pop culture template. Johnny Depp, obviously; maybe Captain Hook or Errol Flynn for you old-timers. (Underrated pirate: Dave Parker of the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates.) He has an eye patch, a treasure map, a sword, and he says “arrrrrrrrrr” and “matey,” a lot. He is … [ Read more]
Great Lakes 25th Anniversary IPL
Great Lakes Brewing Company ABV: 7.5%, IBU: 50 In the glass, it appears as most IPAs do: amber, with a bit of haze. The aroma is unmistakable as that of a huge pilsner such as Odell Brewing’s Double Pilsner with a touch of pine. To the taste, this one was bready, woody, with hints of … [ Read more]