Alliance for the Great Lakes

06/04/2026

🌊 Calling Chicagoland Volunteers! 🌊

Want to spend an evening supporting the future of the Great Lakes while helping make a signature nonprofit event a success?

The Alliance for the Great Lakes is looking for volunteers to assist at the 2026 Great Blue Benefit on Thursday, June 11, from 6–9 PM at the beautiful Columbia Yacht Club in Chicago. The Great Blue Benefit brings together more than 250 leaders, advocates, philanthropists, and Great Lakes champions for an evening dedicated to protecting the waters we all depend on.

Volunteer opportunities may include guest check-in, event support, auction assistance, and helping create a welcoming experience for attendees.

If you're passionate about clean water, community impact, and the Great Lakes, we'd love to have you on the team!

Interested in volunteering?

📧 Contact Olivia Reda at [email protected]

Learn more about the event: https://greatlakes.org/get-involved/great-blue-benefit/

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with friends, family, coworkers, and anyone looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity in Chicago.

05/29/2026

🚨Big win in Illinois! Yesterday, the Illinois Senate passed an important bill to protect Lake Michigan and all Illinois waters from plastic pollution. The Plastic Pellets Pollution Control bill now heads to Gov Pritzker for his signature.

Once law, Illinois will become the first Great Lakes state to hold producers of industrial plastic pellets accountable for spills of these toxic pellets into our waterways. And, for the first time, Illinois will officially recognize plastic pellets, sometimes called nurdles, as a pollutant in state law.

This couldn’t have happened without you! You showed decision makers it's time to take action against plastic pollution. Stay tuned for more ways you can help.

Read more about this win: https://greatlakes.org/2026/05/breaking-news-illinois-victory-against-plastic-pollution/

05/28/2026

Water is essential. But for too many Michigan families, affordability is becoming a growing burden not just in major cities, but in communities across the state.

This thoughtful op-ed from Water Policy Analyst, Chrystopher L. Garzón Rivera, explores why water affordability must be part of the broader conversation about equity, public health, and the future of our communities.

Read More:https://bit.ly/4a8D6QL

When people think about water affordability challenges, the conversation often centers on large cities like Detroit or Flint. But the reality in Michigan is broader and more complex. Water affordability is a statewide issue affecting urban, suburban, and rural communities alike.

05/19/2026

As data centers continue to expand across the Great Lakes region, questions about water use, review standards, and the role of the Great Lakes Compact are becoming more urgent.

Join this free webinar for a practical, nonpartisan conversation about what’s at stake for the future of Great Lakes water policy.

Panelists include experts from Microsoft, Wisconsin DNR, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers, and Helena Volzer, Senior Source Water Policy Manager at Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Date: Tuesday, May 26
Time: 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual webinar

Register by Friday, May 22:
https://bit.ly/4wDzxf9

05/19/2026

We're grateful for the partners who believe protecting the Great Lakes is worth showing up for. Thank you to our 2026 Great Blue Benefit sponsors — your support powers our work across the basin. Tickets are still available. We'd love to see you there. 🔗 https://bit.ly/3PvoGD3

05/05/2026

Tell Your Senators: Great Lakes Restoration Must Continue!

I just contacted my U.S. senators. Join me!

05/01/2026

We'll see you this Saturday at the International Plastic Pellet Count! Pre-production plastic pellets, sometimes called nurdles, often spill from manufacturing facilities during storage, movement, or plant operations. These pellets, which contain high concentrations of toxic petrochemicals, can be found in many of our waterways and shorelines. Saturday is an international day of action where volunteers search for the pellets and record what they find to help make a case for action.

This year’s International Plastic Pellet Count is on Saturday, May 2nd and we’re looking for people like YOU across America and beyond to join an international day of action. Find an event near you: pelletcount.org

Plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, are the raw material used to make many familiar plastic products like water bottles, grocery bags and food containers. Unfortunately, these tiny plastic pellets are frequently spilled, leaked, or dumped into the environment, especially our waterways, during manufacturing and transport. As a result, an estimated 10 trillion plastic pellets now enter our oceans each year.

The International Plastic Pellet Count is an international day of action where volunteers around the world search for plastic pellets in riverbanks, lakeshores and beaches and record what they find, so we can all have a better understanding of where this pollution is happening and make the case for action.

Find a local event or host your own!
pelletcount.org

04/28/2026

Chicago Water Week Spotlight 🌊

Looking for a meaningful outdoor professional development opportunity this spring? GLEAMS is hosting "Birds, Stewardship, and Watershed Connections for Chicagoland Educators" — and it's open to teachers, non-formal educators, scientists, and community members!

Sunday, May 3, 2026 | 8:00 AM – Noon

12th Street Beach House, 1200 S. Linn White Dr., Chicago, IL

Here's how the morning breaks down:

8–9 AM: Guided bird walk with the Chicago Ornithological Society — spot spring migrants along the Lake Michigan migratory flyway

9–10 AM: Learn to lead an Adopt-A-Beach cleanup with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, then take action on the shoreline

10–11 AM: Interactive Lake Michigan watershed lesson you can bring back to your classroom

11 AM–Noon: Optional networking & BYO picnic lunch

Up to 3 professional development hours offered. This event is part of , presented by Current.

🔗 Register:

WhatJoin GLEAMS and partners for a morning of outdoor learning and stewardship along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Educators will observe spring migrant and resident birds, learn how to lead an Adopt‑A‑Beach cleanup, and explore an interactive Lake Michigan watershed lesson. Up to three professio...

04/27/2026

Voting has already started for the Ohio primary election. Races up and down the ballot will affect Lake Erie, our drinking water, our health, and our wildlife.

Make sure your voice is heard in the Ohio primary. Vote by May 5!

https://bit.ly/4eECO7o

Lake Erie needs your vote! Voting has already started for the Ohio primary election. Races up and down the ballot will have an impact on Lake Erie, our drinking water, […]

04/24/2026

Meet our 2026 Wavemakers!
At the Alliance for the Great Lakes, change starts with those who show up and stay committed. This year, we’re proud to honor Brenda Coley, Paul Culhane, Erin Huber Rosen, and Senator Debbie Stabenow—champions for clean water and stronger communities.

Read more about our honorees: https://bit.ly/4cLIr10