Great Lakes Great Responsibility

08/31/2026

Marine debris is a problem we can't tackle alone -- let's do it together!

Applications for our Marine Debris Mini Grants are open now through September 30.

The grants are meant to support community-driven projects that reduce marine debris at its source and increase public awareness and action across the Great Lakes watershed.

This program is designed to empower schools, nonprofit organizations, and community groups, to implement creative, practical, and impactful projects that prevent litter and plastic pollution from entering waterways. Funded projects should focus on education, behavior change, and upstream solutions, helping communities understand their role in protecting the Great Lakes and inspiring long-term stewardship.

Need assistance? Join our Virtual Q & A session on September 9 at 12pm ET (register at www.greatlakeslove.org/minigrants )

08/28/2026

Have time? Have skills? Come join our dynamic team of board members that have linked arms to prevent marine debris in the Great Lakes watershed.

Apply to be a Great Lakes Great Responsibility board member and join our talented board of directors as we navigate the opportunities and challenges of marine debris prevention in the Great Lakes. We are accepting applications through August 31, 2026.

Visit www.greatlakeslove.org/work-with-us to learn more!

08/27/2026

The Great Lakes are a binational responsibility and partnership.

The United States and Canada are inherently the keepers of 20% of the world’s surface freshwater. These waters don’t recognize borders and neither should our commitment to protecting them.

There is an even older name worth remembering: Niigaani-gichigami, the Anishinaabemowin name for Lake Ontario meaning “leading sea.” Since time immemorial, our Great Lakes have names, stories, and relationships that have been passed from generation to generation. It’s our responsibility to protect these waters for future generations. Let’s do it in partnership together.

08/24/2026

In June, the Alpena Youth Volunteer Corps set a big goal for the summer: remove 4,000 pieces of trash from the Lake Huron watershed.

It was an ambitious number, but when you have a crew of dedicated young people and a whole lot of good attitudes, big goals start looking a lot more manageable.

Over the course of 7 cleanups, the Youth Volunteer Corps got to work across Northeast Michigan, learning about marine debris, taking care of their local waterways, and, of course, filling plenty of trash buckets along the way. They even squeezed in a couple of bonus cleanups with the Boys & Girls Club and Rogers City Juvenile Court participants.

The result? 4,000+ pieces of trash removed from the Lake Huron watershed and a summer goal officially crushed!

That’s what happens when young people are given the opportunity to make a tangible difference in their communities. Every piece picked up is one less piece of pollution making its way into the Great Lakes.

08/23/2026

Need funds for your marine debris prevention project? We've got you!

Applications for our Marine Debris Mini Grants are open now through September 30.

The grants are meant to support community-driven projects that reduce marine debris at its source and increase public awareness and action across the Great Lakes watershed.

This program is designed to empower schools, nonprofit organizations, and community groups, to implement creative, practical, and impactful projects that prevent litter and plastic pollution from entering waterways. Funded projects should focus on education, behavior change, and upstream solutions, helping communities understand their role in protecting the Great Lakes and inspiring long-term stewardship.

Need assistance? Join our Virtual Q & A session on September 9 at 12pm ET (register at www.greatlakeslove.org/minigrants

08/21/2026

Have you heard of Place-Based Education? It’s a powerful way of learning about your community alongside local partners. The best part? Students learn stewardship skills along the way!

Today I got to “talk shop” with Jenell Mansfield from the American Federation of Teachers about the importance of education and how community partners across the Michigan and the Great Lakes watershed can support teachers in their place-based education journey.

This interview was in partnership with the Michigan Creator Collaborative.

08/21/2026

Meet Dr. Athena Stanley, GLGR Director at Large!

A Marquette native, proud Yooper, and sixth-generation Great Lakes resident, Athena grew up just a short walk from Lake Superior. After spending 14 years living abroad in Ecuador, Turkey, and China, her appreciation for the freshwater resources she grew up with took on an even deeper meaning.

“The Great Lakes have shaped my family, my community, and my identity.”

💧 Her home watershed: Lake Superior
🗑️ What trash she wishes we found less of: Liquor bottles and cigarette butts, two items that continue to show up regularly during cleanups.
🔎 Her most unexpected cleanup find: Polystyrene foam along the Lake Superior shoreline during GLGR’s 2026 Great Lakes Road Trip. Similar foam was documented in multiple communities around the same time, highlighting how lightweight plastic pollution can travel, break into smaller pieces, and become increasingly difficult to remove.
📍 Favorite Great Lakes places: Athena refuses to pick just one! Lower Harbor, Presque Isle Park, Little Presque Isle, Wetmore Landing, and Clark Lambros Beach Park are all on her list.

For Athena, serving on the GLGR Board comes back to protecting something that has been part of her life for generations: “I believe we have a responsibility to protect these waters for current and future generations.”

We’re proud to have Athena’s Lake Superior perspective, experience, and passion on the GLGR Board. 💙🌊

Curious about serving on our board? We are actively recruiting a new cohort of board members, applications are open through August 31. Learn more at www.greatlakeslove.org/work-with-us

08/18/2026

Come see us at the Thunder Bay Maritime Fest this Saturday!

Thunder Bay Maritime Festival is scheduled for Aug. 21-23 in Alpena.

08/11/2026

Interested in sharing your time and skills to make a bigger impact for the Great Lakes? Apply to be a Great Lakes Great Responsibility board member and join our talented board of directors as we navigate the opportunities and challenges of marine debris prevention in the Great Lakes. We are accepting applications through August 31, 2026. Visit www.greatlakeslove.org/work-with-us to learn more!

08/11/2026

Meet Ashley Repke, GLGR Board Secretary!

For Ashley, caring for the Great Lakes is something passed from one generation to the next. She grew up in the woods and on the water, where her parents taught her the importance of caring for our natural resources. Today, she’s passing those same values on to her own children.

Her home watershed: Lake Huron

What trash she wishes we found less of: Cigarette butts and single-use plastic bottles, two all-too-common finds during cleanups.

Her most unexpected cleanup find: An entire Fourth of July-themed tablecloth! Instead of sending it to the landfill, Ashley washed it and put it right back to use for the Fourth.

Favorite Great Lakes destination: Two Hearted River, and this year she gets to experience it in a new way by taking her kids there for the first time!

With a background in environmental engineering and wetland management, Ashley brings both professional expertise and a deeply personal connection to watershed protection to the GLGR Board.

“I understand how vital our watersheds are and what it takes to protect them for future generations.”

We’re grateful to have Ashley helping GLGR protect the waters that connect all of us.

Interested in giving back and joining our board? Applications are open through August 31! Visit greatlakeslove.org/work-with-us to learn more.