Mapping Threats to the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes Environmental Assessment and Mapping Project (GLEAM) three year study  culminated recently in the release of a comprehensive map outlining the impact of environmental "stressors" on the world's largest freshwater system.  The environmental stress map was developed by academic researchers and environmental organizations, representing both the United States and Canada, drawing upon the latest and best data from federal and state agencies as well as non-governmental organizations and individual researchers.  UW-Madison's own Assistant Professor, Peter McIntyre is one of the project's leaders.  

The map complements the report published online for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).  Ongoing Great Lakes restoration efforts are aided by offering this "merged high-resolution spatial analyses of environmental stressors with mapping of ecosystem services for all five Great Lakes"according to the PNAS report. Thirty-four individual stressors were considered, including coastal development, agricultural pollutants, over-fishing, climate change, invasive species and toxic chemicals.  Users are now able to scan the entire 900+ mile chain of lakes, zoom in, and see evidence of environmental impacts to the scale of one half a mile.  Truly an outstanding tool for promoting discussion and aiding actions taken to restore and protect our Great Lakes resources.

View the full map at the GLEAM website here
Access the full PNAS report "Joint analysis of stressors and ecosystem services to enhance restoration effectiveness" is available here
Read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's article about GLEAM here 

The Nelson Institute's Annual Earth Day Conference

There's still time to register for this year's annual Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference! The 2012 conference will explore consumption and growth, economic and environmental sustainability, and quality of life and happiness.

The conference, which is on April 16 at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention center, will feature a number of speakers and panel discussions. Click here to view the full schedule.

Register online by April 10, and don't forget to follow the Nelson Institute on Facebook and Twitter for more conference news.

Ocean Health Index

With 7 billion people on the planet, our oceans are subject to countless kinds of stress, like changing coastlines, oil spills, and much, much more.

 The Ocean Health Index is an initiative funded by Conservation International, the National Geographic Society, and the New England Aquarium. This index will include all possible dimensions surrounding how humans interact with the ocean, considering the costs and benefits of different actions and decisions- both to people and to marine environments. Conservation.org calls the index "the Dow Jones for ocean health"

According to some, this represents a new way of thinking about the environment. The next step is determining what actions we should take.

For more information, read about the index on Conservation.org, or the New York Times.

Proposed: Fish Feed for Lake Wazee

On what was previously the site of the Jackson County Iron Mine, Lake Wazee formed after the quarry's 1983 closure and is now the deepest inland lake in Wisconsin. The hole simply filled with water as time passed and the lake currently has no inlets or outlets. Lake Wazee, part of the surrounding recreation area, is fed by springs and spans approximately 154 acres with a maximum depth of about 355 feet. While the lake currently holds some trout, bass and walleye (previously stocked by the DNR), fishing has been lower than expected due to lake of food for the fish.

The DNR has proposed to stock cisco, a smaller fish that is generally eaten by the more popular game fish, in the lake to improve the fishing overall. If approved, this study would introduce the fish into the lake and then monitor their survival over a three to four year time period. The cisco are not seen as a threat to surrounding waters because they require coldwater habitats to survive. Comments are being accepted by the public on the matter.

For more information about the study, read the WDNR release. For more information about Lake Wazee, see this page. Browse our recommended reading list for book suggestions on fish and fishing in Wisconsin.

Photo credit: Cisco by Cornell University DNR

GreenHouse Students Love Lake Mendota

The GreenHouse is a residential learning community in the Cole Hall dorm where students are able to learn about sustainable practices through action and involvement. It focuses on the ability to connect students "to social and environmental advocacy organizations on campus and in the community" and allows them the opportunity to take a hands-on approach.

Lake Mendota: We Love Our Lake—We Love Our Land is one seminar of several available exclusively to GreenHouse residents. This field trip based course, listed under Community and Environmental Sociology, is meant to "provide the opportunity to see first-hand the strong relationships between land use activities and the water quality of the lake" (course syllabus) and is being taught by Carolyn Betz, a science writer at the UW Aquatic Sciences Center. Learning is constantly taking place out of the classroom for students living in GreenHouse. A recent UW News article gives another example and explains a bit more about the residential community.

For more information about the current happenings at GreenHouse, see their blog or Facebook Page.

Photo from GreenHouse blog.

Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences

Join the New Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences
AESS: A Professional Society Whose Time Has Come

The National Council for Science and the Environment invites you to join with over 600 environmental scholars and scientists who have already joined the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences. Since its creation less than a year ago, AESS is quickly becoming the leading interdisciplinary society in higher education for people working in the fields of environmental studies and environmental science. Faculty, students, and education-minded environmental professionals and practitioners are encouraged to join. Initial membership is only $30/year for faculty & professionals and $15/year for students. Join now by going to www.aess.info.

The Association's first annual meeting will take place in Madison, Wisconsin, October 8-11, 2009. Go to AESS web site to submit your abstracts and proposals for participation.

Environmental education resources

During this week of Earth Day, Wisconsin's Water Library thought it may be helpful to highlight some resources for environmental education, especially for children.

The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence, or COSEE, is a network of regional centers created to promote the development of effective partnerships between research scientists and educators, disseminate effective ocean sciences programs and the best practices that do not duplicate but rather build on existing resources, and promote a vision of ocean education as a charismatic, interdisciplinary vehicle for creating a more scientifically literate workforce and citizenry.

Environmental Education for Kids, or EEK, is brought to you by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. This electronic magazine is for kids in grades 4-8. Surf around and learn more about the great outdoors.

Project Wild is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school. It is based on the premise that young people and educators have a vital interest in learning about our natural world. A national network of State Wildlife Agency Sponsors ensures that Project WILD is available nationwide --training educators in the many facets of the program.

Earth Day conference explores Wisconsin’s energy future

How can Wisconsin best meet its energy needs in the decades ahead? And what have we learned from past efforts at energy planning and policy development?

People from across the state will grapple with these questions at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies' third annual Earth Day Conference on Wednesday, April 22, at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. The agenda includes a full day of plenary speakers, breakout sessions, a panel discussion and exhibits on the theme "Wisconsin's Energy Future."

To learn about the conference's speakers and sponsors, as well as how to register, visit UW-Madison News.

Earth Day television programs

During the week before Earth Day on April 22, Wisconsin Public Television and FRONTLINE present different programs related to our continuing struggle to lessen our footprint for future generations. Be sure to tune in.

“Earth Day and Beyond: Gaylord Nelson’s Good Fight,” a one-hour documentary about the late U.S. senator from Wisconsin for whom the Nelson Institute is named, will air on The Wisconsin Channel, the digital multicast service of Wisconsin Public Television, several times this month. The broadcast times are:

* Fri, 4/17/09 at 7:00 p.m.
* Sat, 4/18/09 at 2:00 a.m.
* Mon, 4/20/09 at noon
* Tue, 4/21/09 at 6:00 a.m.

Nelson conceived the first Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, 1970, to put environmental issues on the national political agenda. Its success paved the way for 28 major federal legislative acts, including the act that created the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Source: The Nelson Institute Blog

More than three decades after the Clean Water Act, two iconic waterways—the great coastal estuaries Puget Sound and the Chesapeake Bay—are in perilous condition. With polluted runoff still flowing in from industry, agriculture, and massive suburban development, scientists fear contamination to the food chain and drinking water for millions of people. A growing list of endangered species is also threatened in both estuaries. As a new president, Congress, and states set new agendas and spending priorities, FRONTLINE correspondent Hedrick Smith examines the rising hazards to human health and the ecosystem, and why it’s so hard to keep our waters clean.

FRONTLINE Examines Newest Health Hazards in Nation's Contaminated Waterways

FRONTLINE Presents
Poisoned Waters
Tuesday, April 21, 2009, from 9 to 11 P.M. ET on PBS

Hydrologist named Gaylord Nelson Professor

A UW-Madison hydrologist widely known for his work in watershed protection has been named the university's next Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Professor.

Kenneth Potter, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and environmental studies, will hold the honorary title for the next four years. The award includes an annual stipend for flexible research support.

To read full article, go to UW-Madison news.