For Friday, July 17, 2020

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1 – Adopt-a-Beach is back. 

The Alliance for the Great Lakes, which organizations Adopt-a-Beach cleanups throughout Michigan and the basin, has a new website at adopt.greatlakes.org. 

The spot makes it easy to schedule a cleanup by a small group, by yourself or with your family. 

Team leaders must follow COVID-19 guidelines, including social distancing and wearing face masks. Cleanups were suspended in March due to the coronavirus.

A set of best practices is available on the site. 

There’s also a list of frequently asked questions and several short tutorial videos. 

The Alliance says it hopes to be able to hold its annual September Adopt-a-Beach event, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, pending developments. 

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2 – This program reported on a Bioblitz in April. There’s another this month. 

Little Forks Conservancy in Midland is urging people to join a July Bioblitz and Beyond project.

The conservancy is one of a dozen organizations in Michigan who are recruiting volunteers to visit one of their properties, using the iNaturalist app to catalog various flora and fauna. 

A bioblitz is a type of citizen science; it is a survey of living things that is done by members of the community. 

The conservancy says Bioblitz events provide useful information by helping to identify and catalog the organisms in a particular area.

The local bioblitz started last week (July 9) and goes through the end of the month. 

Little Forks is using two of its preserves as collection sites for the effort: the Riverview Natural Area in Midland County off of North Homer Road and the George and Sue Lane Preserve on North Shearer Road in Gladwin County.

For more information and to register, find the Little Forks Conservancy on Facebook or contact Shelby Cain at scain@littleforks.org.

3 – Lake Michigan and Lake Huron water levels are expected to peak this month at their highest recorded level since accurate records began back in 1918. 

And erosion is to be expected throughout the fall. 

On Wednesday, July 22, from 6-7 p.m., Michigan Sea Grant is hosting a free webinar.

It’s designed to help shoreline property owners, municipal officials and others understand options for shore protection and stabilization. 

Visit bit.ly/GLshorelines to register. 

The webinar will be recorded and made available on Michigan Sea Grant’s YouTube channel soon after the presentation date.

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Q-90.1 FM NPR (now streaming). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

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