GLFT Grant Library

The Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT) provided funding to the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Center for Educational Partnerships in support of the River Revitalization Education (RRES) project, which developed scalable and replicable tools aligned with the Michigan Science Standards/Next Generation Science Standards that will continue to support educators teaching about the Grand River and the associated restoration effort. Groundswell, a hub of the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative housed at the GVSU College of Education, lead the initiative with support from project partners. The RRES grant partners— the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council, Kent Innovation High School, WGVU Public Media, and the GVSU College of Education—subsidized K–12 stewardship projects and outdoor experiences for students, hosted teacher professional development sessions that supported Grand River revitalization efforts, and created multimedia place-based curriculum materials, which are hosted at https://wgvu.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/river-re-wilding-evaluating-impacts-on-ecosystems-and-communities/ and https://www.gvsu.edu/groundswell/lesson-plans-54.htm. The teacher professional development sessions are available on Groundswell’s website and YouTube channel so that educators can continue to benefit from the products of the grant. The RRES grant has created resources that will involve educators and schools in the effort to revitalize the Grand River and create a deeper connection to the river in the broader community.

The grantee offered professional development for educators and supported place-base stewardship projects for K-12 students in Alger, Delta, Marquette, and Schoolcraft Counties. Using GLFT funding, the Superior Watershed Partnership directly supported 51 hours of professional development for 32 educators and provided project support for 750 students. Upper GLSI staff hosted a variety of PD activities throughout the grant, including four days of introduction to place-based education allowing educators to voice their needs or suggestions for future professional development opportunities. Examples of other place-based education opportunities supported throughout the grant include Northern Michigan University’s Fall professional development session in partnership with the Michigan State University Extension Office and a virtual day of professional development which included a grant writing workshop and online discussion focused on culture in the classroom. Student projects supported include planting trees to improve the nearshore water quality of Lake Superior, releasing Salmon into the Dead River, and growing herbs in a hydroponic setting.

Trout Unlimited, Inc. is looking to restore aquatic organism passage and stream function at three road/stream crossings as the first phase of an effort to restore complete connectivity throughout the Bigelow Creek watershed, a critically important coldwater tributary to the Muskegon River. The replacement of these crossings will enhance and provide long-term protection for fish passage and habitat for salmonids and other coldwater species of the Lake Michigan Basin.

We will evaluate the source-specific production of steelhead to the Lake Michigan fishery. We have demonstrated that chemical signatures of juvenile steelhead otoliths are sufficiently differentiable among different Lake Michigan tributaries and hatcheries to support accurate natal origin assignment. Here, otoliths of adult steelhead will be collected and analyzed to quantitatively assess the mixing of stocks in the Lake Michigan fishery and identify specific sources most supportive of steelhead production.

We will improve assessment of trends for lake trout populations and estimates of vital rates in Lake Michigan by fitting age-structured assessment models in southern and western areas of the lake where such assessments are lacking. We will combine results with those from other areas of the lake to provide a lake-wide assessment. Results will be used to develop or improve forecasting models to evaluate consequences of stocking decisions on rehabilitation status and predator-prey balance.

Historically, cisco was the major forage fish component in the Great Lakes food chain and supported extensive commercial fisheries in multiple Great Lakes. However, anthropogenic impacts have led to massive declines in cisco abundance as well as local and global extirpations of multiple cisco species. We will use genomics to investigate the genetic basis of adaptation in cisco. This research will provide important data that can be used to preserve cisco diversity and inform restoration.

The Water Resources Education Program engaged over 300 students from Northern Michigan middle schools in a foundation-laying program of watershed experiences that focused on local issues and stewardship of community water resources. Students were provided with water resources knowledge over the course of five in-class sessions, the majority of which also included community field trip sessions. This knowledge allowed students to plan and implement an action project that was designed to improve or solve a water resource issue in their community. Over the course of the program, teachers received training, resources, and tools to continue water-resources education in the future.

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) Classroom with a Current program provided an opportunity for thousands of students to experience inquiry-based learning with a focus on Great Lakes Watersheds. Programs were designed to provide information that assisted students in becoming (1) active and effective stewards of the Great Lakes and (2) advocates for strategies that support the long-term sustainability of the Great Lakes fisheries. Programming included Museum based field trip programs, extension of a traveling exhibit and summer camp experiences. 

With the support of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT), the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan developed a conceptual plan and narrative for how the museum will display elements of the Besser Fishery Heritage Project. This story includes a summary of the early 20th century Great Lakes fisheries, effects of overfishing and invasive species on the Great Lakes, the eventual collapse of the Great Lakes fisheries, how Sea Lamprey impact the modern ecosystem, and the stewardship efforts by resource agencies to begin the recovery of the Great Lakes fisheries. Once complete, the display will engage both students and general visitors as stewards of the great lakes. Specifically, the grant provided funding to assist Besser Museum in defining and communicating their vision for the Fishery Heritage display. Grant products included conceptual drawings, display renderings, and a comprehensive narrative for the exhibit. 

The overall goal of this grant is to work with university centers and agencies to develop a long-term business plan for Great Lakes Aquatic Habitiat Framework that cultivates partnerships with state, federal and provincial agencies and universities and creates a long-term funding and maintenance strategy with the following goals:

• Building greater capacity within resource management agencies and the university

• Developing, maintaining, and serving spatial data needed for management and research in the Great Lakes Region

• Assisting agencies in the use of spatial approaches in research and decision making • Developing a better understanding of the spatial ecology of the Great Lakes Basin.

The Healing Our Waters - Great Lakes (HOW) Coalition is improving the health of the Great Lakes through our Priority Area implementation Program which addresses historic threats to the Great Lakes through on the ground restoration work. The project provides capacity building grants to local and state non-profit organizations, with priority given to Lake Michigan basin sites, to help applicants successfully implement restoration projects through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

National Wildlife Federation is looking to develop and launch a strategic education and communications campaign to inform the public about the serious threat Asian carp pose to the Great Lakes and about advancing solutions that lead to the most effective actions to prevent carp from entering the Great Lakes. This is a collaborative effort with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, and other tribal leaders.