Blog Posts

What If?

3/3/2019

What if every 4th grader in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario, and Quebec followed the lead of the 4th graders in Zeeland, MI and launched a “Don’t Let it Fly or the Great Lakes Will Cry?” campaign to eliminate balloon litter? What if the only colors we saw in the skies above the Great Lakes were those gloriously painted by God?

And what if if every child facing an extended stay in a hospital had a chance to participate in the campaign? What if they could make buttons? And the buttons sold in the hospital gift shop to raise money for programs to keep the kids connected to their classmates, studies, and life outside the hospital walls?

Find out more about the "What If" campaign to eliminate balloons from the skies above the Great Lakes by visiting the "Don't Let it Fly" tab on my website. Let me know if you'd like to help!

"Don't Let It Fly"

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Please Join Us and Spread the Word

2/11/2019

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What if everyone knew Mylar balloons, when released, can float into power lines--where Mylar’s metallic coating can melt, become tangled, and result in power outages? even spark fires? What if they knew power companies from California to Virginia are concerned about safety, about the damage and inconvenience of outages caused by Mylar balloons? Perhaps those balloons would disappear from our skies.

And what if people living near one of the 63 Alliance for the Great Lakes “Adopt-a-Beach Spring Kick-Off” events showed up to help? Including the cleanup of the Saugatuck Dunes State Park beach on April 20th? What if people knew the Alliance tracks the number of balloons (and all trash) picked up at these events? And that in 2018, volunteers picked up 4,415 balloons? Perhaps balloons would disappear from our skies.

As part of the “Don’t Let it Fly or the Great Lakes Will Cry” campaign, I “adopted” the Saugatuck Dunes State Park beach in the Alliance for the Great Lakes “Spring Kickoff.” After all, this is the beach where the 2007 class of Quincy Elementary School 4th graders collected the evidence needed to convince the Zeeland School District to ban the mass release of balloons at all school functions.

What better place to relaunch the campaign? And get in those 10,000 steps?! Please join us! And spread the word!

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Is Chicago Up for the Challenge?

2/9/2019

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Winter scene on Lake Michigan beach

Thursday, I had the privilege of being in conversation with David Ullrich at the Union League Club of Chicago, discussing my book, Uncharted Waters. My goal—in addition to talking about the book—was to plant a seed.

I would like the city of Chicago to be the first city in the Great Lakes region to adopt a ban on the mass release of balloons.

Do you remember the 2007 class of fourth-graders at Quincy Elementary School in Zeeland? The forty-two passionate, hope-filled individuals who launched the “Don’t Let It Fly or the Great Lakes Will Cry” campaign to eliminate balloon litter? The fearless students who convinced two high school principals to cancel an order for 450 balloons slated for high school graduation ceremonies?

One of the boys told the class if we really wanted to clean up Lake Michigan beaches, we needed to get Chicago involved in the campaign.

“Everyone knows the winds are out of the southwest,” he said. “If we don’t get Chicago to quit releasing balloons, we’ll never have clean beaches!”

He was right. Twelve years later, I am still picking up balloons!

Five states have banned the mass release of balloons. They are Connecticut, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, and California. None are Great Lakes states. A number of cities have also banned the practice of releasing large numbers of balloons. To my knowledge, none are in the Great Lakes region.

It’s time. Why not start with Chicago, the city upwind of the longest freshwater shoreline in the world?

I planted the seed on Thursday. With a little nurturing, hopefully it will grow. You can help. Write a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune asking for a city-wide ban on the mass release of balloons. We can find better ways to celebrate, to honor the dead, to make a statement.

Send a copy to your own city newspaper, your own mayor—asking for a ban in your community. Mayors talk. Maybe, with enough nudging, we can get a Great Lakes state added to the list of states outlawing mass balloon releases. Maybe, we can even get all eight states!

We owe it to the 2007 class of fourth-graders to try.

Sample letter for the Chicago Tribune letters@chicagotribune.com and your own mayor, governor, and local newspaper. (Be sure to include your name, city, state.)

Letter to the Editor,
I’d like to ask the city of Chicago to help clean up Lake Michigan’s shoreline, the longest freshwater shoreline in the world, by banning the mass release of balloons. If Connecticut, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, California, and the Clemson Tigers can do it, why not Chicago?

Mary McKSchmidt
Author and Beach Walker
Holland, MI

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Are We Up to the Good Stuff of the 1890s?

1/4/2019

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On Thursday, February 7th, I will be the luncheon guest at the Union League Club of Chicago. It promises to be a lively and informative event as I am to be in conversation with Great Lakes advocate and ambassador David Ullrich*. For more information, visit Eventbrite.

I confess that since the talk is over a month away, I had not begun researching the organization—instead spending most of the holidays studying the history of Chicago in the 1890s. After all, that is the backdrop for my next book, a historical fiction tentatively titled, The Box.

To my astonishment, the Union League Club of Chicago was a predominant player in the 1890s, influencing a decision by Congress to select the city as the site of the World’s Columbian Exposition—more widely known as the 1893 World’s Fair. Members of this organization convinced the country that Chicago was the best place to create an exposition that would showcase the engineering and industrial strengths of the nation.

Visitors to the World’s Fair were introduced to the first Ferris wheel, the zipper, and the Telautograph (first Fax machine). They witnessed the largest AC (alternating current) station in the world—powering all the incandescent lights and lamps of the fair. They were also introduced to the first moving sidewalk in the United States, commemorative stamps and coins, Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, Cracker Jacks, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Cream of Wheat, Shredded Wheat, and the mass production of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit gum.

But the fair was more than that.

At a time when Chicago was described as filthy, foul-smelling, raucous, and smoke-filled, the designers created a city of pristine, white buildings monumental in size and design. Called the “White City,” the exposition influenced the incorporation of architecture, green spaces, and bodies of water into city planning. Designed and built in less than three years, the fair showcased the creativity and innovative spirit of the Chicago people.

That is why I am writing a book based in Chicago in the 1890s. In addition to the World’s Fair, Chicago was the site of one of the top engineering wonders of the world—the reversal of the flow of the Chicago River. Completed in ten years against insurmountable odds, the canal now known as the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, was created to protect the city’s primary source of fresh drinking water, Lake Michigan. But that canal now poses one of the greatest environmental threats facing the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River ecosystems. It provides a two-way highway for the movement of aquatic invasive species—detrimental and deadly to both sides of the canal.

In his thoughtful epilogue to his book, Building the Canal to Save Chicago, engineer and author Richard Lanyon reminds readers that maintaining the quality of Lake Michigan was what motivated the construction of the canal. That should be the driving force behind today’s decisions, too.

In February, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be sending a request for funding to Congress to stop the Asian Carp from entering Lake Michigan through the canal. Once that plan hits my Congressional Representative’s desk, I plan to remind him of four things.

While I personally prefer returning the river to its natural state and permanently separating the two basins, this plan is the next best thing—and probably the only option after the 2014 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals against Michigan and other four states calling for full separation.
While the price tag could be as high as $778 million versus an original estimate of $275 million, it pales in comparison to the potential damage to the multi-billion-dollar fishing, boating, and tourism industries.
While this plan addresses the four species of Asian Carp, it does not address the other aquatic invasive species flowing in both directions. Addressing the other species must be part of the solution without slowing down an already length process.
Speed is essential. The Corps must implement this plan in less than their estimated ten-year timeframe. The Asian carp, Northern snakehead, Skipjack herring and other species aren’t waiting around.

The architect and director of the 1893 World’s Fair, Daniel Burnham, and Chief Engineer Lyman Cooley of the Sanitary District of Chicago and others overseeing construction of the canal faced similar challenges. Not enough time. Not enough money. Too many competing priorities. But they exceeded expectations and created masterpieces—both in less than ten years.

We must insist the Army Corps—under the direction of Congress—do the same.

*David Ullrich works on numerous boards, commissions, and committees to advance the protection, restoration, and long-term sustainability of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region in the United States and Canada. He is active locally in Chicago to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of all Chicagoans. He is expanding his interests to the Great Barrier Reef, Wet Tropics, and other natural features of Australia.

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What Happened to Pure Michigan?

12/7/2018

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On Tuesday, December 4th, Michigan’s Senate passed Bill 1211, legislation that eliminates protection for lakes and wetlands, allowing for the dredging, filling, and development of nearly a half a million acres of wetlands and more than 4,000 lakes.

This bill, now under consideration by the House, strips away wetlands, one of nature’s primary means for filtering pollutants from streams and rivers, slowing storm water runoff, and providing habitat that is essential to a healthy ecosystem.

Walloon Lake--one of the lakes affected by pending legislation

At a time when so many government agencies, organizations, and people are investing time and money in the restoration of the Great Lakes, in the cleanup of groundwater contaminated with chemicals like PFAS, it makes no sense to eliminate one of nature’s natural fixes.

Equally as alarming, according to Tom Zimnicki of the Michigan Environmental Council, the bill creates uncertainty as to how shorelines can be altered, water levels adjusted, or fill added by property owners on prominent and popular lakes like Walloon Lake, Lake Allegan, Lake Doster, Gull Lake, the Big Crooked Lake, Lake Orion, Mullett Lake, Black Lake, Sherwood Lake, Ford Lake, and Belleville (to mention just a few!).

“What this bill does is to introduce uncertainty,” Zimnicki explained. “Currently, there is clarity as to what your neighbor is allowed to do to shorefront property on these inland lakes. That changes under this law as oversight and regulation is diminished. It should be alarming to property owners living on or near these lakes.”

And what happened to Pure Michigan?

According to a report released by Strategic Marketing and Research Insights earlier this year, in 2017 more than 5.6 million traveled to Michigan from outside the state, generating over $2.1 billion in revenue to communities and local business. According to the report, people came to our state because they perceived it as “an outdoor destination, particularly for water-based recreation.”

If we start altering the shorelines of our lakes, allow owners to syphon water to adjust water levels, permit development on the dwindling number of wetlands, or give mining and logging companies the green light to dredge wetlands for “fill material” needed for road maintenance (industry-specific language included in the bill), Michigan will begin to look not so “Pure”.

This legislation affects kayakers, hunters, people who fish, birders, hikers, and all outdoor enthusiasts. When the wetlands disappear, so do the bugs, the fish, the frogs, the birds. So, too, does the clarity and quality of waters downstream—including the larger lakes—still “regulated” but influenced by the small, intermittently-moving streams this legislation targets.

Admittedly, I am an amateur when it comes to understanding the science of ecosystems. But the Latin root of the word “amateur” is “lover.” And I love Michigan’s lakes, beaches, dunes, forests, rivers, streams, and, yes, wetlands.

I read an article entitled “The Insect Apocalypse Is Here,” featured in the December 2nd issue of The New York Times Magazine. It was a wakeup call.

The author, Brooke Jarvis, focused on the work by amateurs—in concert with scientists—in noticing, documenting, studying, and reporting on the slow extinction of bugs. The natural reaction of many—particularly those suffering from diseases transmitted by insects and ticks—is “good!” In many households, including my own, insects are not allowed anywhere near the perimeter of the foundation. Eliminate wetlands and other natural areas, and eventually, the bugs will disappear. As they are at the bottom of the food chain, other species will begin to disappear too. It is already happening.

Jarvis reports, “It is estimated that, since 1970, Earth’s various populations of wild land animals have lost, on average, 60 percent of their members. Zeroing in on the category we most relate to, mammals, scientists believe that for every six wild creatures that once ate and burrowed and raised young, only one remains.”

Do we, in Michigan, really want to destroy the natural resources which make our state unique? Do we want to jeopardize $2.1 billion/year in revenue from outdoor enthusiasts enchanted with all our state offers? Can we afford to increase our cost of cleanup by destroying nature’s filtering of our watersheds?

During this time of giving and receiving gifts, I hope our representatives respect one our greatest gifts from nature, our water, and do their best to protect it by voting NO on SB 1211.

The bill is currently under consideration by Michigan's House of Representatives, one of the "lame duck" pieces of legislation they are trying to pass prior to the holidays. The vote could occur as early as Tuesday. Please take a moment and contact your representative and ask for a NO vote on SB 1211.

PLEASE SHARE THIS EMAIL WITH ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO LIVES ALONGSIDE, NEAR, OR VISITS ANY OF MICHIGAN'S INLAND LAKES.

To learn more about the bill and link to your representative, visit:
https://www.environmentalcouncil.org/protect_mi_wetlands
or link directly the Michigan House of Representatives at:
https://www.house.mi.gov/CARES/frmFindaRep.aspx
or if you live in Allegan County, visit the EZ-SMEZEE page on my website:

Amateur's View of Michigan Wetlands

Resources for this blog:

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Another One of His Great Ideas

11/19/2018

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Chicago skyline

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure about writing fiction when I floated the possibility of The Box in July’s blog. As you may recall, it was Rubin’s idea . . .

“I’m telling you, you need to write fiction,” he said from the cockpit of our sailboat one summer evening. “You could share your message about the Great Lakes with so many more people!”

The reaction from you, the reader, was a resounding yes! And you weren’t alone. As I’ve marketed Uncharted Waters, an adventure travel memoir published in July, and been asked “what next?” by television, radio, and magazine interviewers, book club participants, people stopping by my table at author events, the idea of fiction generates enthusiasm. Lots of enthusiasm.

But, as you know, my purpose in writing is to plant seeds of awareness, to generate the political will necessary to clean up and protect the Great Lakes. So, The Box (working title) is not just an adventure novel. It is historical fiction—defined as that "genre of literature, film, etc. comprising narratives that take place in the past and are characterized chiefly by an imaginative reconstruction of historical events and personages.”

“Will it have a murder?” someone asked at a book club discussing Uncharted Waters.

“Of course,” I replied, “Rubin is coaching me.”

What I did not know until I started writing, is that the characters would dictate the direction and flow of the book. They speak to me constantly, demanding that I am at my computer at 5:30 every morning. Seriously! If I allow it, they will control my life.

I share this with you because while I hope to post a blog and a skosh of poetry every month, the nature of my blogs will most likely change as I delve into the required research for the historical portion of the book. And while I cannot share the story, partially because it is still unfolding, partially because I do not want to take the energy away from the writing of it, and partially because, of course, I want you to buy the book, I will tell you one thing.

The backdrop is the construction of the two-way highway for aquatic invasive species, that dreaded canal on the southwest corner of Lake Michigan that is placing my beloved lake at risk. Before this is over, I hope to know everything possible about the construction and history of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

Thank you, in advance, for joining me on this journey.

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Is That Okay?

11/4/2018

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The waters of Lake Macatawa in September. While duckweed is not an alga and is not harmful, an overabundance does indicate high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus caused largely by agricultural runoff. Is green the new blue? Is that okay?

Inspired, in part, by Dan Egan’s recent book, The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, I find myself asking, are the decisions being made about our lakes good enough? Good enough to protect our quality of life, our drinking water, the many economies depending on a healthy ecosystem? Good enough to pass on to future generations?

What do you think?

While the 1972 Clean Water Act addressed the pollution caused from manufacturing pipes dumping chemicals and waste directly into our waterways, it did not address agricultural runoff fueling the increasing growth of algae in the Great Lakes and contaminated groundwater in rural communities. Known “best demonstrated agricultural practices” that would reduce the high nutrient loads in the water are voluntary. Is that okay?

The plan created by the Army Corp to stop the Asian Carp from entering Lake Michigan will not be in place until 2025—and that depends on continued funding. Even so, this new approach—implemented only at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam—does not guarantee the Asian Carp will be stopped. Nor does the plan address the other 9 aquatic invasive species approaching Lake Michigan, nor the 39 invasive species flowing the opposite direction into the Mississippi River. Is that okay?

An increasing number of people no longer trust the safety of their drinking water because of the discovery of lead, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, high nutrient levels, and other contaminants in their tap water. Is that okay?

Ocean freighters will not be required to cleanse ballast water until after 2021. Even then, the guidelines do not address the passage of invasive microscopic organisms into the waters of the Great Lakes. Is that okay?

Efforts to clean up the damage caused by the manufacturing era of the 1900s, including the 43 most toxic waterways and harbors in the Great Lakes (called Areas of Concern) identified by Canada and the U.S. in the Water Quality Agreement of 1987, are a line-item expense on the Congressional budget that must be negotiated and passed every year. Is that okay?

The increasing frequency and intensity of storms in the region caused, in part, by climate change are overwhelming antiquated sewage systems that combine storm water runoff with sewage. The overflows result in millions of gallons of raw sewage spilling into the Great Lakes each year. Is that okay?

Despite campaign rhetoric to the contrary, the majority of Congressional leaders and Michigan legislators representing the western coast of Michigan scored significantly less than 50% on the League of Conservation Voters’ scorecard of 2017 that tracks voting records on legislation affecting the health of the Great Lakes, safe drinking water, pollution-free energy options, the protection of public parks and land, fair elections, and good government. Is that okay?

If any of these things are NOT OKAY, you can effect change. Vote Tuesday on behalf of the Great Lakes and the drinking water of your community—as if their health depends on you. It does.

Lake Macatawa as seen from the stern of our boat

The Macatawa River

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Looking Beyond the Mailbox Stuffers

10/16/2018

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I spent last week on my first official author tour, travelling across northern Michigan talking with people about the Great Lakes--about our beaches, our dunes, cliffs, wildflowers, parks, and the quality of life alongside these bodies of water.

It was energizing to meet adults who were first introduced to water’s edge by a parent or grandparent—who are doing the same now with their children and grandchildren.

It was humbling to meet one of the leaders of the “Stand Up for the Great Lakes” initiative—paddleboarders who paddle to protect, educate, and raise money for the lakes. Their paddles include nonstop crossings of Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron. And while Rubin and I have sailed across Lake Michigan nineteen times and Lake Huron twice, to make that voyage standing on a board is incomprehensible. According to their website, the paddlers do it because they share a love of the water, because it’s the challenge of a lifetime, and it's a way to raise money to preserve the Great Lakes.

To a person, everyone I met shared my passion for this place we call home. And a desire to protect it.

But when I talked about voting on behalf of the water, a few foreheads wrinkled.

“It will be difficult this year,” I was told at a book signing event in Traverse City. “For the first time in recent history, all Michigan’s politicians are talking about water.”

That’s a good thing. Unfortunately, it took a string of crises like Flint and Rockford and Parchment and, potentially, over 25 communities state-wide with unacceptable levels of PFAS, to make our water a priority in this, “The Great Lakes State.”

How does one separate the political pomp from practice?

With the help of a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization called the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), I pulled up voting records for those representing the eastern shores of Lake Michigan—every port into which we have sailed. Most of these harbor communities depend on Lake Michigan for their drinking water, their economic viability, their quality of life. The LCV scorecards politicians based on voting records in committee and on the floor. In Michigan, they focus on legislation affecting safe, affordable drinking water; clean, pollution-free energy options; protection of parks and public lands; the promotion of fair elections and good government; and healthy Great Lakes.

The LCV scorecard is a starting point for analyzing the actions behind the words.

Please join me in voting on November 6th. And while there are many issues to consider, please vote with our Great Lakes in mind and heart. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It is not an issue for liberals or conservatives. Water is an issue of life and health.

2017 Scorecard for Those Representing the Eastern Shores of Lake Michigan

Michigan Senators

Gary Peters-D: 100%
Debbie Stabenow-D: 95%

Benton Harbor/St. Joseph (21)

U.S. Representative Fred Upton-R: 14%
State Senator John Proos-R: 20%
State Representative Kim LaSata-R: 36%

South Haven/Saugatuck (26)

U.S. Representative Fred Upton-R: 14%
State Senator Tonya Schuitmaker-R: 8%
South Haven Representative Beth Griffin-R: 36%
Saugatuck Representative Mary Whiteford-R: 36%

Holland/Grand Haven (30)

U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga-R: 0%
State Senator Arlan Meekhof-R: 18%
Grand Haven Representative Jim Lilly-R: 38%
Holland Representative Daniela Garcia-R: 30%

Muskegon/Whitehall-Montague/Pentwater (34)

U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga-R: 0%
State Senator Geoff Hansen-R: 8%
Muskegon Representative Terry Sabo-D: 100%
Montague Representative Holly Hughes-R: 55%
Whitehall Representative Jim Runestad-R: 46%
Pentwater Representative Scott VanSingel-R: 55%

Ludington/Manistee/Frankfort/South Manitou/Northport (35)

U.S. Representative Jack Bergman-R: 6%
U.S. Representative Bill Huizinga-R (Ludington): 0%
State Senator Darwin Booher-R: 8%
State Representative Curt VaderWall-R: 26%

Traverse City/Charlevoix/Petoskey/Harbor Springs (37)

U.S. Representative Jack Bergman-R: 6%
State Senator Wayne Schmidt-R: 27%
Traverse City Representative Larry Inman-R: 45%
Petoskey Representative Triston Cole-R: 42%

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder grades

“F” for Flint Water Crisis
“A” for Clean energy
“D+” for air quality
“C-“ for public lands
“C” for Great Lakes and Michigan water
“B” for waste and recycling
“C+” for appointments

Michigan scorecards may be found at https://michiganlcv.org/at-the-capitol/legislative-scorecard/
National scorecards may be found at http://scorecard.lcv.org/scorecard

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Can One Person Make a Difference?

9/16/2018

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This morning, like most mornings, I ran inland for roughly an hour. It is part of my daily ritual, providing me time to reflect, to meditate, and, of course, to sweat.

My cool-down walk along the shores of Lake Michigan is my treat to myself. My heart sings when I see this magnificent body of fresh water, touch its soft white sand beaches that stretch for miles, and look up at the towering dunes steadied by strong, tall maples, oaks, and pine trees. This is sacred space.

Yet, scientists say it is in danger—the ecosystem of the Great Lakes threatened with irreversible damage if something is not done immediately. I shake my head in disbelief. How could this happen? More importantly, how do we reverse the slide?

The challenges facing the Great Lakes are daunting, so overwhelming it is easy to feel powerless as an individual. I have lived my adult life in corporate America, most recently in a position reporting to the CEO of one of the largest healthcare manufacturers in the world. I know nothing about getting involved as an individual—without the backing of a $10 billion corporation and the support of millions of people.

Even so, I know I cannot remain silent. While I have traveled to places of spectacular beauty, none touch me like the Great Lakes. In my heart, these waters are home.

So, I talk about the Great Lakes and all I am learning.

In the process, I have discovered I am not alone in my passion for protecting these great waters. Neighbors, family, friends—even those who live outside the region—are interested in understanding the past decisions that have brought us to this tipping point and the tradeoffs needed in finding solutions. Almost always, the first question someone asks me is: “What can I do?”

It is the same question I ask myself during my early morning runs. Over the years, I have found if I can still the constant chatter of my mind as I run in the first light of sunrise, answers to the toughest questions often surface.

I ask, “What can I do to protect these waters I love?” The answer seems obvious. Get educated, energized, and engaged. No problem with the first two. It is engagement that holds the most uncertainty.

“You are responsible for your efforts on this earth, not necessarily the results,” a friend tells me.

And so I have embarked on a journey of faith, taking one step at a time. For me, the first step is to begin writing.

First published in 2006 and read in the opening session of the 2006 Healing Our Waters--Great Lakes Coalition conference in Cleveland, this essay remains one of my favorites. What I did not realize at the time was that I would meet hundreds of others willing to walk with me, guide me, inspire me to greatness. Such was the case when I met 4th grade teachers Kathy Nemeth and Donna Atman. Together, with forty-two creative, passionate, and determined, students, we influenced the policy of an entire school system, eliminating the release of balloons at all Quincy school functions.

If you are in the area, please join us Saturday, September 22nd at 10:00 a.m. at the Barnes and Noble store in Holland, MI as we celebrate what it means to make a difference!

McKSchmidt Questions: Week 7

A Grassroots Effort to Prioritize Our Water

Background: Last week I asked representatives and candidates what they might do to help eliminate the release of balloons contaminating our lakes, beaches, land, and skies. I did not receive a single response. I suspect most rolled their eyes, thinking such an issue unimportant.

But sometimes it takes little steps to build up strength and gain the momentum needed to tackle the bigger issues of life and health. And if 4th graders can convince an entire school district to break with tradition and not release balloons at high school graduations . . . if Clemson University can decide to discontinue the release of 10,000 balloons at home football games . . . and if California, Connecticut,

Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia can forbid mass balloon discharges, then why not Michigan and other Great Lakes states?

Why not find other ways to celebrate, honor, or grieve than littering the planet?

If you didn’t contact your representatives last week, will you consider doing so this week?

Question: Will you introduce and prioritize legislation that will eliminate the mass release of balloons littering our lakes, beaches, land, and skies?

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Three Things I Learned About Influencing Congressional Leaders

9/10/2018

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In my former life as an executive, I served as a board member for the company’s Political Action Committee (PAC). Professionally trained to influence Congressional leaders, I joined our Washington D.C. lobbyists in advocating on behalf of renal patients needing dialysis delivered in the home rather than centers; funding to research treatment of often-fatal blood disorders like hemophilia; for hospitals struggling to fund technology to improve patient safety while shouldering the high cost of the uninsured.

Little did I know the lessons learned were preparing me for the second half of my life, when cleaning up and protecting the Great Lakes would become my life’s work.

Lesson one: The primary goal of every politician is to be re-elected.

Voting is essential. No vote, no voice. I now leverage that vote by regularly reminding politicians that if they are to represent me, they must prioritize the ecosystem of the Great Lakes. With the help of organizations like the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, I can review legislative scorecards and hold elected officials accountable.

Lesson two: Just as businesses segment their customer base, politicians analyze and prioritize their potential constituents.

Their first step is to identify those in the district over eighteen years of age who are eligible to vote. Of those, who actually vote? If you voted, and voted for that politician, you are important. If you not only voted for the politician but contributed money to the campaign, you are more important. If you contributed money and influenced others to vote on his or her behalf, you can earn a seat at the table of influence.

As an individual, I most likely will never earn a seat at the table. But I can team up with organizations advocating on behalf of the Great Lakes, organizations representing a large block of voters, with staff who follow key legislation as it works its way through Congress, add focus with petitions, fund research, participate in public hearings, apply timely, appropriate pressure to negotiate solutions, and when all else fails, sue to protect the public’s right to clean, safe water.

It is because of such organizations, that funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) continues despite President Trump’s opposition.Championed by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition of over 150 environmental, conservation, and outdoor recreation organizations; zoos, aquariums, and museums, the GLRI addresses issues such as toxic substances in the water, invasive species, the most impaired harbors and waterways, habitat and wildlife protection, and pollution caused by agricultural and industrial runoff.

The power wielded by this coalition of organizations representing so many votes was—and is—impossible to ignore. As a result, Congress overruled President Trump and continued to provide $300 million/year for GLRI funding in 2017 and 2018, funding provided every year since 2010.

Lesson three: Before walking into the office of a Congressional leader, have credible and well-researched facts in hand.

The sheer number and complexity of decisions regarding access to water from so many diverse and often-competing stakeholders require facts grounded in science and backed by law. It is why over Labor Day, traditionally the last frolicking day of summer’s seeming freedom, I found myself thinking about the people working tirelessly for organizations advocating for the Great Lakes.

While the geographic scope, area of focus, and expertise may differ, these nonprofit organizations conduct research to ensure our lakes become clean and healthy again. They educate and engage people in the importance of protecting this national treasure. With our support, they become voices in the offices of elected officials, voices too influential to ignore.

But they can’t do it without our contributions, without our signatures on petitions, without our presence at public hearings, without our commitment to vote for those willing to proactively protect the quality of Great Lakes water. This election year, please consider identifying one (or more) of these organizations you can support.

And vote on behalf of our water.

The McKSchmidt Questions: Week 6

A Grassroots Effort to Prioritize Our Water

Question: At 10:00 a.m. September 22nd at the Barnes and Noble store in Holland, MI, Mary McKSchmidt will be joined by representatives of the 2007 4th grade classes of Quincy Elementary School. Teachers, students, parents, and others are gathering to celebrate the release of her book, Uncharted Waters: Romance, Adventure, and Advocacy on the Great Lakes, AND their legendary campaign to eliminate balloon litter. Creating the slogan “Don’t let it fly or the Great Lakes will cry,” these heroes of the Great Lakes convinced two high school principals and the Quincy school board to change tradition and eliminate the release of balloons at any official school event. Will you join the campaign to eliminate balloons littering our lakes, beaches, land, and skies? How might you help? (To learn more, pick up a copy of her book at your local bookstore or online retailer.)

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"Don't Let Balloons Fly Without Thinking it Through"

3/11/19
Hillsdale Daily News
"I Want to Know I Did What I Could"

1/10/19
Holland Sentinel
"Are We Up to the Good Stuff of the 1890s"

12/12/2018
Holland Sentinel
"What happened to Pure Michigan?"

8/11/2018
Holland Sentinel
"Regulations key to Great Lakes health"

6/21/18
Lansing State Journal
"East Lansing Schools Provided Me A Foundation to Succeed"

5/2/18
Holland Sentinel
"Mentors Matter"

Recent Talks

6/17/18. East Lansing Education Foundation Annual Dinner. "I Needed Math and English"

The Ideal Gift
Tiny Treasures, a collection of wildflower photographs and poetic prose, available by clicking on the Purchase Products button below.

Purchase Books

The 2nd Edition of Tiny Treasures is designed for use on PCs, tablets, and phones and is available at online stores. To learn more, click on the Ibook/Ebook button below:

Ibook/Ebook

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We can live without a lot of things, access to clean, fresh water ​is not one of them.

Amateur's View of Michigan Wetlands

2017 Scorecard for Those Representing the Eastern Shores of Lake Michigan

McKSchmidt Questions: Week 7

A Grassroots Effort to Prioritize Our Water

The McKSchmidt Questions: Week 6

A Grassroots Effort to Prioritize Our Water

We can live without a lot of things, access to clean, fresh water
is not one of them.