# Presentation: 414362

## Listen to Your Lakes 

- Listen to Your Lakes
- Shedd Aquarium’s Call to Action to help the Great Lakes

## Overview

- Why did we choose Great Lakes?
- What are the environmental concerns?
- What value comes from using our voice?
- What are the program elements?
- Why use partnerships?

## Why choose Great Lakes?

- An international treasure shared by many
- Five lakes plus the St. Lawrence River
- 	Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario
- Largest freshwater system in the world
- 	20% of the world’s surface freshwater
- 	Only the polar ice caps contain more

## Why choose Great Lakes?

- They define the region’s way of life

- Supply drinking water to more than 42 million people every day
- The lakes affect weather in the region
- Largest collection of freshwater dunes
- 11,000 miles of shoreline and beaches
- 1/3 of U.S. recreational boats are in this region

## Why choose Great Lakes?

- The lakes support the region’s economy

- Shipping
- 	50 million tons transported annually
- Boating
- 	Generates $2 billion in revenue annually
- Hunting and fishing
- 	Generates more than $6.5 million annually

## What are the concerns?

- Biggest concern: Lack of public awareness

## What are the concerns?

- Pollution

- Sewage overflows
- Mercury and “legacy” contaminants

## What are the concerns?

- Invasive species

- More than 180 in the Great Lakes now
- Disruptive to the food chain
- Impossible to eradicate
- Costs the region more than $5 billion annually

## What are the concerns?

- Habitat loss

- Loss of wetlands and natural shoreline
- Juvenile fish, waterfowl affected

## What are the concerns?

- Overuse of water

- Growing population demands more water use
- Not an infinite resource

## Why use our voice?

- Shedd Aquarium is uniquely positioned to communicate with the public
- 	2 million visitors annually
- 	Trusted and respected brand
- 	Wide market reach

## Listen to Your Lakes

- Exhibits

- Local Waters Gallery
- Invasive Species Exhibit
- Ocean Today Kiosk
- Long Range Plan

## Listen to Your Lakes

- Education

- Classes for preschool through adult
- Playscapes and animal encounters at Shedd
- Lakeshore Biology and Lakeshore Ecology
- High School Lake Ecology
- Community Programs

## Listen to Your Lakes

- Programs in the Community

- Lakeshore festivals and community events
- Seminar presentations

## Listen to Your Lakes

- Public Awareness

- Public Awareness for more than 25 million people in 2007
- 	Listen to Your Lakes public service announcement campaign
- 	Website visibility
- 	Public relations
- Evaluation and research of effectiveness

## Listen to Your Lakes

- Public Awareness

## Listen to Your Lakes

- Public Awareness

## Listen to Your Lakes

- Collaboration

- Local, regional and national organizations
- 	Delivering programs
- 	Hosting events
- 	Networking

## Why work with partners?

- Utilize others’ strengths
- 	Shedd brings audience, education, communication skills, location, facility, brand
- 	Leverage others’ field research and advocacy
- 	We influence the public, others influence policy makers

## Contact Information

- Listen to Your Lakes website
- 	www.ListentoYourLakes.org
- Melanie Napoleon
- 	mnapoleon@sheddaquarium.org