National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center

09/04/2026

📣🌊Calling all Michiganders: Join us near Petoskey, Michigan THIS WEEKEND at Water Weekend Camp (Sept. 4-7)!

💧Water Weekend brings together Great Lakes neighbors to celebrate our water and advocate for its protection. The camp is a landing spot for events, a connection hub, a place to build power through community, and a prep zone for the annual “No Line 5 Tunnel” Mackinac Bridge Walk on Labor Day (09/07). Hope to see you there!

➡️ More details at the link: https://givebutter.com/waterweekend

💧Event Highlights:
(Fri 09/04) - Feast + Potluck + Open Mic
(Sat 09/05) - Pipe Out Paddle Up (POPU)
(Sat 09/05) - Water Is Life Festival
(Sun 09/06) - Bridge Walk Prep + Workshops
(Mon 09/07) - Three Fires Confederacy Bridge Walk for Water

09/03/2026

Brandon Road is so back 🎉 (Sorry not sorry, invasive carp!)

After a temporary stop work order on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced that construction on this crucial barrier will resume 👏

Keeping out invasive carp is pivotal in protecting our economy and environment, and Brandon Road is the single best way to do that. Invasive carp pose a serious threat to the Great Lakes, the source of drinking water for more than 30 million people, and the linchpin of a multi-billion dollar fishing and recreational boating industry.

Thank you to everyone who spoke out in support of continuing this project — your voices were heard!

09/03/2026

🛢️Last week, over 1 million gallons of highly toxic natural gas liquids leaked in Iron County, threatening Wisconsin’s public health, environment and wildlife.

🦢Trumpeter swans were brought back from total extirpation in Northern Wisconsin where they have since been thriving. But now, they face more risks from the Line 5 oil pipeline.

➡️ Tell officials in Wisconsin and Michigan to stop Line 5 before any more damage is done. Link here: https://support.nwfactionfund.org/page/102181/action/1

09/01/2026

Enbridge claims that they can safely build pipelines around sensitive waters. But the Line 5 reroute has not survived its own construction phase without a breach, a power shutoff and evacuation order. Last week, one of the pipeline operator’s unoccupied trucks ran into the 73 year old pipeline in Northern Wisconsin, spewing 1.3 million gallons of highly toxic and flammable natural gas liquids.

With a track record like this, the proposed tunnel project through the Straits of Mackinac is a risk that we absolutely should not take.

Says David Holtz of Oil & Water Don't Mix, “Michigan is being asked to trust that same company [who just had a gas leak on Line 5] to bore a tunnel through the Straits of Mackinac, one of the most hydrologically sensitive and heavily trafficked freshwater passages on Earth, and to trust that nothing will go wrong for the decades after it’s built.”

The writing is on the wall.

08/28/2026

⛪️🌼 Sacred Grounds™ is a National Wildlife Federation program that recognizes congregations, houses of worship, and faith communities who both create wildlife habitat and actively link faith practices with caring for the environment.

Throughout year-round programming, we work alongside local partners in assisting with project planning and technical expertise to increase native plant gardens 🐝🌱💧

➡️Read our new blog post to dig a little deeper into the multi-faceted, collaborative design process behind bringing these green spaces to life: https://blog.nwf.org/2026/08/enlivening-green-spaces-with-the-sacred-grounds-program/

08/27/2026

Invasive carp have been found just 80 miles away from Lake Michigan -- closer than ever before -- but construction on a critical barrier to stop them was recently halted. We need construction of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam back on track before it’s too late to keep them out!

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

🚨Yesterday morning an unoccupied, parked semi-truck rolled into an open excavation site for Enbridge’s Line 5 valve project in Northern Wisconsin, causing a gas leak that covered the job site in a haze. Due to safety concerns, a temporary no-fly zone was established in the area, as well as a power shutdown and evacuation for nearby homes.

Enbridge did not provide further details on cleanup operations or what the effects could be. They also did not report the leak until an hour after it was discovered. Despite the company’s apparent efforts at downplaying the impacts of this accident, gas leaks pose serious health hazards and risks of explosion. This incident joins a laundry list of other spills and leaks from Line 5.

Bottom line: Enbridge operates under the guise that they take safety precautions seriously, but an incident like this is yet another example of why Line 5 is a risk we shouldn’t be taking anymore.

08/26/2026

💡🌊Recent studies in lake sturgeon longevity reveal that this ancient freshwater fish may be able to live hundreds of years longer than previously thought. That’s right; we said hundreds! While researchers once estimated the age of fish by counting annual growth rings in fin rays or ear bones, new mathematical models strongly suggest that lake sturgeon lifespans can peak from 279 years old in males to 427 years old in females🤯!

If you find that mind-boggling, check out our friend Mermaid Echo® - Wisconsin Professional Mermaid who gives an excellent explanation of the research and how it can guide conservation efforts. “If adults can survive for centuries to sustain their populations, then losing even a few of them or preventing them from spawning can have massive consequences. Removing obsolete dams and restoring a natural free-flowing river is [one of] the best possible way[s] to take care of these ancient and gentle giants.”

Scientists involved with the study also urge very conservative harvest rates to ensure that we don’t over-harvest this sensitive species.

➡️To learn more about lake sturgeon research and conservation, check out the link here: https://www.wpr.org/news/lake-sturgeon-live-hundreds-years-longer-than-previously-thought-study

08/21/2026

We are thrilled to invite you to our 4th Detroit Greenspace Bus Tour 🚌🌼! Join us TOMORROW on Saturday 08/22 from 8:30am - 1pm and visit a range of Detroit Bird City (DBC) parks & Sacred Grounds Detroit sites to see the community-driven conservation efforts supported by both organizations.

➡️ Register at the link in bio!

This event will run rain or shine, so be sure to dress for the weather ☔️☀️Please arrive by 8:30am. The bus will depart at 9:00am.

About the hosts:

🌱The DBC project aims to transform unmaintained/unused land into native plant meadows that beautify communities and benefit birds and pollinators.

🌱The Sacred Grounds program recognizes places of worship who link their faith practices and caring for the environment. he program engages local partners and diverse communities to install wildlife habitats and native plant gardens.