Michigan's Great Lakes are our most valuable resource.  Join the Green and Blue Network: Families for Great Lakes Land and Water on Saturday, March 10 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor from 11am – 2 pm for the first of three GBN events scheduled for this year, "Great Lakes Basin Issues & How Michigan Foundations Can Make A Difference."    The event is designed for family foundations and donor advised funds to learn about current environmental challenges to the Great Lakes and Michigan.  (Directions) 

Lana Pollack, a longtime advocate for protecting the Great Lakes and Chair of the U. S. section of the International Joint Commission to oversee resource protection and resolve disputes over the U.S./Canada boundary waters will present the program with University of Michigan Professor, David Allan, a highly regarded Great Lakes ecologist and CMF Scholar in Residence.  Together they will share their insights on “Protecting the Great Lakes: 100 years of Trial and Error with Our Neighbors to the North" their talk will illuminate the history, politics and science that explain why the Lakes need continuous attention and protection.

Questions to be addressed:

·         How healthy are the Great Lakes? 

·         What are the most urgent needs to ensure healthy waters?

·         What are different organizations and agencies doing to help? 

Participants will have an opportunity to share their environmental interests throughout the day and discover ways family foundations, donor advised funds and individuals can work together on effective and strategic environmental grantmaking.  The program will conclude with a docent guided tour of the "Green" Dana Natural Resources Building.