Fall 2018 eNewsletter

Director’s Corner: A Message from CIGLR’S Director, Dr. Bradley Cardinale

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

With the holidays quickly approaching, I am looking forward to time spent with family and friends. My wife Beth and I will travel with our two children to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to celebrate with Beth’s large, extended family. As we always do, we’ll make memories along the way.

Driving to the UP, we’ll cross the Mackinac Bridge. It’s a crossing my kids both love and hate. They love the scenery and the thrill they get from being up so high, but grow uneasy when I scare them with stories of high winds that rock the bridge and the evacuation procedures we should be prepared for in case our car is blown over the edge into Lake Huron. As we drive west on Highway 2, we’ll stop to walk along the shores of Lake Michigan and admire the ice sculptures left behind by wind and waves.

When we meet up with family, conversations will inevitably turn to ice fishing. We’ll talk about when the lakes first had thick enough ice to drive out to the shanty, what everyone has caught, and whether it’s been a good year or bad year so far. During some part of the trip, we will wind up in Marquette where we will take a walk down by the docks, and then along the shores of Lake Superior where we will catch up with everyone’s lives as we watch a pink and orange sunset.

The Great Lakes form such a constant backdrop for our family events that it’s hard to imagine what the holidays would be like without them.

I’m sure you have very similar stories, which is why CIGLR is doubling-down on our commitment in the coming year to Keep the Great Lakes Great. In 2019, we are going to expand our research programs with more people and a greater variety of disciplines so we can move two steps closer to having the information needed to manage the Great Lakes sustainably. We’re going to expand our engagement with policy-makers, private businesses, and the general public to ensure research is co-designed with those who need data to make important decisions. We’re also going to expand CIGLR’s Regional Consortium with new partnerships that help increase our reach and impact, and which can help us transition even more science into application.

It’s going to be a great year, and I’m looking forward to working with all of CIGLR’s partners to make sure the Great Lakes continue to serve as the backdrop for all of our stories. I wish you a wonderful holiday with family and friends. And after we all have a very Happy New Year, let’s plan to get to work!

Sincerely,

Brad Cardinale
Director, Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research
Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability
University of Michigan