By Shirley Madden
Learn what is happening to our earth and what we can do to help create a sustainable environment during the 2nd annual Great Lakes Environmental Festival (GLEF) to be held April 21-23 in downtown Manistee.
GLEF is honoring Earth Day, April 22, with a weekend of free activities. Community members are invited to attend, listen to speakers⸺including some familiar faces⸺ watch films, and learn some effective strategies to help the environment.
Whether you believe in science or not, our earth is changing. All you have to do is look and listen. Every day, we hear on the news about drastic weather conditions⸺record snowfalls, streets flooded with rainwater, strong tornadoes and hurricanes, all leaving massive destruction in their wake. We see high lake levels, erosion and landslides. We need to find ways to make our human footprint help the earth, not continue to hurt it.
Environmental experts and advocates will present information on Friday and Saturday about climate change, sustainable living, renewable energy and more. Documentaries, videos made by students, and “The Lorax”, a children’s movie based on the Dr. Seuss book, will be shown.
Other festival events include fun-filled activities for children, a Coast Guard rescue demonstration on the lake, an environmental expo with displays of products and services, and a Sunday morning environmental worship service.
Registration begins at 11 a.m., Friday, April 21, at West Shore Community College on River Street in downtown Manistee. The full festival schedule is below and online at www.glef.us.
Come and support our students. Come and support our environment. Volunteers are welcomed. Follow us on Facebook @ https://www.faceb00k.com/GR8FESTIVAL
GLEF’s mission is to “provide awareness which leads to action by people to better manage the environment.” The festival is expected to inspire other people to think about ecology and the value of natural resources of the Great Lakes region.
Great Lakes Environmental Festival, Manistee, Michigan
Schedule of Events
Events take place at:
-West Shore Community College, River St. & Maple St.
-Wagoner Center, 260 St. Mary’s Parkway
-Vogue Theatre, 383 River St.
-First Congregational United Church of Christ, 412 4th St.
Friday, April 21
West Shore Community College events:
11am Registration begins
12pm Movie: “A to Zig: Drought and Deluge”
1pm Julia Chambers, Climate Change Activist
2pm Marc Miller, Sustainable Tourism
3pm Frank Beaver, LRBOI Wild Rice Restoration Project
4pm Environmental Film
5pm Environmental Film
Saturday, April 22
10-3 Environmental Expo, Wagoner Center
10am 25-cent Children’s Movie, “The Lorax”, Vogue Theatre
West Shore Community College events:
12pm Movie: “Great Lakes: One Water for Life”
1pm Ellen Vial, MI Environmental Council
2pm Allen O’Shea, Renewable Energy
3pm Jim MacInnes, Sustainable/Reliable Energy Grid
4pm Denise Keele, MI Climate Action Network
5pm Environmental Film
Sunday, April 23
10am Environmental Worship Service, First Congregational United Church of Christ
