Do you want to promote natural shorelines on your lake or in your area? Consider requesting copies of the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership’s (MGLP) Shoreline Living document to assist you in your efforts. This colorful publication is the perfect conversation starter for encouraging best shoreline management practices to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and conserve fish habitat!
For a limited time, the MGLP is shipping out free boxes of Shoreline Living in bulk. If you or your organization would like to receive copies, please place your request using this form by September 10, 2021. We’ve received grant funding to distribute over 18,000 copies across the Upper Midwest, so don’t be shy in your request!
Resource agencies and conservation organizations have developed a host of practices for balancing property owners’ needs with what is best for the lake, but convincing shoreline property owners to implement these practices can be difficult. Homeowners’ unfamiliarity with natural shoreline practices, a lack of relatable natural shoreline examples, and overly technical outreach materials can make it challenging to start the conversation of promoting a natural shoreline.
The free Shoreline Living booklet helps remove these barriers by sharing the stories of five lakeshore property owners who have all taken different approaches to their shoreline properties. The projects undertaken by these property owners range from relatively minor plantings and natural shoreline rehabilitation to more intensive natural landscaping and fully protected shorelines. The stories of these property owners are complemented by high-quality pictures that illustrate the beauty and functionality of natural shorelines for the typical lakefront property.
Shoreline Living is also available as an easily shareable online resource for conservation and educational purposes. The pictures from this booklet and more are available for download on the MGLP’s Shoreline Living webpage. These pictures can be used freely for noncommercial, personal, or educational use with credit to Mark Bugnaski Photography.
How has Shoreline Living been used since its release last summer? Here are some examples:
- Erin Fuller and the Van Buren (MI) Conservation District worked with their county geographic information systems staff to generate a list of all lakefront property owners in their county and mailed a copy of Shoreline Living to each one.
- Debbie Palmer and volunteers with the Lake Maxinkuckee (IN) Environmental Fund are hand-delivering approximately 300 copies of the booklet along with other educational materials in reusable bags to property owners on their lake.
- Julia Kirkwood and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy downloaded the professional print version of Shoreline Living and purchased 40,000 copies for their staff to distribute throughout the state.
- Staff from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan State University Extension used pictures from the Shoreline Living project in presentations to lake association members promoting natural shorelines.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Shoreline Living project, you can learn more at our website. If you have additional questions, please reach out to MGLP Coordinator Joe Nohner (nohnerj@michigan.gov).