IN THIS ISSUE In this issue we honor people and organizations in the Great Lakes Region who devote themselves to making the Great Lakes Great.
Heroes are defined as people admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. People who are greatly admired. People willing to take action to benefit the greater good.
We all need heroes. Who is one of your heroes?
Just thinking about our heroes can elevate our spirits. It reminds us of the good in people and inspires us to be better, helping us recognize qualities we want to develop. Heroes give us hope, they continue to focus on righting wrongs and bringing light to some of the problems in our world. Heroes, of course, solve problems and often bring justice.
This years’ Freshwater Heroes include people and organizations doing heroic work to improve the health of our waters and communities.
We are motivated to action by Front 40 and the Wellington Water Watchers, who have been fighting massive companies for years in an effort to protect the waters of their communities. We are grateful to Juani Olivares, who has been quietly but powerfully advocating for and supporting her community in Flint, Michigan. We are encouraged by Hank Saunders, and her work with the League of Women Voters to remind us that democracy is not a spectator sport. We are inspired by John Jackson, and his years of tireless service to ensure our voices are
heard on Great Lakes issues. We are indebted to Gary Belan for the passion he has shared with us in his time on our board.
Read on to learn more about the great work of this years’ Freshwater Heroes. They will no doubt inspire you, as they have us, to get involved—at the end of each article we highlight what you can do, either to support them in their work, or to get involved in your own community.
From a personal perspective, I am especially thankful for each of the people and groups highlighted here because they have all inspired me in my work over the past seventeen years. Thank you all!
In Memoriam