Oil disasters like the Exxon Valdez and Deep Water Horizon are nightmares that we on the Great Lakes have not had to worry about. At least not yet.
But recent developments in the oil transportation industry compel us to pay attention to proposed and existing oil routes in the Great Lakes region.
As summer cottagers began their vacations, some had to wonder where their beach had gone. Particularly in dune areas, the shoreline appeared to be overtaken with dune grasses. What actually happened was a confluence of natural processes.
I've often heard from cottagers fed up with the way some people treat our local beaches. Some are just small matters of beach etiquette that, if ignored, can add up to a big mess — and an environmental problem. In honour of Emily Post, we present the following tips on proper beach etiquette. You might want to post these in a conspicuous place where visitors to your beach can read and learn.
An endangered shorebird has begun nesting on Lake Huron beaches, and that’s a good sign for people concerned about good lake health.
The tiny Piping Plover has made its way back to Sauble Beach to nest for the eighth consecutive year. Before that, it was absent from Great Lakes shorelines in Ontario for 40 years. It’s very picky where it nests, but it’s no coincidence that it is preferring high quality beaches where beach and dune conservation efforts have taken place.
