The Spirit of Cooperation

 

Our region is about to be the beneficiary of an amazing gift. The National Oceanic And Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) is going to build a research center (NERR) somewhere on the Bay of Green Bay. This multi-million dollar investment will attract visitors, and provide outreach to our area schools. At a location along the shoreline between Marinette and Sturgeon Bay, the folks at Green Bay NERR are looking for a place to call home. Can our welcoming enthusiasm attract this new community partner whose purpose is at the heart of what is essential to our family, friends, neighbors - freshwater? It was not that long ago when Menominee and Marinette residents worked together during the #mymarinettemenominee small-town competition.

Residents now have this unique opportunity to show that spirit of cooperation by attending a free virtual event, the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Kickoff Event. The programs are scheduled for Monday, April 12, from 4 to 5 p.m. and Thursday, April 15, from 7 to 8 p.m. Both events will have live captioning. Click here for More Information & Registration

The NERR is a national network of 29 sites across the coastal US, including the Great Lakes, designed to protect and study estuaries and their coastal wetlands. It represents the various biographic regions and estuarine types in this country. This initiative should be of interest to residents. Our location meets the definition of an estuary—it is where the tide meets the stream, the tidal mouth of a large river.

The virtual event offers a look into the importance of NERR. A fact sheet from NERR states: “Green Bay is the world’s largest freshwater estuary with significant cultural, economic, commercial, and recreational benefits derived from the water and coastal features of the Bay. However, the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michigan face many challenges: changing water levels, flooding, coastal erosion, and harmful algal blooms. Establishing a National Estuarine Research Reserve  will provide resources to help Wisconsin address these challenges with targeted science, monitoring, education, and outreach.”

A Green Bay designated  NERR facility will offer “a coordinating force to manage, restore, and protect the Green Bay ecosystem.”

Please register for this exciting event and spread the news. Encourage your friends and neighbors to do so as well.

https://uwgreenbay.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zacp0tJcWfBO50

            Additional information is available by clicking on the registration link.