The GLC Book Club meets virtually four times a year to discuss natural history and environmentally focused books. To join in the book club’s virtual discussions please email director@GratiotLakeConservancy.org for the link. All discussions take place on Saturdays from Noon to 1:30 Eastern Time on Zoom.. Although participants are encouraged to read the book ahead of the discussion, it is not a requirement. Also, there is no expectation for book club members to participate in the discussion for every book.

January 25^th: “The Light Eaters: The Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers A New Understanding of Life on Earth”  by Zoe Schlanger. 304 pages. Published in 2024. This is a well researched examination of plants and their survival adaptations. The book has received glowing reviews from sources as diverse as the The Wall Street Journal, Nature, Kircus Review, The New Yorker, and Scientific American. Schlanger was included in 2022 Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology. She received the 2017 National Association of Science Writers’ reporting award.

March 29th “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes” by Dan Eagan. 364 pages. Published in 2017. According to recent metrics of the US EPA, the Great Lakes hold about 84% of North America’s fresh surface water and 21% of the world’s supply of fresh water. The book  touches on the extraordinary aspects of the freshwater sea, history of human use and misuse of these waters,  many environmental threats impacting them, and efforts to protect their ecology.  Egan is a former reporter covering the Great Lakes at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and now is journalist in residence at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Sciences.

June 21st “The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating” by Elisabeth Tova Bailey. 208 pp. Published in 2010. This memoir is a stunning account of the power of connection with nature in healing and happiness. A land snail may be an unlikely bedside companion but one became a friend and focus in Bailey’s months of recovery from a mysterious illness. Bailey’s keen observations and meticulous research about her gastropod companion both delights and amazes. Bailey is a Winner of the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, the John Burroughs Medal and the National Outdoor Book Award in Natural History Literature.

he GLC Book Club meets virtually four times a year to discuss natural history and environmentally focused books. To join in the book club’s virtual discussions please email director@GratiotLakeConservancy.org for the link. All discussions take place on Saturdays from Noon to 1:30 Eastern Time on Zoom.. Although participants are encouraged to read the book ahead of the discussion, it is not a requirement. Also, there is no expectation for book club members to participate in the discussion for every book.

Tuesday, July 29,  6:45 to 8:30 p.m.: GLC Annual Members Meeting at the Eagle Harbor Community Building on M-26 in Eagle Harbor

6:45 Reception
7:00 GLC business meeting: Hear about programs, stewardship, and recent additions to GLC lands
7:30 Social
7:45 Presentation by Kenneth Larsen: Dam it! How Beavers Help Clean Water and Build Wetlands Across the U.S.

Beavers once shaped streams and wetlands across North America, but many of those landscapes changed dramatically after they were nearly wiped out by fur trapping. Without beaver dams to slow water down, more sediment and pollution flow through rivers, and we’ve lost many wetlands crucial for wildlife, clean water, and flood protection.

Exploring what could happen if beavers returned on a large scale, Kenny used computer simulations and estimated how many beaver dams could exist across the continental U.S. and what kind of impact they might have..

His work shows that beavers aren’t just busy—they’re vital. These natural engineers have the power to reshape landscapes, improve water quality, and restore wetlands. Supporting beaver recovery could be a powerful, cost-effective way to tackle environmental challenges nationwide.

Kenny Larsen is a PhD Candidate in Environmental Engineering at Michigan Tech and the 2022-2024 Margaret A Davidson Fellow at the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve. He also has an MS in Environmental Engineering, a BS in Geology, and a BS in French Studies. Kenny is a researcher who spends too much and not enough time thinking about water—where it goes, what’s in it, and what beavers do with it. His recent work focuses on the role of beaver dams in sediment retention, phosphorus cycling, wetland formation, and understanding the broader impacts of beaver dams on the landscape

Saturday, August 23, Roots and Rocks : Discover 932 Creek and Sagar Wetlands.

A guided hike in two of the newest additions to the  Gratiot Lake Preserve  with Geospatial Research Scientist, Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson and Botanist, Abraham Stone . Group size limited.  Suitable for age 16 and up. Hike difficulty moderate with uneven/ rough terrain. RSVP required. Info and reservations: director@GratiotLakeConservancy.org 

Abraham Stone graduated from MTU in 2024 with a Bachelor's in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and is now a full-time Botanist with Michigan Natural Features Inventory. During his time as a student, Abe developed a specialization in the Lake Superior region's rare flora, particularly those affiliated with outcrops, and has conducted several floristic studies on both the Keweenaw Peninsula's and Isle Royale's bedrock plant communities. Other than botanizing, Abe enjoys long-distance hiking, mushroom foraging, and downhill skiing in the winter.

GLC Board member Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson is a Geospatial Research Scientist  at Michigan Technological University  Great Lakes Research Center. Dan is an expert on the Keweenaw Fault  and recently wrote "Geologic & Geoheritage Insights at Nine-thirty-two Creek, Keweenaw County" published in GLC's 2024 Water's Edge Newsletter . 

September 7th to 21st, Annual Shoreline Clean-up at Gratiot Lake

This annual event rallies those who value shorelands to help remove trash. GLC participates along with other groups in the Keweenaw and in the Great Lakes region as part of the Alliance for the Great Lakes Coastal Clean-up. The official Alliance for the Great Lakes Coastal Clean-up date is September 20 but at Gratiot Lake volunteers can work at times convenient in September. To volunteer contact director@GratiotLakeConservancy.org

October 25th “What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the Worlds Most Enigmatic Birds” by Jennifer Ackerman.

Published in 2023. 352 pp. The GLC Book Club enjoyed reading Ackerman’s “The Genius of Birds” in 2022.  It is a deep dive into the natural history of owls and also touches on how owls have been viewed culturally. Ackerman goes into the field with researchers and also includes her own observations. It was a New York Times Notable Book and bestseller and named a Best Book in 2023 by Publisher’s Weekly. The GLC Book Club meets virtually four times a year to discuss natural history and environmentally focused books. To join in the book club’s virtual discussions email director@GratiotLakeConservancy.org. All discussions take place on Saturdays from Noon to 1:30 Eastern Time on Zoom.. Although participants are encouraged to read the book ahead of the discussion, it is not a requirement. Also, there is no expectation for book club members to participate in the discussion for every book.