Coastal Awareness Exhibit at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center

 

The Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, in Northern Wisconsin on Lake Superior, develops environmental education and interpretative programs that guide the region toward sustainability of its historic, cultural and natural resources. The Coastal Program supported an exhibit at the Center that focuses on the coastal habitats of Lake Superior, including its coastal wetlands, estuaries and streams. Several organizations provided major funding for this exhibit, including the Wisconsin Coastal management Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Ernella S. Hunziker Bequest for the aquarium and children’s learning stations.

The exhibit is interactive with activities for all ages, that demonstrate how we all affect land use and Lake Superior’s coastal resources through our own actions. The exhibit also provides hands-on exploration of Chequamegon Bay’s coastal wetland and estuaries without ever getting your feet wet! This educational adventure begins with "Memoirs From A Land On Edge," where fascinating history of Lake Superior’s coastal wetlands is interpreted on a timeline starting over a billion years ago. A computerized voyage takes you through history and shows how the sustainability of the region’s natural resources and its communities depends on balancing their use with economic and social needs. The coastal Wetlands Discovery Center exhibit will be used to teach the importance of wetlands and to orient visitors to these natural resources. 

The exhibit communicates four primary messages:

1)  Great Lakes coastal ecosystems support unique and productive communities of fish, wildlife, and plants.

2)  The Great Lakes coast attracts people who live, work, and play near the water’s edge.

3)  Human activities have altered coastal ecosystems, and threaten the beauty and natural resources that attract people to the coast.

4)  By understanding coastal ecosystems, people can learn to protect, restore, and take leadership to conserve them for future generations. An estimated 150,000 people will visit the Great Lakes Visitor Center each year, so the educational impact of this exhibit is enormous.