| A survey conducted in 2005 shows that over 90 percent of participating municipal officials thought they would take action in their communities as a result of the voyage. |
Sometimes what is required for improved understanding, planning, or even decision making is a slight change in perspective. Minnesota and Wisconsin coastal resource managers are giving local elected officials and planners, as well as coastal residents, a view of their community from a boat to help shed light on land use and water quality issues.
"We're giving folks a view of their community that many have never seen before. It literally gives them a different point of view," says Jesse Schomberg, coastal communities extension educator for Minnesota Sea Grant.
A View from the Lake is a collaborative program from Minnesota Sea Grant and the University of Wisconsin Extension Service to educate people—particularly local officials—about how human activities influence water quality.
Over the past three years, more than 1,200 people have boarded a former tugboat turned research vessel for a three-hour interpretive tour of Lake Superior. Tour participants learn about and take part in hands-on activities related to the lake's ecology, watershed planning, and impacts of land use decisions on natural resources.
A booklet developed for tour participants, "Building Superior Coastal Communities," illustrates the importance of community planning and provides local examples of steps communities and others have taken to protect Lake Superior's water quality.
Surveys filled out by participants before disembarking show the tours are effective. A survey conducted in 2005 shows that over 90 percent of participating municipal officials thought they would take action in their communities as a result of the voyage.
Over four to five weeks in June and July, A View from the Lake tours launch from seven ports in Minnesota and Wisconsin, which share the lake's shoreline.
Local officials and staff receive invitations for free passage on the boat trips before the tours are announced to the public. About 70 public servants join the trips each year, Schomberg says.
News releases, postcards, and newsletter announcements spread the word to the public. The price of the voyage is $15, and tours sell out quickly.
The admission price has been kept low, says Sue O'Halloran, water resource specialist for University of Wisconsin Extension, because for the first three years the project received grant funding from the Great Lakes Regional Water Quality Program and the Wisconsin and Minnesota Coastal Programs.
Grant funding has not been received for next year, but O'Halloran and Schomberg say they plan to continue the program. The cost of admission will probably have to increase, and public officials may no longer get a free ride.
All the scheduling, planning, and coordinating the program requires is worth the effort, Schomberg says.
"We're fulfilling an important role, and it feels good to watch the lightbulbs go off in people's eyes when they see the connection between the lake and their yard," he says. "It's exciting to see."
For more information about A View from the Lake or for a copy of "Building Superior Coastal Communities," contact Jesse Schomberg at (218) 726-6182, or jschombe@umn.edu, or Sue O'Halloran at (715) 394-8525, or sohallor@uwsuper.edu.
