IAGLR Lakes Letter Winter 2025

Pg. 27 Many residents of the Great Lakes have deep knowledge of their local bays and shores based on decades of work and play on and near the water, as well as multiple generations of family and community experience. University and agency researchers are starting to join forces with these place-based experts, listening to and learning from them, while helping to train them on data and sample collection methods that expand the eyes and ears of the traditional researchers.

One successful example is the LakeErie Volunteer Science Network (LEVSN), which coordinates the work of participatory scientists in Canada and the U.S. to monitor water quality around the shores and harbors of the lake. More investment in groups like LEVSN could yield huge dividends.