The Alliance for the Great LakesGreat Lakes Restoration:

Volunteers Playing a Valuable Role in Data Collection

Jamie Cross Adopt-a-Beach™ Manager jcross@greatlakes.org

What’s Ahead

• Who is the Alliance for the Great Lakes

• Adopt-a-Beach™ Program Overview

• Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Adopt-a-Beach™

A Community that Cares for the Great Lakes

Conserve and restore the world’s largest freshwater resource using:

• Policy• Education• Local Efforts

Ensuring a living resource for future generations of people and wildlife.

Formed in 1970, the Alliance for the Great Lakes is the oldest independent Great Lakes citizens' organization in North America. Our missing is to…

The Adopt-a-Beach™ Program Today the program is a year-round opportunity for families, schools,

businesses and community-based groups to conduct litter monitoring and monitor beach health along Great Lakes shorelines.

Adopt-a-Beach™ Program Overview

• 1991 – International Coastal Cleanup Coordinator in Illinois and Michigan

• 2003 – Launched year-round Adopt-a-Beach™ program

• 2008 – International Coastal Cleanup Coordinator in Indiana

• 2008 – Aligned Adopt-a-Beach™ forms with US EPA’s Sanitary Survey

• 2010 – Year-round program in six Great Lake states

• 2010 – International Coastal Cleanup Coordinator in Wisconsin

• 2010 – Nearly 11,000 volunteers participating

• 2011 – Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant

Adopt-a-Beach™ Program Overview

Routine Visit Form (aligned with EPA Sanitary Survey Form)

• Used to pinpoint potential pollution sources to beaches

• Used to help predict high levels of bacteria at beaches

Litter Monitoring Form

• Wildlife entanglements• Used to track type of trash • Can help determine potential pollution sources

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Overview

Development of tiered volunteer program

Focus on Areas of Concern Adopt-a-Beach™ expansion in areas

not served at beaches of concern Online data entry system with public

interface Sharing information with beach health

officials and others

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Tier Two Criteria

High quality, timely data Introductory and quality assurance

training required Beaches monitored at least 3 times in a

3 month period Results reported online within 2-3 days

after visit Memorandum of understanding

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Focus on Areas of Concern

Milwaukee Estuary, Cuyahoga River, Saginaw Bay

Eight Tier Two Teams 40 Routine Visit Forms

33 Litter Monitoring Forms Fifteen Tier Two Teams

45 Routine Visit Forms 52 Litter Monitoring Forms

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Expansion into areas not served at beaches of concern

Six states and 13 counties First time in New York Thirty Tier One Teams

52 Routine Visit Forms 51 Litter Monitoring Forms

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Online system

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Next steps

Sharing results with beach health officials and others

- Through online system- Future summary meetings - Impaired waters list,

TMDLs Program evaluation with participants

Adopt-a-Beach™: Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Beyond

Other Adopt-a-Beach™ projects

Chicago Park District GLRI partnershipsBeach Ambassador Program Annual Sanitary Survey

Form Great Lakes Restoration new grant Beyond GLRI

Stephen Love, OH adopterIndiana Dunes State Park

Alliance Connections

Jamie Cross, Manager, Adopt-a-Beach

Carolyn Scholz, Director, Individual Philanthropy

Jonah Smith, Director, Sustainable Business

Stephanie Smith, Vice President of Operations

Joel Brammeier, President and Chief Executive Officer

Learn more about the Alliance: www.greatlakes.org