Great Lakes Today

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Great Lakes Today, a collaboration of public media stations, was created to highlight issues affecting the lakes. All reports are available to stations for free -- whether or not the station is in the Great Lakes region.

The main partners in the collaboration are WBFO (Buffalo), ideastream (Cleveland) and WXXI (Rochester); other stations in the region will also contribute reports. Great Lakes Today is funded through a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Series

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4 Pieces

Drownings at Great Lakes beaches often have a common cause: dangerous currents similar to those found along the ocean. Over the past decade, some 500 drownings and rescues have been attributed to structural, longshore and rip currents. This four-part series examines the issue from various perspectives, including a grieving mother, scientists developing a warning system, and a Michigan beach where drownings are concentrated. NOTE: Stories can run as a series or individually. Intros and outros are customized

Caption: Victor Small gets help for his asthma at an East Baltimore clinic., Credit: Angelica A. Morrison
3 Pieces

Minorities in the Great Lakes bear the burden of environmental problems such as air pollution, water contamination and waste dumps. This series examines the issue through residents of Cleveland, Buffalo and an indigenous community in Ontario, Canada.

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3 Pieces

The environmental movement is being redefined. Many advocacy groups are reaching out to minorities and addressing issues important to them. This three-part series explains how the movement has changed -- and what still needs to be done.

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5 Pieces

A look at the impact of President Trump's proposed budget cuts


Pieces

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This month marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s visit to Buffalo New York -- a day that helped clean up waterways across the...

Bought by WABE, WCPN, North Country Public Radio, WBFO, and WXXI Rochester


  • Added: Aug 19, 2016
  • Length: 03:43
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: The sloop Washington went down in November 1803., Credit: Jim Kennard
An eighteenth century sloop called the Washington has been discovered off the coast of Oswego, New York.

Bought by Michigan Radio, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WCMU Michigan, WCPN, and WBFO


  • Added: Aug 17, 2016
  • Length: 01:17
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: Port Clinton lighthouse moves by barge, Credit: Elizabeth Miller
Hundreds gathered Tuesday to watch the Port Clinton lighthouse make a half-mile journey down the Portage River to a new home on Lake Erie. The 120-...

Bought by WXXI Rochester and WBFO


  • Added: Aug 16, 2016
  • Length: 01:18
  • Purchases: 2
Caption: Lifeguards performing a drill at Silver Beach County Park, Credit: Elizabeth Miller
With lifeguards, warning signs, 911 phones and education efforts, beaches across the Great Lakes are preparing for emergencies. But how effective a...

Bought by WRST-FM Oshkosh, WVBI-LP, WRST-FM Oshkosh, WMUK, WXXI Rochester and more


  • Added: Aug 12, 2016
  • Length: 03:24
  • Purchases: 8
Caption: Waves crash against pier near Silver Beach, Credit: Elizabeth Miller
Berrien County, Mich., is a tourist destination because of its beautiful beaches and 50 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. But the community also ha...

Bought by WVBI-LP, WRST-FM Oshkosh, WMUK, WXXI Rochester, WCPN and more


  • Added: Aug 12, 2016
  • Length: 03:31
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Silver Beach County Park in St. Joseph, Michigan, Credit: Elizabeth Miller
Since 2002, powerful currents in the Great Lakes have caused more than 150 drownings, researchers say. A look at the science behind the currents.

Bought by WVBI-LP, WRST-FM Oshkosh, WRVO Public Media, WMUK, Delta College Public Radio and more


  • Added: Aug 12, 2016
  • Length: 03:37
  • Purchases: 9
Caption: Melissa Zirkle with a picture of Jermaine, Credit: Elizabeth Miller
Melissa Zirkle grew up near Lake Erie, but didn't learn about the dangerous currents in the Great Lakes. She lost her son to a powerful current in...

Bought by WVBI-LP, WRST-FM Oshkosh, WMUK, WCPN, WXXI Rochester and more


  • Added: Aug 12, 2016
  • Length: 03:13
  • Purchases: 7
Caption: Boundaries for Oswego's proposed marine sanctuary
Shipwrecks are a big draw for divers and tourists in the great lakes. Now – for the first time in 20 years -- more communities are getting help in ...

Bought by WXXI Rochester, WCPN, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WBFO, and North Country Public Radio


  • Added: Aug 10, 2016
  • Length: 03:38
  • Purchases: 5
Caption: BY ANGELICA A. MORRISON / A glimpse of the large used condom and floating trash find just outside of Toronto. , Credit: BY ANGELICA A. MORRISON
Environmentalists in Toronto are taking the city to task for its combined sewer overflow system after a recent discovery of thousands of used condo...

Bought by WCPN, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, WBFO, and WXXI Rochester


  • Added: Aug 05, 2016
  • Length: 03:28
  • Purchases: 4
Caption: In the video, the spiny water flea is depicted as an aggressive military general.
There are a lot of invasive species vying for the public’s attention, especially in the Great Lakes. So researchers trying to raise awareness about...

Bought by WCPN and WBFO


  • Added: Jul 29, 2016
  • Length: 03:30
  • Purchases: 2