Great Lakes Education: A Vessel-Based Education Fostering Fisheries Stewardship

Recreational fishing and boating is foundational to aquatic tourism, having a tremendous economic impact in the Great Lakes region.  Education leading to Great Lakes resource stewardship is paramount to its continued vitality.

Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and the Michigan Sea Grant College Program collaborate on two major vessel-based educational programs:  The Great Lakes Education Program (GLEP) and Summer Discovery Cruises (SDC).  GLEP provides students and adults with shipboard and classroom education on the Great Lakes in Southeast MIchigan, while SDC offers varied theme cruises to informal learners.  Evaluations for both programs have shown gains in Great Lakes stewardship behaviors.

Begun in 1991 on Lake St. Clair, often cited as the lake having the best catch per unit effort for muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) in North America, GLEP has been replicated on Lake Erie, Lake Huron and even the Gulf of Mexico! It has been the focus of three Master of Science theses through the MSU Fisheries & Wildlife Department, has grown from a pilot project to a mature program involving both spring and fall seasons and has engaged more that 81,000 students and adults in learning about the biological (fisheries emphasis), chemical and cultural aspects of the Great Lakes.  School teachers and administrators endorse GLEP both in annual program evaluations but also through annual participation.  Many teachers make GLEP an annual and, in some cases, the only field trip for their classes.

GLEP also has emarged as a premiere volunteer training program.  To maximize program resources, a volunteer recruitment, training and retention activities program was designed and implemented to insure quality and longevity among volunteers.  The program boasts service of  10 years and more by many of its volunteers. GLEP also attracts a wide variety of volunteers from high school students to retired teachers to retired postal employees.  The training activities have been replicated in other programs because of their success.