Convention

Every two years we bring together lake enthusiasts, researchers, managers, and educators. The Convention is hosted by the Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership, a collaboration of diverse organizations with a common mission to advance stewardship of Michigan's inland lakes. We convened online, September 16-18, 2020, to learn and share the latest innovations and ideas in lake stewardship, and to network with others who share our passion for lakes! The 2020 theme was "Conserving Lakes in a Changing Environment". The Convention program featured three full days of workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities.

Session Recordings

Most Convention sessions were recorded. These video recordings are now available and are found on the Convention pages for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 2020, respectively.

Lake Photography and Creative Writing Contests

Visit our Inland Lake Photo Contest and our Inland Lake Creative Writing Contest spaces to view the details.

Lake Trivia!

Everyone was invited to join the fun of our first-ever Lake Trivia competition during lunch on Friday, September 18! Convention speakers submitted fun and challenging questions related to Michigan's inland lakes. Participants competed for glory and prizes! Many thanks to Michigan Lakes and Streams Association and Scott Brown for donating prizes.

Educational Exhibitors

This year, our Educational Exhibitors were available to visit online! We encourage you to explore the diversity of organizations and programs dedicated to protecting Michigan's inland lakes by stopping by our Educational Exhibitors page.

Student/Mentor Networking Mixer

We hosted a Student/Mentor Networking Mixer on Wednesday, September 15. Students were paired with 3 different professionals or graduate students during the mixer to talk about lake conservation, careers, lake-related degree programs, and more.

Continuing Education Credits

Those interested in Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) pesticide applicator recertification credits (Commercial Core and Category 5), earned up to 4 credits by attending Convention sessions. MDARD awarded one credit per hour of training.

Convention Contacts

You are welcome to direct any questions you have about the 2020 Convention to its Co-Chairs: Julia Kirkwood of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, or Jo Latimore of Michigan State University. For registration questions, contact Renae Latoski of Michigan State University.

We also invite you to stay in touch with the Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership by joining our email list, and following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (Convention hashtag: #MILC2020).

2020 Convention Contributors

We thank our generous contributors for supporting the virtual Michigan Inland Lakes Convention. Their contributions are helping advance stewardship of our inland lakes through learning, networking, and exchange of ideas. With their support, we were able to offer an outstanding online program and offer free registration to students. We invite you to visit our virtual Contributors Expo to learn more about the work they do and the services they provide!