Join the Great Stewards Challenge!

The Great Stewards Challenge provides an opportunity to preserve the Great Lakes and public lands.

The Great Lakes image.

Michigan State University Extension is excited to be part of the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative (NEMIGLSI). As a member, MSU Extension and other partners in the NEMIGLSI network invite everyone to become stewards of the Great Lakes and public lands through the Great Stewards Challenge.

The Great Stewards Challenge is an opportunity for northeast Michigan residents and visitors to provide stewardship for the rich natural resources of the region. For more than 15 years, NEMIGLSI has fostered place-based stewardship education in schools and communities across the region. Now they invite the community to join in place-based stewardship education projects through the Great Stewards Challenge. 

It’s easy to participate! Simply visit the challenge website and use the map to find a public lands location near you. Choose your challenge activity and then get outside and provide care for yourself and our lands! When done, share how you cared by returning to the challenge website and clicking on the link to tell your story and share what you discovered on the public lands. 

Choose an activity - litter removal, invasive species reporting, forest bathing, tree identification share how you cared; when you've come back from the field, use the button below to let us know how you've cared for our public lands

The U.S. public lands system is one of the country’s most unique and enduring traditions: the beautiful idea that the country’s heritage does not solely belong to current citizens, but to all future generations as well. The public lands include forests, lakes, rivers and streams, deserts, mountains, plains, wetlands and more. The people are the owners of these public lands and these lands are for our direct benefit and the benefit of all future generations—a responsibility known as stewardship.

"We are heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune." - Teddy Roosevelt

Whether you live in northeast Michigan or are just traveling through, the Great Stewards Challenge is an opportunity for family and friends to enjoy the outdoors while helping to preserve our public lands. Join the Great Stewards Challenge and help take care of public lands in northeast Michigan today.

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