The Project and Its Creators
About the Project
This site is the culmination of a Solutions Journalism class project as part of the M.A. program in journalism at Michigan State University. We were guided by a desire to deliver meaningful coverage of a problem whose importance is growing in the Great Lakes Basin and beyond. We made an effort to highlight the complexity of the problem as well as solutions currently being implemented. We’ve been motivated to share important, impactful, thoughtful work done by scientists, farmers, volunteers, and others all around the Great Lakes. We set out to keep our focus local, rooted in science and best practices, and oriented toward solutions rather than despairing pronouncements about some inevitable death of the Great Lakes.
We’d like to thank all the scientists, farmers, volunteers, and others who generously shared time with us to answer questions about their work and explain the complexities of landscapes, lakes, and the ancient, important, and sometimes troublesome algae.
Andrew Blok
Andrew Blok is a master’s student in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University. A reader, former teacher, and eager birdwatcher, he grew up on a farm in the shadow of Mount Baker in Lynden, WA. He learned to love landscapes of all sorts, trees, stars, and gardening.
Kurt Williams
Kurt Williams is a veterinary pathologist with a DVM and PhD. He has entered into the M.A. program in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University with a desire to learn how to convey complex scientific and environmental issues to the public in the hopes of raising awareness and engagement through his journalistic efforts.
