To the editor:

I am writing to express my sincere appreciation to the organizations, agencies and people who contributed to making the 8th Annual Lake Superior Water Festival on October 24th at Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center a success. Three hundred and fifty students in grades 9-12 from six area high schools attended: Calumet, L.L. Wright (Ironwood), Horizons (Mohawk), Lake Linden-Hubbell, Watersmeet, and Ewen-Trout Creek in Houghton, Keweenaw, Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties on Many thanks to their teachers for arranging the field trip logistics. We also greatly appreciate the fourteen presenters from Michigan Tech, Copper Harbor Trails, U.S. Coast Guard, Ottawa National Forest, and Isle Royale National Park who donated their time and expertise. The Water Festival provides an opportunity for students to learn about Lake Superior and its watershed–including Leave No Trace Outdoors, cleaning wastewater, U.S. Coast Guard safety & careers, water quality, wetlands, invasive species, and stream management. The 2019 Water Festival is made possible with funding from the Keweenaw Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council, Western UP MiSTEM Network, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Wege Foundation, MTU Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and the Great Lakes Research Center. The Festival was coordinated by the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative and MTU Center for Science & Environmental Outreach.