Book Club: Celebrating environmental success stories in the Great Lakes

In his book “Great Lakes Champions: Grassroots Efforts to Clean Up Polluted Watersheds,” John Hartig looks at how 14 Great Lakes residents are working to restore some of the region’s most degraded areas. While significant challenges remain, there is much to celebrate, including the return of sentinel fish and wildlife species, lower contaminant levels in fish and wildlife populations, and greater public access to these waters...

...Great Lakes Now: You note near the end of your book that each of the 14 champions has certain traits in common. What are they and how can we encourage these traits?

Each of the champions share nine traits in common:

• Passion for the Great Lakes and their restoration
• Big dreamer with a compelling vision
• Collaborative team builder
• Eagerness to learn and share knowledge with others
• Practical problem solver
• Action oriented and adaptable
• In it for the long haul
• Honesty and integrity
• A generous servant leader