Beyond the Shoreline

By Kim Childress

🌊Dave's Story

Kim: What first sparked your passion for the Great Lakes?

Dave: My grandparents lived in the Upper Peninsula, so every summer my family piled into a station wagon and headed north. On the way saw these enormous bodies of water that were a deep blue, and you couldn't see across them. I felt in my heart that they were important to protect.

Kim: Was there a specific moment when you realized protecting the Great Lakes would become your life's work?

Dave: Yes. I was 24 years old on a backpacking trip along with friends at Pictured Rocks. I woke up one morning before anyone else in our camp and laid in my sleeping bag hearing Lake Superior waves slamming against the base of the bluffs. I got up and looked out across this largest lake in the world as the early day sun illuminated it. I thought, this is something I want to protect so that someone can stand here in 500 or 1000 years and see this exquisite beauty. And that set me on the course for a career in advocacy for our water.

Kim: You've worked in environmental policy for decades. What changes have you seen that give you hope?

Dave: Hope comes when I see communities — people — organizing to speak out in defense of their local environment. That is where leadership comes from, not Lansing or Washington, DC.

🌊 Great Lakes Today

Kim: What is the greatest threat facing the Great Lakes right now?

Dave: If you look at it one way, the greatest threat is taking them for granted because we live among them and sometimes don't realize how precious they are. We can't afford complacency. I once hosted a group of eastern Europeans — some from what had been the USSR — and when we first stopped by the lake, they got out of the van and whooped and ran up and down the beach. They had never seen anything that grand.

Kim: Which Great Lakes issue do you think most people don't know enough about?

Dave: Microplastics. Billions of tiny pieces of plastic plague the Lakes. We don't yet know their impact, but it could be grave. Most people don't know that the average American consumes the plastic equivalent of a credit card every week.

Kim: Are the Great Lakes healthier today than they were 25 years ago?

Dave: I would say if you look at it as a whole, we are about the same. Some problems have been well address while others have worsened.

Kim: What environmental success story from the Great Lakes region gives you the most optimism?

Dave: The cleanup of highly polluted bays, harbors, and rivers. They're called areas of concern and communities have come together to oversee the dredging of polluted sites and the restoration of fish habitat, among other things.

 🌊 Line 5

Kim: Many Michiganders hear about Line 5 in the news. Where do things stand today, and why is it such an important issue?

Dave: It's important because a rupture in the pipeline could have ruinous effects on Lakes Michigan and Huron. As for the status of efforts to close it down. they're tied up in the courts for the foreseeable future.

Kim: What are the risks supporters and opponents are most concerned about?

Dave: Supporters of the pipeline and the proposed tunnel say we must have the energy that comes from petroleum that the pipeline carries. Opponents say, in addition to the risk of spills, that continuing to rely on fossil fuels will only worsen climate change and its effects on the Great Lakes.

Kim: What should Michigan residents know about Line 5 that often gets overlooked?

Dave: That the proposed tunnel carries a real risk of explosion as it's built and operating. Touching a pocket of methane under the base of the Great Lakes could cause catastrophic damage. Line 5 is still in use and is in the courts indefinitely.

🌊 Great Lakes Facts & Fun

Kim: What is the most surprising fact people learn from The Great Lakes: Fact or Fake?

Dave: There are too many to pick out one, but my favorite is that it takes almost two centuries for some drops of water to travel from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean.

Kim: What's your favorite Great Lakes myth that turned out to be true—or false?

Dave: That there are whales in the Great Lakes. (That's fake.) People who visit from outside the region once in a while want to know how they can get tickets to a whale watch cruise on Lake Michigan.

Kim: If you could take readers to one place on the Great Lakes that everyone should experience, where would it be?

Dave: Pictured Rocks is a great one, but standing atop Sleeping Bear Dunes is the champ. That is a stunning, majestic view and it gives you an idea of how great the Great Lakes are.

🌊 Looking Forward

Kim: What can families do to help protect the Great Lakes?

Dave: Get educated and act within your communities on everything from beach cleanups to plastics control.

Kim: What advice would you give young people who care about conservation?

Dave: Keep that love of the Lakes in your heart. It will never lead you astray.

Kim: If you could pass one message about the Great Lakes to future generations, what would it be?

Dave: Don't ever take them for granted. They are precious. They stand out from space when astronauts look back from tens of thousands of miles. Yet they are fragile too and need our care.

🌊 Ink-a-Dink Audience Question

Kim: Why should children learn about the Great Lakes?

Dave: One thing they should do is play and boat and swim and fish in them. We protect what we love. There’s no better way to get to love the Great Lakes, than to enjoy yourself in them.

Kim: How can books inspire stewardship and care for the natural world?

Dave: Books tell stories, and stories inspire people. Since the days of our ancestors sitting around a campfire telling each other stories, we've learned about our world from stories.

Kim: The Great Lakes hold about 20% of the world's surface fresh water. When you stand on the shore and look out across one of these lakes today, what do you hope future generations will see 50 years from now?

Dave: People who care for them and defend them in times of stress. Also, the recovery of the Lakes from non-native quagga mussels. animal waste runoff, and the weird weather that comes from climate change.

🌊🌊🌊

About Dave Dempsey
Dave Dempsey is one of Michigan's most respected environmental writers and policy experts. He has authored more than a dozen books on the environment, Great Lakes history, conservation, and Michigan culture. Throughout his career, he has worked with the State of Michigan, the International Joint Commission, the Michigan Environmental Council, and FLOW. His writing combines scientific knowledge, public policy expertise, and a lifelong passion for the Great Lakes. He lives in Traverse City, Michigan.

Childress Ink & Ink-a-Dink Children's Bookstore
Founded by award-winning editor, author, and publishing professional Kim Childress, Childress Ink LLC provides editorial, marketing, and publishing services while connecting readers with books of excellence. Its affiliated bookstore, Ink-a-Dink Children's Bookstore, is an independent bookseller dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of reading through curated book selections, author events, educational programs, and community partnerships. Together, Childress Ink and Ink-a-Dink work to support authors, encourage literacy, and place great books into the hands of readers of all ages.

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