Conservation
Great Lakes
Concert to Celebrate the Great Lakes
Thank you to everyone who attended Shedd Aquarium and 93XRT's Concert to Keep the Lakes Great! On the last official day of summer, about 2,000 people celebrated the Great Lakes to the sounds of Guster at the Dock at Montrose Beach. The evening was absolutey perfect, with beautiful weather and a gorgeous Lake Michigan beach location.
Concertgoers also had the opportunity to learn about what they can do to keep the lakes great and received a complimentary conservation tool at Shedd's Great Lakes outreach booth. And they had a chance to meet Shedd's native Great Lakes animal ambassadors, a Blanding's turtle and painted turtle. It was an epic celebration for an epic natural resource that more than 40 million people and 1,000 animal species call home.
Shedd Aquarium's Great Lakes Program is sposored by Coca-Cola and ArcelorMittal. Special thanks to 93XRT, Guster, The Dock at Montrose Beach and and Ravenswood Event Servces for helping make this amazing event possible.
Join the conservation conversation on Shedd's Keep the Lakes Great Facebook page.
You can help the Great Lakes by donating to Shedd Aquarium's annual fund. Donations to Shedd Aquarium support animal care, education programs and conservation initiatives, including Keep the Lakes Great. Donate online now.
About the Great Lakes
A natural wonder. A vital resource. A place to call home.
More than a thousand animal species and 42 million people depend on the Great Lakes every day. The lakes boast more than 10,000 miles of coastline—and 20 percent of the world’s freshwater resources. The stakes are high, and this international treasure needs your help now. Join Shedd Aquarium’s efforts to keep the lakes great.
The Great Lakes are the Earth’s largest freshwater ecosystem. The natural wonder we call the Great Lakes consists of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario, as well as the St. Lawrence River. Its waters and surrounding wetlands, sand dunes, rivers and streams, forests and prairies host a wide array of species, including 200 globally rare plants and animals. The system’s cities, towns and farms support 42 million people, who depend on the lakes for drinking water, homes, workplaces and recreation spaces. How do you depend on the Great Lakes?
The lakes face enormous—and growing—conservation challenges. Crucial local habitats are being degraded and lost. Invasive species endanger native species and the system’s overall heath. Poor water-use practices and threats to water quality are putting the Great Lakes at risk.
But it’s not too late to late to do your part to keep the lakes great. Here’s how:
Look more closely at the challenges to the lakes
Learn what you can do to help at home and at play
Find out how you can be a leader in keeping the lakes great
Great Lakes Conservation efforts are sponsored by:
The Great Lakes Conservation Awareness Initiative is generously supported by:
Helen M. Harrison Foundation
HSBC - North America
Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust
This project has been made possible with support of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
This website was prepared by the Shedd Aquarium Society under award NA09SEC4690042 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Meet Shedd's Great Lakes team
Shedd’s Great Lakes team may be coming to a festival or event near you! Stop by our table to learn why the Great Lakes are so important and what you can do to help them.
Upcoming events:
May 16
Adopt-a-Beach - 12th Street Beach, Chicago, IL
June 2 to 3
Do Division Street Fest - Division & Damen intersection, Chicago, IL
June 7 to 10
Chicago In-Water Boat Show - 31st Street Harbor, Chicago, IL
Full event list
