Meag Schwartz
Great Lakes Great Responsibility
Meag Schwartz is a Great Lakes superfan and environmental educator who believes that caring for a place starts with knowing and loving it. As the founder and Executive Director of Great Lakes Great Responsibility, Meag works to prevent and remove marine debris while inspiring people to take action for the lakes they call home.
For eight years, she also led the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, connecting educators, students, communities, and natural resource partners through place-based stewardship education. Meag’s work is rooted in a simple belief: when we fall in love with a place, we become willing to protect it.
All Sessions by Meag Schwartz
Redefining Who Restores, Leads, and Belongs to the Land
Conservation has long been treated as something that happens within park boundaries, led by a small group of trained professionals. This panel challenges that idea, bringing together three projects from across Michigan that are redefining who gets to be a steward of the land. From transforming private yards and neighborhoods into a connected network of restored habitat, to trusting young people to lead real environmental decision-making in their communities, to reclaiming an industrial river corridor as a natural and recreational resource for the communities along it, these projects share a common thread: stewardship works best when it belongs to everyone, not just the few.