Michigan Coastal Dunes Symposium 2019: Learning to Live in Dynamic Dunes

Registration is now closed.  Thank you for your interest in this event!

• How have Michigan’s coastal dunes changed in the last 100 years?
• What impact do our activities have on natural dune processes?
• How are dunes perceived by Michigan residents and communities?
• What criteria do local and state decision-makers use when making dunes planning and management decisions for their communities?  

Join us at the Michigan Coastal Dunes Symposium 2019 to engage with researchers and policy makers on answers to these questions and more, and learn how to live in Michigan’s dynamic coastal dunes!

• Hear researchers share cutting edge science on how our coastal dunes developed over time, and how they respond to influences ranging from interactions with human beings to changes in lake levels and climate.
• Engage with state and local policymakers during a panel discussion reviewing current policies and recent examples.
• Discover the latest research on Michiganders' views of coastal dunes -- their benefits and the perceived threats to dunes.
• Access new resources for planners and decision-makers in your community.

Who Should Attend

• Local and state planners and decision-makers for Michigan coastal dune communities
  
• Coastal dunes advocates, students, and citizen scientists and interested residents

Presentations & Speakers Include

• Dr. Alan Arbogast, Chairperson of the Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Science in the College of Social Science at Michigan State University. Dr. Arbogast is one of the country’s leading experts on the geomorphology and evolution of dunes, particularly Great Lakes coastal sand dunes, and lead researcher for a comprehensive new map of Michigan's sand dunes. 
• Dr. Robert Richardson, a natural resource economist and social scientist at Michigan State University, with extensive experience in examining values and decision-making around natural resources, and project lead for the #howyoudune survey which provided new information about how residents & visitors use and value our freshwater dunes.
  
• Sands of Time Repeat Photography -- New research using repeat photography to illustrate how Michigan's coastal dunes have changed over time, with Kevin McKeehan, Michigan State University Department of Geography.
• Keynote: The Importance of Dunes to Michigan with Brad Garmon, newly appointed by Gov. Whitmer to lead Michigan's Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry and project lead for two previous Michigan Environmental Council coastal dunes research projects, Valuing Michigan's Coastal Dunes & Bringing the Latest Science to Management of Michigan's Coastal Dunes.
• Panel Discussion -- Living in Dynamic Dunes: Who Decides & How?  State and local government coastal dunes decision-makers will discuss recent experiences around dunes management.
• Strategies Coastal Communities Can Use to Reduce Future Invasive Species Introductions & Prevent Habitat Degradation, with Kaldis Grants, The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, & Julia Gehring, National Park Service, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
• Pulling It All Together: What Have We Learned About Michigan Dunes Management & Perceptions with Tom Zimnicki, Michigan Environmental Council program director and project lead for the Michigan Coastal Zone Management Program grant "Learning to Live in Dynamic Dunes."

Space is limited and registration is required. Reserve your place today!

Financial assistance for this project was provided, in part, by the Coastal Zone Management Program, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Agenda