AGENDA
GLBA ANNUAL MEETING
Grand Portage Lodge and Casino, MN
OCTOBER 1- 3 2024
Tuesday, October 1
7:30AM Breakfast provided
8:30AM Welcome and Drum Ceremony
April McCormick - Grand Portage Band Secretary-Treasurer
Stone Bridge Singers - Drum Ceremony
Morning sessions
9:30-10:30am Beach 101
Learn from success stories on how to prepare a sampling plan, consider options for lab testing, communicate results to the public, and when to use rapid methods and source tracking to improve beach water quality - Moderated by Ryan Otter
10:30-11:30am Beach 102
Moderated by Ryan Otter
11:300-12:30 pm Rapid Testing and Source Tracking
Moderated by Ryan Otter
IDEXX Tecta for Beach Testing - Kathryn Grimball
Accuracy of rapid test strips for the detection of the cyanotoxin Microcystin-LR – Janae Widiker
Advancing Beach Monitoring with qPCR – Mike Swain
12:30-1:30pm Lunch provided
Afternoon sessions
1:30-2:45 pm Microbial Source Tracking
Moderated by Ryan Otter
Development of PCR and sequence-based tools for same day beach notifications and microbial source tracking to protect public health – Lucas Beversdorf
The use of PMA-qPCR (Propidium Monoazide Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction) as a method to better quantitate viable vs. non-viable environmental Escherichia coli (E. coli) - Christopher Kotkowic
Quantitative fecal source characterization of urban municipal storm sewer outfalls wet and dry discharges – Adam Diedrich
2:45-3:00 pm Break
3:00 to 4:30 pm Special IJC Discussion and Feedback
Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Co-Development of a Great Lakes Science Plan - Raj Bejankiwar, IJC
The International Joint Commission (IJC) is prioritizing the involvement of Indigenous governments and ways of knowing into its activities that assist Canadian and US governments in the protection of Great Lakes water quality. This listening session will convene a conversation that serves to provide the IJC with perspectives on incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into several efforts.
4:30-6:00 pm Break
6:00 - 8:00 pm Poster session with student poster competition
Click here for list of posters
Wednesday, October 2
7:30-8:30AM Breakfast provided
Morning sessions
8:30-9:30am Plenary and welcome session
Welcome from the Great Lakes Beach Association and introduce board members and volunteers
Logistics, details, and announcements
Welcome to Grand Portage from Vallen Cook, Trust Lands Administrator
Student poster winners announced
9:30-9:45am Break
9:45am-12:00pm Indigenous-led monitoring and Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Moderated by Margaret Watkins
Nagadawaabandan Naanewi-zaaga'igan (Observing the Shoreline): Integrating Ojiwemowin with STEM Concepts to Bridge Anishinaabe Knowledge and Earth Sciences – Margaret Noodin
Grand Portage National Monument Cooperative Water Quality Monitoring – Heather Boyd and Teresa Hahn
Grand Portage Beach Monitoring and Assessment Program – Taryn Manthey
12:00-1:00pm Lunch provided
Afternoon sessions
1:00-1:40pm Monitoring options and risk based decisions
Do beach closures really need to occur: Assessing Escherichia coli (E. coli) using Image Flow Cytometry (IFCM) – Kevin Strychar
Impacts of Septic Systems on Aquatic Environments in the Lake Michigan Watershed - Jenny Fischer
1:40-2:00 Break and prep for your tours
2:00pm Monument visit or High Falls Park Tour
Buses arrive back at the lodge at 4:30PM
5:30-6:30pm Traditional dinner
7-8:30pm Keynote Speaker Travis Novitsky
About Travis
A proud citizen and lifelong resident of the Grand Portage Anishinaabe Nation in northeast Minnesota, Travis has been photographing the woods and waters of the north shore of Lake Superior for more than 30 years. He is a self-taught nature and wildlife photographer whose work focuses primarily on his ancestral homelands in Minnesota.
Thursday, October 3
7:30-8:30AM Breakfast provided
Morning sessions
8:30-9:30am Mitigation and Beach Safety
Species and Geospatial Origins of Elevated E. coli in a Northern Lower lake Michigan Lake - Sky Pike
Characterizing, Forecasting, and Communicating Drowning Hotspots in the St. Louis River Estuary - Kelsey Prihoda
Technological Innovation Challenges Water Safety Norms – Jacob Soter
9:30-9:45 am Break
9:45-10:45am Harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes
Toxic cyanobacteria blooms in the St. Louis River Estuary: developing a long-term monitoring program to understand and mitigate an emerging threat to public health and regional economies - Peter Birschbach
Future toxic cyanobacteria threats in Lake Superior: an opportunity for proactive management - Christopher Filstrup
Trouble in Paradise: Unmasking the Microcystin threat on Lake Erie Beaches - Garrett Moots