Great Lakes Protection Fund

Designing Market Pathways for Agroforestry Adoption on Problematic Cropland - Great Lakes Protection Fund This project will explore ways to bridge the gap between farmers and buyers to expand the market for agroforestry products, establishing a better use for challenging cropland that improves farm viability and water quality across the Great Lakes Basin.

New GLPF investment: Propagate will connect farmers and buyers to grow the market for tree crops on marginal land, advancing soil health, farm resilience, and cleaner water across the Great Lakes Basin. https://bit.ly/4nqDZJO

What does innovation for the Lakes look like?
The GLPF Quarterly Newsletter showcases the ideas, teams, and tools making a difference—right now.
Subscribe and explore what’s working across the Great Lakes. https://bit.ly/3SvXbHI

Innovation begins with connection. We’re looking for bold thinkers and practical doers ready to improve how our region manages water, supports farms, and restores ecosystems. Bring us your idea. Start a conversation with us today.

Big change starts small and grows through partnership. If you’re advancing an idea that could strengthen the health of our water, our land, or our communities, we want to connect. Let’s build something transformative together.

ICYMI: Freshwater and five land trusts are using advanced modeling to target farmland that drives nutrient pollution. Their regional collaboration is restoring key acres and proving a scalable, science-based path to clean water and healthy habitats. https://bit.ly/4h26Ocy

From regenerative land practices to smarter urban water systems, real transformation is happening in our basin.
Stay in the loop with the Great Lakes Protection Fund’s quarterly updates.
Subscribe today. https://bit.ly/3SvXbHI

Supporting Efforts to Install Green Infrastructure at Great Lakes Marinas | Michigan Sea Grant Supporting Efforts to Install Green Infrastructure at Great Lakes Marinas Jul 14, 2025 | News A recently completed project is helping marinas in the Great Lakes region become more sustainable and resilient through use of green infrastructure. The primary goal of this project, Advancing Stormwater Ma...

Marinas on the Great Lakes are showing how green infrastructure can reduce flooding and improve water quality. With strong partnerships and shared learning, these efforts are charting a course for resilient waterfronts across the region. https://bit.ly/3JTbDsn

Healthy Lakes Read the latest news from the Coalition, including stories of restoration successes, profiles of ongoing clean water issues, policy updates, and press releases.

Our Project Development Manager, Collin Knauss, joins a panel at the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Conference in Rochester, NY, Sept 25–26, to discuss supporting early career professionals and building the next generation of Great Lakes leaders. https://bit.ly/47f7DvM

2025 Great Lakes Regional Learning Exchange ~ Restore America's Estuaries Learn about estuaries, estuary zones, coastal habitats, and their importance to our economy, and way of life.

On Sept 24 in Rochester, the Great Lakes Regional Learning Exchange brings together community leaders and nonprofits for a free day of training and collaboration. Build skills to secure federal funding and advance restoration across the Great Lakes. https://bit.ly/3V8oskW

Every breakthrough begins with a connection. If you’re working on a solution that could benefit our water, our land, or our communities, we want to hear from you.
Start a conversation with us. http://bit.ly/45vQ4pW

Together we are advancing green infrastructure and reimagining how water moves through our cities. Read the Resilient Infrastructure Sustainable Communities (RISC) in the Great Lakes Region report to see how. https://bit.ly/4fXGlwi

Stories worth sharing. Solutions worth scaling.
Our newsletter brings you the latest on collaborative efforts restoring the Great Lakes.
Subscribe now and stay close to the work driving ecological and economic resilience. https://bit.ly/3SvXbHI

Real impact takes real partnership. Chicago’s new flood sensors are live in the neighborhoods that need them most. Built with Verizon, Hyfi, CNT, & community leadership. Smart, people-first infrastructure. Powered by collaboration. https://vz.to/3VheNIz

Transforming how our region stewards water means embracing bold new models. From regenerative dairy to decentralized stormwater solutions, we’re supporting teams that reimagine what’s possible. Start a conversation about your bold idea to protect the Great Lakes. http://bit.ly/45vQ4pW

Innovation is moving fast across the Great Lakes region. Catch up on the solutions reshaping our waters, coasts, and communities—delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe to the GLPF newsletter and be part of the change. https://bit.ly/3SvXbHI

New Investment! Designing Market Pathways for Agroforestry Adoption on Problematic Cropland is a new 2025 design project laying the groundwork to connect early adopters of tree crops with committed buyers, improving farm viability and water quality basin-wide.

Greater Lakes Promise is proving that permanent land conservation can drive real water quality gains. By restoring farmland in key watersheds, they’re building a cleaner, healthier future for the Great Lakes. Start a conversation about your role. https://bit.ly/40uk56Q

Fresh ideas. Real progress. Each quarter, we highlight breakthrough strategies, bold teams, and new paths to protect and restore the Great Lakes.
Subscribe to the GLPF Quarterly Newsletter and stay connected to impact. https://bit.ly/3SvXbHI

Transforming how our region stewards water means embracing bold new models. From regenerative dairy to decentralized stormwater solutions, we’re supporting teams that reimagine what’s possible. Start a conversation about your bold idea to protect the Great Lakes. http://bit.ly/45vQ4pW

Want to see how bold ideas become real solutions for the Great Lakes? Our newsletter delivers powerful stories of innovation, partnership, and impact, straight to your inbox. Join us in shaping a healthier future for the Lakes. Subscribe today at https://bit.ly/3SvXbHI

Destroying PFAS with New Plasma Technology

PFAS are some of the most persistent pollutants in our waters, but they’re not invincible. A Michigan State University led team is using plasma technology to capture and permanently destroy PFAS. The result: scalable tools to safeguard the Great Lakes. https://bit.ly/4fb8pvW

ICYMI: Dr. Qi Hua Fan, MSU’s 2023 Innovator of the Year, is leading a GLPF-backed effort to destroy PFAS using magnetically enhanced arc plasma. His team is advancing a powerful solution to permanently remove these persistent threats from Great Lakes waters and ecosystems. https://bit.ly/4klCI3J

Have a bold idea to protect the Great Lakes? We support teams creating new solutions with big impact. If you’re ready to turn innovation into action, we want to hear from you. Start the conversation today. https://glpf.org/for-innovators/start-here/

Great Lakes Moment: Creating a U.S. Great Lakes Waterfront Trail | Great Lakes Now A new trail system aims to connect eight states, communities and ecosystems along the world’s largest freshwater system.

We’ve partnered with them before, and we’re thrilled to see what’s next. The new U.S. Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is a big step for coastal connection and regional pride. https://bit.ly/4jDViDL

Join us in welcoming Sharon Walton, our new VP of Finance and Administration. Her leadership will help power our work to protect and restore the Great Lakes. https://glpf.org/blog/we-welcome-sharon-walton-our-new-vice-president-of-finance-and-administration/

Since 1989, our endowment has powered bold ideas, from pioneering ballast water solutions to advancing water quality trading. We’re always seeking the next innovation to protect the Great Lakes for the generations ahead. https://glpf.org/

Grant Promotes Clean Water Through Performance-Based Financing The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research is providing a $600,000 Seeding Solutions grant to the University of Michigan (UM) to explore linking a water quality modeling and monitoring system in the Lake Huron drainage basin to sustaina...

ICYMI: In 2022, a University of Michigan-led team, linked farm lending to water quality data to drive conservation. The goal: smarter financing that helps farmers and protects Great Lakes water.https://www.morningagclips.com/grant-promotes-clean-water-through-performance-based-financing/

A Farewell to Forever Chemicals - Great Lakes Protection Fund https://youtu.be/sY596hWDuVo Nestled between four of the five Great Lakes, Michigan is a magnet for water recreation and manufacturing. With its diverse industries, the state has been also been a front-runner in response to PFAS contamination, a class of toxic, pervasive compounds known as “forever chemicals”. Comprehensive surveys have identified nearly 300 sites with detectable PFAS…

ICYMI: PFAS are some of the most persistent pollutants in our waters. A GLPF-supported team is piloting a cutting-edge solution to destroy them permanently—advancing cleaner, safer water across the Great Lakes.
https://bit.ly/44UHLEv

Stay in the loop with the people and projects shaping the future of the Great Lakes. Our quarterly newsletter delivers funding updates, project milestones, and forward-looking ideas. Sign up and be part of the momentum: https://bit.ly/3SvXbHI

New Investment! Designing Market Pathways for Agroforestry Adoption on Problematic Cropland is a new 2025 design project laying the groundwork to connect early adopters of tree crops with committed buyers, improving farm viability and water quality basin-wide.