Impact

On one level, the Thanks Great Lakes experiment seeks to increase awareness of the Great Lakes as an incomparable natural resource, a freshwater treasure envied by people around the globe. On another level, it seeks to nurture a stronger Great Lakes identity among basin residents and a deeper sense of common cause.

By amplifying public pride in the Great Lakes, the experiment hopes to inspire more basin residents to become engaged in stewardship and conservation issues and to use their voices to influence the political will of decision-makers at the municipal, state, provincial, and federal levels. Public opinion, after all, drives public policy.

The underlying logic is that people protect what they value.