August 6, 2009

GREAT LAKES ISLANDS SYMPOSIUM POSTPONED

With much regret we must inform you that the Great Lakes Islands Symposium that was scheduled for August 28-30, 2009 on Beaver Island is being postponed until 2010.

Several prominent and highly qualified speakers had committed to attend and discuss the unique biodiversity of and threats to the islands in each of the Great Lakes and begin to set in motion a coordinated effort to preserve, protect and promote these precious natural resources. Interest and enthusiasm among the stakeholder, management, research and scientific communities had been strong ever since plans for the Symposium first were announced a few months ago, and we expected easily to attract 100 participants.

Unfortunately, the continuing economic crisis has put extreme pressure on travel and conference budgets and discretionary spending of all kinds in these communities of interest throughout the Great Lakes region. Consequently, even though costs to attend the Symposium would have been quite modest, too few people registered for it to be feasible to hold the event as planned. Therefore the sponsoring organizations – our Association, Central Michigan University and Michigan Sea Grant – have made the difficult but necessary decision not to hold the Symposium as planned.

It is our intention to try again next year in approximately the same late summer period. There is reason to believe that with release of substantial sums anticipated for Federal Great Lakes Basin initiatives and general economic improvement, many of the financial constraints that held down registration this year will be less problematic by then. We will closely monitor these developments over the next several months and announce plans for a 2010 Symposium, if in fact it seems feasible, early next year. In the meantime, we will promptly refund fees received from those few people who did register this year.