Day 11 of the Great Lakes Odyssey

Today, we had the privilege of meeting up with Park Ranger Whitney at Keweenaw National Historical Park! Whitney, who has her master's in accessibility, works tirelessly to ensure that the park is accessible to everyone.

We also got to spend time with AJ, a YES intern who's making waves at just 19 years old! AJ shared a pop-up exhibit she created about the History of Stamp Sand. Her passion for the environment and advocacy for people with accessibility needs is truly world-changing. We loved learning from her!

Our adventure continued with capturing B-roll of Ranger Karl as he worked his culinary magic and science skills to make homemade rock candy. His cooking demonstrations were a hit. We will hear more from him tomorrow.

Next, we traveled out to the old Mohawk Stamp Mill in Gay, Michigan, to explore the stamp sands scattered along the beach. These sands will be the focal point of tomorrow’s LiveStream. During lunch, we had an unexpected but meaningful conversation with a local resident who's been passionate about the stamp sands for 25 years. He shared how he and a friend once proposed solutions to engineers, only to have their ideas dismissed. His story serves as a reminder that communities should have a voice in decisions impacting their homes and families.

This afternoon, we scouted our filming location for tomorrow at the Ahmeek Stamp Mills in Hubbell, Michigan. Historically, this site was part of the copper mining boom, where ore was crushed to extract valuable metals. The remnants of this process still shape the landscape today, making it a significant and sobering place to explore.

We took a quick side trip to the Isle Royale Visitor Center before spending the rest of our day writing, editing, and creating content. Ready for another exciting day tomorrow! 🎥

#GreatLakesOdyssey #StampSandStories #CommunityVoices ​