​Day 6 – Great Lakes Odyssey 2

Day 6 brought us to one of the most dynamic places along Lake Michigan—Mount Baldy and the Portage Lakefront at Indiana Dunes National Park.

We spent the day capturing b-roll at Mount Baldy, and it’s hard to put into words just how alive this landscape feels. The dune is constantly moving, shifting with the wind, and changing in ways that remind you this isn’t just a pile of sand—it’s an active system.

There’s a lot of thoughtful work happening here right now led by the National Park Service, alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and researchers like Dr. Ethan Theuerkauf from Michigan State University. We even got to watch a drone flight out on the dunes today—real-time science in action.

The focus of the project is simple but important: keep people safe while still honoring the natural movement of the dune. Some of the sand is being carefully relocated and reused to nourish a nearby beach, keeping it within the system and supporting the long-term health of the shoreline.

It’s the kind of work you might not notice right away—but it matters over time. It’s stewardship done right.

We wrapped up the day at the Portage Lakefront, where everything connects—wind, water, and sand. Standing there, watching Lake Michigan roll in, you can really see how all of it works together.

See you tomorrow for Great Lakes Odyssey 2 at Indiana Dunes National Park—we’ll be back on LiveStream with Dr. Erin again!