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Priority Landscapes

Great Lakes

Water splashes over a rock in the foreground of the sandy shore of a lake with a person out of focus in the background.
Lake Superior Spring can bring windy days to the lakeshore. © Michael D-L Jordan/dlp

Make a Difference in the Great Lakes

For more than 65 years, people like you have helped The Nature Conservancy protect the serene waters of the Great Lakes. We’re building on that legacy by bringing folks together from across the region to help solve tough conservation challenges, from climate change to keeping our water clean.

Three sea lamprey show their sets of round teeth as they press their mouths against the glass of a tank.

Partnerships

Great Lakes Aquatic Invasive Species

Aquatic invasive species may be the most significant threat to the health of the Great Lakes. Scientists estimate the Great Lakes have been invaded by more than 180 species and cost more than $200 million annually in lost revenue and prevention strategies.

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Explore the Great Lakes

Construction equipment dig new stream bed at the Strait Creek restoration area.

Restoring Streams and Wetlands Through the Ohio Mitigation Program (OMP)

The Ohio Mitigation Program is improving water quality and creating healthy habitats for wildlife to thrive by reviving the state's degraded streams and wetlands.

A songbird with an open mouth, singing.

Great Lakes Birds

Millions of migratory birds are using Nature Conservancy sites to “rest and refuel” as they cross Great Lakes states toward summer breeding grounds.

A bee grathers pollen.

Midwest Pollinators

The Nature Conservancy is protecting the habitats that pollinators need to thrive, so we can enjoy the crucial benefits that they provide.

People conducting a prescribed burn.

Using Fire to Restore Illinois Prairies and Woodlands

The Nature Conservancy has made it a priority to use “good fire” to keep native habitats healthy.

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View looking across a wide, flat body of water with thick forests along its shores.
Summer in the Northwoods From sunny lakesides to deeply shaded old-growth forests, the hottest months of the year bring out some of the most amazing nature sights in Wisconsin. © Erika Furtado/TNC Photo Contest 2021

Visit a Great Lakes Chapter

The Great Lakes region consists of a variety of critical ecological systems. Each chapter works both individually and in tandem to protect and sustain these habitats for future generations.

View from behind of a person kayaking on a flat body of water through a channel that cuts through wetland plants.
Close to the Water Kayaking is a fantastic way to explore Ohio's nature and get close to wildlife and native plants that live in and along bodies of water in Ohio. © Ariana Lindquist

See the Places We Protect in the Great Lakes

The Nature Conservancy has helped protect more than 100 sites throughout the Great Lakes, including prairies, savannas, forests, wetlands and rivers.

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