This essay was written by Mya Bower in response to the 2025 Global Voices Essay Contest. Mya was awarded third place for this entry.

Two girls walk along a rocky shoreline. Picking through the debris of an old fishing town that hasn’t seen a rod cast in a century. Water lapping gently at the edges of the buildings. Paint eroded from the constant waves. Looking out where the surface is calmer it appears someone dipped a paintbrush in green and gently ran it across the lake. Toxic, but stunning in its own way. The water of the lakes alternate between green and black. Black from oil spilled into the Lakes, green from algae. Smoke hangs heavy in the air, the girls’ conversation interrupted by frequent coughing. Small zebra mussels coat surfaces, fish splash in the water, deformed beings too toxic to eat.

“Shouldn’t we be in school Kiyi?” The smaller of the two girls asked.

“What’s the point? School is useless anyways,” The other girl shrugs before coughing.

“If you say so.” The girls jump to avoid the green water trickling in a stream.

“Relax Cisco, it’s better out here.” The two girls walk out to an old dock and take a seat.

“Not really,” Cisco brushes some of the dust that has settled on her arms from the thick smog. They gaze out. An eagle squawks from a nearby tree. It has blotchy red skin showing in places where the feather didn’t grow correctly.

“I heard that the Lakes used to be blue once,” Kiyi whispers in a hushed tone.

“Really?”

“Yes, and people used to get their drinking water from the Lakes too and you could swim in them.” Cisco looks at the green sludge underneath the dock.

“I don’t think I’d want to swim in that.”

“Well, they didn’t always look like that,” Kiyi says laughing, “could you imagine that? Actually, swimming outdoors, breathing clean air. I heard there used to be some of the best farming land around here,” she sighs wistfully, “just getting to enjoy being outside. Back then it was the fields that were green, not the lake.” Cisco looks around at the barren land surrounding them, in the distance a resilient dandelion pokes through, one spot of color against the gray and brown backdrop.

“It’s a nice dream,” Cisco says doubtfully. Kiyi gets up and pulls Cisco to her feet. The two girls walk away, quickly swallowed up by the haze.

To us, Kiyi and Cisco’s community sounds unthinkable. Who doesn’t remember a summer visit to Lake Michigan or driving past acres of fields? Vibrant communities and plentiful fishing. Unfortunately, it’s a very possible reality with the threats currently facing Michigan’s natural resources. From the Flint water crisis to Detroit’s air quality, communities from all over Michigan are no strangers to mishaps when it comes to environmental protection. Everything from Kiyi and Cisco’s conversation is an actual problem facing Michigan today. The Great Lakes and Lake Erie are plagued by toxic algae blooms caused by rising temperatures. There is an oil line near Mackinac Island that is a ticking time bomb to a huge oil leak. Industrial overflows contaminate the sediment in the bottoms of the Lake. Bottom-feeders ingest the toxic particles and become infected. This spreads up the food chain to top predators including certain species of fish and some predatory birds, who ingest higher levels of the toxins. This leads to fish being too toxic to eat and it can cause deformities.

I live near MSU, which was originally founded by the Morrill Act in 1862. This allowed for public colleges to be created with a specific focus on agriculture. Today MSU is one of the leading universities for agriculture. Thanks in part to Michigan’s rich and fertile land. MSU is a cornerstone for my community, it employs thousands of people, many of whom live around me. It allows for a bustling downtown where me and my friends have gone for lunch hundreds of times. We share the campus with plenty of other districts around here such as Lansing, DeWitt, Grand Ledge, Holt, and Williamston. This leads to lots of interconnectivity between the districts since we all share some common spaces. Unfortunately, if the lakes go, the fertile fields will likely follow, forever changing the community.

There are several organizations that are working tirelessly to protect the Great Lakes. Alliance for the Great Lakes is one of the biggest ones. They are a nonpartisan group that works to support legislation that will help the lakes. Currently, they are supporting a Farm Bill that prioritizes clean water. The Great Lakes Conservation Coalition (GLCC), is made up of hunters, anglers, and all who have love for our beautiful ecosystem. Not only do they advocate for wilderness restoration and the prevention of invasive species, but they also support efforts to get people involved in activities like hunting and fishing. The more people who love the outdoors, the more likely it will be protected.

Michigan’s natural resources are vital to our community. They shape our lives. From swimming and fishing in the Great Lakes to hunting and hiking in the forests, could we even imagine our lives without them? Encourage your representatives to support bills that protect our wildlife and to go to activities that support the sustainable use of natural resources like beach pickups and restoration efforts. Otherwise, our community might end up looking like Cisco and Kiyi’s. With even entire fish species, like the cisco and kiyi species, gone from the Earth and remembered only in name.