The Great Lakes Community Project

The Great Lakes are under constant threat, from harmful blooms and failing water infrastructure to invasive bird species. But it is not all doom and gloom the Great Lakes are still standing strong in their beauty and glamour. For those who may have lost track of the five Great Lakes' name maybe this may acronym will help H.O.M.E.S which stands for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. These huge beautiful water bodies compliment our great world in more ways than one.
Here are 5 things you did not know about the Great Lakes:

1. Contain Most of the World’s Fresh Water

The Great Lakes contain one-fifth of the world’s fresh water. This may sound a bit small, but it is actually a huge amount if you consider that one out of every five people around the world has no access to clean fresh water for drinking. The other huge amount of fresh water in the world is found either underground or frozen in glaciers.

2. Huge Amount of Fish Species

The Great Lakes were born during the last ice age when glaciers receded from this part of the world. The Great Lakes contain a total of 150 fish species which migrated into the lakes using drainages like the Hudson Bay and Upper Mississippi River.

3. Way Station for Migratory Birds

Are you into bird watching? Well, the Great Lakes is the hotspot for millions of geese, hawks and other birds which take pitstops every year during their migration cycles.

4. Ideal Climate for Wineries

Along the shores of large lakes during springtime, the temperature rises more slowly than the land around it. This causes the coastline to be cooler than the in-land air. These temperatures cause fruit trees to blossom later in the season and reduce the risk of the fruit trees from getting killed by frost.

5. They Preserve Shipwrecks

From mine-laying submarines to wooden canoes. The Great Lakes contain around 8,000 shipwrecks and more keep being discovered regularly in almost perfect condition.
It would be a shame if the Great Lakes were to be shut down by the government. This means defending the clean water laws while at the same time advocating for better and stronger protection for the world's largest surface freshwater.