DIVE IN
The 14th Annual Thunder Bay International Film Festival will showcase an extraordinary collection of more than 50 productions by filmmakers from around the world, all exploring ocean and Great Lakes topics. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, in partnership with the International Ocean Film Festival and the sanctuary’s Friends group, will present the films at three locations from Jan. 21-25. Shows will be held at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena (above photo), the Rogers Theater in Rogers City, and the Alcona County Library in Harrisville. A highlight is the Great Lakes Gala Reception in Alpena, which takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Jan. 23. There also are educational events and a student shorts competition. I enjoyed seven excellent films at last year’s festival, and learned a lot about worldwide water-themed issues, solutions, and offerings. thunderbayfriends.org
COLORBLIND HELP
With the help of donors and dedicated friends groups, the Michigan DNR is expanding the number of special scenic viewfinders at state parks for visitors with colorblindness. The viewers utilize filters produced by EnChroma, which also makes eyewear for colorblindness. The filters help improve color vibrancy, depth, and perception for those who are colorblind (13 million in the U.S.) because, for them, various colors are indistinguishable without aids. For some people, red looks brown, green looks brownish or gray, and purple and blue appear the same. The viewers are accessible at Ludington, Maybury (Northville), Muskegon, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness (Ontonagon), and William G. Milliken (Detroit) state parks, plus the Highland (White Lake), Rifle River (Lupton), and Waterloo (Chelsea) recreation areas. To make a donation to help purchase more viewers, visit michigan.gov/dnr/about/accessibility/color-blind-scenic-viewers
TRAIL UPDATES
What a thrill it was to ride my bike on Detroit’s Belle Isle in September, this time along the 5.8-mile Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Trail loop. It was dedication day for the first official stretch of the Iron Belle Trail from its southern terminus, known as the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Gateway. The trailhead and markers are located near the island’s Coast Guard station. The 2,000-plus-mile Iron Belle Trail, traversing Michigan from Belle Isle to the western Upper Peninsula, with one route for hiking and another for biking, is now more than 70 percent complete. The new Wilson Gateway and its two-way cycle path cost $10.5 million and connects to 7 miles of the Detroit Riverfront Greenway, which heads west to the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park that opened in October. michigan.gov/recsearch/trails/
iron-belle-trail
Have news that pertains to Michigan’s natural resources, travel, or exploration?
Send a note to MSwoyer@Hour-Media.com.
