Rediscovering the Alvar

Imagine you’re wandering through the woods on a trail shaded by trees.You turn a corner, and suddenly, you’re standing at the edge of a rockygrassland plopped down in the middle of a Northeastern forest. Theseseemingly misplaced grasslands are known as alvars and theGreat Lakes is one of only two regions in the world where they occur.The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly visited one of theseunique sites and met two local volunteers who’ve become the unofficialcaretakers:

Groups Gather to Discuss Alvar Protection

This week (week of June 8th), an international group of scientists, policy-makers, and conservationists will gather in Tobermory (TOE-burr-mor-ee), Ontario to discuss strategies for protecting one of world’s rarest and least publicized habitats—the alvar. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s David Hammond reports: