Celebrate the UP! with UPEC March 29-30 in Marquette

Celebrate the UP! with the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC), Friday, March 29 - Saturday, March 30, in Marquette. Music, videos, presentations, panel discussions and more. Free and open to all. (Poster courtesy Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition)

MARQUETTE -- All are invited to join the 11th annual Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC) event CELEBRATE THE UP! featuring keynote speaker Dave Dempsey on "The Sixth Great Lake," videos, live music, dozens of speakers and panelists, and informational sessions highlighting the U.P. environment!

Kick-off events Friday, March 29

Events begin on Friday with the Quarterly meeting of the UPEC Board, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., followed by the UPEC Annual Meeting, with review of the year and the Board election, at 4:30 p.m., at the Federated Women’s Clubhouse.

The Ore Dock Brewing Company will be the scene of Friday's evening events.

Enjoy UPEC short video contest winners and dance to Conga Se Menne on Friday, March 29, at the Ore Dock Brewing Company. (Poster courtesy UPEC)

UPEC's short video contest award winning videos will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Live music by Conga Se Menne (Yes, Finnish Reggae!) will begin at 8 p.m. Bring your dancing shoes! A $10 donation is suggested.

Events all day Saturday, March 30

David Dempsey, author and environmental policy specialist, will deliver the keynote address, "The Sixth Great Lake," at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Federated Women’s Clubhouse.

Individual sessions will be offered from 10:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. They include the following:

• Rolf and Candy Peterson, Canoeing around Isle Royale

• Michael Loukinen, filmmaker, Burbot Fishing in the Copper Country

• Panels on wind power and mineral rights

• Phil Watts, local climbing adventures

• Mark Doremus, filmmaker, the Back Forty Mining Proposal on Menominee River

• Michele Tuccini, open-air landscape painting

• Ryne Rutherford, amphibians and reptiles

• Karena Schmidt, lichens

• Michael Neiger and Chris Ozminski, Arctic expeditions and survival

• Joe Kaplan, bird habitat restoration

• Brandon Gerig, fisheries and aquatic ecology 

Click here to learn about the panelists. Click here for the Program with photos of the presenters.

See details in this Schedule:

Presentations and Panels will be held in the Federated Women's Clubhouse, the Landmark Inn and the Peter White Public Library Community Room. Click here for a larger version of the Schedule with times and locations.

At 3:30 p.m. in the Peter White Library Community Room the Plenary Panel "Catch a Moment in Time" will feature Iconic UP Images.

All are welcome to the Closing Reception at 5 p.m. Saturday in the Federated Women's Clubhouse. Enjoy snacks, refreshments and live music with singer-songwriter Terri Bocklund.

For more information about the event email upec@upenvironment.org or call 906-201-1949. To learn more about UPEC visit upenvironment.org or find them on Facebook.