Great Lakes Awareness Day is an annual American and Canadian celebration of the Great Lakes. They are unique water resources that have won the love of people around the world. Their beauty is mesmerizing. It is celebrated every Monday of the first full week in May.
History
The creation of Great Lakes Awareness Day is aimed at attracting public attention to the problems of lake pollution. Since 2018, special attention is paid to the preservation of the freshwater ecological system of the Great Lakes, because in addition to everything else they are one of the largest freshwater reservoirs on the planet (not inferior to the glaciers of Antarctica and nearby territories, as well as Lake Baikal and lakes in Africa).
The creation of this holiday was helped by a protest against the construction of the high-risk “Line 5” pipeline, which affects two of the five Great Lakes, Michigan and the Huron.
The Great Lakes were actively exploited by man in the 20th century. This was due to their convenient geographical location in the heart of the continent, as well as fertile soils and large forests in the area. Since the 1950s, experts began to note elevated levels of toxic substances in these areas and, twenty years later, the United States and Canada began to make joint efforts to develop and implement programs that were aimed at improving the environment and protecting the ecosystem of these lakes.
Interesting facts
- The weather on the Great Lakes is very unstable. Sometimes there are even storms here, which are recorded as deep as 400 meters!
- These lakes contain 84% of the continent’s fresh water.
- There are many small and large islands along the expanse of the Great Lakes. Their total number reaches 35 thousand.
How to celebrate
Learn more about the Great Lakes. If you can, arrange a trip to the heart of the continent to see these unique water resources firsthand!
Tell about the holiday in social networks. Ask users if they visited the Great Lakes. What impressions did they leave behind?
When is Great Lakes Awareness Day celebrated in 2024?
Great Lakes Awareness Day is observed on the Monday of the first full week in May each year.
Observations
| Weekday | Month | Day | Year |
| Monday | May | 6 | 2024 |
| Monday | May | 5 | 2025 |
