The National Wildlife Federation is working to protect the Great Northwoods — millions of acres of forests and waters across Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin that provide vital wildlife habitat and connect nearby communities to nature.
Michigan’s northern forests stretch across the Upper Peninsula and into the northern Lower Peninsula — millions of acres of wild land that most Detroiters rarely think about. But those forests filter the water that flows into the Great Lakes and eventually into Detroit’s taps. They absorb air pollution and carbon, buffer extreme weather, and sustain wildlife and economies across the state.
Now, those forests face growing threats — from climate change altering tree species and fueling wildfire smoke that drifts south into Detroit, to federal legislation like the PERMIT Act that could weaken clean water protections, to proposed mining operations near some of Michigan’s most treasured wild places.
Planet Detroit has been reporting on these connections in our Rooted Together: Connecting Detroit and Michigan’s Great Northwoods series, produced with support from the National Wildlife Federation. The series explores how the health of northern Michigan’s ecosystems is bound up with the health and well-being of Metro Detroiters — and highlights the community leaders working to make those connections real.
Now we’re bringing the conversation live.
Planet Detroit Live: Connecting the Great Northwoods and Detroit
Thursday, February 19, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET Free — Register here
Join Planet Detroit founder Nina Ignaczak for a lunchtime panel with:
- Marc Smith, Great Lakes Policy Director, National Wildlife Federation
- Antonio Cosme, Co-founder, Black to the Land Coalition
- Jerry Jondreau, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community / Dynamite Hill Farms
- Garrett Dempsey, Detroit Outdoors
We’ll talk about how northern forests shape Detroit’s water and air quality, the federal policies that could put those resources at risk, community programs connecting Detroiters to nature up north, and what it means to be a good guest on the land.
The event will be live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn with auto-generated captions. A recording will be available afterward.
This event accompanies Planet Detroit’s Rooted Together: Connecting Detroit and Michigan’s Great Northwoods series, co-produced with the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Northwoods Initiative.
READ THE SERIES
Can Michigan’s forests hold back the tide of climate change?
Michiganders face more floods and extreme weather as climate change reshapes the state, impacting ecosystems, the economy, and public health. Wildfire risks rise, while key tree species and wildlife struggle to adapt.
How a federal water pollution bill could jeopardize Detroit’s drinking water
The PERMIT Act, now under Senate review, threatens to weaken the Clean Water Act, risking higher pollution levels in Detroit’s drinking water and endangering the health and cultural practices of local communities.
Is Detroit’s future tied to Michigan’s northwoods?
The Great Northwoods, vital for Detroit’s air and water quality, is more than a distant wilderness. Organizations like Detroit Outdoors and Black to the Land are bridging the gap, fostering connections and stewardship between urban communities and these crucial ecosystems.