MANITOWOC (NBC 26 — It's Lake Michigan Day, and state conservation leaders are in Manitowoc to share the importance of keeping all Wisconsin waterways clean.
That includes trying to avoid any further PFAS or forever chemicals into the water and also avoiding runoff.
Conservation leaders met at The Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc to showcase their progress while highlighting their goals.
This marks the 11th year Lake Michigan has been honored, and leaders say it's a chance for different groups to come together.
Marco Marquez is the Wisconsin State Director of Organizing for Ace Climate Experience—or ACE.
Marquez says they started educating high school students about the importance of keeping Wisconsin's waterways clean in 2018.
He says they've invested more resources into this program and have grown to more than 200 active volunteers in high schools across the state.
Marquez says young people are eager and excited to help, but they can sometimes become overwhelmed when they feel like their voices aren't being heard.
Marquez says ACE helps turn that around.
"It's amazing to see them show up to meetings with the Governor's staff or with the DNR's staff or even with the Army Corps. of Engineers and really hold their own and stand up for themselves, and stand up for their communities, and stand up for what they believe in," Marquez said.
Marquez says the goal is to have even more young people come forward to champion this conservation effort, and he hopes the group will grow to more than 5,000 volunteers.
