Whether you live on a lake, enjoy a secret fishing spot or escape the daily grind at a serene lake in the woods, you already know that lakes provide big benefits to mental and physical health and deserve our appreciation and attention. You can discover even more connections through an upcoming Michigan State University Extension opportunity.

A nationally recognized, award-winning, six-week class for anyone with a passion or curiosity for inland lakes, including lakefront property owners, local government officials, lake managers and educators, MSU Extension’s Introduction to Lakes Online course is full of information and inspiration. Led by Extension educators and state agency personnel, it covers lake ecology, watersheds, shorelines, water law, aquatic plant management and community involvement.

Registration, course information

The course runs Jan. 30 through March 20. Register by Jan. 12 for the early-bird discounted rate of $95 per person; after that, the rate is $115. Registration closes Jan. 28. Course details and scholarship and other information are available on the Introduction to Lakes Online course webpage.

More than 1,850 people across the country have taken the annual course since it was first offered online in 2015. Participants regularly praise the content and level of interaction they enjoy with instructors and other students.

Students will experience:

• Week-by-week, 24/7 access to six online units, complete with prerecorded video lectures, interactive activities, other resources and quizzes.
• Lively discussion forums and biweekly webinars with classmates and instructors. Ask-an-expert webinars let you learn from experts at the DNR, MSU and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

Upon finishing the course, students receive a certificate of completion. They also can receive continuing education credits, including 16 Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Pesticide Applicator Re-Certification credits and educational hours in the MSU Extension Master Gardener, Master Citizen Planner and Master Naturalist programs.

Questions? Contact Paige Filice (MSU Extension), 517-676-7291 or Joe Nohner (DNR), 517-599-6825.