MARQUETTE — Local ecoconscious group Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior has seen success in its new lecture miniseries, hosted in tandem with other area entities such as Northern Michigan University’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences.

The lectures, titled Superior on Tap, are held at Ore Dock Brewing Co. for free and are open to the public. At the first session, environmental attorney Kim Ferraro gave an overview of wetland protection policy in light of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

In response to the many questions from the audience, Ferraro said, “It was great to see so many people with such enthusiastic interest in the importance of wetland protection here in the U.P.”

CSCLS Director Jane Fitkin emphasized the importance of this topic by saying that most shoreline municipalities in Marquette have “minimal local protections” in place for wetlands.

“As more people migrate to the U.P. and Marquette area because of bad climate change impacts elsewhere and this influx brings more development to our communities, it is now crucial to put in place protections for the ecosystem that sustains our land, water and beautiful quality of life,” Fitkin said.

While CSCLS receives support from foundations prioritizing Great Lakes protection, Fitkin also asked the local community to support this work for the “long-term protection of our natural resources.”

The next Superior on Tap will feature NMU professor Angela LaFuente who will present on the topic Wetlands Uncovered: Fundamentals of Wetland Science on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Ore Dock Brewing Co.