1

Students encouraging research and increasing awareness about Lake Superior, the largest and most pristine of the Great

Lakes

Introducing the Lake Superior NMCA Expedition

A 7 Week Research Expedition into the Most

Recently Announced National Marine Conservation

Area in Canada & the Largest Protected Area of

Freshwater Worldwide!

Lake Superior Research Group (LSRG) Office: (807) 343-8504 Home: (807) 684-9729

www.lakesuperiorresearchgroup.ca

2

The Lake Superior Research Group (LSRG) is currently looking for sponsors who are interested in supporting a research based expedition into the proposed Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA). Through sponsoring the LSRG and the NMCA expedition, you will be helping to support the conservation of the largest freshwater lake ecosystem in the world. Publicity for this project will be both local and national and will reach a broad and diverse demographic.

About the LSRG The Lake Superior Research Group (LSRG) is an initiative created by students at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada to encourage research and increase awareness about Lake Superior and its surrounding communities. We coined the LSRG out of a desire to encourage students from multiple disciplines to create their own educational opportunities with a unified and collaborative focus on their own backyard. Ours will be the first LSRG expedition to take place, and in celebration of the Lake Superior NMCA, we are focusing our honours thesis projects on topics that we hope will be of assistance to Parks Canada in the early management stages of the area.

Purpose of the Expedition Our goal is to contribute to the future of the Lake Superior NMCA through the development of a potential water trail management plan. The expedition will enable us to develop an understanding of the present impacts and explore the potential effects that increased visitation may have. We will spend 7 weeks paddling the vast majority of all shoreline and Islands within the proposed NMCA - covering up to 1000km. Our topics of focus include campsite analysis, risk management for sea kayakers, and the relationships between water trails, campsites and ecologically sensitive areas.

Media Coverage for the Expedition Lake Superior Gala, Voicing Perspectives and Looking Ahead: A Local Vision for the Lake Superior NMCA.

On Sunday April 6th, 2008 we hosted a gala and fundraising event in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Gala, emceed by Heather McLeod of CBC Radio One, featured exciting

3

guest speakers who helped us to celebrate Lake Superior, create awareness and encourage future research. The night effectively promoted and gained publicity for our expedition. Local Media and Events Our story has already been covered by the Chronicle Journal in Thunder Bay, and we appeared on CBC Radio One’s Voyage North prior to the Gala. We have been given recording equipment to take in the field and as our expedition unfolds our story will periodically air on CBC’s Voyage North. Additional releases concerning the expedition will be issued to the media in all communities that we travel through including Terrace Bay, Schreiber, Rossport, Red Rock, Silver Islet and Thunder Bay. We will take part in both the Waterwalker Film Festival and the 10th Annual Rossport Island Sea Kayak Symposium. During the middle of our expedition we will stop at the Red Rock Folk Festival to display information on our project. This event draws a captive audience of 1500 people from communities throughout north-western Ontario and will be a great place to gain exposure.

Magazines Additional media coverage includes two articles written for the summer issue of the Superior Outdoors Magazine (www.superioroutdoors.ca) that will be released in May. One of these articles will outline and highlight the proposed NMCA, the LSRG and our upcoming research expedition. We intend to submit a media release to other adventure magazines such as Kanawa, Adventure Kayak, Explore, Lake Superior, Our Canada, Canadian Geographic and Kayak Touring in hopes of receiving as much coverage as possible.

Website We have developed a website that features detailed information on our research expedition as well as the route plan, media coverage, budget, personal profiles, photos, guest book and sponsors (including links). Our web site is linked to other sites such as the Lakehead University Geography Department, the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism (ORPT), the Outdoor Recreation Student Society (ORSS) and Superior Outdoors Magazine. Please visit www.lakesuperiorresearchgroup.ca to learn more.

4

Levels of Sponsorship These sponsorship levels are only a framework. Benefits are negotiable on an individual bases and specifics will be provided in a sponsorship invoice.

Type Sponsor Benefits

Platinum

Sponsorship

! Offering goods or

services in support of

the expedition that

have a value greater

than $2000 CAN.

! Highest degree of media

exposure

! Mentioned as top sponsor

in all magazine articles

and press releases

! Logo featured on website

sponsors section and all

other promotional

materials and events

Gold

Sponsorship

! Offering goods and

services in support of

the expedition that

have a value greater

than $1000 CAN.

! Mentioned as sponsor in

all press releases

! Logo featured on website

sponsors section and all

other promotional

materials and events

Bronze

Sponsorship

! Offering goods and

services in support of

the expedition that

have a value up to $999

CAN.

! Logo featured on website

sponsors section and

other promotional

material

5

Research Team

We have extensive backcountry experience and have developed a connection to Lake Superior through many kayaking trips in both personal and professional contexts. We are extremely excited for the opportunity to spend 7 weeks on these great waters!

Name: Zack Kruzins

Program: Honours Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation / Bachelor of Arts

(Geography Major) Study Focus: Campsite Analysis

Advisor: Mr. Darrell Makin and Dr. Rob Stewart

Name: Jessica Johnson

Program: Honours Bachelors of Outdoor Recreation / Bachelor of Arts (Women Studies Major, Indigenous Learning Minor)

Study Focus: Risk Management

Advisor: Dr. Kathy Haras

Name: Aaron A. Nicholson

Program: Honours Bachelor of Science (Geography and Natural Science Major)

Study Focus: Coastal Sensitivity Advisor: Dr. Rob Stewart

6

Working Budget

Research/Trip

Logistics

Research Planning Expedition Planning

$200 $300

In Kind In Kind

Equipment G.P.S. Rental Satellite Phone Rental Kayaks/Paddles Life Jackets Sleeping Bags Tents Field Sheets Topographic Field Maps Cooking Gear Dry Bags Cooking Stoves Cooking Fuel First Aid/Emergency Binoculars Rain Gear Water Purifier Food VHF Radio and Batteries Repair Kit Rope

$500 $500 $2,000-7,000 $50 $500 $500 $50 $50 $50 $200 $200 $50 $100 $100 $200 $100 $1,200 $200 $100 $100

In Kind In Kind In Kind In Kind In Kind In Kind In Kind In Kind In Kind

Transportation Automobile Drop-off Automobile Pick-up Marine Transport (Food Drop)

$200 $200 $500

In Kind

G.I.S. Database Air/Satellite Imagery OBM Data Layers Digital Topo Layers Database Mgt. Services Cartographic Services

$500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,000 $1,000

In Kind In Kind In Kind

Documentation Printing Costs Photo Processing Film Documenting/Processing Research Document Access Journals Web Design

$500 $200 $1,000 $100 $20 $500

In Kind

TOTAL In Kind Contributions Needed Cash

$16,420 – 21,420 $7200 $9,220 – 14,220

7

Current Sponsors

Imagine your logo here!

Contacts: Zack Kruzins zpkruzin@lakeheadu.ca

Jessica Johnson jjohnso3@lakeheadu.ca Aaron A. Nicholson anichol1@lakeheadu.ca

Lake Superior Research Group (LSRG) Braun Building 0029A, Lakehead University 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON Canada, P7B 5E1 Office: (807) 343-8504 Home: (807) 684-9729 www.lakesuperiorresearchgroup.ca