DEADLINE: IJNR's Maumee Valley Institute for Journalists

June 13-16, 2012

IJNR, the Institutes for Journalism & Natural Resources, welcomes applications by May 2nd — extended to May 11th — for its Maumee Valley Institute, a four-day, expenses-paid journey.

The learning program will enable 14 journalists to explore parts of the Maumee River watershed, from the headwaters near Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the river’s mouth in Toledo, Ohio, on the southwestern shore of Lake Erie. Watershed ecology and economic development will be unifying themes of this program. The city of Toledo will serve as the hub for the trip.

Content of the program will emphasize understanding the dynamics of restoration, protection and management of critical watersheds and vital habitats in the Great Lakes ecosystem. Journalists will meet and travel with experts representing a broad and balanced spectrum of vocations and viewpoints. The Maumee Valley program will pay special attention to manipulated landscapes and related rural influences on the river and its watershed. Journalists will explore the connection between confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and the contamination of underground supplies of drinking water and of near-shore waters of Lake Erie.