Spring Lecture Series: Mapping the Great Lakes—Shipwrecks, Surfing, and Shorelines

Join us for our 2026 Spring Lecture Series, presented by Larry and Karen Bettcher. Offered as a hybrid event, participants can choose when registering to take part in-person at the museum or online via Zoom.

Mapping the Great Lakes—Shipwrecks, Surfing, and Shorelines with speaker Alex Hill.

📅 Wednesday, March 18, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 In person at the National Museum of the Great Lakes or online via Zoom
💵 Free | Registration required

About the Lecture

Cartographer and author Alex B. Hill, creator of Detroit in 50 Maps, invites us to see the Great Lakes through a fresh and unexpected lens—one shaped by data, storytelling, and design.

The Great Lakes region is home to one-tenth of the United States’ population and one-quarter of Canada’s, yet their scale, complexity, and influence are often taken for granted. In this illustrated talk, Hill shifts our perspective with more than fifty original maps exploring the lakes through four themes: history and culture, ecology, infrastructure, and physical geography. From the Underground Railroad to monarch butterfly migration, NFL teams on Great Lakes shores to clusters of shipwrecks and Bigfoot sightings, these maps reveal surprising connections and patterns across the basin.

Hill also examines the lakes’ vulnerabilities, including shrinking wetlands, oil spills, and rising temperatures driven by climate change—highlighting both their fragility and their vital role in shaping life, industry, and identity across the region.

This lecture is free, but registration is required. Donations are always happily accepted.

About the Speaker

Alex B. Hill is a Director of Data and Community Research. His work highlights the intersections of power, privilege, and race in regards to health equity, access to basic services, and the social and political determinants of health. He is Project Director for the Detroit Food Map Initiative, Property Praxis, Detroit Atlas Collaboration, and DetroitData. Alex started DETROITography (detroitography.com) in 2013 to bring together various Detroit mapmakers and cartographers to showcase their work and encourage community members to start mapping their own city. He teaches in urban studies, public health, and geography at Wayne State University. Alex is the author and cartographer of the books, Detroit in 50 Maps (2021) and Great Lakes in 50 Maps (2025) from Belt Publishing. He is a regular mapping contributor to Model D Media, Detroit PBS and the Detroit Free Press.