Great Lakes Hiker & Author, Loreen Niewenhuis, Announces Book Release: A 1000-MILE GREAT LAKES WALK

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. - May 21, 2013 - PRLog -- Niewenhuis’s first adventure of walking all the way around Lake Michigan inspired the second hike. “After encircling Lake Michigan, I began to contemplate the interconnectedness of the Great Lakes and how they work as a system,” Niewenhuis said. “I decided to do another 1000-mile hike, this time walking along the shores of all five lakes and many of the connecting waterways.” Niewenhuis tackled her second 1000-mile hike in large chunks spread between April and October 2012. It took 76 days of determined walking, averaging 13 miles a day.
       With this new book, A 1000-MILE GREAT LAKES WALK (published by Crickhollow Books of Milwaukee and released June 1), Niewenhuis takes readers along on her hike along the shoreline of all five Great Lakes. This book explores the geology, hydrology, and natural history of the largest system of fresh water lakes in the world. The book also illuminates the threats to this massive ecosystem: invasive species, pollution, destruction of wetlands, and the gradual warming of the lakes. She raises important questions about preserving our wild places and protecting the fragile ecosystems on which we all depend.
       Niewenhuis will have a full book tour this year. Her schedule is on her website: http://LakeTrek.com. She will give readings and do signings of her book, and will also lecture at libraries, museums, schools, and other venues with photos and videos and maps from her adventure. "In my lecture, I explore how these vast inland seas were formed, the fascinating geology of the area, and the hydrology -- how the Great Lakes work as a connected system to move water to the North Atlantic Ocean," Niewenhuis said.  She has been constantly drawn to the shores of the Great Lakes and was the perfect person to undertake these adventures and to write about the journey with a clear, authoritative -- and often humorous -- voice.

About the author:
     Loreen Niewenhuis has a bachelors of science from Calvin College, a masters of science from Wayne State University and a masters of fine arts from Spalding University. She currently lives in Battle Creek, Michigan. She is the author of A 1000-Mile Walk on the Beach (the account of her hike around Lake Michigan), the novella ATLANTA, and many literary short stories. She was a finalist for the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction in 2009 for her collection of short stories titled Scar Tissue.

Niewenhuis gives lectures about the Great Lakes and readings from her work. To contact her for interviews, appearances or to book her for a speaking engagement, e-mail her at Loreen(at)LakeTrek.com

Please learn more about Niewenhuis, her writing, and her adventures at her website http://LakeTrek.com
Niewenhuis also has a Facebook Fan page at http://facebook.com/laketrek