Great Lakes Watershed

Welcome!

Our website provides information about Cranbrook Institute of Science watershed education programs and events, resources for Great Lakes education, and ideas on how you can protect and conserve the Great Lakes.  Look beneath the Michigan map for our Water Blog.

Click for Tips on what you can do to help the Great Lakes!

Do you live in a watershed?  Find out here!

Below is a map of the schools our Water on the Go! program has visited (blue pins).  Green pins include images of rivers, lakes and streams from around the Great Lakes basin.

View Water on the Go! Programs in a larger map

Cranbrook Annual Spring Plant Sale

Cranbrook House and Gardens 41st Annual Plant Sale

Tuesday, May 14, 2013: 10 am - 7pm

Wednesday, May 15, 2013: 10 am -2 pm

The very best in native Michigan plants and wildflowers, perennials, greenhouse plants, orchids, herbs, vegetables, annuals and much more will be for sale! Free admission to garden for the sale.

Vist the website for details and directions.

Detroit River Water Festival - May 10, 2013

Over 600 Detroit Public Schools 6th grade students will spend the day learning about water on Friday, May 10, 2013 at Rivard Plaza along the beautiful Detroit RiverFront. Thank you to DTE Energy Foundation for their continued support of this event to support science education stewardship among Detroit youth. For more information on the event, please visit the website: www.detroitriverwaterfestival.com.

National Environmental Education Week

It’s EE Week! National Environmental Education Week – the nation's largest celebration of environmental education – is spotlighting ways by which technology can enhance environmental learning, including weather and the environment. This year’s theme, Taking Tech Outdoors, is part of EE Week’s multi-year focus on Greening STEM (science, technology, engineering and math): The Environment as inspiration for 21^st Century Learning.

Check out this blog posting for ways to use mobile and other tech to learn about the environment and a message from U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan this EE Week.

http://blog.stemconnector.org/ee-week-5-ways-take-technology-outdoors

http://youtu.be/tSHxbPqGYo4

Friends of the Detroit River Clean Up - April 20th

Join Friends of the Detroit River on Saturday, April 20^th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm for a clean-up of the shores and small islands in the lower Detroit River. The goal is to pick up as much litter as possible along shorelines of the many dikes, islands, and bays in the lower river.

Volunteers are needed both with, or without, small outboard boats to access the islands. Volunteers should wear gloves and boots, and dress for the weather and protection. Please bring extra lifejackets if you have them.

Where to Meet:

Volunteers should meet at Trenton Rotary Park at the foot of Harrison St., just off West Jefferson. An orientation meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. The Trenton boat launch may be used for boats on trailers. Boats will be launched after the orientation. A picnic lunch will be provided for all who participate.

For more information about the event visit: www.detroitriver.org

Healthy Lawn Care Workshop - April 8th

Monday April 8, 2013 -  6:30 - 8:30 pm
Bloomfield Twp. Public Library
1099 Lone Pine Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302

Registration opens at 6 pm.

Join us for our Healthy Lawn Care workshop to learn how to have a beautiful lawn and protect water quality. Gary Eichen is a popular speaker, he covers the watershed perspective, how grass grows, mowing, fertilizing, and weed management as well.  Gary is a frequent presenter at professional workshops and a key advisor/member of the Healthy Lawns and Gardens Technical Advisory Committee.  As a bonus, he is a tree expert as well as lawn expert – and the two need to be planned and maintained together!

To assist persons who use private services, the Healthy Lawn Care Program for Watershed Protection will be introduced by Tom Bergschwenger Natural Approach Lawns.  There are about 20 firms endorsed through the Michigan Green Industry Association to offer the healthy lawn care program option.

SOCWA volunteers will have table displays on natural mulches, home composting, tree mulching, the Rouge Watershed, and more.  Please stop in early in order to find a seat and view displays - registration opens at 6 pm.

Please register by telephone at the SOCWA office: 248-288-5150 weekdays, or via email: LFDean@aol.com.  Registration is needed to plan for setup and information folders.

The program is supported through the Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Program, the Bloomfield Twp Public Library, and SOCWA.

Earth Gauge: Spring Cleaning

How much hazardous waste does the average American household accumulate in one year? The typical home accumulates over 20 pounds of household hazardous waste in just one year! Think of paints, pesticides, cleaning supplies, oil, antifreeze and other products that hide away in the basement, garage or shed. These products may contain corrosive, toxic or flammable ingredients. If products are dumped outside or stored in an area where rain or floodwater can reach them, they can be washed into storm drains, rivers and streams, and even well water, putting water quality at risk.

Sustainability Tip: Take a few minutes during spring cleaning to make sure you’re properly storing and disposing of household hazardous wastes.

• Store products in their original containers with labels to
  avoid misuse or accidental ingestion.
• Never mix leftovers with other products – this may cause
  reactions or explosions. Mixing products may also make it so they cannot be
  recycled.
• If you no longer need a product, take it to a local
  household hazardous waste collection program. Many communities hold regular
  waste collection events and have hazardous waste drop-off centers. Never dump
  household waste outside or in a storm drain.

(Sources: U.S. EPA. “Household Hazardous Waste.” http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/hhw.htm; http://www.epa.gov/region9/waste/solid/house.html)

MEECS Water Quality Workshop April 6th

MEECS Water Quality Teacher Training Workshop  Updated Version

Saturday, April 6, 2013

8:30am – Noon

Cranbrook Institute of Science

Be trained on the NEW MEECS Water Quality Unit! Join  us to learn how to use the Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum  Support (MEECS) Water Quality Unit in the classroom! The MEECS Water  Quality Unit helps students discover the essential role that water plays  in Michigan’s economy and in everyone’s lives. Students calculate how  much water they use, investigate the link between land uses and water  quality, and discover how water is monitored and standards are set. Cost for the half-day session: $35.00 includes curriculum binder, materials and refreshments.

To register call 248.645.3210 or Download MEECS flyer April 2013.

This workshop is a Harris Family Great Lakes Environmental Education Program.

Rain, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snow...What's the Difference?

Depending on where you live, winter can bring many different forms of precipitation, including rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow.  So what does it take for different types of precipitation to form? In the winter, precipitation usually starts out as ice or snow crystals at cloud level. The type of precipitation that falls from the clouds and reaches the Earth’s surface depends on the temperature of the air it falls through (a layer of warm air, cold air or both). Learn more about the different types of winter precipitation and how they form.

• Rain: Rain forms when growing cloud droplets, ice or snow crystals in clouds collide with each other, become too heavy to stay aloft and fall to the surface as precipitation.  The precipitation will eventually pass the freezing level and enter a warmer layer of air, forming rain. When the layer of warmer air continues all the way to the surface, the precipitation will eventually reach the surface as rain.
• Freezing Rain: Freezing rain forms when snow first falls into a warm layer of air and melts into rain. As it falls, the rain crosses through  a thin layer of cold air very close to the Earth’s surface and becomes supercooled before reaching the ground, meaning that the temperature of the rain drops is below freezing without the drops becoming solid. The supercooled rain droplets strike  frozen ground and immediately freeze on impact. This creates a thin layer of ice and can cause slippery surfaces that make for hazardous driving, biking and walking conditions.
• Sleet: Sleet forms in the same way as freezing rain, with one difference. When the rain crosses into the cold layer of air near the surface, that layer is deeper than the layer that would form freezing rain. The deeper layer of cold air will cause the rain to freeze and form sleet, or ice pellets. This type of precipitation bounces on impact with the ground and can cause slippery surfaces just like freezing rain.
• Snow: Snow falls from the clouds and does not pass through a layer of air warm enough to cause it to melt. Therefore, it stays in the form of snow all the way to the ground.

 Viewer Tip: Be prepared for any kind of winter precipitation by making sure your car is equipped with an emergency car kit. And, when trying to clear ice off of roadways, driveways and sidewalks be sure to be smart about salt.

 (Sources: The Weather Guys, “What are ice pellets?” http://wxguys.ssec.wisc.edu/; University of Illinois’ Department of Atmospheric Science, “Precipitation: hail, rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow,” http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/%28Gh%29/guides/mtr/cld/prcp/home.rxml.)

Earth Gauge Link

Protecting Your Shoreline: A Workshop for Inland Lakefront Property Owners

Michigan has over 11,000 inland lakes. Michigan State University Extension is sponsoring a workshop for property owners to create, restore and manage natural shorelines.  This workshop is designed to educate interested lakefront property owners on natural erosion control methods and will discuss techniques for using natural landscaping along the shoreline to provide erosion control and habitat value while maintaining the aesthetic value of the lakefront. 

Saturday, March 16, 2013 at Michigan State University Tollgate Education Center, 28115 Meadowbrook Road, Novi, MI 48377.

Workshop Agenda:

8:30- 9:00 AM           Registration/check-in, light refreshments, educational displays

9:00- 2:30 PM           Workshop; includes LUNCH

2:30- 2:45 PM           Speakers available for additional questions, educational displays

2:45- 3:00 PM           OPTIONAL Outdoor Tour:  “Managing Invasive Shoreline Invasive Species”

Workshop Topics:

* Healthy lake ecosystems

* Designing and maintaining natural landscapes on lake shorelines

* Bio-engineering techniques to address high impact shorelines

* Using native plants in shoreline landscapes

* Attracting fish and wildlife to your shoreline

* Managing shoreline invasive species

* State of Michigan rules and regulations

* Local examples of natural shoreline projects

This workshop is sponsored by MSU Extension, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Oakland County Parks and Recreation, Oakland Conservation District, Clinton River Watershed Council, North Oakland Chapter of Wild Ones, Cranbrook Institute of Science, and the Oakland County Water Resource Commissioner's Office.

Pre-registration is required. Registration cost is $45/person on or before March 8, 2013. The cost is $55/person on or after March 9, 2013. Workshop registration fee includes light refreshments, educational resources, and a copy of MSUE’s new 70-page “Natural Shoreline Landscapes on Michigan’s Inland Lakes: Guidebook for Property Owners.”

Deadline to register is March 13, 2013. There is a $25 cancellation fee for those requesting a refund after 3-13-2013.

Contact person, phone and email:

Bindu Bhakta; (248)-858-5198
or bhaktabi@anr.msu.edu

Complete Workshop Details:

http://www.oakgov.com/msu/Pages/classes_activities/natural_resources_classes.aspx

 Register online:

http://events.anr.msu.edu/2013_Natural_Shoreline_Workshop

If you are unable to register online, call (248) 858-0887.

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/bountiful_inland_lakes_make_michigan_a_water_wonderland_but_they_need_prote

Great Lakes, Great Challenges Forum 2013

The International Joint Commission Great Lakes Regional Office announced today that the Great Lakes, Great Challenges Forum 2013 will be held March 14^th on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.  The daylong conference is free and open to the public.  Morning sessions will focus on challenges facing the Great Lakes, such as harmful algae in Lake Erie, while afternoon sessions will target solutions such as green infrastructure. 

Cosponsors of the event include Oakland University, Wayne State University, Michigan Office of the Great Lakes, Sustainable Waterworks, the Michigan section of the American Water Works Association and the Michigan Water Environment Association.  The program will feature expert presenters from both the public and private sectors, providing information advice that will be useful to academic researchers, public utility operators, consulting engineers, students and the public.  Exhibit space is available.  Please, contact John Nevin (nevinj@windsor.ijc.org) for more information and to reserve your seat.

The Great Lakes, Great Challenges Forum begins with a breakfast with exhibitors at 7:30 am in the Oakland Center.  The event will conclude by 4 pm and will include lunch.  Free parking is available. 

Vist the IJC website to see the agenda.