Great Lakes Watershed

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.

Great Lakes Conference Stipend for Teachers

Michigan State University will again host a Great Lakes Conference this year as part of ANR Week.  This year’s Great Lakes Conference will be held on the MSU campus at the Kellogg Center on Tuesday, March 5, 2013. 

Stipends for the first 53 educators to register are available thanks to a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency.  In addition to the conference, an educator luncheon is also being provided where information, ideas, and materials useful in advancing Great Lakes Literacy in Michigan will be shared.

To become eligible to receive a $150 stipend in support of your participation, you must -

1) Register for the conference (conference registration is free).  You will find details about this year’s conference and you may register online at the conference website:  www.iwr.msu.edu/events/ANRWeek

2) Download 2013 Great Lakes Conference - Stipend Application Form.  It requires Adobe Reader or Acrobat to open (a free Reader download  is available at http://get.adobe.com/reader/).  Complete and submit the stipend applications to Steve Stewart, Michigan Sea Grant, via email (to stew@msu.edu) or fax to (586)469-6948.  Forms must be complete in order to be considered.  Deadline for receipt is February 27.  You will be notified about your stipend status by March 1.

2013 Rouge Frog & Toad Survey Workshops

Volunteers interested in surveying Rouge wetlands for frogs and toads are encouraged to sign up today for one of four upcoming training workshops conducted by Friends of the Rouge.  Volunteers learn how to recognize eight frog and toad calls commonly heard in Michigan in spring and are assigned a nearby area to survey by listening.  Interested volunteers need to pre-register for one of four training workshops held in March. 

Anyone interested in learning about local wildlife and willing to learn the calls and devote a few evenings every month to listening is encouraged to sign up.  People from all walks of life participate in the survey, including students, retirees, families (children five and older are welcome when accompanied by a participating adult).  Surveys must be done within the Rouge River watershed(survey blocks are assigned as close to volunteers as possible).

The survey has been conducted since 1998 and results are used to track the health of local wetlands.  Wetlands are critical to the health of the Rouge River.  The survey is funded through a grant from the Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project and local Rouge communities.

2013 Workshops

Saturday, March 2, 10am-12pm, Northville Township Hall, 44405 Six Mile Road,
Northville 48168

Tuesday, March 5, 7-9pm, Canton Summit on the Park, 46000 Summit
Parkway, Canton 48188

Saturday, March 10, 10am-12pm, Farmington Hills City Hall, 31555 Eleven Mile
Road, Farmington Hills 48336

Wednesday March 13, 7-9pm, E.L. Johnson Nature Center, 3325 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Hills 48302      

Salt Smarts for Water Quality

During the winter months, salt and sand applied to our roads, driveways and sidewalks contribute to lake and stream pollution. Fifty pounds of salt – one large bag – can pollute 10,000 gallons of water.  That’s equivalent to one teaspoon of salt in a five-gallon bucket of water.

Tip: Many cities and states are working to reduce salt use while still keeping streets and sidewalks safe. Using less salt at home will help protect water quality in your neighborhood – and it will save money, too!

• Shovel first. Clear away as much snow and ice as possible before you use a deicer. Only use deicers on ice, not snow.
• Save your salt. Read the label and use salt sparingly. Use about 30 percent less salt by wetting it with some water before applying it to icy patches.
• Protect your plants. Keep salt away from salt-sensitive plants. Learn more about salt damage to plants at www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/id/id-412-w.pdf.
• Know your stuff. There are many types of deicers and they perform differently at different temperature ranges. The most common deicer, sodium chloride (“rock salt”), only melts ice to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Magnesium chloride and calcium chloride cost more, but work in colder temperatures.

(Sources: Madison Area Municipal Stormwater Partnership, www.myfairlakes.com; TomScheuler. Snow, Road Salt, and the Chesapeake Bay. The Center for Watershed Protection. http://www.cwp.org/; Iowa State University, Centre for Transportation and Research Education. “Prewetting with Salt Brine.” http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/PUBS/semisesq/session1/donahey/index.htm)

Master Composter Training Program at Bloomfield Township Library

Interested in learning how to compost to make use of lawn clippings, vegetable scraps, and other household waste to create beautiful and healthy gardens?

Then join SOCWA's Master Composter Program!

Gardeners completing the class typically say that they wish that they had known about it sooner....and are very grateful for the "new horizons." The class provides education on compost, healthy soils, healthy lawn care, natural mulches, sustainable landscapes and more. 

Classes begin Mon. March 11, 6:45 pm at the Bloomfield Twp Public Library.

See flyer for registration and cost details, Download Master Composter flyer 2013.

If you have questions about the scope of the class or the volunteer service involved, please contact:

Lillian Dean, Coordinator

SOCWA Healthy Lawns and Gardens

LFDean@aol.com    248-546-5818

Michigan Conservation Stewards Program - Oakland County

Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) offers Michigan Conservation Stewards Program in Oakland County: Spring 2013 Session scheduled for February 23 to April 29, 2013.

Are you looking for a great opportunity to learn about conservation and natural science and assume critical leadership roles through volunteering your time, knowledge, and skills in conservation management in your community? Individuals who take part in the Michigan Conservation Stewards Program (CSP) can learn how to effectively take part in informed, scientifically based conservation and resource management and work to sustain healthy ecosystems across Michigan.

MSUE and its partners are offering this volunteer training and leadership program designed for individuals who are interested in natural resource conservation and ecosystem management, natural history, outdoor recreation, natural areas, the region's environmental issues and challenges, and strategies to help restore and conserve ecosystems in Oakland County.  

Topics include Conservation Heritage, Ecological Foundations, Making Choices to Manage Natural Resources, Emerging Ecosystem Issues, and Managing Forestlands, Grasslands, Wetlands, and Lake and Stream Ecosystems. There will also be a volunteer expo highlighting conservation opportunities available in southeastern Michigan. The series of classes, led by experts in various fields of conservation and natural resources, will include lectures, interactive learning and field experiences.

This intensive program consists of nine evening classes held from 6-9 pm on MONDAY EVENINGS (February 25, March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 8, 15, 22, 29 (April 29th session runs from 6-10 pm) at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd, Waterford. Three ALL-DAY SATURDAY field sessions will be held from 9-4 pm on February 23 at the E.L. Johnson Nature Center, Bloomfield Hills; March 23 at Indian Springs Metropark, White Lake; and April 20 at Independence Oaks County Park, Clarkston.  

Early Registration fee is $275/participant if application packet and payment are received on or before February 1, 2013. Late Registration fee is $300/participant if application packet and payment are received on or after February 2, 2013. Deadline to register is February 15, 2013. Space is limited. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first served basis. Limited scholarships may be available.     

Program partners include ITC Transmission, Michigan State University, the Michigan Chapter of the North American Lake Management Society, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Oakland County Parks and Recreation, Oakland County Planning and Economic Development Services, Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, E.L. Johnson Nature Center, and Clinton River Watershed Council.

Become part of the network of dedicated, well-prepared volunteer Conservation Stewards who understand, actively contribute to or lead significant conservation management activities on public and private lands.  

Obtain a brochure and an application packet online at:

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

Call (248) 858-0887 to request registration materials by mail. The deadline to submit applications is February 15, 2013.

Car idling wastes gas?

For every two minutes a car idles, it uses about the same amount of fuel it takes to drive one mile. While it may be tempting to idle your car for a few minutes to “warm it up” during winter, 30 seconds is plenty of time to get going. Tailpipe emissions from cars contain pollutants that impact human health and the environment.

Tip: If just 10 percent of the estimated 65 million garage-owners in the United States cut idling by five minutes per day, we’d save about 84.5 million gallons of gas in a year! Remember that driving your car is the best way to warm it up. Excessive idling can actually damage your car’s engine, but frequently restarting the engine has little impact. Cut-down on idling even more by turning off the engine if you are sitting in a drive-through or school pick-up line for more than 10 seconds – 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.

 This information is provided by Living Lands and Waters.  Learn more at www.livinglandsandwaters.org.

Sources: California Energy Commission Consumer Energy Center: Should I Shut off the Motor When I’m Idling my Car? 2006-2011.  http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/myths/idling.html; Rogers, Elizabeth and Thomas M. Kostigen. The Green Book. 2007.)

Go Native! with Trees & Shrubs

Attend the SOCWA winter seminar to learn about planning, planting and maintaining native trees and shrubs.

Mon. Feb. 11, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Southfield Public Library, 26000 Evergreen Rd. Southfield, MI 

The seminar features two excellent speakers:

Bill Schneider, owner of WildType Nursery  (Mason, Michigan)
Kim Thompson Everett, Thompson Everett Gardening (Farmington Hills)

Topics:
• Native trees for urban biodiversity
• Restoring the ecology of our home landscapes
• Where to find native trees
• Planting and maintaining urban trees
• Your questions and issues

Plus table displays on: Rouge Green Corridor; Nature Center programs/volunteer opportunities; native forest communities and trees; invasive plants of concern; natural mulches

Flyer -  Download NativeSeminar2-11-13

FREE PROGRAM BUT ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Send name and home community to:  LFDean@aol.com or 248-546-5818.

National Ocean Sciences Bowl - Great Lakes Professional Development Opportunity

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is happy to announce a special professional development opportunity for middle and high school educators nationwide. All educators are welcome to attend, and NOSB coaches are highly encouraged to participate.

The free online webinar series, beginning in December 19, 2012 and running through January 2013, will focus on the 2013 NOSB competition theme, The Great Lakes: A Window into Freshwater Science. The purpose of the series is to provide teachers with the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of topics related to freshwater environments, as well as science and policy issues relevant to the Great Lakes. NOSB coaches, please note: The seminar’s guest experts will be writing questions for the 2013 NOSB competitions!

Throughout the webinar series, guest experts will cover issues related to a number of the theme’s subtopics such as an overview of the Great Lakes (history and geography), basic limnology, and current issues, including invasive species. Each of the presenters will give a one hour live webinar presentation on their current research or topic of interest, followed by a 30 minute Q&A session.

The links to each of the webinars will be posted on the NOSB website at:

http://www.nosb.org/professional-development

In addition to the live interactive portion of the webinars, there will also be asynchronous elements. Each presenter may post related educational resources on the NOSB webpage at:

http://www.nosb.org/professional-development, which will be available to you and your students to explore. Full video of the presentations will also be posted.

MEECS Water Quality Unit Teacher Training

Saturday, January 26, 2013

8:30 a.m. – Noon

Cranbrook Institute of Science

39221 Woodward Ave.

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303

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 targets grades 6-8 and 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.

Curriculum activities feature engaging, hands-on lessons that encourage student participation and inquiry. MEECS is aligned with science and social studies standards and MEAP assessment. The workshop offers an experienced trainer, in a fast-paced setting.

Cost: $10.00

The workshop cost includes breakfast, snacks, and the MEECS Water Quality Unit Curriculum Binder and Materials Set.

Lots of posters and giveaways will be offered!

 Registration

Download MEECS flyer Jan 2013

Call: (248) 645.3210 to register

http://science.cranbrook.edu