GRAND RAPIDS – West Michigan Environmental Action Council, Grand Rapids Public Museum and Founders Brewing Company are presenting a forum examining the current state and potential future of the Grand River in West Michigan on Tuesday, May 22 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Meijer Theatre.

RECONNECT TO THE RIVER will feature an expert panel, discussing the behaviors which contributed to the degradation of the river’s water quality and the available options for restoring the river’s health. Key topics include restoring the rapids, fisheries and habitat, stormwater management, river activation and recreation.

“The Grand River has defined our community literally and emotionally since the very beginning,” said Nicholas Occhipinti, Policy Director for the West Michigan Environmental Action Council and an event panelist. “It’s our key geographic feature and our greatest inland natural resource. We settled here for it, and it’s always been a key economic and environmental asset. Still, we haven’t always appreciated it.”

Occhipinti noted several key initiatives currently underway which stand to greatly improve how our community relates to the Grand River. WMEAC’s community stormwater planning initiative is wrapping up a two-year project focused on improving water pollution policy in the city. Trout Unlimited is involved in a similar initiative upriver to help protect local fisheries and aquatic habitat.  Grand Rapids Whitewater is in the midst of a high-profile plan to put the city’s eponymous rapids back into the Grand River. The City of Grand Rapids and several partners downtown are working hard to improve access to the river and fashion a downtown district that appreciates, values and protects the Grand.

Panelists include Nicolas Occhipinti; Susan Schulz, Director of the Planning Department for the City of Grand Rapids; Joshua Zuiderveen, Owner of StreamWorks, LLC; Kristin Thomas, Aquatic Ecologist at Michigan Trout Unlimited; and Chip Richards, Co-founder of Grand Rapids Whitewater; plus Phil Skaggs, West Michigan Director of Michigan League of Conservation Voters, who will serve as moderator.

The evening will also feature the debut of a short film by the Green Living Project, a global initiative focused on documenting sustainability-related stories that highlight efforts in tourism, wildlife, education, food, community development and social issues. The film will feature WMEAC, Trout Unlimited, Grand Rapids Whitewater and City of Grand Rapids.

Sponsors for the event include Grand Rapids Public Museum and Founders Brewing Company. The event is free to the public, although registration is encouraged, as seating is limited. A reception with cash bar will begin at 6 p.m. Programming begins at 6:30 p.m. RSVP at wmeac.org/reconnect.

Visit wmeac.org/reconnect for more information and a complete list of panelists. For interviews contact Daniel Schoonmaker at dschoonmaker@wmeac.org or 616.451.3051 x28.

Sunday, May 20th – SWMTU will have a volunteer clean up from 9 am to 12 pm on Cedar Creek.  We will be focusing on the stretch between 17 Mile Road and Riggle Park.  Volunteers should plan on meeting at the Taco Bell on 17 Mile, about 1/2 mile east of 131 in Cedar Springs.  A post clean up lunch will be provided.  Wear your waders! Questions? Contact Marc Montpetit at MarcMontpetit@290signs.com.

The show airs Thursday at 6:30am, Friday at 4:30pm and Saturday at 2:00pm.

Arrival is any time after noon on Thursday, June 21 with departure on Sunday, June 24. You may come for one, two or all three nights. This years nightly rate with be $50.00 for one night, $100.00 for two nights and $150.00 for three nights.

Please RSVP with Larry Risbridger by June 15. Larry can reached at elrisbridger@charter.net or by phone at 616.890.8327. Please give your name, which nights we can expect you, along with your phone number and email address. If you are attending for the first time and have any questions about the format of the weekend, please give Larry a call for details.

The annual membership meeting and election of officers and new board members will be held on Saturday morning, June 23 at 10:00 a.m. Non board members are not required to attend.

ACCOMMODATIONS
The Wa Wa Sum Lodge is an historic log building with a great porch over looking the Au Sable River. Sleeping arrangements are dorm style, so bring your own bedding or sleeping bag and towels.

FOOD
We will be providing cold breakfast foods for Friday and Sunday mornings. Our only organized meal will be a large hot breakfast on Saturday morning. We will have other snacks and lunch items available for you to make meals to take to the stream. Please bring your own beverages. There are many restaurants located nearby in Grayling. There is a grill available for your use.

FISHING
Mid June is traditionally a great time for some of the best hatches of the season. You can fish right in front of the lodge on the Au Sable or venture to other rivers including the North and South Branches of the Au Sable and the Manistee River. Wakely Lake is nearby for bass and bluegills. And there is a good chance that the famous Hex Hatch will be on.

More information on Wa Wa Sum (courtesy of MSU)

Wa Wa Sum is a Michigan State University research and conference facility located on the Au Sable River six miles east of Grayling.

The name Wa Wa Sum means “Plain View” in the Ojibwa language and was given to the camp in 1905 by Chief David Shoppenagon, an Au Sable guide and woodsman. At that time, because of the extensive logging of the region’s pine forests, the view from the high bank on which the camp is built was unobstructed for miles to the south. Since then, the forests have regenerated, slowly obscuring the view beyond the river.

Chief Shoppenagon built the first building at the camp, now known as the Dining Room, in 1880. In 1897, Rubin Babbit, an Au Sable woodsman who later becam Michigan’s first wildlife officer, built a second structure, now the Administration Building. These first buildings were constructed of red pine and tamarack logs and used as a fishing camp for a group of Toledo businessmen. Other cabins of various sizes were added in later years: the Bullpen (1907); the Big Camp (1921/22); the Barn and the Guide’s Cabin (early 1930s).

The buildings and 251 acres of land were deeded to MSU in 1980 by owners Virginia Secor Stranahan and Frank Bell, descendants of two of the camp’s six original owners. Kevin Gardiner, a descendant of Rubin Babbit, is the camp’s present caretaker. He is the third generation of his family to perform these duties.

Stormwater Runoff Citizen Workshop
Purpose: This workshop will provide the public with an understanding of stormwater runoff and things you can do to control it on your property.

Date: Thursday, March 15, 2012
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Where: Rockford Community Cabin
220 N Monroe St NE
Rockford, Michigan 49341

Rogue River Watershed Citizen Monitors Training
Purpose: Training volunteers to collect temperature, flow, and insect data in the watershed. At the end of the training participants will be certified “Rogue River Watershed Citizen Monitors”. This event is in partnership with the existing Michigan Trout Unlimited River Keepers Program.

Date: Saturday, March 24, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where: Rockford Community Cabin
220 N Monroe St NE
Rockford, Michigan 49341

Spring Stream Team Monitoring
Purpose: Volunteers will sample stream sites for insects and identify the insects that they find to be able to determine water quality conditions at that site. This event is in partnership with the existing Michigan Trout Unlimited River Keepers Program.

Date: Saturday, April 7, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where: Algoma Township Hall
10531 Algoma Ave
Rockford, Michigan 49341