©2004 Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council
P.O. Box 17164, Lansing, Michigan 48901-7164
(517) 485-9001 yorko446@cs.com
|
Past River Protection Projects
Volunteer Stream Monitoring
- In April 2003, 4-H students worked with Mid-MEAC volunteers to plant over 300 shrubs and
trees along the banks of the Red Cedar River at Potter Park. This project was funded by
KAT (Kids and Trees) grant. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a great
success!
- In 2002, Mid-MEAC worked with the Water Division of Michigan’s Department of
Environmental Quality to start a volunteer stream monitoring program. Following a half-day
training by Gary Kohlhepp, a DEQ aquatic biologist, volunteers visited eight sites on the
Grand and its local tributaries. By trapping, identifying and counting the bottom dwelling
insects at each site, the amateur scientists calculated the health of that stretch of water.
Along with dozens of volunteer groups from around the state, they then sent samples and
data to the DEQ staff specialists who had selected the sites. In this way, Mid-MEAC will
help complete a big picture of surface water conditions. Rachel Disipio and Scott Geib,
student volunteers from MSU’s Lyman Briggs residential college, very competently planned
and administered this kickoff water-testing event.
Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council
Helping citizens transform environmental concern into action...
Mid-MEAC and the Clean Water Fund
- Mid-MEAC was initially started as a program of the Clean Water Fund, designed to create
opportunities for local citizen action around river protection in the Lansing area.
- Between 1993 and 2003, Mid-MEAC coordinated dozens of projects aimed at river
protection, including:
- Volunteer river clean ups.
- Storm drain stencilling and labeling projects.
- A Riparian Handbook for homeowner along the Red Cedar, along with
educational outreach and classes.
Mid-MEAC is now looking for volunteers to help
with stream sampling every fall and spring!!
Please email Jessica at yorko446@cs.com if you
are interested in learning more.
|
Mid-MEAC Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program Basics:
- Based on approach used by Huron River Watershed
Council, used for several years; now coordinating 150
volunteers and 30 sites on their Stream Monitoring days.
- Funded for 2 years by the MiCorps program (for staff
support, technical assistance, equipment, program
development); developing sources for continuing support
once MiCorps funding ends in July 2008.
- Will be collecting and identifying samples each spring
and fall, and will conduct habitat assessments each
spring. We will not do bug identification streamside; we
will do it on a separate day, in a lab setting with
microscopes and keys on hand.
- Focusing on Red Cedar River for next few years. Site for
fall 2006 include Sycamore Creek, Red Cedar River at
Dobie Road, Kalamink Creek at Van Orden Road in Leroy
Township, and others. Will continue to identify good sites,
and add sites as new volunteer are recruited.
- On Stream Monitoring days, volunteers will be grouped
into teams of five-six people per team, and assigned two
sites.
- Roles of people on the team: Picker, Assistant, Collector,
Streamside Leader, Manager. (See “Team Structure
(PDF)” sheet, which will also be provided on monitoring
day.)
Thank you July 2007
Volunteers! Amy, Art,
Karl, Brendan, Geoff &
Shane, Val, Susan, Tim,
Dan, Jack, and Kay!
Thank you TetraTech for
hosting the ID session
and providing great food!
To view the result of
the Fall 2006 and
Spring 2007 sampling
sessions, go to
www.micorps.net and
click "data exchange",
and enter "Ingham
County".
Click here for photos
from the Fall 06 and
Spring 07 sessions.
|
Why collect bugs?
- Early indicators of
localized conditions
- Easy sampling
techniques
- Primary source of food
for many fish
- Generally abundant
communities
- Diversity = Healthy
Stream
- Threats to bug
diversity:
sedimentation, habitat
loss, chemical pollution.
