Storm Drains Project

On Saturday, June 2, a group of us traveled to 3 neighborhoods in Troy and marked their drains to remind residents not to dump any foreign material into their storm sewers. We had 3 kids helping us, Caroline, Anna and Miyo, and they placed door hangers on doors with information and links to our 7 Simple Steps to Clean Water page. After we were done, we joined the River Day Project in Troy for lunch. It was a great time, and we decided that we'd love to do another storm-drain-marking day in the fall. Click here for more pictures: Storm Drain Marking Pictures.

Visiting the Clinton River Watershed

On Tuesday Dan Keifer, development director of the Clinton River Watershed Council, hosted a group of us at their offices in Rochester. What a great guy...very knowledgeable and committed. He started by explaining about the 10,000 year history of the Clinton River Watershed. The glaciers made the river and the moraine landscape. The Clinton River is very unique in that it is so close to Detroit, yet it has the natural characteristics of a northern Michigan River. Dan talked about the great progress that has been made from the days when the Clinton River was known as one of the worst rivers in Michigan to now when the trout and salmon have returned. The challenge now is dealing with all the development pressures on the river. Dan is personally meeting with developers and trying to find an eco-economic balance where both business and river can thrive. He believes that we have been disconnected from the natural world that surrounds and sustains us and that it is vital for both ourselves and for our environment that we begin to reconnect. This is a personal mission of Dan's that is very inspirational.