Introducing the On the Water program!
What is On The Water?
On the Water (OTW) is a new program for MUCC that is structured off of our four pillars advocacy, education, communication, and habitat. It coincides with our mission statement which is to unite citizens to conserve, protect and enhance Michigan’s natural resources and outdoor heritage.
The OTW program has five goals that we hope to implement over the next 18 months.
- Directly remove litter and waste from streams, rivers, lakes, shorelines, and wetlands.
- Have a direct and immediate impact on improving 100s of acres of aquatic habitat on a statewide level.
- Educate the public throughout the project areas by teaching them how to be responsible and creating a stewardship ethic for their public lands and waters through outreach conducted at cleanup and habitat events.
- Engage stakeholders from multiple user groups by bringing together conservation and environmental groups, businesses and government agencies all working towards one goal of habitat improvement.
- Help to create awareness about the similarities between recreational user groups. People use the outdoors in many different ways and sometimes that can cause tension. However, everyone usually agrees that better habitat and clean water are the foundation of quality natural resources. By creating projects that allow people to focus on a common goal of improving statewide habitat, it creates a bridge that highlights user groups are more similar than they sometimes think.
What does the OTW coordinator do?
I will be the boots on the ground creating this position and program and hopefully seeing OTW thrive to the same level as OTG in the next 18 months. My goal is to make a lasting impression at MUCC and in the state of Michigan. I want OTW to have a positive impact on freshwater and habitats throughout the state. I also want to connect and engage Michigan residence to their natural resources by highlighting and educating the importance of freshwater. Feel free to reach out to me at enehan@mucc.org . I hope to see you at an event soon!
What’s currently happening with the OTW program?
On Saturday, July 6th MUCC in partnership with Metrowest Stealheaders and the Clinton River Watershed Council held a Clinton River clean up event at Yates Park off of Avon Road in Rochester, Mi, and it was a great success! Over 40 volunteers showed up to help clean up their local river and improve the habitat. The volunteer event lasted 4.5 hours and we were able to clean up one entire mile of the watershed. If you include the paddle boat, we found on the river bank which we pulled out. We had over 400 lbs of trash picked up in just half a day!
We have a Red Cedar River cleanup event this Saturday from 9am-2pm at Michigan State University. Sign up here!
