MUCC’s On the Water program has been making an impact throughout the state of Michigan this July!

On July 11th OTW kicked off its field season with a trash pick up at Bay City State Park to help improve Saginaw Bay. And it was a great success! With over 35 volunteers and about 350 pounds of trash collected in 4 hours OTW made a difference in the region of this state.

The next stop was Sault Ste Marie where OTW teamed up with Lake Superior State Universities Center for Freshwater Research and Education in helping clean up Ashmun Creek. Even though the event got cut short due to bad weather 25 volunteers where able to pick up 400 pounds of trash from the watershed, this prevents the trash from traveling in Ashmun Bay and into the St. Marys River.

The last event that OTW held for the month of July was at Kitchel-Lindqiust-Hartger Dunes Preserve. This event had a small but mighty crew pulling Spotted Knapweed for three hours. That might not seem like that much time but in just a few hours these volunteers were able to pull over 100 pounds of Spotted Knapweed and had 20 bags full of the invasive species! Pulling this invasive in the dunes it’s critical for the Pitchers Thistle to survive. This species is listed on the endangered species list and it’s essential to the sensitive dunes ecosystem.

The next OTW event that is on the calendar is the Clinton River Clean-up in Rochester! OTW is partnering up with Metro West Steelheaders! On August 8 2020 starting at 8 am we will meet at Yates Park and proceed to the worksite.

REGISTER HERE

Free lunch and OTW swag bag will be provided to all volunteers who register before the event!

Volunteering with the OTW program is a rewarding and fun way to give back to your natural resources and take care of the watershed you enjoy. Our projects are hosted all across Michigan, and we have hosted volunteer events from the Upper Peninsula to the suburbs of Detroit. And OTW has only been around for a year but most importantly, the OTW program gives individuals the opportunity to directly enhance aquatic habitat and local watersheds like streams, lakes, and wetlands

On the Water is funded through a Consumers Energy Foundation Planet Grant. In total, OTW has held 13 field events and one educational event removed 2560 pounds of litter and hosted 372 volunteers. On the Water has been a massive success when it comes to being present in communities and cleaning up local watersheds through the mitten state. MUCC thanks the Consumers Energy Foundation for its dedication to conservation and willingness to reach broad user groups through freshwater cleanups.

If you have questions or comments about the event, please contact Emma Nehan at enehan@mucc.org.