OTW Kicks off 2021 Field Season with Brighton Clean-Up!

MUCC’s On the Water program’s 2021 field season is underway. This past Saturday, MUCC partnered with National Wildlife Federation’s Artemis program to remove trash from two identified Adopt-A-Forest sites within the Brighton Recreation Area.  

The Adopt-A-Forest program’s mission is “to enhance the enjoyment of public forest land by eliminating illegal dumping and to increase awareness of recycling opportunities for waste materials found.” If you are interested in learning more about the problem of illegal dumping here in Michigan, follow this link to the Michigan Adopt-A-Forest Guide. 

Our mighty crew of volunteers gathered at the Chenango Lake Boat Launch inside the recreation area, and while safely socially distanced, picked up a wide array of trash that had been illegally dumped. Among the removed items were plenty of glass and plastic bottles, discarded auto parts, large parts of a porcelain sink and toilet, a few televisions and several tires. At the end of the day, it is estimated that our volunteers removed more than 600 lbs of trash in only a couple of hours! It was a fantastic day to spend outside and a great event for people to come and learn about MUCC and its partner organizations. 

We could not have done this event without the help of our partner Jen Davis, who is an Ambassador for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Artemis Program. Jen reached out to the MUCC field team with this project and was vital in helping us host a smooth and efficient workday for the volunteers. 

The Artemis program is a wonderful branch of NWF, and its mission statement is, “As sportswomen and conservationists we do more than hunt and fish. We have an obligation to give as well as receive and to embody an inclusive culture. The complete sportswoman can skin a deer, land a burly brown trout, navigate in the wild, and she knows her game commissioners and politicians, knows wildlife laws, defends all wildlife, advocates on their behalf, and teaches others these skills. We cannot expect the next generation to enjoy the privilege of our irreplaceable lands, waters and wildlife without our explicit engagement in all facets of the sporting conservation life. Artemis embodies the definition of the complete sportswoman and sees it as our duty to use our platform to promote and teach this philosophy.” If you are interested in learning more about the Artemis program, click here. 

Working with volunteers on projects like this is my favorite part of my AmeriCorps service. The work we did on Saturday will improve outdoor recreation experiences within the Brighton Recreation Area. 

I look forward to getting back into the field soon, and in the AmeriCorps spirit, getting things done.