The following article is from an archived newsletter. See our Shared Waters newsletter.

50 Years of Sea Grant: How to Roll Up Your Sleeves and Make a Difference

Mary Bohling
Michigan Sea Grant Extension
Plastic debris from the Detroit River

In 2016, the National Sea Grant College Program celebrates 50 years of putting science to work for America’s coastal communities. Sea Grant is a federal-state partnership that turns research into action by supporting science-based, environmentally sustainable practices that ensure coastal communities remain engines of economic growth in a rapidly changing world.

Michigan Sea Grant helps to foster economic growth and protect Michigan’s coastal, Great Lakes resources through research, education and outreach. A collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University Extension, Michigan Sea Grant is one of 33 programs in the NOAA National Sea Grant network. MSU Extension educators live and work in coastal communities around Michigan.

michigan sea grant mary bohling extension educator
Mary Bohling. Credit: Michigan Sea Grant

To celebrate Sea Grant’s 50th anniversary, Michigan Sea Grant is publishing a series of articles highlighting the work of our Extension educators. I was featured in a recent article where I was asked, “If you could get people to follow just one piece of conservation advice what would it be?” My response: Get involved! There are so many grassroots environmental organizations that rely on volunteers to accomplish their missions. Find one that speaks to your environmental passion, roll up your sleeves and make a difference.

I can’t stress enough how important it is for individuals to take a vested interest in contributing to the great work of our environmental nonprofits. Most of the local nonprofits that I partner with have very few paid employees and rely heavily on volunteers to help meet their missions. This is something I encourage my own family to do, too.

Since 2002 my family has participated in a special Detroit River cleanup as part of annual Earth Day celebrations. The event, hosted by the Friends of the Detroit River and their Detroit Riverkeeper, removes trash and debris from the river, and educates people about the Riverkeeper program and the public’s role in keeping our waters clean. The day begins at a local park where volunteers climb into boats and head out to several islands to collect trash that has washed ashore. Other volunteers collect trash along the mainland shoreline.

plastic debris detroit river
Plastic debris collected from the Detroit River. Credit: Michigan Sea Grant

When we first started attending the cleanup, we would find items such as couches, barbecue grills, and other large debris. This year as we scooped up trash along the shore, my daughter and I began to see another pattern emerge. The items we found most often were smaller plastic items that end up in our waterways because they are not properly disposed of. These items also take a long time to decompose and can pose hazards to wildlife. The 50-plus volunteers that joined the cleanup not only made a tangible impact that day on the Detroit River, but what they learn also allows them to make future decisions that help lead to a healthier natural world.

Another wonderful example of a volunteer making a difference is Bruce McCulloch. A fish biologist from Canada, Bruce and his wife relocated to the Detroit area. He had some free time and an interest in fish and benthic macroinvertebrates, so in 2006 he began volunteering for Friends of the Rouge. He quickly became indispensable to the program. Bruce is now a team leader who helps to train others. He assists in bug identification and acts as an adviser to the program, contributing articles on unusual findings in our reports and helping with data analysis.

“I have always felt that volunteering is important for many reasons. You volunteer your time because you believe in an organization. You know you are making a difference. Volunteering also allows you to meet new people and make new friends and contacts,” Bruce says.

“As a self-proclaimed ‘Bug Nerd,’ sampling and identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates is a labor of love. The discoveries of three species of sensitive caddisflies that were not known to occur in the Rouge River watershed were highlights for me. The volunteer monitoring that is being undertaken provides valuable time series data that can be used to gauge the health of the watershed.”

You too can make a difference throughout the Great Lakes. Not sure how to get involved? Start by looking for environmental organizations in your area. Call to see if they have volunteer opportunities and sign up to get their newsletters. You can also encourage your own friends and family to volunteer.

See also: The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Takes Trash, Leaves Footprints Adopt-a-Beach Volunteers: Passionate Agents of Change 

volunteers cleaning up shorelines benefit fish wildlife michigan sea grant
Volunteers play a key role in cleaning up shorelines to benefit fish and wildlife. Credit: Michigan Sea Grant

 

Mary Bohling
Michigan Sea Grant Extension

Mary Bohling is a Michigan Sea Grant Extension educator serving Macomb, Monroe, St. Clair and Wayne counties.

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