Great Lakes Watershed

Welcome!

Our website provides information about Cranbrook Institute of Science watershed education programs and events, resources for Great Lakes education, and ideas on how you can protect and conserve the Great Lakes.  Look beneath the Michigan map for our Water Blog.

Click for Tips on what you can do to help the Great Lakes!

Do you live in a watershed?  Find out here!

Below is a map of the schools our Water on the Go! program has visited (blue pins).  Green pins include images of rivers, lakes and streams from around the Great Lakes basin.

View Water on the Go! Programs in a larger map

Project WET Workshop for Teachers

Time:  9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012

Location: Belle Isle Nature Zoo conference room, Detroit, MI
Cost: $10 includes lunch & Project WET Activity Guide for Detroit teachers ($45 for teachers outside Detroit)
Credit:  0.5 SB-CEUs offered

Description:

Project WET   K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide for classroom and outdoor learning teaches students about our water resources.

* Interdisciplinary activities aligned to GLCEs.

* 64 outstanding activities are teacher-tested and classroom–ready

Addresses:  Physical & Chemical Characteristics, Water Quality & Conservation,  Water Management,  Water sheds & Earth Systems

Presenters:
Joan Chadde, Water Resources Specialist, Michigan Technological University
Kathleen Dougherty, Education Specialist, Oakland County Parks

**TO REGISTER for Project WET Workshop: Call Joan Chadde at 906.487.3341 or email: jchadde@mtu.edu .  Provide name, school, grades/subjects taught, email, phone

Native Alternatives to Invasive Trees and Shrubs Seminar

Thursday, February 2, 2012

7:00-9:00 PM

Costick Center,  28600 W. Eleven Mile Rd. Farmington Hills, MI 48336

Sponsored by SOCWA

Part I:
Restoring the Ecology of Heritage Park in Farmington Hills
• Woodland diversity – what does it mean in an urban setting? Ashlie Simons, Heritage Park Nature Center Supervisor
• Removing invasives and planting natives: Heritage Park experiences
-­ Randy Lovett, Supervisor of Parks, Farmington Hills

Part II:
Poster Session:
Community Projects for Rouge River Landscape Restoration -­‐ Table displays: native plants, rain gardens, invasive removal, environmental education, trees and mulching, and more

Part III:
FEATURED PRESENTATION:
Native Alternatives to Invasive Trees and Shrubs, -­‐ Tom O’Dell, Nichols Arboretum and Matthei Botanical Gardens

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:
Telephone SOCWA at 248-­288-­5150
or via e-­mail: LFDean@aol.com

Dan Wolz Clean Water Education Grant

The Michigan Water Environment Association is offering the Dan Wolz Clean Water Education Grant for teachers. This is a grant that pays for:

• a teacher to attend the MSTA conference for two years in a row (registration, sub costs, and hotel)
• as well as the MWEA State Conference
• and provides $1000.00 for a classroom project that has a focus on water environment issues!

Applications are due January 31, 2012.

Decisions will be made by February 7, 2012. (Winner will be required to attend the MSTA Award Luncheon on March 9 at the MSTA state Conference in Lansing).  The application and more information can be at:
http://www.msta-mich.org/downloads/publications/2011_DanWolz_application.pdf

Help Keep Unwanted Medications & Chemicals out of the Great Lakes

Be an informed consumer, know about the safe disposal of PPCPs.

What are PPCPs? Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products

Each day, antobiotics, vitamins, pain medications, hormonal supplements, over-the-counter and prescription medications and other PCPPs are finding their way into the environment, including the Great Lakes. These substances represent a new form of water pollution. PCPPs can cause harm if disposed of improperly when no longer needed or expired.

What to do? Take your unwanted/expired medicines to local "drop-off" events or locations - your local government will have information about safe disposal. Ask your pharmacy/drug store if they accept unwanted medications.

For more information on how to organize a collection event and educator lesson plans, please visit: www.unwantedmeds.org

Teaching with Great Lakes Data Webinar

If you missed the Teaching with Great Lakes Data Webinar on November 29th and would like to watch the recorded version, clicke here.

November 29, 2011
4:00 - 6:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time)

Explore lessons and activities, data sets and tools
In this webinar you will explore lessons and activities, data sets and tools about dead zones, climate and weather, storm surges, and fish habitat in the Great Lakes. Using inquiry methods and real-time and historical data to teach about these topics will be discussed. Lessons are aligned with Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations and National Science Education Standards.

This webinar is free but pre-registration is required: http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/workshops/gldata/registration.php

Once registered, you will receive an email with information about accessing the webinar. Each registrant will receive relevant Great Lakes educational materials free of charge.

Speakers:

Steve Stewart, Senior Extension Educator and Education Co-leader, Michigan Sea Grant
Laura Welsh Florence, Education Specialist, Michigan Sea Grant
Cynthia Hagley, Environmental Quality Extension Educator, Minnesota Sea Grant

David Hart, Coastal Communities Outreach Specialist, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Moderator:
Elizabeth LaPorte, Communications Director and Education Co-leader, Michigan Sea Grant

Got Waders?

We do! The fall 2011 student water quality monitoring season is over at Cranbrook, but we are now planning for the spring. Sign up your class for this hands-on experience investigating the Rouge River in 2012! See our data sheet on our Great Lakes Education page.

Click here for registration information.

Attention High School students, help Educate about Water Protection - enter the PSA contest!

The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s (WRC) Office invites high school students to participate in the first annual High School PSA contest. Winning entries will be used for educational purposes. Entries will be accepted September 1, 2011 through December 1, 2011. To find out more about contest details and Public Service Announcement content, view the announcement.

Video coverage from Great Lakes Week in Detroit now available

Visit the Great Lakes Now website to see video coverage of the Great Lakes week in Detroit on Oct. 11-14, 2011 streaming on-demand. It includes coverage of the International Joint Commission Biennial Meeting, Great Lakes Commission Annual Meeting, U.S Areas of Concern Program Meeting, and Healing our Waters Conference. The website provides unprecedented coverage of these public forums that review, develop and chart the future of public policy towards the Great Lakes. The video coverage and website are a project of Detroit Public Television.

2011 Rouge River Water Festival

Thanks to everyone that participated in the Rouge River Water Festival, Sept. 13-16, 2011 at Cranbrook Institute of Science!

1,729 students participated from Oakland County schools in the Rouge River watershed.

More than 250 teachers and parents attended the water festival.

Schools from 11 communities: Bloomfield Hills, Bingham Farms, Southfield, West Bloomfield, Commerce Twp., Birmingham, Troy, Farmington Hills, Farmington, Beverly Hills and Walled Lake.

32 organizations presented: Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office, Plymouth Technology, Organization for Bat Conservation, Strait Power, General Motors, U.S. EPA, Clinton River Watershed Council, Macomb County Health Dept., Friends of the Detroit River, Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc., MSU Extension Oakland County, Organization for Bat Conservation, Huron-Clinton Metroparks Mobile Learning Center, Indian Springs Metropark, Alliance for Rouge Communities, Waste Management, Southeastern Oakland County Water Authority, OHM Inc., Friends of the Rouge, Wayne County Dept. of Environment, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Macomb County Public Works, Hawk Woods Nature Center, DTE Energy, Marine Pollution Control, Oakland County Parks, Voyage in Time.net, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Alliance for the Great Lakes, Detroit Water & Sewerage Dept., and City of Auburn Hills.

Thank you to Great Lakes Guardians and the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's Office the as our lead sponsors in 2011!

            

Thank you also to  DTE Energy Foundation, Masco Corporation Foundation, Harris Family Philanthropic Fund, Critter Catchers and Alliance of Rouge Communities for their support.

 

2011 Rouge River Water Festival Sept.13-16

 

Visit our waterfest page for more infromation on the upcoming event!