UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Volunteer Stream Monitoring Winter Potluck

9:30am - 2:30pm

Meet at Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council by 9:45am and carpool to Five Mile Creek

It may be cold outside, but our local rivers and streams are still teeming with life. This year’s monitoring event will take place on Five Mile Creek, north of Harbor Springs. The Watershed Council will supply all the tools you will need to collect and examine aquatic insects, snails, crustaceans and other small invertebrates, which are used as bio-indicators to gauge the health of a stream. Dress appropriately and if you have waders, bring them along. Depending on the snow conditions, snowshoes may be recommended to reach the monitoring site. This is a perfect event for friends and families to learn more about the creek and what they can do to protect and serve our precious water resources. After exploring the creek the group will return to the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council office for a potluck and socializing.

This event is free and the public is welcome to attend. You do not have to be a volunteer stream monitor to participate. Limited space is available so please RSVP by contacting Kevin Cronk at Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council at 231-347-1181 or by e-mail at kevin@watershedcouncil.org.

February 9, 2012

Michigan Natural Resource Inventory

Noon - 1:00pm
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Conference Room
Presented by: Phyllis Higman, Michigan Natural Resource Inventory
Come learn about the exciting volunteer opportunities and other initiatives of Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI). MNFI, a program of Michigan State University Extension, conducts state-wide surveys of plants, animals, and ecosystems in an effort to support the conservation of Michigan's biodiversity.

February 23, 2012

Small Dam Removal

Noon - 1:00pm
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Conference Room
Presented by: Jennifer Gelb, Restoration Ecologist
and Dr. Grenetta Thomassey, Program Director
In Michigan, we have thousands of small dams with an expected 50-year lifespan. Unfortunately, most are older than or close to that lifespan, making them unsafe. Additionally, small dams can block fish passage, warm water temperatures, and alter stream hydrology. Join us to hear more about these ecological impacts, as well as our partnerships and efforts to remove small dams in our region and the state.

March 8, 2012

Pleasant Paddles Through Northern Michigan Gems

Noon - 1:00pm
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Conference Room
Presented by: Kevin Cronk, Monitoring and Research Coordinator
Northern Michigan is known for its large, resplendent lakes such as Burt, Charlevoix, and Torch, but few get off the beaten track to explore the hidden gems scattered throughout the area. Join Kevin Cronk, Monitoring and Research Coordinator, for a virtual paddle through some of these small, but breathtakingly beautiful lakes in our area.

March 22, 2012

Fracking Update

Noon - 1:00pm
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Conference Room
Presented by: Dr. Grenetta Thomassey, Program Director
Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) forces millions of gallons of water mixed with chemicals and sand down a well to split rock formations and extract natural gas. In Michigan, focus is on the previously unexplored Utica-Collingwood shale, at depths of 5,000-9,000 feet. Come hear about the fight to update state oil & gas regulations to reflect use of this new technology and protect our water resources.

Join us for our Spring Stream Monitoring

May 12, 2012

Volunteer Stream Monitoring - TRAINING DAY

Volunteer Stream Monitoring Training will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at the Watershed Council office in downtown Petoskey. Training consists of presentations about various aspects of the program and general macroinvertebrate biology, equipment and field data sheet review, and a hands-on practicum on the Bear River, so that volunteers can “get their feet wet”. Coffee and snacks provided and break taken for lunch.

May 19, 2012

Volunteer Stream Monitoring - FIELD DAY

Stream monitoring will be carried out on Saturday, May 19, 2012, starting at 9:00 a.m. and going until 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. Volunteer groups meet streamside to undertake monitoring or at the Watershed Council office to be assigned to a team. Volunteer teams collect a representative sample of the aquatic macroinvertebrate population for later identification and also note general stream conditions. Each team monitors two sites on the same river or stream.

June 3, 2012

Volunteer Stream Monitoring- INDOOR SORTING & IDENTIFICATION DAY

Volunteer teams gather at North Central Michigan College on Sunday, June 3, 2012 to sort and identify aquatic macroinvertebrate specimens collected in the field. This session runs from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. and is held in room 262 in the Science Building on the NCMC campus in Petoskey. Refreshments are provided.

For more information about our Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program
or to register for one or all of the training sessions, please contact
Kevin Cronk at 231-347-1181 or kevin@watershedcouncil.org.

Other Events of Interest

February 15, 2012

RED GOLD film presentation
February 15, 2012 ~ 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Crooked Tree Arts Center - Petoskey

Join the Miller Van Winkle Trout Unlimited Chapter for a feature film presentation of RED GOLD at 7:00 p.m.. Doors will open at 6:00 pm so we will have a chance to meet Tim Osmar (2001 Yukon Quest champ) and Monica Zappa who are competitive dog mushers from Alaska and running in three races in the Midwest this January and February. Compelled to protect the wild salmon treasure that is Bristol Bay, Alaska. Tim and Monica have dedicated their racing in the Beargrease, Apostle Islands and UP Michigan mid-distance contests to raising awareness about the dangers of the proposed Pebble Mine to the Bristol Bay watershed. Learn more about them, their dogs and their "Mush for a Cause" at : www.osmarracingandtours.com

February 16, 2012

Inaugural Meeting for the Pigeon & Sturgeon River Habitat Projects
February 16, 2012 ~ 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Livingston Township Hall

Get to know these wonderful watersheds up close and learn about the Pigeon and Sturgeon River Habitat Projects that will take place in the next two years including road/stream crossing improvements, instream habitat enhancement and reconnecting important wildlife corridors. You’ll have the opportunity to talk with Huron Pines project staff and DNR Fisheries Biologists as well as learn more about getting involved with protecting these habitat gems. Huron Pines will also have the interactive river model.

If you plan to attend the meeting please contact Jill at (989) 344-0753 x21 or jill@huronpines.org to make sure they have enough materials on hand. A special thanks to Livingston Township for opening their doors for this event and to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for financial support.