Clean Metro Detroit's Watersheds For National Volunteer Week

SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN — It’s finally starting to feel like spring, and Metro Detroiters are thinking of warm days on the rivers and lakes. National Volunteer Week is April 7-13 and the local lovers of Michigan's waterways say its a great opportunity for outdoor lovers to help cleanup southeast Michigan’s watersheds.

The Southeast Michigan Watershed Organizations offer plenty of opportunities for volunteers of all ages and ability levels.

All four groups--Detroit, Rouge, Clinton and Huron--have spring volunteer events planned.

1. The Friends of the Detroit River is looking for boat owners for its lower river cleanup on April 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteer boaters will clean up the shorelines on the small islands that dot the lower river, as well as some downriver sections of the riverfront. Non-boat owners are more than welcome too as the Detroit Riverkeeper and other volunteers will provide shuttle service to the cleanup sites all morning.

Bob Burns, Friends of the Detroit River’s Riverkeeper, said volunteers are crucial to his organization’s continued efforts to maintain and improve wildlife habitats in the Detroit River.

“Our volunteers bring knowledge and willingness to get a little dirty and work hard,” said Burns. “Without their help, especially for the spring cleanups, we would not be able to get our shorelines in shape for summer recreation.”

• The annual Rouge Rescue cleanup takes place on May 18 with many work sites throughout southeast Michigan, including Westland, Birmingham, Southfield, Dearborn and Detroit.
• The Huron River Roundup takes place on April 27. Volunteers and staff members will travel to two streams and collect insect samples by sorting through leaves, stone and sediment.
• Although the Clinton River Watershed Council’s major annual cleanup is scheduled for September, the group hosts weekly river cleanups on Wednesday mornings. April’s cleanups will be in Sterling Heights, Clinton Township, Pontiac and Rochester Hills.

Data collection is a key takeaway for the watershed councils. “The great number of volunteers out on the river can act as our eyes and ears, and alert us to a potential cleanup site that we might not see right away,” said Anne Brasie, executive director, Clinton River Watershed Council. “They can collect information on nesting sites, too, so we are grateful for their help.”

Huron River Watershed Council marketing director Pam Labadie agrees. “It’s very hands-on citizen science,” she said. “The type and quantities of bugs we find help us identify immediate problems and longer term trends regarding water quality that inform our project and community partners.”

For more detailed information about the various watershed spring cleanup initiatives, visittherouge.org, crwc.org, detroitriver.org, or hrwc.org.