MSU Extension Conservation Connections - Oakland County ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
MSU Extension Conservation Connections
December 2020
Leading the Way: Mentorship Opportunities for High School Students Available
through the Michigan State University Multicultural Apprenticeship Program
The Michigan State University (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources helps to
mentor beginning faculty, young alumni and students. This video features Ty’Carria Trevino,
student in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at MSU, and Alexis Horton, an MSU
graduate who works for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Both women share
how they benefitted from mentorship opportunities provided through MSU’s Multicultural
Apprenticeship Program (MAP), a summer program for high school students in Michigan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMOPMDdJf-w&feature=youtu.be
Apply Today for a Clean Boats Clean Waters Minigrant Passionate organizations dedicated to protecting Michigan’s waters from aquatic invasive species can now apply for funding through the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program. This new grant program is for organizations interested in conducting outreach and education about aquatic invasive species to boaters. Eligible applicants include lake associations, wa- tershed groups, local or tribal units of govern- ment, and non-profits. Find out more: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/apply-today-for-a-michigan-clean-boats-clean-waters-grant Clinton River Watershed Council Offers a Virtual Winter Stonefly ID Virtual Training (for those who plan to participate in the Annual Stonefly Search) Did you know that stoneflies can only live in streams with good water quality? Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC) needs your help. Each January during their annual Winter Stonefly Search, CRWC assigns groups of volunteers to search for stoneflies as a way to gauge the health of the Clinton River and its streams. To participate in this unique event, CRWC staff is offering a virtual stonefly identification training to get volunteers ready for their annual stonefly count on January 30, 2021. Registration is required for both events. Stonefly Identification Training: January 16, 2021 at 9 am via Zoom 2021 Winter Stonefly Search January 30, 2021 at 9 am For more information, visit https://www.crwc.org/ or email Katie Yates at katie@crwc.org.
MSU Forestry Partners with Detroit-based Institutions to Expand Natural Resources Education
The Michigan State University (MSU) Department of Forestry is establishing
relationships with Detroit learning institutions ECOTEK and University Prep
Science & Math: High School (UPSM) to further education and diversity in
natural resources.
The initiative, led by Justin Kunkle, Assistant Director of Undergraduate
Studies and Academic Advisor, is part of a broader network of interdiscipli-
nary team members from Detroit-based community groups, K-12 educators
and natural resources practitioners.
In conjunction with faculty and staff from MSU College of Agriculture and
Natural Resources and Michigan Tech, the team worked to identify poten-
tial pathways through which Detroit youth could pursue academic routes
and careers in natural resources.“The idea is to connect all those partners
and have a framework in place where students can pick and choose [from
these programs] and attend programming year-round,” said Kunkle.
Read more:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/msu-forestry-partners-with-detroit-
based-institutions-to-expand-natural-resources-education
Proposals Sought for Grants to Support Inland Lake Research. Students and Groups Eligible to Apply
Once again, the Michigan Chapter, North American Lake Management Society and the Michigan Lakes and
Streams Association have teamed up to offer their annual Lake Research Student Grants Program for re-
search on Inland Lakes for 2021. If you have a student or know of someone who might be interested in apply-
ing for funding, please pass this information on to them. Participants enrolled in or recent alumni of the
Michigan Lake and Stream Leaders Institute, Michigan Conservation Stewards Program, or similar Watershed
Academy are also eligible to apply. Complete details as well as a link to the Application and Grant Proposal
form are available at https://www.mcnalms.org/grants/. Up to $4000 is available for the funding of one or
more proposals. Announcement of recipients will be made by the end of March or early April. Proposals are
due by Friday, February 26. For further information, contact mcnalms@mcnalms.org.
The Michigan State University Extension Conservation Stewards Program final “Conservation Talk” webinar of 2020 will be on December 15th, from 12-1PM EST via Zoom. Perspectives in Conservation: Understanding People and the Landscape to Protect our Natural Heritage Speaker: Jesse Lincoln, Michigan Natural Features Inventory Tour Michigan through the eyes of a Michigan Natural Feature Inventory (MNFI) Conservation Scientist. MNFI partners with a range of agencies and contributes to processes that shape the future of our state. Visit some of the wildest places in the state and get a sense of the projects shaping our natural areas. Participants are invited to stay on with Mr. Lincoln after the presentation to engage in more in-depth discus- sions and ask questions Online registration is required: https://events.anr.msu.edu/ConservationTalkTuesdays/ Additional resources: Michigan Natural Features Inventory website: https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu Michigan’s natural communities: https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/communities/list Natural Features Inventory of Muskegon State Game Area: https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/reports/MNFI-Report- 2019-11.pdf Complete details about the webinar series, including videos of past presentations, can be found at the Michi- gan Conservation Stewards Program Webinar Series page: https://www.canr.msu.edu/conservation_stewards_program/Webinar-Series/
Important Notes on 2020 Conservation Stewards Program Reporting Requirements
We value our Stewards for the ecosystem knowledge, extraordinary volunteer commitment, passion for knowledge, leadership that have
positively impacted conservation and education efforts in our resource-rich state. On behalf of the Michigan Conservation Stewards Program,
please accept our sincere apology for being slow to communicate to you about 2020 reporting requirements that were made difficult if not
impossible to complete this year.
As many of you have experienced, 2020 has been a challenging and unprecedented year for many reasons. We know many volunteer
opportunities had to be either cancelled or postponed in 2020. We know many of you were concerned about your health and that of your family
and friends and simply didn’t feel safe volunteering. We also know some of you may have experienced losses or had to take on additional
responsibilities that altered your daily activities significantly. Though you may not have completed your requirements like you planned in 2020,
we want you to know how much we value each of you, and recognize all the contributions you have made in the past and that you will continue
to make now and into the future. We think your service in the future will be even more critical due to the impacts of COVID-19, given complex
environmental issues are likely to be more challenging going forward.
Despite all the uncertainties, we know Conservation Stewards have found creative ways to volunteer and continue learning this year, and which
will undoubtedly continue on into at least the early part of 2021. We do ask that you report any activities you completed in 2020 as soon as
possible, and no later than January 31, 2021. 2020 confirmation of submitted hours will then be emailed to you by the end of February 2021.
The volunteer reporting form is posted on the program web site: https://www.canr.msu.edu/conservation_stewards_program/
If you were not able to complete your requirements this year, don’t worry about your 2020 reporting requirements. For now, please focus keep-
ing yourself safe and all the things you need to do to get back on track in 2021. We are happy to work with you to combine 2020 and 2021 hours
to help you meet the requirements applicable to you. Let us know if you have any questions, concerns or experience significant challenges com-
pleting your volunteer hour requirements.
Depending on how 2021 goes, you may continue to experience obstacles that disrupt the opportunity for you to volunteer and continue your
learning in a safe matter. We may need to revisit the 2021 reporting requirements as we move through 2021. Going forward, here’s a quick sum-
mary of certification/re-certification requirements:
Program re-certification requirements: If you have already completed the initial requirements to become a Conservation Steward, the recertifica-
tion requirements for 2021 include completion of the following by December31, 2021:
• 20 hours of volunteer service, 8 hours of continuing education
Initial certification requirements: For those who completed the Conservation Stewards Program in the Capital Area or Washtenaw County in 2019
and were working on completing your volunteer hour requirement in 2020, we ask that you complete the following by December 31, 2021:
• 40 hours of volunteer service. Remember you can count hours you spent on your capstone project as part of our initial 40 hour volunteer
service requirement. Volunteer service can take place through December 31, 2021.
There is no requirement to complete continuing education hours, but feel free to report these hours if you have completed any training.
Thank you for all you have done and for all that you will do to support the conservation community in your local area and across Michigan! Email
questions/concerns is to email Bindu Bhakta (bhaktabi@msu.edu) or Cathy Morris (morrisc@oakgov.com).
Get Involved with Michigan Department of Natural Resources Stewardship Projects The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has several stewardship projects for which they are looking for help in Decem- ber and January. Brief project descriptions for these events on their Volunteer Events calendar. In general, winter volunteers will assist in removing invasive shrubs from high quality ecosystems such as fens and oak barrens. All that is required is to regis- ter by sending an email (DillonK1@Michigan.gov) to Kelsey Dillon, Natural Resource Steward with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, with the name of the project and the date you’d like to join. Upcoming projects: · Saturday, December 19, 2020: Island Lake Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. · Sunday, December 20, 2020: Pinckney Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. · Saturday, January 9, 2021: Bald Mountain Recreation Area, 9 a.m. to noon · Sunday, January 10, 2021: Waterloo Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. · Saturday, January 16, 2021: Belle Isle Park, 9 a.m. to noon · Saturday, January 23, 2021: Highland Recreation Area, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. · Sunday, January 24, 2021: Brighton Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. · Saturday, January 30, 2021: Island Lake Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. · Sunday, January 31, 2021: Pinckney Recreation Area, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visit the Volunteer Events Calendar for full details about these upcoming projects: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79119_11859_62524---Y,00.html
Do you have a family member or friend who lives on a lake? Why give another scented candle or novelty tie when
you can treat them to a deeper understanding of the lake they love? Consider registering them for the Michigan
State University Extension Introduction to Lakes Online course this winter. This unique gift will teach your family
member or friend how lakes work and in turn can empower them to help protect Michigan’s 11,000 inland lakes.
MSU Extension’s Introduction to Lakes Online is an award winning, six-week online course designed for anyone
interested in learning about inland lakes including lakefront property owners, local government officials, lake
managers, and educators. Each week, a new lake topic is explored via video lectures, interactive activities, discus-
sion forums, quizzes, and additional learning resources. Course topics include lake ecology, watershed manage-
ment, shoreline protection, Michigan water law, aquatic plants, and community engagement. The course also
includes opportunities to interact with course instructors and professionals from Michigan State University, Mich-
igan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, and Michigan Department of Natural Resources
through three Ask-an-Expert webinar sessions.
Gifting a registration is easy. Visit www.canr.msu.edu/lakesonline and find, “Register a colleague or friend“ near
the bottom of the webpage. The 2021 course will run from Jan. 19 to March 26, 2021. The cost of the course is
$115 per person. Register by Dec. 28, 2020 for an early bird price of $95 per person. Registration closes Jan. 14,
2021.
Edited and compiled by: Bindu Bhakta, Extension Educator, Michigan State University Extension - Community, Food and Environment Institute - Bldg 26E, 1200 N Telegraph Rd,
Pontiac, MI 48341 Tel: 248.858.5198 FAX: 248.858.1477 / Cathy Morris, Account Clerk, Clerical Support 248.858.1639
MSU is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race,
national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or veteran status.
You can also read
