The Huron River Watershed Council has several great volunteer opportunities and two are listed below. I helped with the River RoundUp last year with my daughter, her friends and a few of their parents. It was a beautiful day to explore parts of the river I had never seen before, and the girls learned a lot about what kind of critters live in the river. This is a great way to learn about the river and help out an amazing long-term study on river and creekshed quality.
Huron River Round Up volunteers
Monitoring Streams: Join the River RoundUp and find the river bugs that tell us how healthy the river is. Help the Huron River Watershed Council on Saturday, April 24. Please register here by April 6!
A trained leader takes you to the stream where you search through rocks, leaves and sand. You will be amazed at the amount of life you find in our fresh water! The activities are suitable for all ages, from children (each with their own adult) to retirees. Only our leaders go in the water, so you will not get wet.
Volunteers meet in Ann Arbor and carpool to two sites; one may be near your home. This is a fun, social and educational experience. Very few people know that a complex community of creatures lives beneath the water's surface. These small animals create teeny fishing nets, homes out of sand, plants and silk, and are able to thrive while evading fast flowing water and hungry fish.
No prior knowledge or training is required. The Roundup will take about five hours, and you choose whether to start at 8:45 or 10 a.m. You must register by April 6 in order to be put on a team. The event is free.
IMPORTANT! Register for April 24 by April 6!
Choose from two times: 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Monitoring Land: Explore the Huron's Natural Areas and Help the Huron River Watershed Council.
Assessing Natural Areas: Rapid Ecological Assessment
Date: Saturday, May 1
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Room 125
Join Kris Olsson of the Huron River Watershed Council to learn how you can help identify high-quality natural areas for protection, as part of HRWC's Bioreserve Project. At this workshop, volunteers will learn to conduct a rapid ecological assessment of grasslands, forests, wetlands and aquatic habitats. Trained volunteers are then certified to be sent out in groups to work together on site assessments throughout the spring, summer and fall (an expected time commitment of four hours per site). Participants will gain broadly applicable skills in ecological assessment. Please bring a sack lunch. The workshop includes hands-on practice outdoors, so please come prepared for weather and mud.
TAKE NOTE: Plant ID experts needed! All volunteers are welcome, but if you are experienced in plant identification, we especially need your help! Every team will need at least one expert; (someone who has some experience with identifying plants). If you have had a plant identification class, or have become familiar with wildflowers, grasses and trees over time spent hiking this beautiful watershed, we'd love your help!
Register here for May 1.
If you cannot attend but would still like to participate, check out the Web site to find out how to get involved.
Matthew Naud is the Environmental Coordinator for the city of Ann Arbor. He is a contributor to the Your World column. Visit www.a2gov.org/green for more information on environmental issues in the city. He can be reached at mnaud@a2gov.org.
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