Local Organizations: Watershed Support
WMEAC | http://wmeac.org/
The West Michigan Environmental Action Council has worked with us at Godfrey Lee Public Schools since 2012, helping us with:
- Rain Gardens, Rain Barrels, Community Clean-Ups, Environmental Community Nights! Plaster Creek Watershed Stewards | http://www.calvin.edu/admin/provost/pcw/about/approach.html
Anything and everything to do with keeping the Plaster Creek clean is within the mission of this Calvin College based group. They are as dedicated as it gets to our Creek and its environmental quality. They have student leaders that can support us in designing projects and they also provide summer internships to high school students from Plaster Creek area districts. Groundswell | http://groundswellmi.org/ Groundswell is an initiative based out of GVSU, intended to build "lifelong stewards" of the Great Lakes.Their principles are based around:
They are a partner administering grants provided by the EPA and the Great Lakes Fisheries Trust. LGROW | http://www.lgrow.org/ The Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds group are the masterminds of creating community connections in this area based around watershed issues. If any ideas surface that we want to get accomplished, they are a good starting point to ask for assistance. |
Local Parks/ nature centers/ model organizations
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks | http://www.friendsofgrparks.org/
This is a great citizen-organized, non-profit group, based out of Grand Rapids. They help to plan park clean-up projects and conduct longitudinal research with the Urban Forest Project to aid in identifying, labeling and mapping tree data for the City of Grand Rapids; something we could certainly expand to the GL district and the Wyoming area. The Grand Rapids Urban Forest Project provides:
Blandford Nature Center | http://blandfordnaturecenter.org/ Blandford is a renowned local Nature Center providing educational field trips and support to area schools. They offer:
Greening of Detroit: Model Organization | http://www.greeningofdetroit.com/ This longstanding non-profit organization is a prime example what can be done when communities and schools work together for the greater good. The Greening of Detroit supports local environmental programs (tree planting), gardening, and "green corps" job training programs for adults and youth to participate in the burgeoning urban environmental jobs in Detroit. They are a model for desirable internships and programs to get students involved in the environment and sustainable gardening. Chicken Wings | $8.00 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip. |
state & national organizations
The Student Conservation Association (SCA)The Student Conservation Association is an organization committed to building a generation of youth trained and interested in working in the outdoors. They have internships and training available throughout the country for high school-college aged students.
http://www.thesca.org/about/impact-on-youth | Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | http://www.nps.gov/slbe/index.htm Our closest (and most beautiful;) National Park Service site, Sleeping Bear Dunes offers recreational opportunities for students and connections for educators to partner with the parks and connect state curriculum standards. Field trip opportunities available. |