In September, we are rounding up at the register for the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council.
“Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council speaks for Northern Michigan’s waters. The organization is dedicated to protecting our lakes, streams, wetlands, and groundwater through advocacy, education, water quality monitoring, research, and restoration. Its work focuses on empowering individuals and communities to make a positive difference, both locally and throughout the Great Lakes Basin.”
We had the opportunity to sit down with Heather Huffstutler, Executive Director of Tip of the Mitt at their Watershed Council Discovery Center in Petoskey, to learn more about the work they are doing to protect Northern Michigan’s water.
The Watershed Council was founded in 1979 by regional volunteers and lake associations in collaboration with the University of Michigan. The organization became an umbrella for the region’s water quality data, helping ensure that information is collected, updated, professionally interpreted, and implemented through projects across the region.
The foundation of the Watershed Council’s work is water quality monitoring. The organization also conducts surveys that allow them to provide the region’s residents with best-management-practice recommendations. On-the-ground projects, such as shoreline restoration or culvert replacement, are all done through the lens of building our region’s climate resilience.
Education and community engagement are woven into everything they do. That might mean working on a specific project, such as river restoration, or getting high school students into the field each spring and falling to participate in hands-on science.
Each year, Tip of the Mitt works with 12–20 high schools, getting students suited up in waders and into local rivers to learn about river health by examining what they find in the water. Their Discovery Center in downtown Petoskey is another way the organization connects with the community. The interactive center gives visitors an opportunity to learn more about the challenges facing regional watersheds and the solutions being developed to protect them.
Trends
“…the past couple springs have been really clear indications for us in this region that climate change is real and it’s in the face. All of our projects are done with a view towards climate and community resilience. Helping communities to build infrastructure that will last and address some of these aging infrastructure challenges but also help a homeowner ensure that their shoreline or their creek that runs behind their house is also healthy and they are doing everything that they can. It’s small projects and larger projects all together.”
What they want everyone to know
When we asked Heather what Tip of the Mitt wants everyone to understand about the waters around us, she emphasized how fortunate we are to live in a place so closely connected to clean water.
“…we live in a place that’s absolutely gorgeous and based on clean water. Being able to safely drink water from our homes, whether we’re on a well or on a municipal system. And being able to enjoy it and know that our future generations will have the same benefits. It’s very easy to take our clean water in Northern Michigan for granted.”
“The big message that we want to instill in everyone is that we want to keep it this way. And without the Watershed Council here doing that constant annual monitoring and doing the education of our youth and our families, and engaging with our community leaders across the region, we don’t have a guarantee that things will remain the same.”
Heather also talked about the ways our everyday lives and choices can impact the water around us. She stressed the importance of simply being aware of the water sources around us and recognizing that what we do on the land can eventually make its way into our waterways.
Community Opportunities
The Watershed Council runs programs like the Bear River Cleanup, which not only provides an immediate benefit to the river, but also helps connect people with the water sources in their own communities.
There are several opportunities coming up to learn more and get involved. The Water Is Life Festival, with Water Weekend activities, will take place Friday and Saturday, September 4–5. The Watershed Discovery Center will be open for extended hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Friday, September 4, as part of this collaborative weekend focused on water.
The Nme’ Celebration will take place Sunday, September 13, from 1–3 p.m. at the Sturgeon River Campground Pavilion in Wolverine. The event is being held in partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Fisheries Enhancement Facility and will include a community barbecue, educational activities, and an Nme’ (sturgeon) release.
Our conversation with Heather was a reminder that protecting our water starts with understanding how connected we are to it. Being aware of how we interact with the land, learning about the watersheds around us, and staying connected to our communities can all make a difference.
Keep an eye on the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council website for upcoming community and educational opportunities, including volunteer events that demonstrate ways to protect the water right on your own property.
Heather left us with one final thought:
“…water is ubiquitous in our lives and here in Northern Michigan, the opportunity is just so immense to protect it, to really understand it, and connect to it. We’re hoping to be the place for more opportunities and to create that connection for people who haven’t really thought about water. We want to be the answer for that.”
For the month of September, please join us in rounding up at the register at both Grain Train locations to support Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and the important work they are doing to keep Northern Michigan’s waters fresh and clean.
Until next time, keep cooperating and we’ll see you at the stores.
