Current Projects

S.V.S.S. is currently working on several projects and seeking funding, volunteers, participation, and input to develop them.

• Student Wetlands Advocacy Project
• Bay City Community Gardening Project
• Save Tobico Towers Fund
• Phosphorus Reduction Outreach Campaign
• Invasive Phragmites Survey
• Saginaw Bay Wet Prairie Restoration Project

Student Wetlands Advocacy Project

Project Background

The Saginaw Valley Sustainability Society (SVSS) has submitted a grant application to the Michigan Department of Resources and Environment to provide students in the Saginaw Bay Watershed with hands-on experience with the issues of wetland preservation and restoration. An important part of the process of winning the grant is the participation of representatives from schools in the watershed. We are asking you to send us a letter that supports the concept and suggests when all the relevant details, including costs, are known, that some of your teachers and students would participate. The plan for the funding of this activity includes no costs to schools districts or students for their participation. We would, however, accept support from school districts if offered.

Project Description

In the November to January time frame a “Wetlands Curriculum” is to be developed by school administrators and teachers from existing materials and reproduced for use in any classroom in the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Those involved in the project will become part of an on-line community through the SVSS web-site. Individual classrooms of students will be matched to individual sections of the Saginaw Bay coastal wetlands. The classroom materials contain lists of possible activities that students will participate in on the two trips to their schools designated wetland that the grant will pay for.

Instruction from the Wetlands Curriculum in mid April and two bus trips will be scheduled for each class to travel to their wetland. Each trip will have several “missions” for student teams to accomplish on the trip.

The following Schools in the Saginaw Bay Watershed have evaluated the project and want to participate:

1. Bay Arenac ISD
2. Bay City Public Schools
3. Durand Area Schools
4. Essexville-Hampton Public Schools
5. Genesee Intermediate School District
6. New Lothrop Area Public Schools
7. Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Department of Education
8. Saginaw Township Community Schools
9. Swan Valley School District
10. Tuscola Technology Center

Approval and partnerships with land managers has been established. These state and local public property managers want to contribute properties as well as help guide in the field efforts:

1. Bay County Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds
2. Charter Township of Hampton
3. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Park interpretive services
4. Tuscola County Parks & recreation Commission
5. United States Department of Agriculture Huron-Manistee National Forests

Bay City Community Gardening Project

Purpose

Most urban communities don’t have land area to plant a garden. Instead, people in a city rely on the supermarket to sustain their diets, buy plants, flowers, spices, and food for the dinner table. Because of this urban created standard, many of our children grow up without having any hands on gardening experience. Because of this, they never see first hand what horticultural development is, and where real home grown plants, fruits, and vegetables come from. Not only do children lose this opportunity, but also do many families that live within city limits. Many are dependent on state assistance to get their food. They feed their families dependent on supermarket logistics, cheep produce, and a Bridge Card. A community garden provides urban families a place to learn how to garden, grow their own food, and sustain part of their diets with locally grown produce. In addition, a community gardening project utilizes vacant plots of land in a city for a good purpose. Neighborhood community gardens contribute to physical and spiritual health, community building, neighborhood beautification, and neighborhood solidarity. They beautify corners, blocks, and provide a positive activity for families to participate in. Community gardening helps cities by accomplishing all these goals and unifying the community teaching self sustainability.

“Sentimentality about nature denatures everything it touches.”

-Jane Jacobs

Project Description

The Bay City Community Gardening Program consists of three essential elements:

• Property Acquisition
• Administrative
• Material and tool distribution

The first component of the project is to find properties and acquire them for gardening. Some of these properties will be privately owned and donated. Others might be state or city owned, and some might be leased for the program. In addition, a property will need to be prepared for gardening, parceled off and organized in a way that many will have access to their own vacant plot within the property. All properties chosen will be easily accessible in any given neighborhood. This means that there will be no barriers that restrict handicap individuals from participating in gardening activities. The City Assessor will be contacted and a list of properties that are vacant will be created. This list will be used to locate parcels and to contact owners to see if they want to participate in the program. All land owners who donate properties will be recorded and put on a contribution list. Their names or businesses can be listed as major contributors in marketing, publishing, media, and literature. All properties donated, leased, or acquired by S.V.S.S. will be exempt from liabilities of those participants on that particular property. A lawyer will be contacted and a waiver will be created to omit owners and the organization from being responsible.

The second component of the project will involve administrative aspects. This requires the rent of the office, communication, clerical expenses, an individual’s salary, and the files of those participating in the program. Each individual will be briefly interviewed to decide if they should be granted a plot. There will be individual plots and family size ones. An application will be created and it will record who it is, contact information, and where their garden plot is in the city. This information is to be recorded, put in a file, and alphabetized. This will enable the S.V.S.S. office staff to know who is gardening and where all the plots are. In addition, all the owners of the land used will be recorded and filed in a similar way. Their contact information will be easily accessible from the office. Also, the office will keep records on what style garden and dimensional size of the plot used. These aspects of the program will all require administrative record keeping and a base office to work out of.

Finally, material and tool distribution is the third component of this project. This involves getting basic gardening essentials out to the gardens. The program will provide the family or individual with seeds for planting. In addition garden tools will be accessible to the individual if they need them. Other materials include plot sticks, mesh wire around the garden, and sign material. Each garden will have a sign installed identifying S.V.S.S. as the governing body of the organization, as well as the names of the contributors who made the project location possible. One of the biggest expenses in this area will be purchase of rental of a rototiller. The garden will be turned at the beginning of the year. It is the responsibility of the individual or family to cultivate their plot after that for the rest of the growing season. In addition the cost of water and irrigation equipment is part of this final component. This includes providing the garden plot with hoses and locating hook ups for getting water. Also, rain water barrels will be at the location the garden for the participants as a natural water source. Depending on amount of funding raised and approval of land owner, a small mobile structure could be placed at the garden location to store a majority of equipment.

Save Tobico Towers Fund

S.V.S.S. initiated the first Save Tobico Towers fundraiser, and continues to assist the Friends of the Bay City State Recreation Area (BCSRA) with this effort, this includes being awarded a $41,000 grant from the Anderson Foundation to save the Tobico Observation Towers located at the Bay City State Recreation Area. SVSS believes this cause matches our interests and goals regarding sustainability in the local Bay City Area. Tobico Towers provides a recreational destination that brings people out to experience the Tobico Marsh which is one of the largest remaining coastal freshwater wetlands in Michigan.  The Tobico Marsh is also a premier staging area for migratory birds.  SVSS believes that not only have the towers been icons for the community since the mid 70s, but they also provide an unprecedented view of wildlife; another reason to frequent BCSRA and experience nature.

SVSS has developed a fund raising plan to assist The Friends of the Bay City State Receration Area to raise up to 70,000 to restore these structures.  This plan includes creative special events, Tee Shirt sales (Tower Wear),  and donation outreach.

Johnny Burke and Blondie from WHNN with Mike Evanhoff wearing “Tower Wear” to help support our “Save Tobico Towers” fund.

Phosphorus Reduction Outreach Campaign

Phosphorus concentrations in the Saginaw Bay remain higher than anywhere else in Lake Huron. Higher levels of phosphorus support increased plant growth and greater productivity leading to massive continuations of algae blooms. The increase in productivity due to phosphorus loadings from the Saginaw River and its tributaries, along with introduction of Zebra Mussels, has led to development of substantial “muck” along the Saginaw Bay shoreline that creates both an aesthetic and economic problem for area businesses and residents. This “muck” can and has contained dangerous pathogens that are problematic for shoreline visitors.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the Saginaw River added nearly two metric tons of total phosphorus per day to the bay, the largest contribution of phosphorus to the Great Lakes by any river in Michigan. The added phosphorus increased the growth of nuisance blue-green algae that was likely responsible for the foul odor and poor taste of drinking water withdrawn from the bay.

Click here to learn more about Saginaw Bay Water Quality

SVSS is working closely with many other organizations and individuals to develop a proactive campaign that will educate and guide reduction strategies for non-point source phosphorus pollution loadings. Also, SVSS is currently pursuing teaching urban dwellers methods how to make their own detergents; all phosphate free. This contributes to community environmental justice, ass well as education that will lead to reducing non-point phosphorus pollution in the bay.

Showing kids how they can make their own everyday household cleaner using earth friendly phosphate free ingredients is another activity of SVSS. At the “Get Wild Zoo Crew” event at the Saginaw City Children’s  zoo over 200 kids were introduced to the issue of phosphorous pollution and how a simple vinegar, baking soda, and water solution can be used as a cleaner that does not contribute to non point phosphorus pollution in the Saginaw Bay.  The solution was bottled in locally recycled water bottles and given to over 200 kids to take home.

The Clean Our Bay Alliance (C.O.B.) proposes the development of an action group under the coordination of the Saginaw Valley Sustainability Society (SVSS) to address phosphorus related issues in Michigan’s Saginaw Bay Watershed.

The “C.O.B. Alliance” will be the establishment of an action group formed by SVSS that will begin a petition, and outreach drive addressing the recent farm bill passed into  Michigan law, allowing farmers to self regulate their own phosphorus pollution. In the Fall of 2011 the C.O.B. Project will utilize recruited student organizations from Saginaw Valley State University, Central Michigan University, and other surrounding community colleges. Professors from these institutions have been contacted assuring interest and student participation. Participating students will begin a letter writing campaign and the circulation of a petition for this bill locally. During circulation, students canvassing coastal properties on the bay, will educate residents regarding the hazards of phosphorus pollution in the watershed and record citizen concerns. These activities will prove a learning experience for students and public alike. The project is to be conducted in two phases:

Phase one: Groups of students from green clubs and biology classes will begin writing letters of opposition to our state legislative representatives regarding this bill. Electronic copies from all these learning institutions will be sent to the SVSS office, compiled, and mailed in bulk.

Phase two: A visit to the bay and a canvassing activity of coastal homes on the bay. During this phase students are not just getting signatures (optional to the resident), but they will be corresponding with people who live on the bay, and getting their concerns about the issue recorded.

Invasive Phragmites Survey

Summary

A team lead by paid SVSS staff and made up mostly of volunteers will map appropriate wetland areas near roads and waterways that contain invasive Phragmites plants within ten miles of the boundaries of the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. Techniques for identification and data capture will be determined and used in gathering the required data. Several methods of presenting the data will be developed. From this, data reports will be created to be used by wetland and water quality specialists for managerial applications to control Phragmites plant incursion.

Project Description

Goals

Goal #1  Assess and map the concentrations of invasive Phragmites in wetland areas of roadways and waterways within the ten mile radius of the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge.

Goal #2  Involve volunteers in the work of the project to bring knowledge of the assets of the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and the ten mile area region surrounding it.

Goal #3  Provide data to interested parties to help with the planning and execution of projects to control the invasive Phragmites within the surveyed area.

Goal #4 Widely disseminate the methods and data from this project to help identify and treat the general problems associated with invasive species in native ecosystems.

Initial Project Plan

Resources:

The administration, planning and final report generation for the project will be completed by paid staff from SVSS.

The field work, data capture, and miscellaneous other tasks will done by volunteers from groups such as: S.V.S.S. members, staff, and friends of, Central Michigan University Biology students, Saginaw Bay RC&D, Ducks Unlimited, GISIN Global Invasive Species Information Network, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Saginaw County GIS, MISIN Michigan Invasive Species Information Network, and the MDNRE.

Selected technical resources may also be paid for by project funds.

Major Tasks: General locations will be mapped using up to date county maps. When Phragmites are located they will be recorded on an electric form identifying size and density at that location. Locations will be recorded using modern G.I.S. equipment. This data will be plotted on modern G.I.S. software utilized by participating students.

Planning and Administration: In collaboration with C.M.U., Plant Biology Students will be recruited to be part of teams that travel to the area near the refuge and participate in data survey collections. S.V.S.S. will be responsible for organizing transport to survey site, the dates, location of visits, and best transportation route. Trips will be scheduled during the fall semester of the school years. Trips will consist of four or more students and one guide/assistant. Students are responsible for recording location and other related data on the scale of the Phragmites infestation.

Field Work: Since some of the locations will only be accessible by water, donated or rented watercraft will be used for the project. Canoes or kayaks will be used as modes of transportation using only human power. Sites are visited and Phragmites are located. Detailed floristic characterizations and pin pointed locations will be recorded.

Reporting: Once the data is collected and formatted, it can be shared with scientists and licensed herbicidal applicators. S.V.S.S. has access to in-house software professionals, as do the C.M.U. students who have department tools to use toward the project on campus. The main results of the survey will be published within CMU networks and for use by S.V.S.S.  The Phargmites data will hopefully provide useful data that helps efforts to study the plant more, and provides insight about how it spreads, and what beneficial eradicative procedures might be.

A final report of the project will be created by S.V.S.S. for the funding organization.  This will indicate the results of the survey and share future concerns. In addition, media coverage will be sought to share the project with the general public and inform them about the issue.

Saginaw Bay Wet Prairie Restoration Project

BRIEF PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The Saginaw Bay Wet Prairie Restoration Project will use students as volunteers to restore, create, and enhance high quality prairie oak barren habitats for endangered and threatened wildlife species on coastal properties of Saginaw Bay. This project will have sponsorship and guidance from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

MANAGEMENT IMPLICATION OR APPLICATION: SVSS will administer, recruit, and organize funded trips to the Bay City State Recreation Area were students will be trained about the restoration process. During these visits students and other participating parties will be given (already available from that location) prairie grass seed to take home and to the classroom. There they will grow prairie grass indoors, growing a multitude of plants to transplant in the spring. The second funded trip for students will be to a designated (pre tilled) site for hands on ground planting activities. Other volunteer support sources will also be notified when the planting trips are so they attend and contribute too. This type of in-kind support will come from many other partners of the project, on top of the ten (already recruited) committed school districts SVSS has contacted and want to participate in educational habitat restoration projects on the Bay. All results of the project will be measurable from season to season with before and after pictures and electronic web-based video publications. Measures will also include sighting announcements of the national and state endangered or threatened species of focus.

Pre settlement vegetation maps indicate that the state’s largest wet prairie ecosystem occurred for 16 miles along the east shoreline of Saginaw Bay. Much of this ecosystem has been lost, changed, or jeopardized by many factors. Wet Prairies are habitats for many species of wildlife that are endangered or threatened. This project maintains their habitat which should increase their numbers. Habitats restored are rare yet critical to the life cycle/function of these species. The project also mixes education and hands on activities for students, providing an experience and new appreciation for the environment around them.  The structure of this project is designed to build on easily, when the success of this project is demonstrated. If continued it will increase the amount of land restored for the future. All types of additional volunteers, from various other organizations, are welcome to attend the training workshops on how to restore this habitat.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This project clearly addresses a key environmental issue regarding jeopardized habitats essential for a primary migratory species of wildlife. Many individuals living in the Saginaw Valley do not know the value of these habitats, neither are they aware of the species that use them. This project restores, through hands on activities, acres of vital habitat as well as educating the young people who will be our future voting citizens.

The primary target species to benefit from this project will be the Loggerhead Shrike, Prairie Warbler, and the Karner Blue Butterfly. Secondary species to benefit include the Long Eared Owl, Short Eared Owl, Barn Owl, Frosted Elfin, Regal Fritillary Butterfly, and the Pipevine Swallowtail. Other Michigan endangered non-migratory species that use this habitat are the Kirdland’s Snake and the Least Shrew.

For more information please contact:

Andrew Thibodeau
Development Director
Saginaw Valley Sustainability Society
513 N. Madison Ave. Suite 102
Bay City, Michigan 48708
989-391-9889 (Office)
989-225-8021 (Cell)