In front of a packed auditorium, Joe St. John, Chairman of the St. Clair Shores Waterfront Environmental Committee, gave a brief introduction, and got down to business.
And that business as described in their mission statement is: "The St. Clair Shores Waterfront Environmental Committee is committed to the conservation, protection, safe use and enjoyment of Lake St. Clair for current and future generations."
In that vein, many gave presentations supporting that mission for the year 2011.
From the I94 Expressway/Exit Cleanups; to the Monofilament Fishing Line Recycling Program; to the Storm Drain Stenciling, to the Student Outreach Program; to their Annual Nautical Coast Clean Up; to a presentation introduced by State Representative Tony Forlini and done by Keven Goodwin, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Aquatic Biologist, on the Lake St. Clair Algae problems; to the preview of their Committee generated Public Service Announcement concerning Beach Closures and Non-Point Water Pollution; and finally ending with the presentation of three $500 scholarships given to high school students who won these awards by Tom Cleaver, the We Are Here Foundation President; the event was an amazing presentation of dedicated concentration and effort.
In addition, Mrs. June Tyson, teacher of the Environmental Stewardship class at Harper Woods Middle School and her students, Camei Pennington, Kelsey Calton, Harmony Skerritt and Emily Jaminet, were included at the last minute because of the work they have done on informational buoys they helped to build and place in Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.
This Waterfront Environmental Committee has been "in business" for sixteen years and the cooperation amongst the core participants, the Community, and the Public Officials is something to be celebrated and emulated.
Celebrating a small victory was Kevin Goodwin, Aquatic Biologist of the MDEQ. With the collection and testing of the aquatic muck which appeared along the shores of Lake St. Clair in St. Clair Shores, the journey has begun to determine the type of algae and the potential sources, or combination of events that have caused their phenomenon.
As mentioned by State Representative Tony Forlini in his introduction, "Science is on our side. As soon as we know (what the algae blobs are) we can start addressing them."
Goodwin, in his presentation, concurred, suggesting there has been "wholesale ecological shifts" and these situations are being seen "all around the State. Nutrients, human, and natural processes" are all playing a part in these outbreaks. He also shared that a link would be available with the results found in this circumstance.
The circumstances of the St. Clair Shores Annual Nautical Coast Clean Up include the removal of 29.83 TONS of debris, which was completed with the help of 350 to 450 people. This year's clean up was assisted in a big way by about 150 people from the New Life Ministries Church.
Associate Pastor Mike Molloy shared a few passages from Genesis wherein he felt the caring for creation, to paraphrase, was a duty assigned to all. Their members were happy and amazed at the challenge of the Nautical Coast Clean Up.
Another school, Jefferson Middle School of St. Clair Shores was well represented in the environmental arena by teachers Sarah Bowman and Lisa Beckman, who shared some of the environmental projects they had undertaken. One of their latest accomplishments include a hydroponic garden with tomatoes and basil, which they plan to transplant outdoors once weather is permitting. Their students are eager to participate in these projects and are looking forward to giving back to the Community as they, too, can reap the rewards of a bountiful garden.
The Monofiliment Fishing Line Project has been assisted by Michigan Sea Grant, who has begun to promote the project statewide. As estimates are that the fishing line remains in the landfills for 200 years, recycling this fishing line into tackle boxes and fish habitats, for example, seems to be a much better answer for the environment.
The environment is brought to the forefront by the Storm Drain Stenciling program as it promotes Community awareness. Storm drains lead directly to the Lake, which opens the way for all sorts of debris, chemicals, lubricants, fertilizers, and soaps, to name a few things, to be flushed out into the Lake. Awareness helps to keep this from happening and as more and more people become aware, these efforts, too, will assist with better water quality.
The I94 Expressway Entrance/Exit Clean Ups, per Erin Stahl, are wonderfully successful in improving the first impression of the City as people drive in from the freeways. This project also involves students, and Ben D'Angelo of Lake Shore High School spoke a few moments about the interaction and great help the students provide in all of these projects.
The projects here locally have reached the County level of attention with support coming from County Executive Mark Hackel in the form if the new "Blue Econimy." In addition, Governor Rick Snyder has reiterated this infrastructure message, which is giving it "recognition on a state level," according to Joe St. John.
To assist with this recognition, the Committee itself generated a Public Service Announcement concerning Beach Closures and Non Source Point Water Pollution. It gives many examples of how and where citizens can be more aware of "caring for creation" by their actions.
As previously mentioned, the St. Clair Shores Waterfront Environmental Committee has "gotten down to business" and their dedication and efforts are proving to be a great example and benefit throughout the Community, and a huge beacon of hope for our environment and our beloved Lake St. Clair.
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