Michigan Clean Water Corps
Annual Conference

MiCorps First Annual Conference Proceedings

The first annual conference held Saturday, October 29, 2005 at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center in Higgins Lake, Michigan presented Michigan’s Clean Water Corps -- MiCorps, a new program created by Governor Jennifer Granholm to engage Michigan’s volunteer monitoring community to support the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in collecting and sharing data on the quality of Michigan’s lakes and streams. The one-day conference reviewed the MiCorps program structure and accomplishments; provided training on MiCorps monitoring protocols and data management procedures; educated volunteer monitors on how they can use their data to support local water quality protection efforts; highlighted funding options for volunteer monitoring programs and tips for recruiting volunteer monitors; and provided volunteers with opportunities to interact with MiCorps and DEQ staff and leaders in Michigan’s volunteer monitoring community.

Conference Program and Other Documents

Conference Program
(PDF - 992 KB)

Conference Attendee List
(PDF - 81 KB)

Conference Evaluation Form -
PDF (57 KB) or DOC (118 KB)

MiCorps Brochure
(PDF - 524 KB)

MiCorps Monitor Newsletter March 2005
(PDF - 878 KB)

MiCorps Draft 2006 Volunteer Monitoring Grant Application Package (GAP)
(PDF - 259 KB)

US EPA Volunteer Monitor Newsletter

Presentations

Linked below are presentations and handouts from the 2005 MiCorps Conference. Presentations over 3 MB in size were converted to PDF format for more rapid download.

PLENARY SESSION

MiCorps Program Overview

MiCorps Program Overview (PPT - 655 KB)
Ralph Bednarz, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Ric Lawson, Great Lakes Commission

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Surface Water Monitoring

Overview of Michigan's Surface Water Monitoring Program and Water Quality Trends (PDF - 979 KB)
Gary Kohlhepp, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Ralph Bednarz, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

LUNCH

Lunch Slide Show

Volunteers in Action: A Photo Essay by MiCorps Volunteer Monitors (PDF - 2,111 KB)

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Using the MiCorps Data Exchange Platform

MiCorps Data Exchange Network (PDF - 2,310 KB)
Anne Sturm, Great Lakes Commission
Ric Lawson, Great Lakes Commission

Funding, Grant Writing and Program Development for Volunteer Monitoring Programs

Volunteer Monitoring Grant Application Package (PPT - 639 KB)
John Hummer, Great Lakes Commission

Grant Funding Opportunities and Proposal Evaluation (PPT - 133 KB)
Gary Kohlhepp, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

What you really need to know to get grants (PPT - 92 KB)
Heidi Yaple, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians

Managing Volunteer Monitoring Data to Support Local Water Quality Protection Efforts

Managing Volunteer Monitoring Data to Support Local Water Quality Protection Efforts (PPT - 2,197 KB)
Jo Latimore, Huron River Watershed Council

Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program & Data Application (PDF - 2,061 KB)
Kevin Cronk, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

Naturalizing Shorelines (PDF - 5,970 KB)
Robert Karner, Glen Lake Association

Recruiting and Sustaining Volunteer Monitors

No slide presentations were used during this breakout session. Documents distributed at the session are linked below.

Promoting Involvement (PDF - 89 KB)
Reaching A New Audience (PDF - 3,333 KB)
Howard Wandell, Michigan State University Extension

Contacts for More Information

For more information on the MiCorps program or the October 29 conference, contact Matt Doss, MiCorps staff, Great Lakes Commission, 734-971-9135, mdoss@glc.org.