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MiCorps Updates
2011 MiCorps Stream Training Event Fourteen participants from ten different organizations throughout the state attended the annual MiCorps Stream "Train the Trainer" Day on July 21, 2011 – arguably the hottest day of the summer – at the Warren Townsend Park in Cannonsburg, Michigan. At this training day, MiCorps staff give important information on how to start and run a stream monitoring program through the MiCorps program. Topics covered include MiCorps methods of macroinvertebrate collection and habitat analysis, insect identification, recruiting volunteers, holding monitoring events, and data quality assurance plans. The attendees also spent plenty of time in Bear Creek, which flows through the park, trying their hand at collecting and identifying insects and crustaceans. Many thanks to everyone who attended (staff and volunteers) for their participation on this very hot day!
Participants came from a variety of organizations:
2011 Annual MiCorps Conference and Training – Register Now! The MiCorps conference and training is an annual event featuring afternoon training sessions (free of charge) for interested volunteer coordinators on Day 1, and presentations and dialogue on lake and stream monitoring activities in Michigan on Day 2. This year's event will take place on October 24-25, 2011, at the R.A. MacMullan Conference Center at Higgins Lake (Roscommon, MI). Volunteer monitoring program leaders, citizen volunteers (both new and experienced), water resource professionals, and others interested in the health and protection of Michigan’s rivers, lakes and streams are encouraged to attend. At this year's conference, we will explore how water quality monitoring can help address emerging threats to Michigan's freshwater systems through presentations and training from regional experts, MiCorps staff, and the Michigan DEQ and DNR. We will also be celebrating the amazing work being done by MiCorps volunteers and grantees through presentations from volunteers from across the state of Michigan covering both lake and stream topics of interest and success stories from their volunteer efforts. More information and online registration are now available at the conference website at www.micorps.net/conference. Upcoming Conferences of Interest Some additional upcoming events of interest include:
In Case You Missed It: MiCorps in the News Our very own Dr. Paul Steen, MiCorps staff at the Huron River Watershed Council, was interviewed for a July 18th article entitled, "Volunteer Program Watches Over Michigan Lakes for over 35 Years," by Audrey Rabalais of the Lake Scientist. Paul spoke about the history and successes of the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, and CLMP volunteer, Ralph Vogel, is featured as well. Congratulations to Paul, Ralph, and all of our lake monitors who have contributed to the program year after year! Staff Transitions
With this issue of the MiCorps Monitor, we have several staffing changes to announce within the MiCorps team at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Ralph Bednarz, long-time CLMP coordinator and MiCorps administrator, retired from the DEQ at the end of December 2010. Ralph devoted much of his career to inland lakes management and volunteer monitoring in Michigan and is eager to see this work continue – so much so that he is currently back at the DEQ now with a part-time appointment to plan and implement the 2012 National Lakes Assessment survey in Michigan. We will miss Ralph and all that he has done to promote MiCorps and volunteer monitoring during his time at the DEQ, but wish him a happy retirement, whatever that may bring! Replacing Ralph as the new MiCorps administrator is William (Bill) Dimond, who comes to us from the DEQ Water Toxics Unit where he was engaged in implementing Michigan's whole effluent toxicity water quality protection program. Bill is a veteran Aquatic Biology Specialist and has been with the DEQ for 25 years. Bill has a master's degree in Environmental Biology, and describes himself as a data-head scientist. After growing up in the Detroit area, Bill attended the Michigan State University and is an avid MSU sports fan. Bill also enjoys fishing, sailing, and skiing, and has spent a lot of time in the field enjoying Michigan’s great outdoors. Bill brings new perspectives and insights as well as a renewed enthusiasm to the program, and has already been key in recommending improvements to MiCorps during his first year in this new role. We welcome Bill to the team and look forward to working with him in support of our many volunteers and volunteer programming under the umbrella of MiCorps. Bill can be reached at dimondw@michigan.gov. Another program staffing change also occurred at the end of 2010. Kay Edly, an aquatic biologist with the DEQ, who has been supporting and overseeing the work conducted under the Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program (VSMP) component of MiCorps in recent years, also transitioned into a new role at the DEQ. Kay's insight into the use of MiCorps data by DEQ staff, along with her love for field work and skilled macroinvertebrate identification, will also be missed. We wish Kay well in her new endeavors!
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Header photo: Glen Lake, MI by Sean McKendall Webmaster: Laura Andrews Program administered by the Great Lakes Commission and supported by funding from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality |