Volunteer water quality monitors from across the state will gather Oct. 27-28 in Roscommon for the 10th annual Michigan Clean Water Corps conference and training.
MiCorps is a network of volunteers who assist the DEQ in collecting and sharing water quality data to protect and manage Michigan’s lakes and streams.
The conference agenda includes presentations from volunteers, regional experts, and DEQ and MiCorps staff. In particular, this year’s conference will focus on sharing the program’s monitoring data with lay audiences, assessing ecosystem health by monitoring habitat alteration and invasive species, addressing watershed needs through watershed management planning, supporting monitoring efforts through the use of tools and educational opportunities, and celebrating the successes and achievements of the MiCorps program during its first 10 years.
The featured keynote presenter will be Julie Vastine of the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring, who will present information on using volunteer monitoring as a tool for positive change.
The two-day event will be held at the DNR’s Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on Higgins Lake. The registration deadline is Oct. 20. The conference program and registration form are available online at www.micorps.net/conference2014.html.
The Great Lakes Commission is assisting the DEQ in developing and administering the MiCorps program, in collaboration with the Huron River Watershed Council, Michigan Lake and Stream Associations, Inc., and Michigan State University.
For more information on the 2014 MiCorps conference or the MiCorps program, visit the MiCorps website at www.micorps.net or contact Laura Kaminski of the Great Lakes Commission at 734-971-9135 or laurak@glc.org.
Source: DEQ
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