Happy Earth Day from the Watershed Council! To celebrate and protect our waters, our team picked up 173.6 pounds of trash from around Tannery Creek in Petoskey this morning.
If you`d like to join us for our next cleanup, keep an eye out for information about our Clean Waters Challenge happening this June: https://watershedcouncil.org/event/clean-waters-challenge-charlevoix/
Happy Earth Day from the Watershed Council! To celebrate and protect our waters, our team picked up 173.6 pounds of trash from around Tannery Creek in Petoskey this morning.
If you`d like to join us for our next cleanup, keep an eye out for information about our Clean Waters Challenge happening this June: https://watershedcouncil.org/event/clean-waters-challenge-charlevoix/
Happy volunteer recognition day to all of our wonderful volunteers! From water quality monitoring to stopping invasive species with our mobile boat wash, we couldn`t do it all without you. Thank you for your hard work and dedication!
If you’re interested in joining our group of amazing volunteers, check out our website at https://watershedcouncil.org/about-us/join-our-team/volunteer/
Happy volunteer recognition day to all of our wonderful volunteers! From water quality monitoring to stopping invasive species with our mobile boat wash, we couldn`t do it all without you. Thank you for your hard work and dedication!
If you’re interested in joining our group of amazing volunteers, check out our website at https://watershedcouncil.org/about-us/join-our-team/volunteer/
Join us this Saturday, April 13th, for the POD Drug Drop-off event to properly dispose of unwanted medications and protect our waters! From 9 to 1 you can drop off over-the-counter medications, prescription meds including controlled substances, and even pet medications.
Join us this Saturday, April 13th, for the POD Drug Drop-off event to properly dispose of unwanted medications and protect our waters! From 9 to 1 you can drop off over-the-counter medications, prescription meds including controlled substances, and even pet medications.
Help us name the sturgeon!
Each year, in partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Fisheries Enhancement Facility, the Watershed Council will raise a juvenile sturgeon to be released into our local waters.
You can name the first juvenile sturgeon to live at the Ruth Tucker Ayers Harris Watershed Discovery Center—and win some fun prizes, too!
Here`s how it works:
1. Submit your name suggestion below by May 1, 2024. Only one submission per person, please.
2. Watershed Council staff will select the 10 best names and public voting will begin May 6.
3. The winning name will be announced June 1 at the Watershed Discovery Opening Celebration.
Prizes:
All 10 participants who have their name selected for voting will receive a plush sturgeon.
The participant who submitted the winning name will receive a gift basket with a plush sturgeon, T-shirt, reusable water bottle, hat, stickers, and more—valued at $200! The winner will also be invited to join us for the sturgeon release scheduled for September 2024.
Other rules an considerations:
If more than one person submits the same name, the first submission will be honored. We will do our best to notify participants if their selected name has already been submitted.
The Watershed Council reserves the right to not accept any names deemed inappropriate.
Link in our bio.
Help us name the sturgeon!
Each year, in partnership with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Fisheries Enhancement Facility, the Watershed Council will raise a juvenile sturgeon to be released into our local waters.
You can name the first juvenile sturgeon to live at the Ruth Tucker Ayers Harris Watershed Discovery Center—and win some fun prizes, too!
Here`s how it works:
1. Submit your name suggestion below by May 1, 2024. Only one submission per person, please.
2. Watershed Council staff will select the 10 best names and public voting will begin May 6.
3. The winning name will be announced June 1 at the Watershed Discovery Opening Celebration.
Prizes:
All 10 participants who have their name selected for voting will receive a plush sturgeon.
The participant who submitted the winning name will receive a gift basket with a plush sturgeon, T-shirt, reusable water bottle, hat, stickers, and more—valued at $200! The winner will also be invited to join us for the sturgeon release scheduled for September 2024.
Other rules an considerations:
If more than one person submits the same name, the first submission will be honored. We will do our best to notify participants if their selected name has already been submitted.
The Watershed Council reserves the right to not accept any names deemed inappropriate.
Link in our bio.
We have incredible news to share.
After an extensive search process, the Board of Directors of Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council chose a new Executive Director to take the helm of the organization. Heather Huffstutler will begin her new position on April 8, 2024.
"I`m thrilled to become part of the leadership team at the Watershed Council and to learn from our stellar staff that stewards our region`s natural resources every day," says Huffstutler. “Together, along with our community partners throughout Northern Michigan, we’ll grow our commitment to protect our waterways and woodlands.”
The selection process was led by Watershed Council Board President, Tom Darnton, who appointed a five-person team last fall to work with a top recruiting firm to conduct a national search for its new leader. According to Darnton, that process was “deep and thorough,” resulting in the invitation to three qualified candidates to Petoskey in February for a “day of immersion” with the entire staff and several board members. “After reviewing written assessments of each candidate, a clear consensus emerged. Heather stood out as offering the right combination of non-profit experience and a life-long passion for our mission. And she was the best fit for our staff culture,” notes Darnton.
Huffstutler spent her career focusing on conservation, land protection, and the environment—including five years as the Director of Conservation Programs at Walloon Lake Trust and Conservancy. In 2019, she joined the staff at Huron Pines in Gaylord, Michigan, as its Director of Land Protection and Director of Development. Huffstutler has a BS in Biology from Eastern Michigan University and is currently enrolled in Indiana University’s Lilly School of Fundraising.
“I have been enthralled with the natural world since childhood—running around the shores and through the forests of the Pacific Northwest. After working in Vermont, Minnesota, and North Dakota, I returned to Northern Michigan to make it my forever home,” says Huffstutler. “You can often find me on the water in my kayak, or exploring new trails with my dog, Emmet.”
We have incredible news to share.
After an extensive search process, the Board of Directors of Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council chose a new Executive Director to take the helm of the organization. Heather Huffstutler will begin her new position on April 8, 2024.
"I`m thrilled to become part of the leadership team at the Watershed Council and to learn from our stellar staff that stewards our region`s natural resources every day," says Huffstutler. “Together, along with our community partners throughout Northern Michigan, we’ll grow our commitment to protect our waterways and woodlands.”
The selection process was led by Watershed Council Board President, Tom Darnton, who appointed a five-person team last fall to work with a top recruiting firm to conduct a national search for its new leader. According to Darnton, that process was “deep and thorough,” resulting in the invitation to three qualified candidates to Petoskey in February for a “day of immersion” with the entire staff and several board members. “After reviewing written assessments of each candidate, a clear consensus emerged. Heather stood out as offering the right combination of non-profit experience and a life-long passion for our mission. And she was the best fit for our staff culture,” notes Darnton.
Huffstutler spent her career focusing on conservation, land protection, and the environment—including five years as the Director of Conservation Programs at Walloon Lake Trust and Conservancy. In 2019, she joined the staff at Huron Pines in Gaylord, Michigan, as its Director of Land Protection and Director of Development. Huffstutler has a BS in Biology from Eastern Michigan University and is currently enrolled in Indiana University’s Lilly School of Fundraising.
“I have been enthralled with the natural world since childhood—running around the shores and through the forests of the Pacific Northwest. After working in Vermont, Minnesota, and North Dakota, I returned to Northern Michigan to make it my forever home,” says Huffstutler. “You can often find me on the water in my kayak, or exploring new trails with my dog, Emmet.”
Happy World Water Day to all the water stewards out there! At Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, we are dedicated to ensuring the health of our water resources. Through advocacy, education, water quality monitoring, research, and restoration, we strive to connect our community to the waters around us and protect them for generations to come.
Visit our website to learn more about water and consider becoming a member to help us further our mission to protect this important resource, link in bio.
Happy World Water Day to all the water stewards out there! At Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, we are dedicated to ensuring the health of our water resources. Through advocacy, education, water quality monitoring, research, and restoration, we strive to connect our community to the waters around us and protect them for generations to come.
Visit our website to learn more about water and consider becoming a member to help us further our mission to protect this important resource, link in bio.
Only two more Ice Breaker webinars this season! Don’t miss out on next Thursday’s lecture: All About Beavers: Their Impact on Our Ecosystems and Why You Should Give a Dam, presented by Jeremy Woods, DNR Wildlife Biologist.
Register for this free, virtual lecture at the link in our bio.
Only two more Ice Breaker webinars this season! Don’t miss out on next Thursday’s lecture: All About Beavers: Their Impact on Our Ecosystems and Why You Should Give a Dam, presented by Jeremy Woods, DNR Wildlife Biologist.
Register for this free, virtual lecture at the link in our bio.
We’re halfway through our Ice Breaker Series! Don’t miss out on next Thursday’s event, Climate Change: A Global Issue with Local Impact, where Bryan Burroughs, Executive Director of Michigan Trout Unlimited, will discuss the local impacts of climate change on Michigan fisheries and communities.
Register at the link in our bio.
We’re halfway through our Ice Breaker Series! Don’t miss out on next Thursday’s event, Climate Change: A Global Issue with Local Impact, where Bryan Burroughs, Executive Director of Michigan Trout Unlimited, will discuss the local impacts of climate change on Michigan fisheries and communities.
Register at the link in our bio.
Happy World Wetlands Day! Wetlands are some of our most valuable resources –they are places of beauty that contribute greatly to the overall health of our environment and our quality of life. Wetlands provide vital habitat for many Michigan species, control flooding, and protect water quality. Today, let’s celebrate the crucial role wetlands play in protecting our waters.
Learn more about wetlands and their importance on our website, link in our bio.
Happy World Wetlands Day! Wetlands are some of our most valuable resources –they are places of beauty that contribute greatly to the overall health of our environment and our quality of life. Wetlands provide vital habitat for many Michigan species, control flooding, and protect water quality. Today, let’s celebrate the crucial role wetlands play in protecting our waters.
Learn more about wetlands and their importance on our website, link in our bio.
We’re coming up on our third Ice Breaker of the season next Thursday, February 8th! Learn about the Clean Water Act and how it impacts Michigan’s wetlands from Todd Losee, President of Niswander Environmental LLC and professional wetland scientist.
Register at the link in our bio.
We’re coming up on our third Ice Breaker of the season next Thursday, February 8th! Learn about the Clean Water Act and how it impacts Michigan’s wetlands from Todd Losee, President of Niswander Environmental LLC and professional wetland scientist.
Register at the link in our bio.
Mindful winter snow maintenance alert! With the winter weather comes the need for winter snow maintenance, and while salt is an important component of keeping roads and walkways safe, it also has some major drawbacks for our water quality. Road salt can contaminate drinking water, harm aquatic wildlife, and corrode road infrastructure.
At home, individuals can focus on reducing their contribution to excess salt by shoveling or even sweeping away snow before it turns into ice, and scattering salt so there is more space between grains. Additionally, because salt becomes less and less effective at de-icing below 15-degree temperatures, switching to salt alternatives or adding sand for traction may be more impactful options.
Mindful winter snow maintenance alert! With the winter weather comes the need for winter snow maintenance, and while salt is an important component of keeping roads and walkways safe, it also has some major drawbacks for our water quality. Road salt can contaminate drinking water, harm aquatic wildlife, and corrode road infrastructure.
At home, individuals can focus on reducing their contribution to excess salt by shoveling or even sweeping away snow before it turns into ice, and scattering salt so there is more space between grains. Additionally, because salt becomes less and less effective at de-icing below 15-degree temperatures, switching to salt alternatives or adding sand for traction may be more impactful options.
Feeling chilly? Snuggle in for the next presentation in our Ice Breaker Lecture Series next Thursday, January 25, to learn about the impacts of PFAS in the northern Michigan region from Senior Geologist at EGLE Christiaan Bon.
Register and learn more at the link in our bio.
Feeling chilly? Snuggle in for the next presentation in our Ice Breaker Lecture Series next Thursday, January 25, to learn about the impacts of PFAS in the northern Michigan region from Senior Geologist at EGLE Christiaan Bon.
Register and learn more at the link in our bio.
