Mapping the Regional Non-motorized Trail System in West Michigan

This past summer the AWRI teamed up with the West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition (WMT&GC) to map and inventory the regional non-motorized multi-use trail system. The project covers 16 west Michigan counties north to Cadillac and south to Kalamazoo. Throughout the warmer months of 2009, student interns and Rod Denning, the Project Manager, were out riding the trails using GPS to inventory various features that serve the trail rider (i.e. parking areas, restaurants, campgrounds, bike shops, parks etc.). During data collection, special emphasis was also given to identifying prominent natural features and natural communities that characterize the local landscape.

All of the information collected is being added to an extensive geographic database that will provide a regional data framework that will be used by the WMT&GC. The database will identify existing trails, those that are being proposed or planned, and those under development. Trails that are just concepts on paper have also been mapped. Ultimately, the information will be put together into a final map atlas and map product suitable for trail planners and trail users.

This project is being funded by the Meijer Foundation, an anonymous corporate foundation, and the Rapid Wheelman. For more information on this specific project contact Rod Denning at ((616) 331-3793) or [email protected].

AWRI Events

December 2 Brickley DeLong held a Michigan Business Tax Update Seminar.

December 10 The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership held a meeting.

December 17 The Ruddiman Creek TMDL held a meeting.

January 11 The Mona Lake Watershed held an annual meeting.

January 12 Dr. Liqiang Xie, a postdoctoral candidate, presented Ecological and toxicological studies on cyanobacterial bloom Microcystis.

January 21 GVSUs Know Your Numbers event.

January 25 Dr. Nadia Gillett, a postdoctoral candidate, presented Diatom-based stream bioassessment: the effect of live/dead ratio.

January 26 United Way of the Lakeshore held their Annual Board Retreat.

 

AWRI Activities

Bopi Biddanda participated in interviewing prospective GVSU first-year students for fall 2010 during the Awards of Distinction Scholarship Competition held in Allendale on January 16.

Mark Luttenton is currently teaching BIO 121: Introductory Biology II and BIO 580:Wetland Ecology.

Rick Rediske and Janet Vail attended a "Water Challenge" meeting at GVSU in Allendale on January 15.

Rick Rediske attended the Environmental Monitoring Advisory Committee meeting on January 21. New Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE) director Rebecca Humphries was in attendance.

Carl Ruetz participated in an executive committee conference call of the Michigan Chapter of the American Fisheries Society on January 12.

Carl Ruetz and Tonya Brown attended the Faculty and Staff Campaign kickoff and orientation breakfast at the Allendale campus on January 19.

Carl Ruetz participated in a panel discussion that took place after the viewing of the documentary movie "Lake Invaders: The Fight for Lake Huron" on January 22 on the Allendale campus.

Al Steinman attended a meeting of the Great Lakes Threat Mapping project, of which he is a member of the core working group, in December in Ann Arbor.

Al Steinman was invited to be on an advisory board for Cranbrook Institute of Science as they develop their Center for Great Lakes Water. He attended meetings regarding this proposed center in Detroit and Lansing on January 6 and 27, respectively.

Al Steinman attended an IJC Ecosystem Technical Work Group meeting in Ann Arbor on January 7 and 8. The Group is looking at indicators to identify ecological impacts of water levels in the Upper Great Lakes.

Janet Vail helped to facilitate a workshop for the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative group in Grand Rapids on January 12. She is on the Professional Development Committee for that group.

Janet Vail participated in a Lake Michigan Forum meeting via teleconference on January 14.

 

AWRI Presentations

Bopi Biddanda delivered the keynote address at the meeting of the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco held on December 14 18. He spoke on Rock, Water, Critters: Great Lakes Submerged Sinkholes.

Jim McNair was a guest lecturer for Carl Ruetz BIO 362: Fisheries Biology course in December.

Al Steinman gave a guest lecture to Mark Luttentons BIO 440: Limnology class on December 2.

Al Steinman was the featured speaker at the Listening to Your Rivers conference held at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City on January 15

Ryan Thum was a guest lecturer in CMB 680: Phylogenetics and population genetics as Bioinformatics, on December 3.

 

AWRI Publications

Nold, S. C., J. P. Pangborn, H. Zajack, S. Kendall, R. Rediske and B. A. Biddanda. 2010. Benthic bacterial diversity in submerged sinkhole ecosystems. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 76: 347-351.

Ogdahl, M., V.L. Lougheed, R.J. Stevenson, and A.D. Steinman. In Press. Influences of multi-scale habitat on metabolism in a coastal Great Lakes watershed. Ecosystems.

Al Steinman is the ad hoc editor of the 25th birthday issue of JNABS. The issue comes out in early 2010, and he is an author on two papers in the issue:

Silver, P., A.D. Steinman, and I. Polls. In Press. The role of a discipline-specific scientific journal in scientific discovery.

Steinman, A.D., P. Silver, S.G. Fisher, and J.L. Meyer. In press. The J-NABS 25th year anniversary issue: reflecting on the past, synthesizing the present, and projecting in the future.

 

AWRI Seminar Series

February 12, 2010 (Friday) at 2:00 p.m.
Dr. Greg Dick, Asst. Professor Department of Geosciences University of Michigan Seminar title: "New views into microbial communities: stewards of the Earth, past and present"

March 12, 2010 (Friday) at 2:00 p.m.
AVAILABLE

April 9, 2010 (Friday) at 2:00 p.m.
Dr. Meng Xia Research Investigator, School of Natural Resources, University of Michigan Seminar title: A Numerical study of wave-current interaction in Lake Michigan using Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model"

April 30, 2010 (Friday) at 2:00 p.m.
Dr. R. Michael L. McKay Ryan Professor of Biology and Director, Marine Program Department of Biological Sciences Bowling Green State University Seminar title: Some like it cold: Psychrophilic diatoms in Lake Erie

 

AWRI In The News

Carp could pose big threat to rivers: GVSU associate professor talks about impact
WOOD-TV, December 3, 2009 Carl Ruetz is interviewed about the threat of Asian carp entering the Great Lakes.

Herman Miller among those leading way in phasing out chemical
Capital News Service, December 7, 2009 Rick Rediske is quoted regarding deca-BDE, a fire retardant often found in furniture and electronics, the legislature may soon ban it.

Water Research
Muskegon Chronicle, December 13, 2009, page A9 The article is about funding from Consumers Energy for AWRI to monitor phytoplankton in Muskegon Lake.

Study: Great Lakes not losing water: new report disputes finding St. Clair River dredging increases flow
Muskegon Chronicle, December 16, 2009 AWRI is mentioned as a location for a public hearing of the IJC held in June.

Community in brief: 01/04/2010
Grand Traverse Herald, January 4, 2010 On January 15 there is a conference at Northwestern Michigan College called Listening to your rivers: boosting environmental stewardship in your community. Al Steinman is a featured speaker.

Asian carp reach the US Supreme Court: high court will decide whether or not to hear case
WOOD-TV, January 8, 2010 Carl Ruetz was interviewed about the threat of Asian carp entering the Great Lakes.

Pre-recession report card found Muskegon doing well
Muskegon Chronicle, January 19, 2010 The article mentions that AWRI is a partner in creating the Prosperity Index.

Asian carp DNA found in Lake Michigan: U.S. Supreme court rules to deep Chicago's shipping locks open
Muskegon Chronicle, January 20, 2010 Carl Ruetz is quoted regarding the threat of Asian Carp in the Great Lakes.

Hoekstra advocated for summit on Asian Carp to be held in Muskegon
Hoekstra.house.gov, January 21, 2010 AWRI is mentioned as a possible site for a summit on Asian Carp.

LTTR (Listen to the River) Keynote speakers: Citizen Scientist Journalist presentation
Can be seen at www.listeningtotheriver.org
Al participated in a Listening to the River event on January 15, 2010. That presentation is available online and will be shown on local (Traverse City) area cable on 1/28, 2/1, and 2/2.