Grand Valley State University did its part this week to help a non-profit group inform west Michigan how grand the Grand River really is. The Allendale Campus served as an overnight stop for more than 50 canoeists and kayakers participating in the Grand River Expedition (GRE) 2000.
The 13-day canoe journey and river study, led by world-renowned canoeist Verlen Kruger, was organized by Grand River Expedition 2000, to document the values, problems, and opportunities of the Grand River and its watershed in an effort to foster awareness and responsibility for the river.
We do more than talk about things at this campus, says Carl Bajema, GVSU host of GRE 2000. West Michigan has turned its back on the river. We have a beautiful resource here and need to take advantage of it.
The expedition team is paddling canoes, conducting studies, and providing demonstrations, interactive displays, and exhibits to communities along the river. The entire navigable length of the Grand River, 225 miles, will be paddled from Center Lake, near Jackson, to Grand Haven.
The team includes scientists, historians, educators, students, agriculture and natural resource professionals, industry representatives, and leaders in civic organizations, writers, video and film specialists and others.
Each canoeist is given a specific job, such as counting different wildlife species and conducting water quality tests. The group is traveling eight to 27 miles per day.
The data gathered will be analyzed and compared to data collected by the Grand River Expedition '90 so that important trends can be determined to support future action.
Ten years ago, GRE '90 traveled the same navigable stretch of the Grand River, conducting studies and educating communities along the way.
Interactive exhibits and displays for the public include stream monitoring, fishing demonstration, voyageur encampment with authentic and replica artifacts, river cleanup, and bugs of the Grand River, among others.
It's important that the group publicize what has been done recently and the problems still in existence, says Bajema.
River clean up, community river revitalization projects, and the formation of watershed interest groups followed Expedition '90, which also received the Take Pride in America national award from the U.S Department of the Interior for its accomplishments.
