Posted By - Chris Haynor @ 9:35 am EDT
CHAIN OF LAKES SEWER UTILITY AUTHORITY
PROTECTING YOUR GRINDER PUMP STATION
AND WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

DON’T
Use toilets, sinks for garbage disposal
Never Flush- diapers, briefs, sanitary napkins, tampons, paper towels, wipes, cat litter or KITCHEN GREASE!

These are toxic to Wastewater process!

Never Flush- motor oil, paint, solvents, bug&weed killers, or hazardous materials

DO
Always leave power on to grinder stations
When leaving for long periods of time, flush out the grinder station
Flush by running sinks, showers and flushing toilets
Separate kitchen grease and waste. Dispose in solids waste container

ALARM LIGHT & BUZZER
In the event of an alarm light/buzzer call COLA Staff immediately
Silent buzzer with toggle switch located under the grinder station control panel

Posted By - Chris Haynor @ 11:21 am EDT
The Brooks Townshp Ordinance has been updated and can be found on the Publications link.

Posted By - Kara McCrimmon @ 10:42 am EDT
Can you believe it’s been over four years since the start of the Land Use Vision Project?

Many people have contributed to the successes of this project. Please join us on Monday August 12, 2002 to:

--Enjoy food

--Look back on the accomplishments of the Land Use Vision Project

--Recognize those who have contributed

--Look to the future of the Land Use Vision

--SAY GOODBYE to our project coordinator, Kara McCrimmon

The festivities begin at 6:30 p.m at Brooks Township Hall, located at 490 Quarterline Road in Newaygo.

RSVP requested by Monday, August 5, 2002. Call Chris Haynor at 231-652-6763 ext. 13 to reply.

Posted By - Kara McCrimmon @ 11:02 am EDT
Do you have an interest in a scientific volunteer activity on the Newaygo Prairies?

The Nature Conservancy is looking for a few volunteers to "monitor" the ecological restoration activities at the Coolbough Natural Areas and the Clawson property, both located at the corner of Barberry Avenue and 58th Street three miles north east of Newaygo.

This is an established monitoring program that takes approximately a half to a full day twice a year. The goal of the moniroting program is to track the response of invasive species and native wildflowers to prescribed burning. Don't worry - you don't need to be a botanist to be able to do this!

A training session is schedules for Monday, July 29 at the Clawson property beginning at 9 a.m. If you are interested in learning more about what this is and/or what is required, please feel free to attend this session. You are welcome to join the training before deciding whether you want to volunteer for this project next year.

If you have any questions, please contact Lara Kramarz at West MI office of The Nature Conservancy at 616-776-0230 ext. 10.

Posted By - Kara McCrimmon @ 11:26 am EDT
Get Your Natural Newaygo Identification Guide!

Our Land Use Vision Project Coordinator was hard at work last winter putting together a special identification guide for the Newaygo area. Natural Newaygo is a 32-page booklet that highlights the significant natural features and species of the Newaygo area. Sections on the Muskegon River watershed, forests, prairies, lakes and wetlands are all included. Plus, the guide has 70 color photos and directions to some of Newaygo’s natural areas.

We have funds in our land use vision project grant from the Fremont Area Foundation to print 1,000 of them, and we want to get them to you. Natural Newaygo is available on a first come, first serve basis. You can stop in to the township hall to pick one up, or we’ll mail one to you. We don’t have the funds to mail them, so if you want one mailed please send us $1.00 to cover shipping costs along with your name and address.

Address requests to:
“Natural Newaygo’
c/o Kara McCrimmon
Brooks Township
PO Box 625
Newaygo, MI 49337

You can also view and print Natural Newaygo from the publications section of this website. Click the “Publications” button on the left side of the screen and scroll down the page until you see "Natural Newaygo".

Posted By - Kara McCrimmon @ 11:24 am EDT
Volunteer work days have been scheduled on the Coolbough Natural Areas and on the nearby Clawson prairie (privately owned). If you would like to help with any of these work days, contact Lara Kramarz at The Nature Conservancy’s West Michigan office at 616-766-0230; 456 Plymouth NE, Suite A; Grand Rapids, MI 49505. Lara will be able to give you the times and any additional details.

June 1 and June 15 (Saturdays):

The purpose of these two workdays is to remove the invasive spotted knapweed on the Clawson prairie. Although privately owned, this property boarders the Coolbough Natural Areas and hosts the largest population of Karner blue butterflies in the area. However, the spotted knapweed threatens to take over the property. Hopefully, if we help this prairie remnant along, the butterflies will flourish and migrate to the Coolbough property. Plus, if this property is healthy we’ll have a local source of wildflower seeds to use to restore prairie on the Coolbough Natural Areas.

June 8, June 22, and July 13 (Saturdays):

These volunteer work days will be held on the Coolbough Natural Areas. Led by The Nature Conservancy, the work will focus on spotted knapweed removal, trail building, and firebreak preparation.

SEED COLLECTION

As part of the ecological management of the Coolbough Natural Areas, we want to increase the diversity of native wildflowers on the prairie remnants. To do this The Nature Conservancy will lead volunteers to collect wildflower seed from the nearby Clawson prairie to plant on the Coolbough property. These tentative dates have been scheduled to collect seed. Keep in mind that they are not set in stone, since a lot depends on the growing season. If you’re interested, contact Lara Kramarz at The Nature Conservancy’s Grand Rapids office—616-766-0230. We’ll tentatively collect seed from the following wildflowers on the following dates.

Wild Lupine - June 24 or 29
Dewberry - July 19 or 20
Horsemint - September 6 or 7
Flowering Spurge - September 6 or 7
Butterflyweed - October 4 or 5
Blazing Star - October 11 or 12

No experience is necessary for seed collection—you’ll find out everything you need to know once you get there. This is a great opportunity to learn about prairie ecology and to help increase the plant diversity of the prairies on the Coolbough Natural Areas.

Posted By - Kara McCrimmon @ 2:51 pm EDT
Volunteers needed to assist in research project of the
Muskegon River Watershed

WHAT? Muskegon River Watershed Ecological Assessment Meeting

WHERE? Brooks Township Hall

WHEN? Tuesday, May 14 at 7:00 p.m.

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
Michigan Lake and Stream Associations Inc. (ML&SA) will be holding a meeting on Tuesday, May 14th at Brooks Township Hall in Newaygo at 7:00 p.m. Anyone with an interest in the Muskegon River, or the lakes and streams within the Muskegon River Watershed, is invited to attend.

The meeting will include a presentation by Dr. Jan Stevenson and Dr. Stuart Gage of Michigan State University. They have been leading a team of scientists and conservationists for over a year to develop an ecological assessment of the Muskegon River Watershed. The ultimate purpose of this project is to gather information that will be valuable in solving and preventing environmental problems within the watershed.

As part of the project, ML&SA is searching for volunteers who would like to participate in various monitoring projects throughout the watershed. Volunteers are especially need to help carry out special sound projects, water quality testing, zooplankton testing, and other lake and stream testing. Training and tools will be provided to volunteers, who will play a necessary part in collecting information to complete the ecological assessment of the Muskegon River Watershed.

ML&SA is a statewide volunteer corporation whose membership is made up of lake, stream and watershed associations, as well as individual and corporation members. Its purpose is to educate people on water issues and represent the interests of riparian property owners statewide. ML&SA has been active in water quality issues in Michigan for over 40 years, and administers the Cooperative Lake Monitoring Program (CLMP) for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and.

Join us and learn how you can become a volunteer to help make this project a great success.

Brooks Township offices are located at 490 Quarterline Road, Newaygo. For more information, contact Pearl Bonnell of ML&SA at 989-257-3583 or Kara McCrimmon, Brooks Township, at 652-6763 ext. 26.

Posted By - Kara McCrimmon @ 2:48 pm EDT
Join Dorothy Sibley, local naturalist and president of the White Pine Chapter of the Michigan Botanical Club, along with Kara McCrimmon of Brooks Township, on a fun and educational wildflower tour of the township's new nature preserve - the Coolbough Natural Areas.

We'll hike past prairie remnants, through white pine-white oak forest, and along cattail marshes and ponds as we explore the plant life in the Coolbough Natural Areas. We're not sure what we'll see in bloom during the tour, but we're sure we'll have a good time.

The tour will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2002 from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. We'll plan on meeting at the east enterance to the property (see below for directions to the Coolbough Natural Areas). Parking is limited, so car pooling is encouraged. No rest room facilities are available at this time, so plan ahead. For additional information contact Dorothy Sibley via email at dbsibley@mail.riverview.net or at 652-2036. You can also contact Kara McCrimmon at 652-6763 ext. 26.

Directions to Coolbough Natural Areas:

From M-82 - Turn east on Croton Drive at the stoplight directly north of the bridge over the Muskegon River. Take Croton Drive east for 3.5 miles to Barberry Avenue. Go north on Barberry one mile. It will end at 58th Street. Turn right (east) on 58th for .25 miles. 58th will curve north and turn into Hazelwood. The enterance to the Coolbough Natural Areas is on the left (west) side of the road.