GINLC Newsletter: A Message from the President

Fall is here, the leaves have turned and, before we know it, they'll be gone from the treetops. As you juggle the demands of work and family take a few minutes to reflect and spend some time outdoors enjoying the season. We hope you'll be able to join us on November 7th for the annual meeting. Our guest speakers this year will be the Gaudettes - island beekeepers and creators of Island Gold.

Much has happened since our last newsletter. Our summer slipped away so quickly. We were not disappointed with the mild temperatures since they made it easier to care for the new plants and trees at Intrepid Pond through their first summer. If you didn't see the article in the Ile Camera about this spring planting project, you can find it posted on our website under "News." Many thanks to all the volunteers who came out to help with the project, especially Ed Sperkowski who installed the pond aeration system and Doug Thiel who coordinated all facets. The plants thrived and the area is well on the way to being a healthier ecosystem that's aesthetically pleasing to locals and visitors.

Earth Day Report

Earlier in the spring we hosted our annual Earth Day celebration at the Centennial Farm. Thanks to Terry Laesser, we were again fortunate to have the wonderful high school volunteers from Riverside Academy in Dearborn. The younger children enjoyed the outdoor games. Everyone enjoyed the fascinating reptile presentation by Michael Brophy as well as the living butterflies and moths. And if you saw the on-line video posted by the Great Lakes Echo about preservation on Grosse Ile, well, portions were filmed during the nature walk in the Centennial Farm Open Space. Entries for the Nature & Wildlife Photo Contest for middle and high school students were on display during the Earth day event and can now be seen on our website. Thanks to donations we were able to provide several awards. We look forward to this contest becoming an annual event. Our hope is that this activity encourages our youth to spend time outdoors where they can develop an appreciation for nature's beauty through photography. Our thanks to local nature photographer Karen Skrocki for helping coordinate and judge the contest.

Click here for more photos of the Earth Day event