By Rich C. Lakeberg, Ottawa County Water – it’s one of the building blocks of life, and Michiganders are surrounded by it. With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, one may assume Michigan could never face a water shortage. But Ottawa County is facing such a challenge. To understand why, we need to …
Continue reading “Living Sustainably: Combat groundwater challenges by watering wisely”
By Lisa Uganski, Ottawa County Department of Public Health It’s that time of year when many people look forward to shopping outdoors at farm markets. The Holland Farmers Market is now open to provide the community with fresh, local and healthy food in a safe outdoor environment. Due COVID-19 concerns, the market has implemented a …
Continue reading “Living Sustainably: Holland Farmers Market opens with new safety regulations”
By Donna Lowry, Ready for School A healthy and economically vibrant community depends on meeting the real-time needs of families. Early learning and child care professionals know this well. They partner with working parents and caregivers to provide children the early learning experiences they need for a strong start in kindergarten and life. Prior to …
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By Kerry Irons, Pedal Holland As the weather gets nicer, it’s easier to get children outside for biking and walking while following facemask and social distance guidelines. But other safety measures should be taken too – even after the COVID-19 crisis passes. Parents and caregivers can help children learn safe skills and behaviors by providing …
Continue reading “Living Sustainably: Parents can teach street safety to kids”
By Chris Grant, Citizens Climate Lobby One day while I was raking leaves, it occurred to me to investigate the decibel level of the leaf blowers in use all around me, with the thought that I might need ear protection while using my rake. A Google search turned up information regarding noise, and also some …
Continue reading “Living Sustainably: A Sustainable Look at Lawn Care”
By Patrick Cisler, Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance Stimulus checks from the federal government started to arrive in the bank accounts or mailboxes of Ottawa County residents over the past week. These funds are vital for those who are currently unemployed or underemployed, struggling with food security, or facing unexpected financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. …
In celebration of the 50th Annual Earth Day (April 22), Michigan universities and colleges are excited to collaborate to present Earth Week Bingo as a call to action. Please join us in completing various Earth-themed activities (this week and every other day) to honor our beautiful community and take care of our Earth. While still …
By Dr. Steven Bouma-Prediger, Religion Department, Hope College April 22, 1970. I remember it well. The very first Earth Day. It was a special day in my junior high school. We watched some of the national events – in Washington D.C. and New York City – on a television. We went outside and planted some …
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In Holland, we believe that in order to become a vibrant, world-class community we must look at all aspects of our community. This includes the “Triple Bottom Line” and the economic, social, and environmental impacts we all have. Our City of Holland Sustainability Committee has created a seven-pillar framework with “lenses” to help us evaluate and make …
Continue reading “2020 Hope College Student Sustainability Research Projects”
