By Paul Sachs, Ottawa County One of Ottawa County’s most alluring features is its water. For as far as the eye can see, Lake Michigan’s crystal-blue waters lap up against our expansive sandy shoreline. Twenty-four miles of coastline provide the perfect backdrop for walking, swimming, kayaking, boating, and fishing. But what we can’t see, and something that is …
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By Dan Callam ’09, ODC Network How can you tell if a lake is healthy? It’s not as simple as what’s in its water and on its shores. Lake Macatawa’s watershed – the area that drains into it – comprises most of the greater Holland/Zeeland area and is made up of neighborhoods, shopping and business districts, and …
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A properly planted tree can help a homeowner save up to 20 percent on energy use. And Holland Board of Public Works residential electric customers can reserve a free tree this spring to strategically plant in their yards to save energy and lower utility bills. From the Arbor Day Foundation, the Energy-Saving Trees program began in 2012, …
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By Hannah Gingrich, Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore “Affordable housing is not a simple subject” might be the understatement of the year. Regular consumers of local news have undoubtedly noticed this topic repeatedly featured in recent city discussions. Housing issues affect everyone, though in different ways. Even the casually interested likely have heard friends or coworkers mention how difficult …
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By Hanna Schultz, People First Economy It’s 2019, and with the new year comes inspiration, a renewed sense of purpose, and the added drive to become the best version of yourself you can be. So, why would your approach to your business be any differently? This last year has seen economic growth and opportunity for many businesses, …
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By Sarah Irvin, Naturalist at DeGraaf Nature Center Climate is defined as the weather in a particular area over a large time period, which unveils patterns when recorded, allowing us to create models that mimic and make predictions. Unfortunately, climate trends will become increasingly more challenging to predict as temperatures and precipitation events shift; the phenomenon that we …
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By Cameron Geddes, Hope College Markets & Morality The great specter of the modern age is shapeless, manifesting in a menagerie of forms: Fathers unable to keep a roof over the heads of their sons. Mothers having only empty pantries to offer their daughters. Neighbors squabbling over property that rises just above worthless. Poverty is the English word …
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By Kyle Hart and Matt Belanger, West Michigan Environmental Action Council The Great Lakes contain 20 percent of all available freshwater on the surface of the Earth, and stormwater pollution is the number one threat to the quality of that water. In February, the Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore series will start off the year with a presentation …
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By Dan Callam ’09, Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway Has your family been on an adventure recently? There’s no need to wait until spring break or for a road trip to a warm, far-off destination. Your local nature centers are encouraging families to explore spaces around them in 2019 by visiting nearby parks with their new Park Passport …
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By Michelle Gibbs, Office of Sustainability With the recent turning of the new year and a new school semester starting this week, it is a great time to set a personal goal of “sustainable literacy.” But what does this mean? The United Nations shares that “sustainability literacy is the knowledge, skills and mindsets that allow individuals to become …
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