By Zach Terpstra, Hope College Outdoor Adventure Club With summer now in full swing, the desire to escape civilization and explore all that Michigan has to offer has never been greater. But where-oh-where to go? Never fear – the following are fan favorites of seasoned Michigander adventurers! Tried and tested by Hope College’s Outdoor Adventure Club, these three …
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By Diane Haworth, local sustainability professional There is plenty of news related to climate change these days. The planet’s climate has constantly been changing over geological time, but now scientists are concerned that the natural fluctuation is being increased by an upsurge in greenhouse gases from human activities. The greenhouse effect refers to the way the Earth’s …
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By Sarah Irvin, DeGraaf Nature Center This growing season, you can help reintroduce native plants to our otherwise cultivated landscapes of non-native or invasive plants and monocultures of green grass. Including native species in your yard will bring beauty to your life; benefit our local ecosystem, and save you time, money, and energy! Here are some of the …
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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 …
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By Susan Ipri Brown and Shana McCrumb, Hope College “We need to have a vision of the world we want to create so that we can see ourselves as collaborators with future generations in the project of shaping it.” – Dr. David Grinspoon “Think of your kids and live sustainably.” How often do we hear such statements as …
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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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STEVE BOUMA-PREDIGER, PH.D. LEONARD AND MARJORIE MAAS PROFESSOR OF REFORMED THEOLOGY “A term like ‘earthkeeping’ is more biblical and simply refuses to accept the view that the natural world is a commodity to be used by humans who only manage its resources for our own ends,” he explains. “Being a keeper, in the biblical sense, …
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Please join the Macatawa Creation Care Group on Thursday, February 21 in Graves Hall for a film screening of “Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution.” Doors open at 5:45, and the film starts at 6:00. The film will be followed by a panel of representatives from the City Of Holland, Holland Board of Public Works, and …
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