Dearborn Cool Cities Roundtable

Members of our League recently attended a meeting

put on by the Sierra Club-Dearborn Cool Cities on

January 20 at HFCC’s SME building. The meeting

yielded many innovative and provocative ideas about

ways in which Dearborn is and can be a greener, more

environmentally friendly city.

The evening included presentations by Rick Simek, a

naturalist at the U of M Dearborn’s Environmental

Interpretive Center; Dearborn’s Sustainability

Coordinator Dave Norwood; and Margaret ”Peggy”

Matta, chair of the Detroit chapter of the Green Schools

Committee which is part of the US Green Building

Council.

Rick Simek discussed ongoing projects of the EIC, as well

as the unrecognized opportunities for exploration of

nature provided by such areas as the Henry Ford Estate,

which is located on the campus of UM-Dearborn.

The Environmental Interpretive Center is doing a lot of

programs. “We think of it as an outdoor classroom-a

living laboratory", Simek said, explaining that “although

environmental programming has been happening for

forty years, its community charm has exploded since the

EIC opened ten years ago.” February projects include

Tree Tapping Trek, Saturday, February 19 from1:00 to

3:00pm and Maple Sugaring Stroll, Saturday, March 5,

1:00 to 2:30pm.Registration is required. .If interested,

please call Rick at (313) 583-6371.

Sustainability Coordinator Dave Norwood

discussed both steps the city decided to take when a

Federal grant for sustainability work – like recycling

containers and installing LED street lights. Dave said,

“One thing I’ve learned with my job is that I do have a

plan, but if opportunities arise, I have to take advantage

of them.”For example, the city of Dearborn is working

with Friends of the Rouge on the Fordson Island cleanup

project, which eventually hopes to turn the six acre spot

into a lush natural area with native vegetation. Fordson

Island is located on a channel of the Rouge which

connects it to the Ford plants. Marathon Oil owned it

previously, but no longer needed it. Dearborn received a

NOAH grant to acquire the land. Marine Salvage Co.

removed the boats in the channel. Norwood is also

working with the Southwest Detroit Environmental

Vision which is focusing on improving air quality in

southwest Detroit and the south end of Dearborn which

are high in air particulates due to truck traffic and the

factory and steel mill are located there.

The last topic was presented by Peggy

Matta, chair of the Green Schools Committee in

Michigan, She presented ways in which schools

can go green, including adding more windows and

skylights to cut down on artificial light usage,

switching over to low-flush toilets and urinals.

Other projects include rain gardens and solar

panels which not only help schools to meet LEED

certification standards, but provide for educational

opportunities for students. LEED certification

reflects the amounts of electricity used, waste,

CO2 emissions, and water usage in a school

building.

The next program with Sierra Club-Dearborn Cool Cities,

co-hosted by LWVDDH is part 2 of a 3-part series from
HFCC Professor Lore's "Environmental Crisis on Your Plate."

The upcoming presentation on Feb. 15 is

“Chemical Components in Food & Water with

Special Focus on Pesticides, BPA’s & GMO’s ”

Part 3, “ Who Really Controls Our Food Supply?"
will be presented on March 23rd.

Also speaking on Feb 15th will be Lynna Kaucheck
of Food & Water Watch and the Ferndale Environmental

Commission. She will cover the Alfalfa GMO and

also what Ferndale is doing to become more

sustainable.

These events go from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the SME Building

on the north side of HFCC’s campus - enter the far door
on the north side of the building.