Stewardship is defined as “the careful, responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” Friends of the St. Clair River prioritizes stewardship of rivers, green spaces, and trails and is uniquely positioned to carry out this mission daily through the people within its network.
“We see stewardship as a collaborative, dedication to protecting our watershed,” explained Brooke Hiller, Friends’ Restoration Coordinator. She further described the ripple effect (pun intended) that has parallel implications on the environment and local community. “Since our inception, our mission has remained clear: protect and restore the St. Clair River and its watershed. We accomplish this through volunteer stewardship opportunities, like shoreline cleanups, invasive species removal, habitat management, and wildlife monitoring – making lasting positive ecological impacts. Our stewardship work is always evolving. As new environmental threats arise and the demand for our expertise increases, we continue to welcome anyone to join us in protecting our watershed.”
Friends volunteer and Master Gardener Sandy Stein explained how her work with pollinating plants developed her efforts in stewardship. “I was a member of the Blue Water Garden Club when Friends adopted Pine Grove Park gardens … and began implementing the Pollinator Gardens and native plants. I was very excited with the change and eager to participate in creating and maintaining new gardens that would be more sustainable, less water dependent, and show visitors that we are a community that leads in progressive gardening practices.”
Pollinator gardens are a collaborative area where Friends has found enthusiastic volunteers and experts such as Master Gardener Tracy Selby. “I was introduced to Friends when there was a call for help to plant the gardens at the Eddy Center. These were pollinator gardens consisting of native plants. I learned so much about the organization and the need for community education and stewardship. When I became a Master Gardener my goal was to share knowledge so that every day people like myself could be more mindful regarding nature and our environment.”
This shared community value is something that Friends of the St. Clair River is intentional about fostering, explained Brooke Hiller. “Through offering hands-on learning opportunities that protect and restore our environment, we represent conservation in action. We show volunteers how their efforts directly benefit water quality, wildlife, and recreation, which gradually builds a community-wide culture of stewardship. Many of our volunteer stewards are interested in science, gardening, recreation, and are motivated by a love of nature and desire to contribute to the community, and so are we! To train effective stewards, we consider the interests of our volunteers and how they naturally align with our mission and the stewardship opportunities we provide.”
Master Gardener Christine Danner values the coordination Friends does with volunteers such as herself. “I really appreciate the educational programs Friends has provided. It’s been thrilling to see the Blue Water River Walk develop, especially the Wetland area and I’m so grateful to have been a part of that.” She enjoys that others express their gratitude about the result of these successful stewardship efforts. “I also appreciate the opportunity to give back to our community and help people learn about, appreciate, and protect all the natural beauty here in St. Clair County. It always makes my day when I’m volunteering on Tuesdays to hear people exclaim over the beauty of the Walk and express their thanks to us volunteers – believe me, it’s a labor of love.”
Tracy Selby witnessed the curiosity and interest of people recently when she showed her home gardens on a garden tour and partnered with Friends to create an educational opportunity for visitors. “My home was on the St. Clair Garden Tour, which hosted over 200 guests. It was such a great opportunity to share knowledge about how gardening can have a positive impact on our environment. Brooke [Hiller] dropped off information about native plants, and even seed packets from the ‘Seed Library.’ Needless to say, all the information and seed packets were gone before the end of the day!”
Brooke Hiller confirmed that Friends sees tremendous value in working with volunteers to support their stewardship efforts at home. “We bring people together in all seasons through hands-on projects and learning opportunities that make it easy to care for our environment in simple, lasting ways.”
“Participation in Friends activities has provided me with the guidance to try unique innovations,” noted Sandy Stein. “The leadership behind the scenes is both knowledgeable and affirming. There is a strength and acceptance that permeates the activities that make you feel welcomed and you want to come back, again, just to be part of making the world a better place.”
If you are interested in learning more about Friends of the St. Clair, and its volunteer stewardship opportunities, please click here.