River Raisin stewardship camp engages K–12 students in river science and cleanup

City educators and the Commission on the Environment told the council that a pilot River Raisin stewardship camp engaged students from kindergarten through high school in hands‑on river science, sampling and cleanup activities that aim to build long‑term stewardship of local waterways.

Dr. Everly, who introduced presenters as a Commission member, said curriculum designers focused lessons on food chains, local habitats and how human activities affect the river. Camp staff described separate age‑appropriate programs: K–2 students learned who lives in the river and touched invertebrates; grades 3–6 were “water warriors” who explored ecosystems and made posters and videos; older students participated in sampling and macroinvertebrate testing at multiple sites.

Brian Egan, chair of the Commission on the Environment, told the council the culminating river cleanup drew more than 330 volunteers and that crews collected approximately nine yards of trash and non‑recyclable material. Commissioners noted a decline in debris collected over the years as an indicator of long‑term improvement, and thanked city departments and sponsors for support.

Council members in the meeting praised the program, noted strong parent and youth interest and encouraged continuation and expansion of the stewardship camps and public‑education efforts.

Next steps: presenters said they plan to run the program again and to display student work and videos to amplify public awareness of river health and ongoing volunteer opportunities.