Macatawa Area Coordinating CouncilSeptember 2020
Table of Contents
Green Commute Week
Streambank Restoration Completed in Holland Township
Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore Goes Virtul
Green Commute Week
Let’s Work Together to Build a Healthier Community
Green Commute Week is an annual event designed to promote awareness about green transportation options that benefit the environment, the budget, and both personal and community health. If you regularly participate in Green Commute Week, you may have noticed that spring came and went this year without mention of the event. Most things look a lot different these days, and this event is no exception. For the health and safety of our participants, the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council made the decision to postpone the event until fall and modify the structure to focus on active and socially distant forms of green commuting including walking, biking, telecommuting, driving a fully electric vehicle, or any other type of green transportation that involves physical activity like rollerblading, skateboarding, or even kayaking.
Here’s how it will work: The event will take place from October 5-9. Unlike previous years, no registration is required and all participants will participate as individuals. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t form your own teams within a workplace and hold your own internal challenges. We encourage it!
There will be five commute categories including walking, biking, telecommuting, driving a fully electric vehicle and other (including any other form of active transportation). Participants will log each commute trip throughout the week on the MACC website at www.the-macc.org/green-commute-week.
This year’s commute challenge is based on participation. At the end of the week, there will be a random drawing for $50 West Coast Cash within each commute mode category. Each trip logged = one entry in the corresponding mode category. The more trips recorded and the more modes you choose, the higher your chances are of winning.
We hope you enjoy this opportunity to get outside, soak up the beautiful West Michigan fall weather, and contribute to the improvement of our health, our air, and our community!
You can share your progress and keep up with the event on Facebook and Instagram.
Streambank Restoration Completed in Holland Township
The MACC has been working with the ODC Network and a private landowner in Holland Township for several years to design, secure funding for and restore an eroding streambank. The site is located on Noordeloos Creek, one of the major tributaries to the Macatawa River. Streambank erosion has been occurring at this site for years due to flashy stream flows and was getting worse because of dying and falling ash trees. The MACC was able to secure funding from the Great Lakes Commission with support of Project Clarity. We hired Holland Engineering to complete the design for the project and 28 Specialties to do the construction. They completed the construction on September 25. The project will be fully complete when we install plants later this fall.
Living Sustainably Along the Lakeshore Goes Virtual
Join us on October 13, 6:30-8:00pm, for a conversation about our Community Energy Plan and our personal and collective energy usage. We will begin the evening hearing the results from the recent greenhouse gas calculation and the current initiatives aimed at reducing our carbon footprint further. A moderated panel will discuss topics such as what science is telling us, impacts of COVID-19, and answer audience questions. There is no cost to attend this virtual event, but registration is required.
