Lansing held a celebration last week to declare local waterways clean and clear after three and a half years of volunteer efforts. Community leaders and volunteers gathered at Rotary Park to celebrate, including LCC Geology Professor and Program Advisor Kirsten Wright.

Wright serves as co-advisor to the Outdoor Connections Club, a registered student organization dedicated to bringing positive changes to the environment, both on and off campus. Club members reached out to Michigan Waterways Stewards to organize a river cleanup, joining in the non-profit’s project to remove trash and clear woody debris from 16 miles of local waterways, including the Grand and Red Cedar rivers and Sycamore Creek, plus riverside parks.

“These students are passionate about preserving the outdoors for everyone to enjoy,” said Wright, who advises the club alongside Tammy Wilkinson, Gwen Telgenhoff and Suzanne Bernsten. “With this club, they have created a small community with a variety of common interests and embrace opportunities to share those for the benefit of our planet.”

Wright received a certificate of achievement on behalf of the students during the June 30 event, appearing beside dignitaries like Lansing Mayor Andy Schor and a representative from the Lansing Parks & Recreation Department. You can read more about the ceremony from this Lansing State Journal article.

If you’d like to get involved in the Outdoor Connections Club, reach out to the club advisors by visiting the Clubs and Organizations webpage.