Conservation Corner – March 2023

Did you know that your club is trying to do its part to reduce waste and recycle? Our food service has its waste cooking oil collected by Evergreen Grease service located in Adrian Michigan. (You may have seen the collection bin located just outside the kitchen door). Grease from the Henny Penny fryers and the French Fryers are stored in the bin until it is collected and hauled away by Evergreen who pays us for the oil that otherwise would have ended up in the landfill. The oil is cleaned and then sold to other companies who turn it into; biodiesel, chicken feed or Soaps and lotions!

Saturday, February 4th I represented our club in the Clinton River Watershed Council’s Winter Stonefly search. We look for stonefly larva and adults in the winter because that’s when they’re actively looking to reproduce. Why do we look for them? They help to indirectly tell us about water quality (pollution levels). This search is conducted all along the Clinton River Watershed which covers over 760 square miles. OCSC is the most northern site along the river and its tributaries that run all the way to Lake St Clair.

Again this year I did not find any stonefly nymph or adults. I did find large numbers of other species that indicate our part of the river is healthy. I spoke to Eric Diesing, the watershed ecologist from CRWC, and he is not surprised that we do not have stonefly near the club. Near OCSC the Clinton River runs slowly and the river bottom is mostly silt, sand, and decaying vegetation. Stonefly like faster moving waters with sand, rocks, and wood cover.
If you have any conservation or habitat improvement ideas or would like to participate in OCSC’s conservation efforts please contact me.

I’m always looking for volunteers to help. The next Clinton River ‘Adopt a Stream” river monitoring will be May 6th 2023. Contact me or www.crwc.org if you are interested in learning more.

Yours in Conservation,
Chris Finazzo
finpharmer@comcast.net
248-778-5253