Representing more than 1,800 individuals, three new Michigan Environmental Council member groups are making their 2007 debut. Introductions, please!

Association for Children’s Mental Health
100 W. Washtenaw, Suite 4
Lansing MI 48917

Membership: More than 1,200 family members, professionals and concerned community members
www.acmh-mi.org

ACMH advocates for better community care systems for Michigan families with children who have emotional, behavioral or mental health disorders. In partnership with other health and educational organizations across the state, ACMH’s staff—predominantly parents of children with serious emotional disorders—works with individual families and with legislators and public officials.

“Parents often tell us they don’t know what they would have done if they hadn’t met an ACMH advocate,” says Amy Winans, ACMH’s executive director. “Some families feel like their backs are up against a wall, that there are no resources for them in their communities. We help them realize that’s not true.

“Every family needs to know that we as a community have a strong presence and a collective voice of support,” Winans says.

At the Capitol, ACMH helps distribute the Children’s Agenda, a report issued by the Michigan Coalition for Children and Families, to legislators. Winans says this year marks the first time the report addresses children’s environmental health. “We’re very proud of that,” she says. “We’re involved with environmental initiatives because it just makes sense for us to be involved with prevention. That’s why I’d like to see more children’s groups involved with MEC.”

Harbor Area Regional Board of Resources, Inc. (HARBOR, Inc.)
210 Main, 4-D
Harbor Springs MI 49740
(Mail to: PO Box 112)

Membership: 250 members
www.harborinc.org

HARBOR brings together the greater Harbor Springs area by providing a culture of cooperation and communication between local governments, community organizations, community resources and planning resources available to the public. The group encourages long-term civic participation through education and discussion, facilitating understanding between multiple goals and projects. Ultimately, the organization hopes to develop a community of involved, empowered and inspired citizens, government officials and volunteers distinguished by their cooperation and communication.

HARBOR Executive Director Danna Widmar says the organization is especially proud of its recent work on a project to extend the Little Traverse Wheelway into Harbor Springs. The process, which began in 2003, involved balancing the interests of many parties, including all of the property owners along the three-mile bike trail route.

According to Widmar, HARBOR is joining the MEC coalition because it wants to strengthen its state-level initiatives. “Because we are becoming strong internally, we have great capability to affect the state in a similar way,” she says. “What we now realize is that the local communities are working together well…so it might be time for some state-level grants and work.”

Michigan Botanical Club
925 Aberdeen Dr.
Ann Arbor MI 48104-2807

Membership: More than 400 individuals in six chapters throughout the state
www.michbotclub.org

Michigan Botanical Club’s 66-year history is rich with cooperative conservation, preservation, education, research and legislative efforts. In addition to publishing a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal, a regular newsletter and several other special publications, Michigan Botanical also provides guidance to the Michigan Natural Areas Council and leads the Big Trees Project. To date, the Council has conserved more than 100,000 Michigan acres, and the Big Trees Project has catalogued more than 250 of Michigan’s largest and oldest trees.

But all work and no play is not the rule of thumb for an organization that prides itself on appreciating natural areas. Larry Nooden, president of the club’s Huron Valley chapter, says the most memorable aspect of being a part of Michigan Botanical are the field trips—journeys to Michigan’s most interesting natural sites.

“Right in the midst of all these big industries, where years of pollution have occurred, are some of the state’s most biologically diverse areas in the United States,” he says, referring to last Memorial Day’s trip to the Indiana Dunes. “Some of them butted right up against chemical plants, but they were rare and beautiful things. It’s just a shame so many people drive by and have no idea all this is there.”

One of the reasons Michigan Botanical Club decided to join MEC was because it will be ramping up its education and conservation efforts, one of which is to provide “site evaluations” on properties being considered for development.

—Katie Coleman, MEC