SEPTEMBER PROGRAM
Green Infrastructure Bus Tour with Grand Valley Metro Council (GVMC)
Monday, September 19 • 6:00–8:00 pm
Free Event
Presenter: Cara Decker, Stormwater Program Coordinator, LGROW
Location for PARKING and LOADING the bus: Grand Valley Metro Council (GVMC)
678 Front Ave. NW., Grand Rapids
The Rapid bus seating availablity: 33 participants
Others may carpool to stops.
Reserve your bus seat on Sign-up Genius.
Building on the introductory Green Infrastructure (GI) Program given in 2020, the GI bus tour will show different examples of Green Infrastructure that has been completed in the Grand Rapids area. The focus will be on GI in the Lower Grand River Watershed, as well as demonstrate the results of a successful partnership with The Rapid, City of Grand Rapids, and Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW). Examples of GI on the tour include a green roof, a rain garden, a bioswale, permiable pavement, stormwater reuse as well as a living wall all found in the Grand Rapids area.
IMPORTANT BUS TOUR INFORMATION
5:45 pm – Meet at Grand Valley Metro Council (GVMC)
678 Front Ave. NW, Grand Rapids
(Free parking across Front Ave., restrooms available) LGROW brochures will be given out and Cara Decker will introduce their organization at the beginning of the tour.
There are 33 seats available on the bus. Reserve your seat on Sign-up Genius.
Please wear a mask while riding the bus. Some masks will be available.
Attendees can choose to carpool with others to the sites. A list of sites with addresses will be available at GVMC before the bus tour begins.
Wear comfortable walking shoes (walking will be minimal, but we will be on and off the bus at multiple stops), bring a filled water bottle (the stops usually do not have drinking fountains or public restrooms).
BIOGRAPHY: Cara Decker is the Stormwater Program Coordinator at LGROW and collaborates with communities in West Michigan to coordinate their NPDES stormwater programs and to promote sustainable use of the Grand River. She joined LGROW in 2017, and previously used her environmental compliance background to work in private industry, and as a civilian engineer for the US Navy. She is a Michigan native and has a B.S. in environmental engineering from Michigan Technological University.
Grand Valley Metropolitan Council is an alliance of governmental units in the West Michigan area that are appointed to plan for the growth and development, improve the quality of the community’s life, and coordinate governmental services.
The mission of the Grand Valley Metropolitan Council is to advance the current and future well-being of our metropolitan area by bringing together public and private sectors to cooperatively advocate, plan for, and coordinate the provision of services and investments which have environmental, economic and social impact.
The Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) brings together local municipalities and community stakeholders in a unique format to address issues facing the Lower Grand River and its watersheds. LGROW promotes community education and sustainable use of our river resource. LGROW works with communities to coordinate their NPDES stormwater permits, and the Organization also works locally with grants. LGROW is committed to making the watershed an ongoing resource for all of us.