Events

Presenter: Deanna Geelhoed, Program Coordinator, Plaster Creek Stewards

IMPORTANT! NOTE MEETING LOCATION CHANGE
1700 28th Street SE Grand Rapids

Description: On the tour we will visit a sample of work done by Plaster Creek Stewards (PCS) including a rain garden, bioswale, etc. Learn how PCS is transforming urban spaces into stormwater-capturing biodiversity hot spots. Meet at 6:30 pm at the Christian Reformed Church parking lot - 1700 28th Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 49508.
Deanna will provide information on other locations around town where the Stewards have been working, so people can stop to see them when they have time.

Please wear comfy walking shoes and dress to be outside!

Biography: Deanna Geelhoed graduated from Calvin College with a degree in Biology and Spanish. As the Program Coodinator of Plaster Creek Stewards you will most often find her working with students at rain gardens in the community, growing plants in the greenhouse or educating about Plaster Creek.

About Plaster Creek Stewards
Plaster Creek Stewards works to restore the health and beauty of the Plaster Creek watershed through community education, research, and on-the-ground restoration projects.

The Plaster Creek Watershed is a 58 square mile area that drains into the Grand River near Market and I-196 in downtown Grand Rapids. In addition to the 14 miles of stream that make up Plaster Creek, the watershed includes 5 different townships (Gaines, Caledonia, Cascade, Ada, and Grand Rapids Twp.) and 4 municipalities (Kentwood, Wyoming, Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids).

Plaster Creek is labeled "unfit for partial body contact" by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The stream routinely tests positive for high rates of E. coli bacteria, and it has also been shown to be contaminated with toxic substances and excess nutrients from fertilizers. Erosion, sedimentation, and thermal pollution are constant problems in the stream that are exacerbated by high rates of storm water run-off.