‘Adopt-a-Forest’ program encourages citizens to clean up public land
By McKoy Scribner
Every year, tons of trash is illegally dumped in Michigan’s public properties, but a state program has been running for three decades to help mitigate the problem.
Listen to this story.
The Adopt-a-Forest program is volunteer-driven and helps people engage with the outdoors and encourages them to keep public lands clean, the state Department of Natural Resources says.
The DNR conducts outreach to find volunteers and then connects them with a site in need of a cleanup.
Rachel Coale is a communications representative for the DNR. She says the work done in the past year has been fantastic and she’s eager to see what’s to come.
“So, last year we conducted a ‘100 cleanups in 100 days’ campaign, which despite the pandemic, we blew past our goal, which was really exciting,” she said. “So, this year we haven’t run any specific campaigns, but we’re definitely seeing more and more people get out in the woods.”
Nature enthusiasts surpassed the goal set by the 2020 challenge by cleaning 151 forest sites, as well as removing 459 cubic yards of trash.
The challenge was also a part of celebrating 100 years of the National Association of State Foresters and its effort to promote thriving forests.
Individuals or groups that volunteer are recognized with a certificate. If they adopt and clean over 640 acres of land, they can request a sign in recognition of their work.
Coale says volunteers have found everything from paper waste to mattresses in the woods.
“It really helps to have those eyes in the woods because we can’t have a conservation officer everywhere, all the time. But you know, we have a great group of volunteers who can say what’s happening out there and let people know.”
Through the program, half of the trash taken off public lands has been successfully recycled.
McKoy’s story is brought to you as part of a partnership between WKAR and Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.
About the program
The Adopt-a-Forest volunteer cleanup program was established to protect Michigan's forests in 1991. The program shares the importance of clean and healthy forests, improves recycling and responsible trash disposal and works to stop illegal dumping.
Led by the Department of Natural Resources, the program is a partnership of the DNR, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and Michigan-based USDA Forest Service.
In the program's history, more than 2 million acres of forest land have been cleaned up, with 100,000 tires removed and tens of thousands of cubic yards of trash properly disposed of. This work is critical to protecting forest lands for future generations.
Take action
You can help keep the woods clean by reporting a dumpsite, making a donation or volunteering to clean up the forest.
REPORT A DUMPSITE FIND A DUMPSITE VOLUNTEER HERE
If you see active dumping, do not approach dumpers! Please contact the Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800. You can aid in enforcement by reporting active dumping with vehicle description and license plate number.
Volunteers are the backbone of our program
Adopt-a-Forest enjoys a large network of volunteers throughout the state. Participating groups range from Scouting organizations to homeowner associations to hunt clubs as well as individuals and families.
There are a few ways to adopt a forest:
Cleanup and maintenance of public forest land
Donate equipment, commercial services or funds
Physical cleanup and maintenance
In many places on public forest land, adopting a section of forest will simply involve picking up litter along the roads found in and around your adopted area. These relatively small amounts of trash may be disposed of directly by the adopter as they would their own household trash. Cleanups may involve removal of small litter items or larger items such as discarded stoves, mattresses, carpeting, etc. After the initial cleanup, adopters should try to pick up an area at least twice a year, preferably in early spring and early fall. If possible, recycle found materials - use the Michigan Recycling Directory to find recycling resources.
How to get started:
Gather your team, get your trash bags and buckets ready and wear the right gear including sturdy boots, gloves, sun protection and bug spray.
Find a dumpsite suitable for your team using our dumpsite database. You can search sites by size, materials and other criteria.
Head out and clean the site!
Report back - let us know you cleaned the site and tell us a bit about what you found. This helps the program qualify for grants and funding to keep doing good.
The legal stuff - By volunteering with the Adopt-a-Forest program, you agree to the terms of our volunteer waiver, acknowledge that you have reviewed our safety information and participate at your own risk.
Volunteer forms and information
Volunteer release and waiver of liability
Volunteer signup form
Sources: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/get-involved/aaf ; http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/08/16/adopt-a-forest-program-encourages-citizens-to-clean-up-public-land/
