Meridian Township is encouraging its residents to become environmental stewards through an event called Stewardship Saturday.
The program’s goal is to preserve parks and land in Meridian Township for generations to come.Stewardship Saturday takes place every other weekend, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., each time at a different location.
Meridian Township Land Stewardship Coordinator Emma Campbell says most of the work involves removing invasive species and planting native plants.
She says everyone is welcome.
“You can get involved no matter who you are [or] what age you are. We welcome everyone, if you have any disabilities," she said. "I want to work with everyone, I want to make nature accessible to everyone no matter what."
Campbell said it can be difficult to distinguish between invasive species and native plants, so these events will help citizens get more familiar with the environment in their own backyards.
“Just educating others on all those components and invasive species and how they spread and how we can stop them. And removing them is just so important because it opens up so much space for other species to come in.”
Stewardship Saturdays take place outdoors and may be cancelled due to inclement weather.
McKoy's story is brought to you as part of a partnership between WKAR and Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.