How you can make a difference

People have been asking me how they can support the swim this summer. You have lots of options. You can sign up to be support crew for any of the days we are swimming--July 7 through 21. Or, you can help the HRWC staff with a myriad of tasks right at the office which is in NEW Center on N. Main. If you live along the river you can host a fundraising party. There are lots of tasks, all of them fun, especially since the HRWC staff is such a great group of people.
Another thing you could do is tell your friends and relatives about the swim. My niece who lives in southern California is so geeked about the swim that she sent an email to Oprah! Yeah, you can do things like that too.
You probably have read that I am hoping to raise $10,000 for the HRWC. It only takes 1,000 people sending in a check for $10 to meet that goal. Or 100 giving $100. If everyone who uses or lives on the Huron gives something, we'll make the goal with room to spare!
By the way, how do you use the Huron River? I'd love to know your stories.

Another dip in the Huron

Yes, I did it again! Yesterday my husband, daughter, and her husband, kayaked from Dexter Metropark to Barton Dam--an 8.5 mile outing. The river was running pretty full since we had an inch of rain the other day. There were several gentle rapids and still lots of trees down, making it interesting to navigate our kayaks. As we were nearing Delhi Metropark, we encountered some low-hanging trees and a very tight squeeze to continue on the river. G got through nicely as did S. It was just K and me. I went first and this time I was very quickly dunked into the river. It was colder than last Sunday and the current was very strong. However, I got the kayak out of the way, kept my paddle and scooted over to the bank. G. helped me get the water out and before long was paddling away. K. managed to get through just fine. I think my kayak is a bit too long and unwieldly in these situations. I will probably have to just plan on a dunk every outing! Our become a better paddler!!
This morning as I write this, I am rather stiff and sore from the long paddle. But it is worth it. This was a beautiful day to be on the river, watch people shoot the Delhi Rapids, soak up some sun, and see the trout lilies and even some trillium in bloom.

Excitement at Glacier Hills

I work at Glacier Hills as the Director of Planned Giving. Staff and residents are getting really excited about this swim. I am so glad that they are enjoying this adventure with me. One of my friends here asked me how the swim will raise money for the Huron River Watershed Council. My answer was that you can log onto the HRWC web page and donate directly to the swim that way. You can also send a check to the Council and note that it is supporting the swim.
The professionals at the Council have been talking to businesses about sponsoring the swim, members of the council are having parties, and we are also sending letters to the many people who support the HRWC. If you want to be a sponsor or donate to the swim, please contact Margaret Smith at MSmith@hrwc.org
If you would rather participate in helping with the swim, please contact Jennifer Wolfe at jwolfe@hrwc.org, an amazing woman who is organizing all the volunteers.

Talk about the future of the River motivates me more!

Wow! I can't believe it. The Ann Arbor News did an Op Ed piece on the swim This on top of the front page article. This makes me want to swim every inch of the river. I know it won't be realistic, because there will be times when I cannot swim it due to safety concerns, but I am going to do as much of it as is humanly possible!

I went to a talk tonight about the future of the Huron River, with projections out to 2030. Based on the models, it doesn't look good. The speaker, UM professor Mike Wiley, pointed out that the only thing that keeps the Great Lakes healthy is clean rivers - that if the rivers draining into the Lakes are polluted, then the entire system is in trouble. But he also pointed out that these are just models - the future does not have to look like this, with degraded rivers, streams and lakes. And he stressed that local stewardship will make the difference - which motivates me even more! We need to reverse our current trend of ignoring our fresh water resources. We cannot live without fresh, clean water. This swim gives me hope - lots of people are getting involved already - let's make a real difference!

Getting ready to swim 100 miles!

I am getting really excited about my upcoming swim down the Huron River this summer! The article in the Ann Arbor News yesterday made this event hit home for me. I got up at 4 am this morning, waiting for the pool to open so I could do my training for the day. I swim 2 miles each day at the local YMCA. I try to work my training times in during the day, before work or over my lunch hour, as I am more of a morning person. I also do some weight lifting, to help build up my shoulders. Of course, plenty of sleep and eating well are also important. My daughter is a dietitian and she has helped me devise a great “diet” to follow to be sure my body is optimally fueled for endurance events.

Ironically, on a kayak outing this past weekend, I fell in the river. I was actually thrilled! It was warmer than expected, and got me thinking hard about what 100 miles of swimming down the Huron would be like...