Contact: Kevin Postma
Manistee Area Public Schools
231-398-0522
or
Tim Ervin
Alliance for Economic Success/Manistee Co. Community Foundation
231-723-4325
Issued as a Service by the Alliance for Economic Success
For Immediate Release (Printer Friendly Version)
A WORLD PREMIER
MANISTEE RIVERS FILM FESTIVAL
OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON FEBRUARY 9
Manistee, Michigan – Cast and crew will present the “Manistee Rivers Film Festival” in a special premier open to the general public on Saturday, February 9, 2008 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Manistee High School Commons.
The Film Festival is the capstone of five months of work by Manistee High School Advance Placement Environmental Science students to learn about the needs, uses and challenges involving the Big and Little Manistee Rivers and to help the community become stewards of water.
Ten short films will be presented by student teams during the Film Festival that is expected to run from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The project was funded by an Envision Manistee County implementation grant from the Manistee County Community Funding, using funds provided by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
“Our students, our class and our school want to go beyond studying environmental issues and become part of the solution through inquiry, fact-driven research and by getting our feet wet in the Big and Little Manistee Rivers watersheds,” said Kevin Postma, class instructor. “By using our backyard, we are able to involve partners throughout our community in a learning experience where everyone gains an understanding of what stewardship of water is all about. On February 9, all members of our community are invited to view films that our students developed to show why these fresh water treasures are important to our quality of life and economic well-being.”
Postma is a graduate of the DTE Fresh Water Institute for Teachers which is led by the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute at Northwestern Michigan College. He has been active in seeking funds to expand school involvement in a Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative that was recently started by the Lansing-based Great Lakes Fishery Trust.
“The Fresh Water Institute taught us the importance of building community partnerships to support learning about our fresh waters,” Postma said. “And we’re fortunate to have so many community partners that have willingly worked with our students and become a part of the learning process. It has helped students understand the roles and relationships of businesses and other organizations in managing our water resources. And it has also helped our community partners understand how interested our students are in learning about our lakes, rivers and watersheds within the context of their community uses and impacts.”
Postma said that community partners for the project include: Martin-Marietta, TES Filer City, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division, the City of Manistee, the Little Manistee Watershed Council and others.
“The Film Festival will be a great way for the community to celebrate our tremendous water resources,” said Jim Reithel, Operations Manager for Martin-Marietta Magnesia Products who has supported this and prior student-driven learning experiences about water quality. “So many of us learn best by getting our hands on and around what we’re learning about. We are delighted to support a learning process that is fact-based and encourages a full and complete understanding of the shared responsibilities we have in our communities for water stewardship.”
“Together, the Big and Little Manistee Rivers are of great significance to the entire Great Lakes watershed,” said Scott Heintzelman, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division supervisor who oversees the weir and egg-taking station on the Little Manistee River. “These watersheds host significant naturally reproducing stocks of salmon and trout. Our egg-taking station is the supply source for steelhead throughout the Great Lakes and the multi-billion dollar recreational fishery. In Manistee County, we are surrounded with some of the most valuable rivers, streams and lakes in the world. Part of our job is working with students and schools to help our communities understand the importance of stewardship and how we can all work as partners to achieve stewardship goals.”
“Water profoundly influences our life and our future,” Postma said. “It is a wonderful tribute to leaders throughout our county who are realizing just how important our waters are in efforts that will benefit future generations and support jobs and economic development in our County.”
Postma mentioned that other current efforts underway in the County to recognize the importance of fresh water include:
■ Completion of Portage Lake Watershed Forever Plan and development of an endowment to support plan implementation.
■ Completion of a Strategic Plan by the City of Manistee that recognizes the importance of its beaches, parks and recreation areas and drinking water.
■ Funding by the Great Lakes Fishery Trust to create two new sites for universal access for fishing on Manistee Lake.
■ Funding by the Michigan Easter Seals Organization to help implement “Envision Accessible Manistee County” through an effort to make Manistee County the number one destination for access to fresh water.
■ Development of a County Recreation Plan that will establish a plan for recreation in the county, including the miles of rivers, streams and lakes.
■ Development of a county-wide septic ordinance that is now being considered for implementation in all counties encompassed by the District 10 local health department.