For conference participants planning on arriving in Detroit before the conference, there are two unique mobile workshops planned.
Life on the River: The Clean-up of the Detroit River ($35/person)
Saturday, May 3, 1:00-5:00 pm
The Detroit River has a long history of pollution problems dating back to the turn of the 19th century. Environmental pollution caused fish advisories, bird and animal deformities, and made the river nearly unusable for recreational purposes for decades. But beginning in early 2003, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy began an intense clean-up of the river. Today, wildlife thrives in the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, the only international wildlife preserve in North America, uniquely located in the heart of a major metropolitan area. During this mobile workshop, participants will learn more when they paddle by kayak along the river and see former brownfields sites now being use for recreational purposes. Kayaks and all appropriate safety equipment will be provided as well as safety lessons prior to the start of the trip. Please bring appropriate outdoor apparel as the weather in early spring can be unpredictable.
Paper manufacturing companies used to stand on the site of the Battle of the River Raisin 1813.
River Raisin Battlefield (Former Jefferson Smurfitt East Mill Pulp Plant)
Source: Monroe County Historical Museum
Redevelopment and Renovation of Historic Sites: The Monroe Experience ($15/person)
Sunday, May 4, 1:00-4:00 pm
The city of Monroe, the Monroe County Historical Society, and Monroe’s BRA have joined forces to develop a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 30-acre site for historic preservation, interpretation, and brownfield redevelopment. One of the bloodiest battles in the War of 1812, “The Battle of the River Raisin,” was fought on the site. This same property later housed a number of paper-manufacturing companies in the 1900’s. After being abandoned, the mill buildings required environmental responsive activities. In 2006, the River Raisin National Battlefield Study Act authorized a National Park study of the site.
To address the aging and health care needs of its members, the Immaculate Heart of Mary congregation completed a $56 million renovation of its historic Motherhouse of the Servants and most of its 280-acre campus. The renovation project employed state of the art sustainable technologies and methods including a geothermal heating and cooling system along with a graywater recycling system. The Motherhouse was named one of the top ten green projects in 2006 by the American Institute of Architects.
Click here to register.
(NOTE: You must be registered for Brownfields 2008 BEFORE you can register for any of the mobile workshops.)
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