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1. How do I register to participate in Kanoe the Kazoo?

Throughout the summer you can join the fun and canoe different sections of the beautiful Kalamazoo River. The trip in our area, hosted by the Marshall Area Conservation Committee, is generally between Marshall and Battle Creek. Start and end points vary each year. Lunch and a group photo will be provided. A few canoes/kayaks will be available for rent. For more information email Cheryl Vosburg's or call 269-558-0328.

2. What is the Marshall Area Conservation Committee (MACC)?

The MACC is a volunteer group of environmentally conscious citizens who work to protect and enhance Marshall's natural resources. We started out as a committee to host a single event, River Clean Up, but we had such a positive response and so many volunteers that we quickly ran out of river banks to clean (how great is that?) so we started adding more conservation type projects. Our annual fall event is now called "Krazy for the Kazoo - a River Clean Up and Conservation Day" and on this one day we gather 100+ volunteers and put them to work for 3 hours doing projects such as river bank and park clean up, storm drain marking, water quality monitoring in Rice Creek and the Kalamazoo River, maintenance of our native plant demo plot, habitat creation, trail building, and of course tree planting. With all those volunteers we are able to get a lot of projects accomplished!

We now also have several other annual events including:

• The "Greening of Marshall" - we've planted a total of 1,000 trees so far! We have two community tree plantings. One in the spring and the other in the fall during Krazy for the Kazoo.
• "Kanoe the Kazoo" - an annual canoeing/kayaking event to encourage appreciation for the beauty of the Kalamazoo River and it's tributaries.

The MACC does not meet on a regular basis but rather we meet as needed. Usually meetings are scheduled around our events. We try to communicate by email but some things do require face to face coordination. Our meetings are usually on Wednesdays at 7 at one of our city facilities. Right now our emphasis is on the "Greening of Marshall"...a big push to provide maintenance to the 1,000 trees already planted. In addition, we are looking at other projects such as rain gardens, storm drain marking, native plantings, habitat building, community education, trail laying and marking, tree identification, and more. For more information or to join the MACC email Cheryl Vosburg or call 269-558-0328. You can also look up the MACC on Facebook.

3. Where can I find Information about the Adopt-a-Park Program?

In order to enhance the quality of our parks, the City of Marshall Department of Public Works encourages volunteers to assist with litter pickup, preservation and maintenance of landscaped areas, increased landscaping, and general upkeep and repair of equipment and facilities.

The Adopt-A-Park Program allows for individuals or groups to adopt a specific park. Through adoption, these individuals or groups may assume the responsibility for any or all of the eligible activities, which will lead to:

• Reduce litter in parks
• Enhancement of the environment
• Beautification of the green space
• Broad-based community support

For more information, view Adopt-a-Park (PDF).