The Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation welcomes Nat Lichten to its team. Nat was named associate program officer for Great Lakes and Environment. He brings seven years of experience in watershed management, green infrastructure, and water and environmental research. Nat will work with current grantees, future applicants, and partners to help the...
The Great Lakes Water Authority’s (GLWA) 40-year Wastewater Master Plan is a significant step towards a new, regional, cooperative approach to improve water quality. Of special interest to Erb is the plan’s recommendations on green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) and other strategies to manage Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). Erb co-convened a joint virtual meeting of its...
Green stormwater infrastructure initiatives are bringing together neighbors, improving water quality, and making Detroit more beautiful.
Janlynn Miller, a long-time resident on Detroit’s east side, is a natural educator who understands the importance of peer learning. Janlynn is one of 40 ambassadors trained through the Land + Water WORKS Coalition to teach their neighbors about GSI and help them install rain gardens and rain barrels. The ambassadors receive a performance-based stipend,...
On November 14, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American history and Michigan Science Center launched the Ripple of Impact: Museum Stormwater Initiative. Guided by research showing that museums are trusted spaces for learning and conversation, the event brought together diverse perspectives on water access and stewardship in Detroit. The Museum Stormwater Initiative centers...
Detroit’s innovative bioretention gardens were featured in “Secret Gardens,” produced by Detroit Public Television’s Great Lakes Bureau and aired February 28, 2018 through the PBS Sci Tech Now program. A 2015 Erb grant helped create The Great Lakes Bureau to create, curate and distribute timely, topical stories about the Great Lakes ecology, economy and cultural history, building...
Farmers and gardeners across Detroit implemented innovative rainwater harvesting systems, learning solutions that would conserve both water and money. The integration of water stewardship into urban agriculture is one example of the many ways that grassroots communities are informing the sustainability movement. Video credit: Cass Corridor Films.