A Drinking Water Initiative
2024-2025
On the evening of April 18th, Michael Broadway, Professor Emeritus of Geography at NMU, launched the 2024-25 Interfaith Water Stewards Initiative with a community gathering at Messiah Lutheran Church. Goals include
- Sponsoring four community forums addressing drinking water quality in our region
- Publishing a series of 10 columns in the Marquette Monthly titled “The Spirit of Water”
- Advocacy for neighboring tribal water projects
- Planting 1,000 cedar trees (to release pure water through transpiration into the biosphere), and
- Support for two drinking water projects in under-resourced countries.
The Mission Statement for this initiative will be printed in the October issue of the Marquette Monthly and will be distributed to dozens of faith-based communities across the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin,
If interested in supporting this partnership, consider a designated donation to the Cedar Tree Institute to underwrite our planting efforts. The cost of 1 cedar tree is $10. The cost of 10 is $100. This summer, 350 cedar trees were planted by 24 volunteers as a first step to planting 1,000 trees by August of 2025. Summer sites included Silver Creek and the Yellow Dog Community Forest.
Our appreciation to Brad Pickens, of the Episcopal Diocese, who is serving as editor for our Project’s collected writings on this important topic. And also to Chuck Thomas, geologist and former supervisor for the State’s Upper Peninsula Drinking Water Management programs. Chuck will be our special presenter at Marquette’s Messiah Lutheran Church for a public forum in October. Thanks to Sarah Gimpl, NMU Class of 2024, for serving, these months, as coordinator for this Cedar Tree initiative.
