2010 June 1 Story and Pictures of Garden Island Clean-up

(Pictures by Ken Bruland)

On May 6, 2010, Brian Mastenbrook, Mike Weede, and Ken Bruland made a trip to Garden Island to inventory the dump sites and determine which sites to clean up first. The plan developed four dump sites. One was on Northcutt Bay, one was behind the DNR cabin, one was near Indian Harbor about 100 feet from the beach, and the other one to be worked on was on the trail between these two about half-way between them. This clean up effort was to be an ongoing effort because there are more dump sites than these four on Garden Island that need to be cleaned up. The sponsoring organizations are the Natural Resources and Eco-tourism Commission, a joint township commission of St. James and Peaine Townships, and the Michigan DNRE.

On May 20, 2010, Dave Blanchard, Dan Martell, Jim and Sandy Birdsall, Mike and Gale Weede, Guy Fase, and Ken Bruland left Paradise Bay with Mike Weede's boat, his barge, and two skiffs.

Mike and Gail pose for a picture as the group prepares to leave Beaver Island

On the way, out the harbor, enroute to Garden Island

Arrival at Garden Island

Getting set up and getting to work at the clean up

Hauling some stuff out to the barge

Getting back to work

The plan was for those that needed to get back to Beaver Island, Jeff Powers would come out and pick these workers up. Jeff Cashman also came out to document the activity taking place. John Runberg, Jr., and family were working on Northcutt Bay, and left about this time of day as well. Job well done in Northcutt!

Those that stayed the night camping on Garden Island were the Birdsalls, Sandy and Jim, and Ken Bruland. Mike and Gale Weede stayed the night on their boat.

The sunset was gorgeous!

Finishing up in the morning and getting ready to head home..

On the way back to Beaver Island with a load of trash..

The workers left Beaver Island on May 20 at about 9 a.m. and they returned to Beaver Island at approximately noon on May 21. This group accomplished a full clean up of three sites, and behind the DNR cabin, they got the first two feet of trash out of the hole. The rest of this dump site and others will be resolved on future trips.

It took four pickup truck loads and two trailer loads of junk to get the trash from the waterbound vehicles out to one of two locations, the transfer station or Brian Kubish's. The heavier metal went to Brian Kubish's. The rest went to the transfer station. The labor provided was all volunteer labor. Those with boats may get some money for fuel from the DNR. The DNR has proposed making some signs and placing them strategically throughout Garden Island to remind visitors of the old rule that has been in effect for a long time--"If you brought it with you to Garden Island, you should bring it back on the same trip." This project is a multi-year project because there are other sites on Garden that need to be cleaned up as well.

No historical artifacts were removed or disturbed in this clean up effort. Dump sites were located and cleaned up as well as could be accomplished with the space for transport considered.