Huron Pines officials ask volunteers to join them Thursday in Alpena as they celebrate the community’s Lake Huron Forever Pledge and plant trees for a more resilient future for the beloved Big Lake.

The event begins at 1 p.m. Thursday at Alpena Community College, Room CTR 106, with a short presentation about the pledge and its role in an international effort to preserve Lake Huron.

Participants can then take part in volunteer projects on site that directly support pledge goals:

∫ Plant native trees on the ACC campus to provide shade, wildlife habitat, and to help filter stormwater and snowmelt.

∫ Remove invasive plants and shrubs along the nature trail at the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan.

Volunteers should wear comfortable outdoor attire and sturdy shoes and bring work gloves and a refillable water bottle. The event will happen rain or shine.

In August 2023, Alpena, Alpena Township, and Alpena County all passed resolutions to take the Lake Huron Forever Pledge, committing to actions that advance water quality protection and healthy, sustainable communities on both sides of Lake Huron.

Huron Pines is leading the effort to inspire lakeshore communities in Michigan to join the Lake Huron Forever initiative with continued support from the Bay Area Community Foundation, the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, the Community Foundation Grey Bruce, Consumers Energy Foundation, and Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network.

Thursday’s event is supported by the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program, michigan.gov/invasives.