Rotary District 6600 has been actively engaged in environmental projects aimed at fostering partnerships for environmental cleanup.
Our District has a longstanding history of environmental initiatives, including highway cleanup efforts, tree planting, garden restoration, wetland rehabilitation, Rotary parks, butterfly gardens, stream restoration, and more.
This year, we implemented a novel approach by partnering with Rotary District 6400 in Canada. We mutually agreed to collaborate in pursuing each other’s Rotary global grants for environmental cleanup projects. It’s important to note that by collaborating with Canadians (a foreign country), our environmental pursuits become eligible for 80% matching from Rotary International in the form of global grants (please see Phil Marisy’s video: https://vimeo.com/1074651786
As a result of this partnership, District 6400 in Canada generously donated $10,000 to our Defiance environmental research project. The Defiance project is a collaborative effort involving Ohio State University, The Andersons, and our District 6600. Its objective is to identify innovative strategies to reduce nutrient runoff into our water system.
In recognition of this substantial contribution from the Canadian Rotary District, we have allocated $10,000 from our District Designated Funds to pursue their global grant for the Rouge River restoration project south of Detroit. Both projects have the potential to improve the quality of water that we both drink. As a side note, a very generous District Rotarian has donated an additional $20,000 to the Defiance project and $50,000 to the River Rouge project.
As ongoing discussions between myself and the Canadian District Governor continue, the Governor from Northern Indiana has expressed interest in joining our collaborative efforts. All three incoming District Governors will now be meeting to further strengthen this partnership.
Additionally, the Traverse City Rotary Club, on learning of our collaboration, has offered up to $10,000 to assist with tree planting and erosion control around Maumee Bay.
In return, I suggest that we consider supporting their efforts to pursue a global grant for the cleanup of polluted waters in their area. This collaboration presents a mutually beneficial opportunity, as it would eventually send cleaner water into the western basin of Lake Erie.
It is very easy to imagine this collaboration with districts all around Lake Erie, and indeed, all around the Great Lakes, from Duluth to Quebec City, collaboratively working together to slowly clean up the waters of our Great Lakes.
This is an aspirational dream.
Rotary has done big things before, and this could be as big for us as polio in raising awareness and solving problems with our partners. It’s my hope that we will continue these partnerships.
None of the above could have been possible without the work of Janina Douglas, Chris Anderson, Chris Vogel, Adam Cassi, Phil Mariasy, Deb Cheney, Andy Bone and many others.
Yours in Rotary,
Tim Ryan
District 6600 Governor 2024–25
This year, we implemented a novel approach by partnering with Rotary District 6400 in Canada. We mutually agreed to collaborate in pursuing each other’s Rotary global grants for environmental cleanup projects. It’s important to note that by collaborating with Canadians (a foreign country), our environmental pursuits become eligible for 80% matching from Rotary International in the form of global grants (please see Phil Marisy’s video: https://vimeo.com/1074651786
As a result of this partnership, District 6400 in Canada generously donated $10,000 to our Defiance environmental research project. The Defiance project is a collaborative effort involving Ohio State University, The Andersons, and our District 6600. Its objective is to identify innovative strategies to reduce nutrient runoff into our water system.
In recognition of this substantial contribution from the Canadian Rotary District, we have allocated $10,000 from our District Designated Funds to pursue their global grant for the Rouge River restoration project south of Detroit. Both projects have the potential to improve the quality of water that we both drink. As a side note, a very generous District Rotarian has donated an additional $20,000 to the Defiance project and $50,000 to the River Rouge project.
As ongoing discussions between myself and the Canadian District Governor continue, the Governor from Northern Indiana has expressed interest in joining our collaborative efforts. All three incoming District Governors will now be meeting to further strengthen this partnership.
Additionally, the Traverse City Rotary Club, on learning of our collaboration, has offered up to $10,000 to assist with tree planting and erosion control around Maumee Bay.
In return, I suggest that we consider supporting their efforts to pursue a global grant for the cleanup of polluted waters in their area. This collaboration presents a mutually beneficial opportunity, as it would eventually send cleaner water into the western basin of Lake Erie.
It is very easy to imagine this collaboration with districts all around Lake Erie, and indeed, all around the Great Lakes, from Duluth to Quebec City, collaboratively working together to slowly clean up the waters of our Great Lakes.
This is an aspirational dream.
Rotary has done big things before, and this could be as big for us as polio in raising awareness and solving problems with our partners. It’s my hope that we will continue these partnerships.
None of the above could have been possible without the work of Janina Douglas, Chris Anderson, Chris Vogel, Adam Cassi, Phil Mariasy, Deb Cheney, Andy Bone and many others.
Yours in Rotary,
Tim Ryan
District 6600 Governor 2024–25