Detroit Zoo Partners with Clinton River Watershed Council on Water Quality, Wildlife Protection

ROYAL OAK, Mich. — The Detroit Zoo and Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC) are joining forces to connect communities with local water resources and wildlife found throughout the Clinton River watershed, and to inspire action to protect them.

Through the partnership, the Zoo and CRWC will work to:

• Educate residents about their role in protecting local water resources and the Great Lakes
• Provide solutions and actions that will grow stewardship and public awareness
• Highlight the unique wildlife and habitats of the watershed

“Conservation starts with connection, and some of the most meaningful opportunities to connect with wildlife and nature are right in our own communities,” said Dr. Hayley Murphy, executive director and CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society. “Our partnership with the Clinton River Watershed Council gives us another way to inspire people to care about the wildlife and natural habitats around us and to understand the role each of us can play in protecting them.”

The Clinton River watershed is the most populated watershed in Michigan, covering 760 square miles and home to 1.5 million residents. The Detroit Zoo, which is located within the Clinton River watershed’s footprint, will contribute to key programs and initiatives with CRWC, including CRWC’s volunteer led water quality monitoring program Adopt-A-Stream, trash clean-up efforts and native freshwater mussel surveys throughout the watershed.

The Zoo's new seven-acre experience, Fred and Barbara Erb Discovery Trails, also plays a unique role in the health and celebration of the watershed by being able to capture up to 672,000 gallons of stormwater runoff, which is the biggest threat to water quality in the Clinton River.

"Partnering with the Detroit Zoo is an opportunity to reach more people and to uplift conservation priorities within the Clinton River watershed, helping ensure healthy waterways for all," said Jennifer Hill, executive director of Clinton River Watershed Council. "Engaging people and communities to improve the health of the Clinton River and restore habitat for fish and wildlife that call this watershed home is central to what we do, and we look forward to partnering with the Detroit Zoo to move this work forward."

Together, Detroit Zoo and CRWC will work to inspire the next generation of conservation leaders while giving people of all ages opportunities to better understand, appreciate and protect the water resources in their own communities through programs such as native mussel surveys, water quality monitoring and community science efforts.

To learn more about the Detroit Zoo, visit detroitzoo.org. More information about Clinton River Watershed Council can be found at crwc.org.

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