Get Involved
Photo credit: Lysa Gudz
Dive In, Do Your Part
Join us in our mission to safeguard the beautiful waters of Grand Traverse Bay and our inland lakes and streams for all to enjoy. With a community-wide commitment to clean water, we will all enjoy our waters for generations to come.
Volunteer
Help The Watershed Center make a difference by giving your time or talents. For more information or to discuss how you can be involved, contact Grand Traverse Bay WATERKEEPER® Heather Smith at hsmith@gtbay.org.
- Adopt-A-Stream: Assemble a team of volunteers — families, schools, neighborhood, office teams — to monitor water quality within the watershed twice a year. Stream sponsorships are also available.
- Beach Cleanups: Help remove trash and debris along our beaches, shorelines, and streambanks.
- Watershed Warrior: Become a citizen advocate by speaking up to oppose threats to water quality in your community and to support local decisions and efforts that protect water quality.
- General office tasks: Put your computer/office skills to use while helping our team with tasks such as data entry, mailing preparations, or simple organizing.
Events
Connect with our waters and our mission through our events.
- Stream Trivia Night – Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 6-8pm at Silver Spruce Brewing’s Silver Lake location
Whether you’re an avid angler, a trivia wizard, or just a nature lover, you will want to join us for our first water trivia night. We’re looking forward to a fun night filled with friendly competition, great brews, and learning something new about the waters you love. - Spring gathering – Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 4-6pm at MiddleCoast Brewing Company
- Beach Cleanups
Join us for Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup events and see our autonomous beach cleaning robot in action. - Adopt-A-Stream – June 15, 2025, 12-5pm at the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy’s Mitchell Creek Meadows Preserve
During this one-day event, volunteers will receive a brief orientation and be divided into teams to sample aquatic macroinvertebrates in Mitchell Creek. After sampling, everyone will come together for an afternoon of picking, sorting, and identifying macroinvertebrates with the aid of experts. This event is open to everyone. - Swim for Grand Traverse Bay – Saturday, August 9, 2025
Celebrate clean, healthy water in Grand Traverse Bay with a unique, open water swim event to benefit The Watershed Center. - Freshwater Summit – Thursday, October 30, 2025, 9am-3pm at the Hagerty Center
Join environmental professionals, citizens, and businesses to discuss the latest research, projects, and initiatives that impacts the Great Lakes and Grand Traverse Bay regions.
Connect with us as we collaborate with other organizations and events in our community.
- Fly Fishing Film Tour – Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Traverse City Opera House, doors open at 6:30 and films begin at 7:30pm
Join TWC and fellow fishing enthusiasts for an unforgettable night as The Northern Angler brings the Fly Fishing Film Tour back to Traverse City. Admission is $25 or $20 for groups of 10+ or students 18 or younger and can be purchased from the Opera House. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to The Watershed Center.
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