COPPER HARBOR -- On a warm morning in late May, volunteers gathered in Copper Harbor to participate in the first annual Keweenaw Outdoor Recreation Coalition (KORC) Keweenaw Clean-Up. More than 40 volunteers spent the morning and early afternoon of Saturday, May 22, 2021, collecting garbage from State of Michigan forest and park land, roadsides, and other public areas near Copper Harbor.
Despite unseasonably warm weather and the emergence of Keweenaw’s infamous mosquito and black fly hordes, volunteers succeeded in removing an estimated ton -- 2,000 pounds -- of trash. Garbage was collected from locations including the Mandan Road, High Rock Bay Road and beachfront, West Schlatter Lake Road, Manganese Creek Bridge parking lot, and the Clark Mine.
Beginning at 9:30 a.m., Ben Ciavola and Erika Vye greeted volunteers in the parking lot of The Mariner North to distribute trash bags and maps and to guide volunteers to clean-up locations. DNR volunteer waivers/door prize forms were also collected. Grant Township Supervisor Scott Wendt provided orange township trash bags, and Ace Hardware in Calumet provided a generous supply of heavy-duty garbage bags in several sizes.
Prior to the clean-up, KORC Steering Committee Members Gina Nicholas and Don Kauppi scouted the area for trash and marked roadside cleaning locations to better coordinate volunteer efforts. Maps displaying local landmarks and cleaning locations were developed by Keweenaw Community Forest Company (KCFC) with help from Daniel Lizzadro-McPherson at Michigan Tech and printed courtesy of The Print Shop.
Volunteers spread out along the Mandan Road and surrounding areas to bag roadside debris with the goal of removing items that could be spotted from the road. Heavy items including culverts, pipes, and other large metal objects were also extracted. Mark Ahlborn, Rich Probst and Mark Salo brought trucks and trailers to haul heavy trash bags and large items out of the woods. Don Kauppi took responsibility for disposing of the larger metal items, and other volunteers along with Grant Township paid for all trash to be disposed of without using DNR dumpsters. Recyclable cans and bottles were also collected for deposit return.
Participating volunteers represented a variety of Keweenaw communities, businesses, and recreation interests including overlanders, mountain bikers, and kayakers.
KORC volunteers pick up trash along the Mandan Road.
The Keweenaw ATV Club also participated in the event, using side-by-side ORVS to collect trash along the High Rock Bay Road.
After the clean-up, volunteers met in the Copper Harbor Community Park for refreshments prepared and provided by Don and Peg Kauppi, owners of The Mariner North. To celebrate successful clean-up, volunteers enjoyed drinks and food including hotdogs and brats grilled by Roger Perreault.
Volunteers also had the opportunity to win door prizes donated by a variety of local businesses. Prizes included a gift certificate for dinner for two at The Mariner North, a one-night stay at the Copper King, hand painted whiskey glasses from Gail English, a framed picture from George Bailey Photography, a T-shirt and hat from the Gas-Lite General Store, and a hat from the Copper Harbor Trails Club.
Notes:
* Keweenaw Now guest writer Nicholas Wilson is a Keweenaw resident and free-lance journalist. See also his March 7, 2021, article, "KORC: Community Action for Permanent Public Land."
** Some of the KORC members mentioned in this article were also quoted this week in the June 2, 2021, Bridge Michigan article, "In tiny Copper Harbor, a mountain biking boom causes growing pains."
