Sustainability

Williamstown Township earned a bronze level of certification in the Michigan Green Communities Challenge.

Encouraging greener communities

Michigan Green Communities, a consortium of partnerships that includes the Michigan Municipal League, has been helping cities and towns across the state become greener. The annual Michigan Green Communities Challenge encourages communities to participate and also measures their sustainability efforts.   

Latest in Sustainability
Mari Romero
Community foundations, nonprofit lenders blending strengths

A growing partnership model between community foundations and nonprofit lenders is expanding investment power in Michigan's small businesses.

Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Authority Grayling location.
Michigan’s rural CMHs work hard on improving access to mental health resources

MI Mental Health spoke with Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Chief Operations Officer Joanie Blamer and Sanilac County Community Mental Health CEO Wil Morris on addressing the mental health and wellness needs of rural communities.   

Narrowing the gender gap in municipal leadership

The Michigan Municipal League is working to narrow the gender gap in the leadership posts in municipal government. Its Women's Municipal Leadership Program has helped women across the state rise to higher leadership positions in local government. The program has become a national model. 

Students participate in the LIFT-UP program.
Students help ensure farm sustainability and bring local food to cafeterias in UP program

The LIFT-UP program gives students a pivotal role in identifying and addressing barriers to expanding local produce in school cafeterias.

Voices of Youth: Fast fashion’s environmental impacts inspired teen’s ‘Packing Dress’

Voices of Youth Battle Creek artist and writer Kayanna Smith is a Lakeview High School budding clothes designer and journalist. She wanted to research what sort of impact easily-ordered, affordable 'fast fashion' has on the environment – and what might be some alternatives. She also wanted to express the concept through design. So out of packaging materials, she created a fashionable Plastic Patchwork Packing Dress. Check it out!  

Solar panels are part of the village's SMART Park.
Cassopolis: A village reimagined

A rural community in southwestern Michigan looks for a brighter future, tapping grants and other monies to revamp its downtown and add new amenities, including a beach, a pier and a skate park.

Voices of Youth: Questioning the need for the grassy front yard

On average, Americans will spend 16 days of their lifetime mowing their lawn. Our Voices of Youth correspondent questions whether that really is a good idea.

Pickleball courts part of Marshall’s Recreation Plan

Marshall launches fundraising campaign to create a new community area that will include designated pickleball courts, to meet the demand for the fast-growing sport.   

Voices of Youth: How to be better at recycling household waste

Recycling continues to become a more normalized part of the daily routine in many households, but most people don’t know what happens to the items they put in their recycling carts after waste haulers take them away.

Our Sponsors

Gilmore Foundation

Our Media Partners

Battle Creek Community Foundation
Enna Foundation
BINDA Foundation
Southwest Journalism Media Collaborative
Southwest Michigan First

Don't miss out!

Everything Southwest Michigan, in your inbox every week.

Close the CTA

Already a subscriber? Enter your email to hide this popup in the future.