April 08: Waiting for Spring.

Now, as most Michigan divers know, the Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve (SWMUP) encompasses the shoreline from Holland to New Buffalo near the Indiana border, and as such, it works with the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council (MUPC).

The MUPC is a private, non-profit, volunteer-driven organization, which works with the Michigan’s 13 preserves in fostering cooperative stewardship of the historical, cultural, natural and recreational resources associated with the preserves as well as support and speak as a unified voice for the preserve committees. It then shares these positions to the legislature and other relevant agencies and groups.

One of the most attractive and useful purposes I believe it does is to support and participate in placement of marker buoys on wrecks and provide input and advice on permits and preserve-related research efforts.

With that said, I had the opportunity to attend this quarters Council meeting with members of the SWMUP and WMUP in Ludington. Listening to the challenges the MUPC has working with the 13 preserves was an interesting and informative time worth the 3 hour drive each way.

Afterward, because I had been a participant and contributor, rather than just a spectator, made me think about why was I really there. What thoughts did I have at the end of the meeting? What are my expectations from both the local preserve and council?

With that said, as I understand it, the performance of a preserve is dependent upon three major things: the physical support of interested individuals, the active participation of local divers, and money.

Any organization is only as good as the depth of its membership and the enthusiasm they bring with them. But as I think about the need all organizations have for membership and member retention, it seems to boil down to one point. What is the organization giving members that makes them want to join and remain a member? In short, how do you benefit from being a member of this organization?

Now, I don’t know your reason, but here are a few reasons why some people are active members of the preserves:
• They have a passion for diving in all its various dimensions.
• They have a passion for exploring shipwrecks.
• They want to be active in the search for new shipwrecks, and document its find. (Along       with this is the distinction of being known as the “finder” of the missing ship which makes   you part of its history.)
• They obtain self-satisfaction from being part of the dive team who places shipwreck   buoys on wrecks to make them more accessible to all divers.
• They want to be part of the groups that remove the buoys before the storms and ice of   winter, and then and replace them for the spring and summer diving.
• They have a passion to understand why a ship sank, its history, its personality, and its       effect on a community, state, and country.
• They want to be a spokesperson and tell the stories of Great Lakes ships.
• They want to ensure the history of the Great Lakes and its marine life is recorded.
• They are looking to the future to see how the health of the Great Lakes impacts those       that  are dependent upon it for their livelihood, as well as their life in that everyone has a   need for quality water.
• They are individuals not physically able to support preserve activities, but are willing to        provide material, funding, or administrative support to meet identified needs of a       preserve.

I am sure there are more, but the key is participants and members feel that they are being useful and understand their contributions are making a difference in the preservation of the Great Lakes.

If you are a diver, Which one are you?

For more information on Michigan Preserves, visit: www.michiganpreserves.org.