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4-H group tackles environmental health

News Photo by Julie Goldberg The Alpena 4-H Tech Changemakers group presents Dec. 17 to the Association of Lifelong Learners at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center about microplastics and how those affect human health.

ALPENA — One local group is working to help improve the community and the environment.

The Alpena 4-H Tech Changemakers group was created in November 2018 and Member Youth Representative Constance Fluharty said the group is focused on the prevention and reduction of the use of micro-debris and microplastics in the Great Lakes region.

“One of our main focuses is helping people be more sustainable in their day-to-day lives,” Fluharty said.

The group received a two-year grant from Microsoft last year to start the group. Member Youth Representative Phineas Imhoff said the group has to do something tech-related as part of its mission with the grant.

“Microsoft thought it would be a good idea to help the youth create the future,” Fluharty said.

The group has completed beach cleanups. They’ve also made reusable beeswax wraps that people can use an alternative wrap, Imhoff said.

“You can use them for sandwiches, pies, basically anything,” Fluharty said.

A partnership with Rogers City Theater has been created to help the theater become more sustainable and plastic-free. Imhoff said the group will put out recycling and compost bins at the theater and also strategize ways to help the theater reduce waste.

“We finally started it, and it’s a wonderful project,” Fluharty said.

“It’s nice to help out the community,” Imhoff said. “We work together very well as a group.”

The group presented to the Association of Lifelong Learners at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center on Dec. 17. They talked about microplastics and micro-debris and how to come up with solutions to help those.

“It’s how microplastics affect human health, which can have catastrophic consequences,” Fluharty said.

A few members went to Washington in the summer and participated in different workshops.

“It was a very educational process and experience,” Fluharty said.

While in Washington, the members met with U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. and U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, who represents Northeast Michigan, and talked about how they can contact the group if they have questions about environment needs and how people can be sustainable at a local level.

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.

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