Kathryn Russell, a Michigan GREEN board member and  fifth grade teacher at Graveraet Intermediate School in Marquette, was recently named one of two inaugural recipients of the  Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, named in honor of National Geographic Society Chairman Gilbert M. Grosvenor's lifetime commitment to geography education.  As part of her award, she will travel on a 10-day (Nov. 23rd - Dec. 2nd) Lindblad Expedition to the Galapagos Islands.

With a major focus on viable energy improvement projects for the State of Michigan, MSG has created the Michigan Green Fund - $45M exclusively to finance energy projects and green technology for municipal entities such as cities, counties, school districts, special districts, and all other governmental agencies statewide This special allocation will enable qualified entities within the state to finance these projects, upgrades, and improvements at aggressively low interest rates using a structure more cost effective than bonds. MSG has invested the resources necessary to obtain a solid understanding of the benefits these improvements and projects have not only from an environmentally conscious perspective, but also from the fiscally responsible perspective of all parties involved. MSG looks forward to being a leader in ushering in any new technology and processes which ultimately contribute to the preservation of our world’s natural resources and increase the quality of the world we live in.

Michigan GREEN, in partnership with G-Energy and the Northern Lights Energy Program at the M-TECSM at Bay College, recently completed work on an energy grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). The $750,000 grant from the MPSC’s Low-Income Energy Efficiency Fund (LIEEF) made possible the purchase and distribution of energy kits to low-income renters throughout rural areas of Michigan.

More than 7,150 kits (retail value $140 ea.) were distributed in 61 counties throughout Michigan’s lower and upper peninsulas. The kits contain compact fluorescent light bulbs, LED nightlite/flashlight, Oxygenics showerhead and Neoperl aerators. Bryan Zaplitny, founder of Michigan GREEN stated, "Based on the potential energy savings of $100/year from these conservation measures, the total savings on utility bills from these households will exceed $3.5 million over the next five years. That’s a tremendous return on investment for the MPSC’s energy grant program."