July Member Meeting: The Heart of Michiana is Our Watershed
Public Welcome Family-Friendly Free Event Chapter Meeting Program/Speaker Presentation Wheelchair Accessible Public Restroom Free Public Parking Drinking Fountains
Matt Meersman, President of the Friends of the St. Joe River Association, will join us to talk about our local watershed!
Most people drive past the wildest places every day without knowing they're there. Matt Meersman found them through paddling — and in doing so, found a way to see his impact, his home, and his neighbors reflected in the water that connects us all. In this talk, he shares what two decades on the water have taught him about this remarkable watershed some call Michiana.
Matt Meersman grew up near the St. Joseph River and spent summers at his family's lake cottage in southern Michigan. He now lives along the river in downtown South Bend and works as Director of the St. Joseph River Basin Commission and President of the Friends of the St. Joe River Association. When he's not working on watershed projects, you'll likely find him paddling upstream — literally — in preparation for some of the longest and most demanding canoe races in the world. He'll tell you that his passion for conservation and his passion for canoe racing come from exactly the same place: a love of being in and on the water, and a deep appreciation for doing hard things.