For these are jolly good Fellows

On a sunny August afternoon in Marquette, 13 talented Michigan leaders turned out for a project symbolizing what they’ve been up to for months now in communities statewide: making a positive difference to counter the impacts of climate change in the Great Lakes State.

They planted erosion-fighting beach grass in the sands along Lake Superior, a service project to boost coastal resilience in a time when warmer, wetter conditions are increasing severe weather events.

The 13 make up the third cohort of the MI Healthy Climate Fellows (MHC Fellows), a statewide leadership development program advancing climate action. They visited Marquette from all over Michigan to mark the middle of their year-long service term with a two-day networking and educational retreat.

After their work ends in December, they’ll pass the torch to a fourth and final eight-month cohort for which applications are open through Oct. 6. Prospective MHC Fellows and anyone interested in supporting the program can find information on the MHC Fellows webpage.

The program selects partners from local, state, and tribal governmental agencies; nonprofits; and community organizations to host MHC Fellows who provide vital support to projects that reduce carbon pollution and address the negative impacts of climate change. The upcoming cohort will have 12 host sites.

Fellows receive training and career development support to strengthen Michigan’s climate leadership pool. They are committed to serving communities, building a more sustainable future for Michigan, and advancing the MI Healthy Climate Plan and its goal of a prosperous, equitable, carbon-neutral future for all Michiganders. 

The Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Office of Climate and Energy and the nonprofit Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM), launched the program in March 2024. 

The paid, full-time Fellows benefit from professional experience, training, and career-focused networking. Their ranks have included recent college graduates, graduate students, and people making mid- or post-career transitions to climate-related work. Some have served in more than one cohort, and several have been hired on by their hosts or begun other careers related to their service.

The program supports Michigan’s leadership in clean energy jobs. In a 2024 report on clean jobs, Michigan led the Midwest and was sixth in the nation for clean energy job growth.

Fellows work on projects that benefit and impact all Michiganders: creating community sustainability plans, implementing climate projects, producing educational materials, and more. 

“In addition to gaining valuable work experience and building their own professional networks, MI Healthy Climate Fellows build capacity for their host sites to carry out programs and initiatives,” said Jordan Power, senior climate action officer in EGLE’s Office of Climate and Energy. “The Fellows play an important role in moving climate action forward in Michigan. The impact of their work is felt in communities across the state.”

“This program reminds us that lasting change takes root when people learn, lead and grow together,” said Angel Squalls, who manages the program through CEDAM. “Our fellows add capacity in their service communities to turn shared ideas into a healthier, more resilient future for all.”

Current cohort members are racking up numerous wins for their communities, including:

• Coordinating electric vehicle charger improvements and supporting the planning of municipal solar installations for the City of Ferndale.
• Conducting a baseline energy and infrastructure assessment of five City of Inkster municipal buildings.
• Restoration projects in the Ox Creek Corridor in and around Benton Harbor with the Berrien County Conservation District, including multiple tree plantings.
• Rolling out a Senior Food Program for the Detroit Urban Agriculture Division.
• Producing, printing, and distributing the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy's new quarterly youth conservation magazine, Yooper Troopers.
• Drafting a proposal to inventory brownfields for solar developments for the Grand Valley Metro Council in Grand Rapids.
• Coordinating stream cleanup events in areas including Plaster Creek, the Flat River, and the Grand River.
• Planning and hosting a Young Solar Neighbors event for Earth Day with Hamtramck Parks Conservancy and working with Frederick Douglass Academy and Hamtramck Parks to install solar charging stations.
• Organizing a statewide transit tour to illuminate issues surrounding access to public transit in Michigan.

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