David Kronk, a former adjunct professor at Northern Michigan University’s Outdoor Recreation Leadership Management program,

MARQUETTE — How can people produce more local food, increase their use of solar energy and perform other actions to make Upper Peninsula communities more sustainable?

Getting education and then educating others is key.

Funds are being raised to send four citizens — two from Marquette County and two from Alger County — to the Balancing Nature and Commerce for Rural Communities and Landscapes workshop at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia from Feb. 11-13.

The Conservation Fund has been presenting the course for over 15 years, helping over 700 communities become more sustainable.

David Kronk of Munising, a former adjunct professor at Northern Michigan University’s Outdoor Recreation Leadership Management program, is leading the effort to send the four people to West Virginia.

“It teaches communities how to be more sustainable in many ways, sustainable as far as creating jobs that help the local community, switching to renewable energy, increasing local food supplies,” Kronk said of the workshop.

Each team should reflect a cross-section and unique character of the community, according to The Conservation Fund’s website.

“While some teams have been working together for years and come to the course with a specific project in mind, many others are meeting for the first time together, share a passion for their area, but don’t yet know how best to execute their vision,” the website states.

The scheduled featured speaker is Ed McMahon, a senior resident fellow on sustainable development and environmental policy at the Urban Land Institute. In his position, McMahon leads ULI’s worldwide efforts to conduct research and educational activities related to environmentally sensitive development policies and practices.

“Before people come to the workshop, they ask them: ‘What are the concerns and needs in your area?'” Kronk said. “They try to dovetail and train for specific needs. Marquette’s different than Chatham, Houghton and so on.”

What will happen upon the attendees’ return?

Several things, organizers hope.

“We would work in Marquette and Alger counties to hold some community meetings,” Kronk said. “I’m also working with EcoReps over at Northern. They took it upon them to try to raise $40,000 to bring the training to the U.P. next December.”

EcoReps is an NMU sustainability education program designed to give students the knowledge and resources to solve environmental, social and economic sustainability issues. It functions as the student branch of the NMU Sustainability Advisory Council.

“There’s interest in doing this,” Kronk said, “and hopefully we can hold it at the Northern Center, and then the folks who go to the training this February would then be able to help other folks from around the U.P. better prepare to attend this workshop here, and it would be a lot cheaper, obviously.”

That’s the long-term goal — to get the information out there, he said.

Kronk hopes communities, particularly Munising and Marquette, can move to being more sustainable.

“The communities are impacted as much by things like climate change, by increased tourism, and that there’s more of a vitality in local jobs — jobs outside the normal tourist season, and so on — and just to enrich and empower the communities based on what’s happened all around the United States where other communities have faced similar issues,” Kronk said.

Local issues include unemployment in winter, increasing the local food supply, getting solar energy at Marquette Senior High School, attracting tourists interested in sustainable communities, installing charging stations for electric vehicles, more mass transit, buying local goods and providing affordable housing.

“There’s just tons of little things that can be done,” said Kronk, who hopes the citizens can learn new ideas and see if they apply in the region.

A team that attends the workshop can have at least four members and no more than seven, Kronk said.

The trip won’t be cheap; he estimates it will cost $1,000 per person for airfare, lodging and training.

This is where the public can help.

“Train Four Yoopers About Community Sustainability” is the title of the campaign’s page at www.gofundme.com. To make a donation, visit gf.me/u/w7pvrb. The deadline to contribute funds is Jan. 20, said Kronk, who noted about $1,500 has been raised so far.

People from across the Upper Peninsula may take part in the workshop, although Kronk said additional money then would have to be raised.

To be part of the team attending the training, contact Kronk at dbkronk@gmail.com.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.