All About MKPC-SE - A Brief History
The MKPC was founded March of 1996 after the founder, Gil Orris, took
some advice from a pond supply store on how to get rid of algae in his
pond which resulted in the death of every fish in his pond except one.
After losing 15 mature Koi he felt there had to be a better way to
learn about the hobby and that others in the area were probably also
experiencing "learning pains" and may want to join in. Seventeen people
attended that first meeting at his home and the club has met
continuously since then, enjoying, seeing and learning about the many
members ponds and gardens.
We are one of the oldest and largest Koi and pond clubs in Michigan and
a member of The Associated Koi Clubs of America, AKCA. We have a board
of directors consisting of 4 officers and 8 members at large plus a
newsletter editor and web master. We have produced 11 pond tours with
homes representing at least 20 communities and have had well over 5000
people learn a little about our hobby through these tours. We have also
produced 3 different educational programs using slides, video and
computer technology on our hobby that have been presented to various
groups and are available to other groups at a modest fee. We have
members just learning about the hobby that have yet to have their first
pond to members with 3 decades of experience in the hobby. Some members
have very small ponds with either a few or even no fish to one of the
largest being a beautiful garden with half a dozen ponds from 1000
gallons up to one of 25,000 gallons and more Koi than you can easily
count. We welcome members to our club regardless of whether you are a
newcomer or an experienced pond keeper. We all have something to give
and knowledge to share. We feel our newsletter and web site are part of
our educational mission.
Over the years our club has been blessed to be affiliated with many
knowledgeable vendors. The first association we developed was with
Wiegands nursery in Macomb Township, and have been very fortunate to
have had the support and help of others such as Barsons Greenhouse,
Bordines, English Gardens, Grass Roots Nursery, The Pond Place,
Tropical Treasures, Wiegand's, and others.
We have had award winning displays and presented educational events at
the Bloomfest at Cobo Hall, the Ann Arbor Garden Show, a Koi Health and
Wet Lab Seminar with Vicki Vaughn, and the 2009 KOI Symposium.
New members and guests are always welcome. Persons interested in
attending a club event can look on this website and/or contact our
webmaster. We encourage you to attend and learn about this fascinating,
enjoyable, and rapidly growing hobby, and to share your knowledge and
experiences with us!