Watershed volunteers learning about green infrastructure at the January 2023 LinkUp event.

West Creek Reservation, January 2023

[Photo credit: Cleveland Metroparks]

Join the Flow

Greetings Watershed Stewards,

Thank you for kicking off 2023 with us! It was so nice to gather with the twenty-six of you who joined us at our first 2023 LinkUp and we really enjoyed learning with fourteen of you at the Cleveland Water Alliance Smart Watershed Technology Roadshow.

We are excited to bring Salt Watch to WVP and to kick off our 2023 restoration efforts by tackling porcelain berry at Brookside Reservation in February. Our virtual Monday Meet up with Friends of Lower Lake is a great time to introduce a friend to WVP as John and Peggy have agreed to make this event open to the public! We look forward to seeing all of you at an event soon. See event details below and sign up in volgistics!

Gratefully,

The WVP Team

Happenings

Watershed Spotlight

Salt Watch Program Materials

[Photo credit: Izaak Walton League of America: Save Our Streams]

Salt Watch

This year we will be partnering with Izaak Walton League of America to join their Salt Watch program. This program allows community members to sample salinity levels in their local streams using a simple testing strip and the Water Reporter system to report results.

Studies have shown our drinking water supply and aquatic wildlife are impacted by excessive levels of road salt. Join this community science project and test the salt levels in your stream. See details below about an option to join us on Friday February 3rd for a presentation and training by Izaak Walton League of America to formally join our WVP Salt Watch program. Just can't wait? You can order a Salt Watch kit from Izaak Walton League of America by taking their Salt Watch Pledge.

WVP Hosted Opportunities

Watershed Stewards learning about West Creek Watershed.

West Creek Reservation, January 2023

[Photo credit: Cleveland Metroparks]

(M) Workshop & Training: Salt Watch

Fri, Feb 3, Noon - 1:30 p.m. @ Watershed Stewardship Center or @ Online

(R) Work Session: Invasive Plant Management

Wed, Feb 8, Noon - 2 p.m. @ Brookside Reservation (Note Location Change)

(L) Monday MeetUp: Friends of Lower Lake*

Mon, Feb 13, 6 - 7 p.m. @ Online

(R) Work Session: Live Stake Harvest and Install

Fri, Feb 17, 2 - 3:30 p.m. @ Acacia Reservation

(L) Talk: 2022 Monitoring Recap

Tue, Feb 21, Noon - 1 p.m. @ Online

(M) Workshop: Macroinvertebrates ID 101

Thu, Mar 2, 2:30 - 4 p.m. @ Watershed Stewardshp Center

*Open to the public, email us to register.

WVP volunteers, please log into Volgistics to register for primary events.

View Event Details

Opportunities With Our Partners

Assessing Contributions of Legacy Mecury to the Food Web within Coastal Regions of the Great Lakes*

Thu, Jan 26, 11 am - Noon @ Online

Join U.S Geological Survey research chemist Sarah Janssen as she shares information about applications to track mercury sources within contaminated sites of the Great Lakes. Register with our partners here.

Inviting Biodiversity into Our Gardens: Five-part Virtual Symposium*

Wed, Feb 1, Feb 15, 1 - 3 p.m. @ Online

Inviting Biodiversity into Our Gardens will inspire homeowners, horticulturists, botanists, naturalists, educators, conservationists, landscape designers, and others to learn more about the value of using native plants and trees to create and maintain healthy habitats. Join and explore the importance of restoring our increasingly fragmented and disappearing native habitats beginning in our own backyards—whether small or large. Register with our partners here.

Protect the Rocky River*

Sat, Feb 4, 11 a.m. @ Berea Branch Library

Experts of the Rocky River Watershed will describe a river protection plan in Berea. Join Michael Blair and Meg Hennessey from Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District as they talk about the Stormwater Management and Watershed Management Plans and opportunities for restoration and improving Rocky River water quality. See flyer above for more details.

Northeast Ohio Master Rain Gardener Program*

Wed, Jan 30 - Mar 10 @ Online

Looking to take action in your own yard to address runoff? Take the Master Rain Gardener Course and learn all about how to locate, size, design, dig, and plant your very own rain garden. Register with our partners here.

Watershed Managers Association of Ohio Annual Student Scholarships:

ATTENTION college students:

We invite you to apply for a $1,000 WMAO Scholarship through the Columbus Foundation. Each year, we offer one undergraduate and one graduate scholarship to recipients who are students with an academic focus on water resources pursuing a degree at an Ohio college or university.

Check out this informational video for guidance. More information and past recipients can be found on the WMAO website: Scholarships. Deadline to submit an application online is April 15, 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact Dennis Clement, Chair of the Education Committee.

Local Watershed Groups Seek New Members:

Rocky River Watershed Council (RRWC) seeks new volunteer board members. RRWC is dedicated to protecting the Rocky River and its tributaries. Board members help plan events such as tree plantings, stream clean-ups, rain barrel workshops, and outreach with their local communities. All levels of experience welcome – they seek to represent a wide range of stakeholder backgrounds. Learn more at www.myrockyriver.org, email the Watershed Coordinator or mark your calendars for the annual meeting TONIGHT, January 25^th 6:00pm – 8:00pm online due to weather. Please go to www.myrockyriver.org to get the Zoom meeting link.

Volunteer with the Friends of Euclid Creek (FOEC): FOEC works to educate the public and protect the watershed of Euclid Creek in the eastside suburbs. Join FOEC and learn about native plants, environmentally friendly actions, and protecting Lake Erie. Learn more at www.friendsofeuclidcreek.com

Cleveland Metroparks | Digital Emerald Necklace*

Read and Watch here

*WVP volunteers can submit supplemental hours in Volgistics under (S) Watershed Partner Event by Jan 31. Contact us if you need assistance reporting any hours.