Currents February 2017

Did you know that the Great Lakes are the biggest freshwater source in the world? Lake Erie is the most productive for fishing of all the Great Lakes. Your support helps make our streams clean, clear and healthy so they can support this complex ecosystem. By donating to PCS, you help us reach our goals of restoring rivers that lead to Lake Erie beaches that promote fishable and swimmable conditions for generations.

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February

Feb1Only three weeks left to register for the 15th Annual Youth Patch Day Workshop! The Workshop is on Sunday, March 5th 2017 from 1:30-4:30pm for children Kindergarten through 5th grade.  The cost is $5.00.  It will be held at the University of Toledo Student Union in the Ingman Room (#2520).  Check-in begins at 1:00pm with the program starting promptly at 1:30pm. Pre-registration is required by February 22nd! The Workshop is perfect for any child who loves water and wants to learn more about our local rivers, streams, and lakes. Patch Day offers youth the opportunity to explore exciting water conservation-related topics and learn how to make a difference in protecting our local waterways. Participants can fulfill requirements for various environmental merit badges or patch requirements. Among the usual hands-on activities on the water cycle, watersheds, and our local rivers, this year’s participants will also get to paint rain barrels as a part of the Toledo Rain Garden Initiative’s 10th Anniversary celebration! Flyers and registration forms are available for download here, in the Boy Scout and Girl Scout offices, or online at the MAAC website. We hope to see you at Patch Day! Contact our office with questions or to register at (419) 874-0727. 

Feb4The Board of Directors has elected a new President, Terry Shankland. Terry has been involved with PCS and the MAAC (formerly the Maumee RAP) since the late 1990s. In 2006, he was appointed to the Toledo Parks Commission Board. Terry has also served as a citizen member of the TMACOG Ottawa River and Maumee River Committees, is former President of the Ottawa/Jermain Park boards, and has volunteered for Special Projects with the Epilepsy Center of Northwest Ohio. He and his wife, Diane, currently live in Toledo. Terry also owns and operates Shankland’s Catering, his business that he began over 30 years ago.  We appreciate Terry’s devotion and passion for protecting our local waterways and are excited for his term as President. 

Feb2For the second year, Partners for Clean Streams is seeking volunteers to continue the work towards “greening” the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon through recycling, composting, and Terracycling efforts.  Last year, a small group of volunteers and PCS staff were able to divert approximately 4,595lbs of waste from the landfill! Included in that total were thousands of plastic water bottles, 800lbs of cardboard, and 1,500lbs of compostable materials like food waste, paper plates, napkins, and pizza boxes (to read about last year’s efforts, click here). Just imagine what we can do this year with more volunteers! That’s where you come in. We need you to help us increase our impact at this year’s marathon! The race is on Sunday, April 23rd and volunteer shifts would be between 7:00am and 3:30pm. Volunteers will be primarily be located at the finish line for the Marathon, which is inside the Glass Bowl on the University of Toledo's main campus. Volunteers will be either stationed inside the stadium or just outside of it in Lot 10. Volunteer tasks include: manning recycling/composting stations to help runners properly discard of waste; transporting waste from bins to dumpsters; breaking down cardboard boxes; replacing bags in empty bins; and set-up/tear-down.  This is a great opportunity for any person interested in making a real, noticeable difference in our community! What we were able to accomplish last year was great – help us make this year’s even better! What better way to celebrate Earth Day than by volunteering to green the famous Glass City Marathon! For more information or if interested in volunteering, please contact Partners for Clean Streams at (419) 874-0727 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Feb3Each year, the Toledo Roadrunners Club chooses a select group of local non-profit organizations to become charity partners of the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon.  For the second year, Partners for Clean Streams was awarded this honor! If you or someone you know plans to participate in the Marathon this coming April, consider donating to PCS as a part of your registration and dedicate your run/walk to the rivers! Last year, we received a number of donations from gracious runners and walkers alike. This year, we would love to see more participation and support for PCS and the work we do in protecting our local streams, rivers, and lakes. Picture this: running the route on race day, over the Ottawa River and other small streams, knowing that you have positively benefited those waterways through your participation in the Marathon! If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is! To learn more about the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon charity partners or to donate to PCS through the Marathon, check out their website.  Please share with your fellow run/walk enthusiasts and we hope that you run for the rivers in April! 

Feb5 ForrestWoodsNaturePreservecredit BSCOn February 2nd, we celebrate World Wetlands Day. You may be wondering, what is there to celebrate? A lot actually! On February 2nd, 1971, The Convention on Wetlands was held and its mission statement was “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.” In Ohio, only 10% of the once abundant wetland habitat remains. In pre-industrial times, northwest Ohio was home to the Great Black Swamp, a vast stretch of wetlands and woodlands that housed a wide variety of plants and animals. As more and more European settlers arrived in the region, they began to drain the Swamp for agricultural purposes. This resulted in some of the most productive farmland in the country, at the expense of The Great Black Swamp and its wetlands. However, wetland habitat still remains in our area, both original and restored, and can be found in coastal areas along Lake Erie, like Magee Marsh, and in Metroparks like Oak Openings and Pearson Park.

Wetlands have several important functions. They act as storage facilities for water during and after large rain events, helping to prevent flood damage and erosion. They are capable of absorbing and holding substantial amounts of water, and then slowly release it over time.  Wetlands also act as natural filters for the water that enters their systems. As water is retained in the wetland, suspended sediments are able to drop out and nutrients, such as those coming from fertilizer, are consumed by plants and microorganisms. Eventually, the water is released into the ground below or into a nearby waterway, with better water quality than when it entered the wetland.  Wetlands are also extremely productive biologically, acting as homes for many different plants and animals.  Local wetlands, like those in Oak Openings and along Lake Erie, are home to a variety of plants, insects, frogs, turtles, fish, and mammals and are stops on migratory routes for thousands of birds each year.  Wetlands are an extremely important part of our local water system, one that should be celebrated and protected. Go discover your local wetlands! 

Currents: February 2017


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Glass City Marathon 2016

 

 

Terry Shankland
President of the Board
Private Citizen

Andrew Curran
Vice President
Assistant Scout Executive,
Boy Scouts of America

Colleen Dooley
Treasurer
Attorney, Private Practice

Kyle Spicer
Secretary
Private Citizen

Deanna Bobak
Board Member
Private Citizen

Denise Fonner
Board Member
Private Citizen

Jeff Gibbs
Board Member
Private Citizen

Joan Kingr
Board Member
Private Citizen

Chris Smalley
Board Member
Park Services Supervisor
Metroparks of the Toledo Area

Patrick Lawrence, Ph.D.
Past President of Board (non-voting)
Associate Dean, College of Arts & Letters
University of Toledo

Partners for Clean Streams Inc. is striving for abundant open space and a high quality natural environment; adequate floodwater storage capacities and flourishing wildlife; stakeholders who take local ownership in their resources; and rivers, streams and lakes that are clean, clear and safe