Jamie Forbush is a Toledo native and graduated from the University of Toledo in 2017 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science and a minor in Geology. Her hobbies include taking care of plants and animals, reading, and a weird quirk of loving to organize. She has worked and volunteered for multiple non-profit agencies in education positions with missions for the conservation of the rapidly disappearing natural areas.

Jamie has always been interested in wildlife, but her passion really took off in high school when her grandfather took her to volunteer at a local wildlife rehabilitation center. She saw animals arrive day after day with injuries of all types due to human negligence; trash stuck around their heads, fishing line wrapped around wings, feet, beaks and necks or swallowed hooks; and so many awful things that people do, intentionally or unintentionally, with many of the injuries being caused by marine debris. Seeing the amount of that harm animals and the environment are going through caused a passion in Jamie for educating people about how their actions can have everlasting repercussions.

Her personal mission is to take the rose-colored glasses off as many people as possible by teaching simple tips that can be added to daily routines, and hope from there that people begin to choose to do more when they see the benefits of helping the earth heal. As the Program Coordinator at PCS, Jamie is looking forward to doing as much as possible to further the mission of helping everyone have clean, clear and safe water.

August saw two paddle-based cleanups on islands in the Maumee River; Missionary Island and Hedges Island. Luckily, weather was on our side, and both paddles took place on schedule and in beautiful conditions.

The first event was co-hosted by Toledo Metroparks and Wood County Park District on August 10^th. Volunteers gathered at Weirs Rapids and then enjoyed a scenic 30-minute canoe paddle to Missionary Island. On the island, the 24 volunteers picked up and removed approximately 475 pounds of trash!

Wood County Park District also co-hosted the second cleanup on August 13^th. At this event, participants gathered at Otsego Park and then paddled a short distance to nearby Hedges Island. The first concerted cleanup of Hedges Island was conducted just last year, during which 725 pounds of trash was removed from the Island. This year’s participants were encouraged to see that much less trash (only 90 pounds) had to be collected and removed. While paddling to and from Hedges, participants spotted deer, bald eagles, herons, and a number of other critters. Cleanups like these are a great way to combine an outdoor adventure and a good deed!

As residents of Northwest Ohio, you have all likely hear quite a lot about the harmful algal blooms that can occur in portions of Lake Erie’s Western Basin. Algae is a normal and necessary component of the Lake’s aquatic food web, and growth of this microscopic plant naturally increases in the warmer summer months. The problem for our end of the Lake is that human impacts are enhancing the growth of certain strains of algae beyond what is ecologically normal. These impacts include nutrient (i.e., fertilizer) runoff into the Lake and habitat alternation (e.g., removal of natural wetlands). The strain of algae that has residents and scientists concerned is the blue-green algae.

Fortunately, this issue is not lost on scientists working at local, regional, and national levels. NOAA and several of its partners recently released an article discussing the implications of harmful algal blooms and the tools that scientists are using to study them. The article describes the blooms as consisting of “cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, that are capable of producing the liver toxin microcystin that poses a risk to human and wildlife health (Ohio Seagrant, 2019).” Click here to access the article directly.

These scientists are using a suite of advanced forecasting/modeling tools to better understand the blooms and to help keep communities that use the Lake and its resources safe during the blooms. These tools predict that on a severity index of 0-10, this year’s bloom is expected to come in at an index of 7.5; a severity higher than 2018, but slightly less than 2017. Scientist also know that bloom size is not related to its possible toxicity and blooms are not always toxic. The general rule of thumb, regardless of the published severity index, is to avoid contact with Lake water if you notice a green “scum” on the surface. Unfortunately, this summer the bloom in western Lake Erie has affected the public beach at Maumee Bay State Park.

Although this is a large-scale problem that needs to be addressed by large-scale actions, individuals can certainly play a part in the solution. Some example of citizen-level contributions include reducing runoff from our own lawns with rain barrels and/or native, deep rooted plants, keeping pollutants out of storm drains (including pet waste and fertilizers), and supporting initiatives that focus on habitat restoration within the Lake Erie Watershed. A little effort by individuals can go a long way when done collectively!