August was full of small groups getting the lead out of our waterways. Our local wildlife and our communities are now safer thanks to the 15 volunteers who walked along the river to remove some of the man-made threats to wildlife: lead sinkers, fishing line, and sharp hooks. Every April we see anglers gather along the banks and wading into the springtime waters of the Maumee to have a catch at catching walleye and white bass. If you have been here a while you know that this is called the walleye run. As you can imagine, with all of the anglers casting their lines in the river, there are bound to be a fishing line, lures, or hook or two left behind or left tangled in the brush.

To reduce these impacts volunteers came out to popular fishing spots to pick up the fishing lines, hooks, and lures that were left behind. From July through August we hosted 7 sessions focused mostly on Side Cut Metropark and Buttonwood- some of the most popular spots for the walleye run. One of these exciting sessions was sponsored by the Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund. All together our amazing volunteers untangled over 373.15yards of fishing line from the shorelines of the Maumee River. This effort prevents wildlife entanglement, our water health, and protects our community.

Plastic touches many parts of our lives. Grocery shopping, doing laundry, and our trusted personnel protective equipment. It can be hard to make changes to our daily activities - especially since plastics can be in everyday products. There are two types of impacts plastics can have on our waters.

The first being a direct impact. This is an impact that can be traced back to plastic with little science involved. Studies have shown that pieces of plastic can be found in fish, birds, and other marine wildlife. This can have severe harm to the animal’s digestive tract and even cause death. Indirect impacts are secretive and take a little bit more time to deduce the cause. Plastic pollutants such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) or microplastics in micro-scrubbers cause unknown damages to our waterway’s quality and wildlife.

While the unknown seems, scary there are small steps we can take to reduce the plastic we use. Reducing, reusing, and recycling are all effective efforts to reduce marine debris. Check out these great resources from NOAA to reduce your marine debris impacts.  

While the unknown seems, scary there are small steps we can take to reduce the plastic we use. Reducing, reusing, and recycling are all effective efforts to reduce marine debris. Check out these great resources from NOAA to reduce your marine debris impacts. 

At home resource 

At the Store resource

As always, conducting a CYS 365 is another great way to reduce direct plastic impacts. Check out how to do one safely here: CYS 365

Northwest Ohio Community Shares is a Northwest Ohio’s workplace giving federation. They help raise money for nonprofit organizations that focus on animal rights, the environment, education, the arts, health, human services, social justice, and equality. We have been a member for many years (ask if your employer participates in this easy employee giving program). Throughout the summer they have been showcasing the extraordinary nonprofits in the region. We are excited to be featured on their website along with other outstanding organizations. Check out our, and other, featured organizations here: NOCS