My name is Mike Mathis and I am ecstatic to become the new Program Coordinator for Partners for Clean Streams.  Becoming a part of Partners for Clean Streams has been an interesting journey for me.  My enthusiasm for the outdoors started when I was a kid fishing on Lake Huron with my grandpa and taking trips to a small woods behind our house to cook over a fire with my dad on the weekends.  Growing up on a farm in Ida, MI gave me many opportunities to be connected the land.  Memories of this sort propelled me into a professional life concerned with the interaction between people, land, and water. 

After graduating high school I started college at the University of Toledo.  There I completed a Bachelor’s of Education in Middle Childhood Education.  At this time, I also became an intern with Metroparks of the Toledo Area.  Through college I worked for the Metroparks in many capacities from interpreting aboard a historic canal boat, to leading summer camps, and teaching environmental education programs.  After graduation I spent time as a middle school teacher.  More recently I completed a Masters of Education in May 2015 from the University of Toledo.  During this program I led science education professional development as a part of the NURTURES program.  My time at Metroparks as an Environmental Educator and my work at the University of Toledo helped guide me to new areas of teaching that are beyond the classroom.  Partners for Clean Streams provides me an opportunity to combine my passion for the environment with my love of teaching and connecting communities to the natural places around them.

My name is Jessica Batanian and it is an honor to be the new Communications and Outreach Specialist for Partners for Clean Streams. I am thrilled to be a part of an organization that strives to make our community, both the people and the environment, a better place. I grew up in Sylvania, Ohio and spent much of my childhood exploring the fields and the creek in front of my house. However, my passion for water and specifically, the Great Lakes, stems from time spent in Northern Michigan at my family’s cabin. Seeing and experiencing the beauty of lakes and rivers as a child, and learning the importance of them as an adult is what led me to this opportunity at Partners for Clean Streams.

After receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Environmental Science from Wittenberg University, I ventured north to Michigan State University to earn a Master’s degree in Community Sustainability with a focus in environmental education. While at Michigan State, I worked on various projects involving organizations such as Michigan Sea Grant and the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. I was also a youth programs intern with the Allen Neighborhood Center in Lansing, through which I planned and taught various lessons and activities on environmental stewardship and garden education. The experiences I had during my childhood and throughout my education have shaped my interest in the environment. I am very excited to join Partners for Clean Streams and our efforts to protect Northwest Ohio’s waterways, for many generations to come.

Even though colder temperatures, snow, and ice have finally arrived this winter, you can still make a difference in our effort to protect and conserve water. Below are six tips on what you can do during the winter months.

• Drip your faucets during the winter months. Yes, we said it – use water to save water! As temperatures drop, leave your faucets on a slow drip while sleeping or not at home. This helps prevent your pipes from freezing or bursting, something that wastes a lot more water than a slow drip from a faucet. Hate to waste any water at all? Place a bucket underneath your faucet to collect the water and use it to water indoor plants or for pets.
• Is your pooch a doggone polluter? If you don’t clean up after him, he is! Pet waste that is not properly disposed of washes into storm drains or nearby rivers and streams where it will raise bacteria and nutrient levels, just like human waste. If it builds up on snowy ground, the impact is more concentrated. Do your doodoo duty and clean up after your pets!
• Keep up with car maintenance to reduce leaking of oil, coolant, antifreeze and other hazardous fluids. These can leak fluids onto pavement, which ends up in streams and rivers directly, even on icy roads. A single pint of oil can cause a slick the size of a football field.
• Salt used to melt ice runs off into our storm sewers and eventually our waterways, where it can damage freshwater ecosystems. Consider alternatives, such as calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) or corn byproducts. If these alternatives are not available, less harmful salt-based products exist, such as potassium chloride, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride. Sand also increases traction but does not melt the ice. ALWAYS consider your own safety first!
• “No-shave November” is long gone, so back to shaving regularly men! To save water while shaving, fill the sink with water instead of rinsing your razor under a running faucet. Women, you can help by turning the shower off while shaving your legs.
• Recycle the water from pet bowls and fish tanks onto your indoor plants. This water has less chlorine and is often higher in nitrogen levels, both of which will help keep your plants alive until spring.

For more information on these and many other water conservation tips, check out our Give Water a Hand Campaign on our website or contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..