Be sure to register by July 11th for the Tree Training Intensive Workshop on Friday, July 15th from 8:30 to 4:00pm at the Ward Pavilion at Wildwood Metropark. This is a workshop for Tree Commissioners, mayors and local government decision makers, workers managing urban forests and storm water practices, students interested in a career in forestry or arboriculture, and people who want to preserve, protect, and grow healthy tree canopies in their communities. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. You must register prior to the event and can do so here or by contacting PCS at (419) 874-0727. This workshop is made possible by a grant from the Tree Fund, and is presented by Partners for Clean Streams in partnership with the Cuyahoga River Restoration. Check out the workshop's agenda and flyer. 

The dog days of summer have arrived and what better way to enjoy the sunshine than participating in a PCS volunteer event! We have several events this month, some hosted by us, and others in conjunction with organizations from our area.

-   Get the Lead Out! –  Do you want to help out your local community in a fun and exciting way? Join PCS on July 14th and 26th from 6:00 to 8:00pm to participate in our public Get the Lead Out! program at Orleans Park in Perrysburg.  GLO is a cleanup program that provides volunteers a way to have a clear and direct impact on improving wildlife habitat in and around the river by removing fishing line, lead lures, and trash from the mighty Maumee River. Contact our office if you plan to attend!

-   Paddle Palooza – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is hosting the 2nd Annual Paddle Palooza on July 10th, from 11:00 to 4:00pm at Maumee Bay State Park. Try different kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, and more on the inland pond and learn about different organizations from around the area, like PCS!

-   Tree Training Workshop – PCS, in partnership with the Cuyahoga River Restoration, and with funding from the Tree Fund, is hosting the Tree Training Initiative Workshop on July 15th from 8:30 to 4:00pm at the Ward Pavilion at Wildwood Metropark. Register by July 11th to save your spot!

-   Fishing Derby – The National Museum of the Great Lakes offers this program, through their Kids Klub, on July 16th from 10:00 to 2:00pm. Catch and release fish from the Maumee River and learn about the different fish species swimming in our river. This program is free for members and is included in the cost of admission for non-members. PCS will host an educational table during this event so be sure to stop by and say hi! 

-   Paddle Ohio 2016: Canoe Experience – The Toledo Metroparks, along with Wood County Park District and ODNR Paddle Ohio, are proud to offer this free paddle experience as a part of the Paddle Ohio series on July 23rd, with the first paddle group going out at 9:00am. While you paddle, learn about the importance of water quality and stream monitoring from guest lecturer Christina Kuchle. For more information or to register, check out Metroparks' website. Spots are filling up fast!

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Clean Your Streams Day!  We look forward to celebrating 20 years of successfully removing debris from streams, riverbanks, and watersheds in Toledo and surrounding areas. On the morning of September 17th, join hundreds of other volunteers in removing tons of trash from our local riverbanks. Since 1997, the number of volunteers on Clean Your Streams Day has grown each year and the support for this event has gotten stronger and stronger. Last year, 971 volunteers removed over 13,000 pounds of trash in the 19th Annual Clean Your Streams Day. The more friends, family members, and colleagues you encourage to join us for this special day, the bigger impact we can have on our local rivers. To commemorate the very special 20th anniversary of Clean Your Streams Day, we have set a goal to fundraise $2,000 of individual donations and $20,000 in corporate sponsorships by August 26th – we’re halfway there but need your help to make these dreams a reality! Your donation will support the future of this program and the legacy of positive community action towards protecting our waterways.

It takes thousands of dollars and countless hours of work to organize Clean Your Streams Day and we are so thankful for those who have supported us in the past. Specifically, we are looking for sponsors, door prizes, silent auction items, and monetary donations to make this event possible.  If you want to help make the 20th year of Clean Your Streams a success, you can donate on our website or by contacting us directly. From now until September 17th, help us make this year the best Clean Your Streams Day yet by saving the date, soliciting other volunteers or sponsors in your family network, workplace, or organizations, and spreading the news about how awesome Clean Your Streams Day is with everyone! Stay tuned for more details on our website, including the opening of registration in early August. 

Are you tired of waiting for Clean Your Streams Day to clean up the rivers? You can do your own cleanup whenever you want with our program, Clean Your Streams 365! With funding from the Toledo Community Foundation and a Litter Grant from the Ohio EPA, we are specifically targeting river sites that need more frequent cleaning than just our large, one-day regional Clean Your Streams Day. With your help, there can be less trash flowing downstream to Lake Erie, the source of our drinking water. Through this program, volunteers receive all the cleanup materials including gloves, trash bags, nets, maps, and an optional data collection form (to track the amount and types of trash). After registering, time and location for the cleanup will be determined based on the group’s needs; it is always important to consider water levels and weather when scheduling cleanups. Sites are available in many areas around Toledo, focusing on Swan Creek, Ottawa River, Maumee River, and Maumee Bay tributaries. More information and forms for Clean Your Streams 365 can be found at our website. 

In the heat of summer, it’s hard to keep your lawn green and lush – too often we jump to water excessively to maintain that healthy-looking grass! According to the EPA Water Sense program, as much as 50% of water used outdoors is wasted from inefficient watering and irrigation systems. It is important to know how much water your lawn actually needs and how often it needs it. When watering your lawn, one inch a week, in our region, is all it needs. Over-watering can damage plants, stimulate fungus, and leach nutrients out of the soil. To test whether your lawn needs watering, step on the grass. If it springs back up, you do not need to water. If it stays flat, it is time to water again. The best time to water your lawn and garden is in the morning or late evening when temperatures are lower and there is less risk for evaporation.  Frequent, shallow watering will result in grass with shallow roots that are intolerant to extreme weather conditions. Also, avoid watering on windy days and if you have an automatic sprinkler system, be sure it doesn't turn on during or after a rain event. It is important to know that during summer, grass grows slowly and the blades often turn brown. But this doesn’t mean that the grass is dead; in fact, it is still very much alive and will return to the bright, green color we love after it rains. For more information about watering, please visit the EPA’s Water Sense website.