Come out to our canoe cleanups this month as we tackle marine debris in Swan Creek and Otsego Park! PCS will be facilitating two land and water based cleanups this month to collect hard-to-access trash with our partners at Owens Corning and Wood County Parks.  Do something good for the environment while enjoying our local waterways. PCS will provide all cleanup supplies and registration is required for both events.  

• Saturday, May 18th from 9-11am: Swan Creek Cleanup at Owens Corning
  • Bring your kayak, canoe, or just yourself and a pair of old shoes!  We will be meeting at Owens Corning parkway to clean up the mouth of Swan Creek.  REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AND CAN BE DONE ONLINE.  This event is open to all as we seek to beautify downtown Toledo and join forces in this public event.
• Tuesday, May 21st from 6-8:30: Otsego Island Cleanup
  • PCS will be hosting a canoe cleanup at Hedges Island with Wood County Parks.  We will meet at Otsego Park and paddle over to the island on canoes provided by WCP.  Last year, we removed over 700 pounds of marine debris at this location! Registration is required by May 19th and can be done online.

Our partners at the Ohio Coastal Training Program will be hosting a workshop on Plastic Reduction Strategies for Coastal Landowners and Businesses.  This free event will take place at Bay View Yacht Club in Toledo on Thursday, May 23rd from 12-4pm.  Attendees will learn how they can contribute personally and professionally to Ohio’s coastal debris initiatives.  There will be an informational sessions with presentations by representatives from: NOAA, City of Toledo, Lucas County Sustainability Commission, TMACOG, Ohio Sea Grant, BGSU, Cleveland Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, and Partners for Clean Streams.  The educational session will be followed by hands-on activities including creating your own fishing line recycling bin and an introduction to NOAA’s Marine Debris Tracker app at Cullen Park.

Join us to learn more about how we can collectively tackle the issue of marine debris and discover the resources available for landowners and businesses.  Whether you own a Lake-driven business (marina, sporting goods store, restaurant near our coast) or simply work on/own land in the Lake Erie region, this workshop will provide you with tools to retrofit your activities to have less impact on Ohio’s Great Lake.  To learn more and register for the event, click here.  Partners for Clean Streams has been at the forefront of plastic reduction in the greater Toledo area and is looking forward to another opportunity to share our fishing line recycling bin program with the community.

Thanks to all of our volunteers, University of Toledo’s Rocket Recycling team, Glass City Marathon, Toledo RoadRunners club, and runners who supported our sustainability mission at the Glass City Marathon!  For the fourth year, PCS has been the “Green Team” helping to reduce packaging waste and divert thousands of pounds of recyclable materials from a lifetime in the landfill.  This year, we recycled energy gel packs through the Terracycle program, heat sheets, plastic cups and water bottles, cardboard, plastic overwrap and bags, and glass.  For exact amounts of our recycling efforts, check out our social media page and website.  Thanks to everyone who made a donation or volunteered their time with us during race day weekend!

Welcome to PCS, Amanda!  We're excited to have you as our Watershed Coordinator.

Amanda Kovach is an Ohio transplant who is very excited to be working with PCS in the position of Watershed Coordinator. She originally comes from Texas, where she received a Bachelor’s in biology from the University of North Texas (UNT). Her familiarity with Ohio began during her time at Miami University of Ohio, where she received a Master’s in Zoology (emphasis on aquatic toxicology and ecology). She has previously worked as an environmental consultant and a high school science teacher. 

Amanda and her family spend most of their free time outdoors; generally paddling, hiking, or fishing around Lake Erie and it’s watershed. Her passion and appreciation for all things aquatic began early in life when she wanted to be a SCUBA diver more than anything. This goal was accomplished in conjunction with her first experiences working in an aquatic sciences lab at UNT. Since then, the majority of her career has focused on understanding and advocating for the remediation and restoration of compromised aquatic habitats. Amanda is excited to help restore Lake Erie and its surrounding watershed, and to help influence the next generation of environmental stewards.