This year’s Get the Lead Out! Program has been a huge success. With over 300 volunteer hours and 2 miles of river cleaned, this season has been record breaking! As our summer comes to a close, the Ocean Conservancy’s The Blog Aquatic has taken note of the great work our volunteers have done with Get the Lead Out! for the past 9 years. The international Blog written by Catherine Fox explains how volunteers collect fishing line and lead left in the Maumee River after the Walleye and White Bass run each spring. Volunteers collect these dangerous materials to prevent long lasting fishing line from entangling wildlife, hooks from injuring people and wildlife and fishing sinkers made of lead from being ingested by wildlife.
The Blog also highlights how multiple partners have such an important role in protecting our rivers. A huge thank you goes to Zap Lures who buys and reuses the lead. Also, thank you to Bass Pro Shop which takes the collected line and sends it into Berkly Fishing company for recycling. Thank you to all the volunteers that have participate in Get the Lead Out! this and other previous years. We couln’t have done this without you! See you next year!