To maximize the field time for this workshop, Dave will not be re-teaching his methods. After a quick review, he will cover some more advanced methods in detail, and hand off to other experts to briefly teach about wetlands, plants, and construction considerations. Class will then head directly into the field to visit relevant restored sites. To keep teams small and allow each team to have computer and classroom space for developing their concepts, we are limiting this workshop to 30 participants. Apply by June 18th and tell us about your interests, experience, and if you have attended a previous “Dave Workshop.” We will select and notify participants quickly. The workshop is only $249 and includes all materials, some light snacks and some lunches. Lodging is not included. Payment is required before attendng the Workshop and can be processed once you have been selected to participate. So go ahead and get started now on the internal approvals you need in order to participate. Apply now by completing this form!

The training session will be held at the University of Toledo’s Snyder Memorial room 2170 from 9:00am-12:00pm. Free parking is available in lot 10 next to the tennis courts. Don’t miss this opportunity to be one of the first to use the DMDS and have meaningful input. Seats are limited, so register early! Prior to June 13^th, all workshop attendees should visit dmds.maumeerap.org and sign up as a registered user (under the login menu). By becoming a registered user you will be able to actually enter and edit projects live in the system during the workshop. More detailed information will follow regarding what you should bring to the Workshop. Register before June 13^th by calling Cherie Blair, Ohio EPA Maumee RAP Coordinator, at 419.373.3010.

Not everyone gets excited about sitting in conference rooms for three and half days discussing how to run a non-profit organization dedicated to clean rivers. But we (Kris and Ava) did! And so did over600 other dedicated river lovers from around the world. This time, it was for the National River Rally Conference with River Network in Pittsburgh. We had the chance to join professional river experts and learn countless techniques for preserving our rivers here in our corner of northwest Ohio. Sessions included tips on how to raise money, plan river cleanups, utilize our resources better, involve board members in daily activities, and how to tell others about our unique story. But theoretical learning just didn’t cut it! We, Kris and Ava, also did a trash cleanup (from a kayak) lead by Paddlers without Pollution and discovered that Pittsburgh has much of the same type of urban trash as Toledo does. But as the old adage goes, we “left it better than we found it.”

Not only did we explore ways to improve our waterways,we had the chance to reflect on and celebrate our accomplishments in recent years. Throughout the conference, we networked and shared stories with groups from small rivers in the Appalachian Mountains recovering from mining issues, to groups from the west coast with heavily polluted rivers facing fish population declines, to groups with restored urban rivers in major metropolitan areas, all while putting our Toledo rivers and stories into perspective. We also saw, firsthand, the amazing economic and downtown revival that Pittsburgh has undergone and how central their three rivers were in that revitalization. We realized that although we have a lot of wonderful projects happening here, we still have a ways to go in protecting our rivers and making our abundant water resources central to driving a downtown renaissance. Coming back to Toledo and our precious “Muddy Maumee”, we feel a new sense of stewardship, dedication, appreciation, and hope for the future.

I have personally been removing trash from our small corner of the Lake Erie watershed since college. Seventeen years later, I am proud to lead the largest one-day river cleanup in Northwest Ohio, and perhaps even along the Lake Erie Coastline. Unfortunately, the disheartening side to that success is that we’re still at it. This is one of those jobs that you hope to, someday, work yourself out of by “solving” the problem. I am happy on the rare occasion when we have groups come back from a cleanup and say they couldn’t find much trash.  While I know they wanted to make a bigger difference (and we appreciate the effort anyway), I also know it doesn’t take much looking around to find that garbage downstream somewhere. So what do we do?

There’s no easy answer. But we, many national and international partners, are trying, on a much bigger scale, to come up with strategies and actions to put into practice across the Great Lakes states. For example, the Ocean Conservancy just released the data from the International Coastal Cleanup, including data from Clean Your Streams. This clearly documents the trash that was collected and recorded around the world during that specific cleanup and what can be done about it in the future. I was also privileged to be a part of the working group that gave input to NOAA through a process to create the recently released Great Lakes Land-based Marine Debris Action Plan. The plan highlights our next steps, and our challenges to study and limit debris in the Great Lakes region.

new PCS team member, I am approaching six years with The Olander Park System. From a young age, I embraced a passion towards protecting Earth’s beautiful and natural environments. My growing appreciation for a clean, safe, and healthy planet developed into a priority that I wanted to share with the world around me. It was a very easy decision of mine to pursue a lifelong career in the environmental field. Following my dream, this past spring I graduated from The University of Toledo with an Environmental Studies Degree and a Political Science Concentration.

I am very eager to begin this new and exciting chapter in my life with Partners for Clean Streams. Although I have participated in Clean Your Streams by assisting the Kickoff Coordinator on the day of the event in years past at The Olander Park, I am learning so much more about Clean Your Streams already. I am looking forward to not only expanding my understanding of the ecological services that clean streams, rivers, and lakes provide, but also to helping motivate the public with this newly acquired knowledge. Living out a sustainable and efficient lifestyle is something that all human beings should practice for the happiness of their own future generations and for the wellbeing of Plant Earth as a whole. Partners for Clean Streams works vigorously to promote environmental awareness and make a positive impact on the local waterways, which is why I am very fortunate and excited to be personally involved in this inspiring initiative.

During Get the Lead Out, groups or individuals go out into the Maumee River starting in early June (water level dependent) through August.Everyone is welcome! Bring friends, family, kids, significant others, co-workers, cousins, aunts, uncles, and neighbors. Plan to walk in the Maumee River, along its banks, over logs, through tall grasses, and over rocks collecting lead, line, and trash that have gotten snagged on rocks, branches, and grass. PCS will be planning for large group and staff organized outings in June, July, and August. These events are open to everyone; all experience levels welcome. But you don’t have to wait for one of our outings. Sign your group or family/friends team up for a personalized time that works for you.

Not only do we remove the lead and line, but the material also gets recycled. All collected lead will be reused by ZAP Lures, while the collected fishing line will be recycled with Berkley Fishing and Bass Pro Shops. If you independently collect fishing line or lead and would like it to be recycled, we are happy to process and recycle it for you.

For more information, check out the Get the Lead Out webpage. To get started, sign up your group with Ava at [email protected] or by calling 419-874-0727.