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Nov. 6 webinar – How does road salt impact the river?

FLOW is participating in SALT WATCH – learn what it is and why it’s important

 

Road salt is everywhere during winter months. It keeps us safe on roads and sidewalks, but it can also pose a threat to fish and wildlife as well as human health.

Fish and bugs that live in freshwater streams can’t survive in extra salty water. And many of us (more than 118 million Americans) depend on local streams for drinking water. Water treatment plants are not equipped to filter out the extra salt, so it can end up in your tap water and even corrode your pipes.

Abby Hileman of the Izaak Walton League of America will discuss how they are studying the effects of road salt on our waterways. The webinar will cover the following topics:

  • How Salt Watch began
  • Goals of the program
  • What is road/winter salt
  • Salt impacts on wildlife, drinking water, and infrastructure
  • How to participate in Salt Watch
  • When to monitor
  • What to do next (advocacy actions)
  • Regional or national results

FLOW began monitoring in 2022 and plans to continue this year. We welcome more volunteers so we can obtain a clearer picture of how road salt is impacting our watershed.


 
VIEW THE RECORDING ON OUR FLOW’S TUBE CHANNEL HERE

 

 

Abby HilemanAbby Hileman is the Salt Watch Coordinator at the Izaak Walton League of America. In her role, Abby leads the efforts of the Salt Watch program, expanding the project into new regions across the country, reaching new groups of volunteers, and providing resources to make lasting change—from data to action. Abby grew up in Western Pennsylvania, where she began her journey as a lifelong conservationist. She has a passion for connecting people to their communities and to nature and believes that small scale actions add up to make a big impact on conservation success.

20th Annual Olentangy Forum

Join us for the 20th Annual Olentangy Watershed Forum!
Get ready for a day filled with exciting informative presentations, discussions and networking, all centered around the conservation and preservation of the Olentangy River and its watershed.


Date: Fri Oct 27, 2023

Time: 9:00am-3:00pm with an optional tour of DEL-CO.

Location: 6658 Olentangy River Road, Delaware, OH 43015

Our forum is the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow environmental enthusiasts, professionals, and community members who share a passion for protecting our natural resources.

Throughout the day, you’ll have the chance to listen to expert speakers that explore various topics related to the Olentangy watershed.
 
Whether you’re a seasoned environmentalist or just getting started, this event offers something for everyone. Learn about the latest conservation initiatives, discover ways to get involved, and gain valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing our watershed.
 
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to make a positive impact on the Olentangy River and its surrounding ecosystem. Mark your calendars and join us for the 20th Annual Olentangy Watershed Forum!
 
Lunch is provided. Please email info@olentangywatershed.org with any dietary restrictions. We will do our best to accommodate. Please remember to bring your reusable water bottle and coffee mug. Coffee and water will be served.
 
Please register for free at Eventbrite
 

Sept. 18 Webinar – Debra Knapke on Fall Garden Management

FLOW is pleased to present Debra Knapke, The Garden Sage, as our Sept. 18 webinar speaker. Debra is an avid horticulturalist, teacher, author, and eclectic gardener, who shares her extensive knowledge of sustainable gardening with organizations all across the U.S.

As fall approaches it is very tempting to follow the established practices of garden and yard cleanup, but these common practices are not necessarily beneficial for wildlife and sustainability. Debra will share information on rethinking our fall garden cleanup as garden management, with ways we can work with nature instead of against her. She will share some of her favorite resources for those who want to learn more. Be sure to visit her website at http://debrathegardensage.com/

This webinar will not be recorded. Please register at the link. Time is 6:00 – 7:00 pm, EDT, and there will be time for questions.

 

REGISTER NOW

Fall asters

Native asters provide late season nectar for pollinators

 

fall foilage

Fallen leaves are an important resource for next year’s generation of beneficial insects

 

July 31 Webinar – David Tomashefski – A Time for Bumble Bees: Native Plants in the Garden and a Pollinator’s Life Cycle

 
 

“A Time for Bumble Bees: Native Plants in the Garden and a Pollinator’s Life Cycle”

Webinar July 31, 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm

 

Please register HERE

By David Tomashefski

This presentation uses the life cycle of bumble bees as a starting point for examining an assortment of native plants that are perfect for the home garden. We’ll look at the development of the bumble bee nest and see how the selected plants give the bees what they need – and vice versa – throughout the growing season. For each plant we’ll also examine other wildlife benefits that the plant provides, and see how features such as flower shape, nectar chemistry, and even stem diameter are ideally suited for supporting certain pollinators. And the sum-total of all of these specialized plant – animal interactions is a tremendous amount of biodiversity that we can all enjoy and care for in our yards.
 
Bio: I’m a lifelong nature enthusiast with a special interest in bird watching, Ohio plant communities, and gardening. I recently started working for Meadow City Native Plant Nursery, in Cleveland, as an Education Specialist. Prior to joining up with Meadow City I was a Research Associate in the Soil, Water, and Environmental Lab at OSU for 10 years. I have an MS in Natural Resources with a specialization in Ecological Restoration from OSU. I’m excited to be sharing information on native plants and pollinators with FLOW!

 

 

Please note: FLOW’s office is moving! After June 30th, you can reach us at 1404 Goodale Blvd., Suite 100, Columbus OH 43212

 

 

 

FLOW annual meeting – 2023

 

Sun, June 18, 10am – 12pm

The Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park
352 W Dodridge St.
Columbus, OH 43202

We’re excited for the FLOW Annual Meeting! All are welcome to attend! We will be sharing about our 2022 accomplishments and our future projects. We will also be voting to fill the 2023-2026 term board positions. If you are interested in becoming a board member, please email us at info@olentangywatershed.org for more details. There will be food and a tour of the Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetlands Research Park. It’s a great time to meet other FLOW members and volunteers. We hope to see you there!

 

Please note: FLOW’s office is moving! After June 30th, you can reach us at 1404 Goodale Blvd., Suite 100, Columbus OH 43212

 

 

 

May 22 Webinar – Macroinvertebrates and Stream Quality Monitoring

Macroinvertebrates and Stream Quality Monitoring

Monday, May 22 – 6:30 – 7:30 pm
via Zoom

Click here to REGISTER

Macroinvertebrates, SQM, cQHEI – what does this all mean? The diversity and numbers of species of insects found in the Olentangy and its tributaries provides a snapshot of the health of the waterway. Examining the proportion of pollution-intolerant vs pollution-tolerant aquatic life found at any one location tells us how healthy that tributary is. That gives FLOW information we can use when planning where to focus some of our restoration work. Kurt Keljo, retired from Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, will present an introduction to sampling aquatic invertebrates–a central component of this ongoing project. Jenna Roller-Knapp, aquatic ecologist with MAD Scientist Associates, will give a background introduction to the habitat within streams assessed using the cQHEI. Petra Schmalbrock, (Add Intro of Petra and edit info of what she’ll be covering?) will share a summary of Tributary SQM data from the past seven years. Volunteers are always needed and training will be scheduled in early June.
 
3 people doing macroinvertebrate testing