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STORM DRAIN ART CONTEST IS BACK!

by | Jun 30, 2023 | News, Volunteers, Water Resources

FLOW is seeking Central Ohio artists to turn storm drains in the Short North into public art! 

Phase One was painting 10 storm drains in the OSU campus area. Phase Two will be 10 storm drains in the Short North area!

ABOUT THE PROJECT:
FLOW is excited to use public art as a tool for storm drain education. We hope to connect the local businesses, residents and general public to more education on storm drains. We want the art to help explain that what goes down the storm drains exits directly into the Olentangy River.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Artists need to be 18 years old or have parental permission. Artists must demonstrate in their application that they have the ability to complete the project.

PROPOSAL DEADLINES:
Round One: Submit application and 3-5 example(s) of current artwork. Deadline: July 14, 2023. Artist chosen for round two will be notified by July 18, 2023.

Round Two: Chosen artists will be selected and asked to submit artwork specifically for the storm drain. Artists are compensated $25 for their design. Deadline: August 9, 2023. Artists chosen to paint on storm drains in the Short North will be notified by August 11, 2023.

Round Three – Selected artists will receive $225 for painting designated storm drain murals. 

October 7th: Paint Storm Drain (October 8th Rain Date)

SELECTION PROCESS:
A panel of community members from FLOW and Short North Alliance will select the finalists at each stage.

WHERE WILL THE ART GO?
All artists will be assigned a specific storm drain. Photo, location and storm drain dimensions will be given to artists. Storm Drains are in high traffic areas along High Street between the Short North area. Each storm drain will be marked so artists do not exceed the storm drain art boundaries.

FLOW will have an art storm drain tour on their website as well as do publicity for residents to experience the different artwork and get more information about individual artists.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL BE GIVEN TO THE ARTISTS?
FLOW volunteers will be available to answer questions and provide support during the whole process. All artists will need to sign a waiver for the painting event. Traffic cones and safety vests will be provided. Artists are allowed to bring an assistant on the day of painting.

FLOW is given permission by all selected artists to use pictures of the chosen artist’s artwork on social media, FLOW’s website, the project report and any other outlets.

Round one: Submit application and 3-5 example(s) of current artwork.

Round two: Chosen artists are selected and paid $25 to design storm drain specific artwork.

Round Three: Chosen artist will receive $225 for painting their storm drain mural on the designated storm drain.

 

The storm drain areas will be power washed before painting day. Paint and mixing containers. Artists need to bring their own paint brushes and any additional supplies they want. Once done the art will be sealed and an anti-graffiti coat applied.

DESIGNING YOUR ARTWORK:

Our theme this year is:

The Olentangy River starts here! Only rain down the drain!

Artwork should connect the public to the Olentangy River. You may be surprised to know that the storm drain empties directly into the Olentangy River and we are trying to bring attention to the fact that what goes down the drain goes to the river.

STORM DRAIN DESIGNS MUST ALSO ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

  • The physical storm drain must be incorporated into the painting but the metal storm drain will not be painted on.
  • The artwork must contain no business logos, brands, trademarks or illegal activities depicted.
  • All artwork must be public friendly.
  • FLOWOHIO.ORG must be painted at your location.
  • We also welcome you to put your signature on your artwork.

SUBMITTING YOUR ARTWORK CHECKLIST: ROUND 1 CHECKLIST:

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE

You can view the walking tour of the OSU campus storm drains here


Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
FLOW is committed to creating and promoting an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture across in their selection process.

FLOW annual meeting – 2023

by | Jun 9, 2023 | Volunteers, Water Resources, Wildlife

 

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

by | May 17, 2023 | Volunteers, Water Resources, Wildlife

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
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A year-end message from the president

by | Dec 6, 2022 | Backyard Conservation, Invasive Species, News, Pollinators, Recreation, Volunteers, Water Resources, Wildlife

As the year is ending we have been reflecting on what an amazing year 2022 has been. Together we have done so much to help the Lower Olentangy watershed. Over 3,384 volunteer hours have been spent cleaning up trash, planting trees, maintaining pollinator gardens, monitoring the tributaries of the Olentangy River, removing honeysuckle and other invasive plants and so much more. We couldn’t do this work without your time and financial support. Thank you!!!

Thank you for reading this special letter from FLOW Board President, Kelly Thiel:

This fall, on a beautiful afternoon, I took a walk along the Olentangy trail just south of Henderson Road. What used to be open grassy fields next to Whetstone High School is now planted with a row of native trees, ready to provide years of shade to trail users and an improved ecosystem for the area. This successful project is just one of many that FLOW made possible this year. Our grant writers are always on the lookout for opportunities to bring dollars to our communities and improve the watershed for all of its inhabitants. These trees were obtained through a grant FLOW received and planted by FLOW volunteers. Our hope is that everyone who passes by these trees benefits from their proven ability to clean the air, improve the soil, increase wildlife habitat, filter storm water and regulate the surrounding temperature.

In order to continue to make a difference we rely on the support of generous individuals and businesses in our community. If you have been to a FLOW event in the last couple of years then you are likely familiar with our fabulous event coordinator. With your support we can keep this position filled, keep our tools stored, and the lights on in our small office. We depend on our community recognizing the value of a healthy watershed to continue to fund the work we do.

In these days of increasing costs for everything from groceries to goods and services my family has been using the outdoors as free entertainment and a benefit to our mental health. It can be easy to take our green spaces for granted and ignore that Columbus is one of the fastest growing heat islands; increased development will put a strain on our streams and tributaries. FLOW remains focused on our mission to maintain the value of one of the community’s most precious assets–The Olentangy River. We need your help to continue this mission and meet the environmental challenges ahead.

If you have donated to FLOW in the past, THANK YOU! Our donors and volunteers make FLOW the great organization it is today. We hope that you’ll consider becoming a member of FLOW. You can give a one time gift or we hope you’ll consider giving as a monthly supporter. Your tax-deductible donation will help keep the Olentangy River safe, clean, and healthy for generations to enjoy in the decades to come. Visit the support page on this website for ways to donate.

 

 

 

 

 

STORM DRAIN ART CONTEST DEADLINE EXTENDED

by | Sep 27, 2022 | News, Volunteers, Water Resources

DEADLINE EXTENDED! FLOW is seeking Central Ohio artists to turn storm drains into public art! 

ABOUT THE PROJECT:
FLOW is excited to use public art as a tool for storm drain education. We hope to connect the local businesses, residents and general public to more education on storm drains. We want the art to help explain that what goes down the storm drains exits directly into the Olentangy River.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Artists need to be 18 years old or have parental permission. Artists must demonstrate in their application that they have the ability to complete the project.

TIMELINE:
Round One: Artists submit an application and photos showing 5 different example(s) of current artwork. Deadline: midnight, October 30, 2022.

Thirty (30) artists will be selected and asked to submit artwork specifically for the storm drain.

Round Two: Artists chosen in Round One submit their storm drain design. Deadline for submission: TBD. Artists are paid $50 for their design.

Round Three – final artists’ selection: Twenty (20) artists will be selected and will receive $250 for painting their storm drain mural on a designated storm drain. 

Artists will paint their final design in the spring of 2023, date(s) to be determined.

SELECTION PROCESS:
A panel of community members from FLOW, the University District Organization and the Short North Alliance will select the finalists at each stage.

WHERE WILL THE ART GO?
All artists will be assigned a specific storm drain. Photo, location and storm drain dimensions will be given to artists. Storm drains are in high traffic areas along High Street between the Short North and North Campus area. Each storm drain will be marked so artists do not exceed the storm drain art boundaries. FLOW will have an art storm drain tour on their website as well as create publicity so residents can experience the different artwork and get more information about individual artists.

WHAT SUPPORT WILL BE GIVEN TO THE ARTISTS?
FLOW volunteers will be available to answer questions and provide support during the whole process. All artists will need to sign a waiver for the painting event. Traffic cones and safety vests will be provided. Artists are allowed to bring an assistant on the day of painting.

By participating, artists are giving FLOW permission to use pictures of the chosen artist’s artwork on social media, FLOW’s website, the project report and any other outlets.

The storm drain areas will be power washed before painting day. Pain and mixing containers will be provided. Artists will need to bring their own paint brushes and any additional supplies they want. Once done the art will be sealed and an anti-graffiti coat applied.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
FLOW is committed to creating and promoting an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture across in their selection process.

DESIGNING YOUR ARTWORK:

Our theme this year is:
The Olentangy River starts here! Only rain down the drain!

Artwork should connect the public to the Olentangy River. You may be surprised to know that the storm drain empties directly into the Olentangy River and we are trying to bring attention to the fact that what goes down the drain goes to the river.

STORM DRAIN DESIGNS MUST ALSO ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

  • The physical storm drain must be incorporated into the painting.
  • The artwork must contain no business logos, brands, trademarks or illegal activities depicted.
  • All artwork must be public friendly.

ROUND 1 CHECKLIST:

  • Download and fill out this application and submit it with 5 different examples of current work to
    info@olentangywatershed.org by midnight, October 30, 2022. FLOW will notify the 30 selected artists of their acceptance to Round 2 by October 21

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FOR ROUND 1 HERE

Want some inspiration? Check out the map and samples of storm drain art created in Goshen, Indiana!

Photo of storm drain with fish art: City of Dayton Department of Water / Art: Laura and Michael Huff.

Be a FLOW citizen scientist!

by | Jul 1, 2021 | Backyard Conservation, News, Volunteers

You can be a FLOW citizen scientist with just your smart phone and an iNaturalist account!

iNaturalist observations allow anyone to identify and share their observations of living things – animals, plants, fungi, and more.

We have added the Lower Olentangy Watershed as a “place” in iNaturalist, so any of your observations with coordinates within the watershed will automatically appear under that listing, helping us better determine the diversity of species in the watershed. It doesn’t have to be an unusual or rare species to be of interest.

You can search for Lower Olentangy Watershed or even Olentangy and see what wonders your watershed holds!

Upload your nature photo(s) to your iNaturalist account (it’s free!) and the site will offer suggestions to help you identify what you are looking at, and other users actively reach out and help confirm many of your identifications. The more detailed the photo the better, and you can add multiple photos of the same plant or animal.