15th Annual Olentangy Watershed Forum: Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Photo source: Ohio EPA

15th Annual Olentangy Watershed Forum: Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Organized and Sponsored by:

When: Wednesday, October 10, 2018, from 8 a.m.— 3:30 p.m.

Registration: There is no cost, and lunch is included. Pre-registration requested by Monday, October 1st. To register, please contact Erin Gibson at egibson@delcowater.com or 740-548-7746 ext. 2221.

Where: Ohio Wesleyan University

3rd floor of Merrick Hall: One building west of 50 South Henry St., Delaware 43015

*Parking in Selby Stadium Lot, 45 South Henry St.*


For the past 15 years, the Olentangy Watershed Forum has connected citizens and experts who wish to explore issues that impact the quality of life in the watershed. Please join us for state-of-the-watershed updates by the sponsors listed above along with Delaware Soil & Water Conservation District, the American Kayaking Association, and more! The cost to attend the Forum is free but registration is required. Seating is limited to 70, so walk-ins will be accommodated if space is available. Lunch will be provided. Participants can also expect a short walking tour to the proposed Delaware Run Restoration site.

Press Release: Here

Preliminary Agenda

8:00 – 9:00 Doors open for registration, coffee, and networking session
9:00 – 9:10 Welcome and Introduction – Caroline Cicerchi, City of Delaware
9:10 – 9:50 Delaware Soil & Water Conservation District, “Be the Change for Clean Water”
9:50 – 10:20 Heather Doherty, ODNR Scenic River Program, “Celebrating 50 Years of Ohio Scenic Rivers”10:20 – 10:35 BREAK
10:35 – 11:05 Dr. John Krygier, Ohio Wesleyan University, “Delaware Run Restoration Project”
11:05 – 11:45 Tour – Delaware Run restoration site
11:45 – 12:45 Lunch (included) and Networking
12:45 – 1:05 Jason Kentner, “Visioning for the Olentangy Watershed”
1:05 – 2:25 State of the Watershed Updates
1:25 – 1:40 BREAK

Update from Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) by Ryan Pilewski regarding the greenspace planning in the Olentangy. FLOW was formed as a non-profit 501(c)3 in August 1997. FLOW’s mission is to keep the Olentangy River and its tributaries clean and safe for all to enjoy, through public education, volunteer activities, and coordination with local decision-makers.

Update from Del-Co Water by Jeff Kauffman. Del-Co Water Company, Inc. was formed in 1969 and provides quality drinking water to seven counties (Delaware, Morrow, Marion, Knox, Franklin, Union, and Crawford) serving a population of over 140,000.

Update from Preservation Parks by Chris Roshon. The mission of Preservation Parks of Delaware County is to protect and conserve the natural and historic features of Delaware County and to inspire outdoor exploration and learning.

Update from City of Delaware and Olentangy Watershed Alliance (OWA) by Caroline Cicerchi. The City of Delaware works diligently to protect existing storwmater infrastructure as well as the Olentangy River and its tributaries through its Stormwater Management Plan. OWA was formed as a non-profit in April 1999, with a mission to work in partnership with agriculture, urban, and other local communities to understand, appreciate, and responsibly use the Olentangy River, its tributaries, and watershed.

2:25 – 2:45 Sami Spiezio, American Kayaking Association, “Recreational Opportunities on the Olentangy”
2:45 – 3:15 Paul Freedman, City of Columbus, “Columbus Zoning Updates”
3:15 – 3:30 Eric Saas, Ohio EPA, “Rush Run Monitoring”

Campus Talk! Thurs. Sept. 20: Dr. Timothy Hawthorne, OWU 2003 “The Power of People in Science: Exploring Community-Based Uses of Maps, Apps and Drones”

Above: Tim Hawthorne (left) and OWU Geography major Lucas Farmer on a drone survey in Belize. Credit: Citizen Science GIS

Dr. Timothy Hawthorne OWU 2003, University of Central Florida

“The Power of People in Science: Exploring Community-Based Uses of Maps, Apps and Drones”

Thursday, September 20
 at 4:10 p.m. in Science Center 163

Abstract: The community is where mutually beneficial research and education outcomes are discovered together through the power of citizen science, maps, apps, and drones. Our work through Citizen Science GIS seeks to engage academics and community organizations/residents in shared knowledge production focused on community-engaged research that benefits real-world communities. In this talk, we unravel the potential of engaging communities and science in meaningful collaboration. We will highlight opportunities to use interactive and visual mapping technologies to share the spatial stories and knowledge of community members around the world to understand some of the most pressing challenges in coastal communities.

Biography: Timothy L. Hawthorne is a 2003 Ohio Wesleyan University alumnus. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the Department of Sociology at University of Central Florida and the State of Florida Geography Steward with National Geographic. He earned his Ph.D. in geography in 2010 from The Ohio State University. He is a broadly trained human geographer with deep interests in citizen science GIS, community geography, qualitative GIS, and critical GIS. Professor Hawthorne is Principal Investigator of the Citizen Science GIS Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site in Orlando and Belize, funded by the National Science Foundation. He also is an associate editor for both the Journal of Geography and The International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research.

Watershed Walk: Sunday Sept. 23, 2018

Presented by the Northwest Neighborhood Association and the Central Ohio Communities Project

Forward to anyone you think would be interested.

When: Sunday, September 23, 2018

Mostly hidden and invisible, Delaware Run weaves itself through the fabric of the city and is often overlooked. The walk will shed light on this important natural resource. Participants can choose to do a deep exploration of the run or shorter jaunts along its course. Local scientists and experts will lead our walks and will explore the history, ecology and geologic features of the stream scavenger hunt style. Water quality testing and a stream clean-up will also be done on both walks. After the walks, we will meet at the Boardman Arts Park for EarthDance, a Rivermen concert, and various activities. RSVP for this FREE event: DelawareNNA.org

1:00 pm – 2:20 pm: Long Walk (starting at Olentangy by Selby Stadium)
1:30-2:10 pm: Short Walk (starting at Hidden Valley Golf Course)
2:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Trash weighing and Bingo scoring, gnome creating,
various activities and tables, refreshments
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: EarthDance 2018
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm: Rivermen concert
4:30 pm: transportation back to cars offered

RSVP for this FREE event: DelawareNNA.org

PDF Poster here.

PDF Poster here.

 

OWU’s Green Week 2018: April 16-22

Events planned for OWU’s Green Week 2018: April 16-22

Green Week: April 16-22, 2018
Monday: Committing To A Sustainable Future
Environment & Sustainability Program Picnic Benes Rms 6:30-8 pm (Free Food!)
Tuesday: Reduce Our Global Impact On Climate
May Move Out Tabling (Hamwil 12-1 pm)
No Impact Man Screening (Tree House @ 7 pm)
Wednesday: Increase Our Health & Wellbeing
Storm Drain Labeling (Fountain 4 pm)
Eco Teaching Kitchen (Stuy Kitchen 6:30 pm)
Thursday: Live Better On Campus And Earth
Free Pollinator Plants (Hamwil 12-1 pm)
Animal Consciousness Lecture (Honors House 5 pm)
Jungle Terry & Friends (Hamwil 12-1pmm & 6-7 pm)
Friday: Active Environmentalism
Smoothie Bike @ Day On The Jay
Campus Trash Pickup (Fountain @ 4 pm)

Environment & Sustainability Picnic! Monday, April 16th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm.

Environment & Sustainability Picnic! Monday, April 16th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Lots of fun! Get Earthy!

Environment & Sustainability Picnic!

Monday, April 16th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm.

Gazebo Park if nice and Benes Room if not!

Lots of fun! Get Earthy!

Over in the tiny park with the gazebo across from the SLUs and behind the fire station (in case we self-combust from too much fun).

Everyone is welcome!

 

Delaware, Ohio area Sustainability Events & Activities April 2018

The monthly Community Matters newsletter is now available. The newsletter is created by the Sustainable Delaware organization. The newsletter is posted here, under the Sustainability in Delaware tab above.

 

The monthly Community Matters newsletter is now available. The newsletter is created by the Sustainable Delaware organization. The newsletter is posted here, and under the Sustainability in Delaware tab above.

Sustainable Delaware is always happy to have OWU student, staff or faculty involvement. Check their web pages for more information.

Campus Event: Climate Change: What We Know, and What We Can Do

A free, day-long meeting about earth’s climate at Ohio Wesleyan, Saturday, March 31, 2018

Free: Please RSVP here for the event next weekend.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!  

Climate Change: What We Know, and What We Can Do

Saturday, 31 March 2018

2nd and 3rd Floors of Merrick Hall

Ohio Wesleyan University

Summary: The Anthropocene, the era in which humans have become the dominating factor to the global climate, is a period in the geologic history. For decades now, the public has heard of the phrases ‘global warming’ and ‘climate change.’ What continues to remain a challenge is the public’s understanding of the processes associated with the current global phenomenon. This workshop, supported by the Mellon Foundation, is an attempt to bring together climate scientists, industry, the public, and our academic institutions into one space to communicate what it means to be living in the Anthropocene. What do we know about it and what can we do about it? We seek to build long-term collaborations and help prepare a new generation of community members and scholars to address these concerns.

Preliminary Schedule

9:00-9:30         Check-in

9:30-9:45         Opening Remarks

9:45 – 11:15     Short Talks (with break)

11:15 – noon    Keynote Speaker: Dr. Christopher Karmosky, SUNY Oneonta

Noon – 1:00     Lunch

1:00 – 3:30       Workshops

3:30 – 4:00      Closing Remarks

We are looking for 1 – 2 persons to volunteer to be moderators of the short workshop groups (approximately 6). The idea here is for people to gather by interest and work on defining an agenda or outcome of the workshop. Moderators would be tasked with taking notes and making sure the group is on task. There will be modest financial compensation for moderators.

Please RSVP here ASAP. If you have any question, feel free to ask Dustin (dsbraden@owu.edu) or Nathan (nsamador@owu.edu).

Students & Organizations: Sponsor a Rain Barrel!

Rain barrels have become increasingly popular. As a community, we can increase this popularity by making them more visually appealing. Businesses, organizations, and individuals have the opportunity to fund a rain barrel with an installation kit for $34. The cost includes sanding, washing, and priming each barrel before it is given for painting.

Sponsor a Rain Barrel!

Since 2014, the City of Delaware has organized the Northern Olentangy Watershed (NOW) Festival that highlights our local, water resources. This summer, the 5th annual NOW Festival will take place on June 16th at Mingo Park (500 E. Lincoln Ave. Delaware, OH) from 12-3 p.m. As part of the festival, the annual rain barrel raffle will occur. Rain barrels provide many stormwater benefits including:

 

  • Reduction of stormwater runoff
  • Providing a free/sustainable source of water for lawn and gardening care -Reduction of harmful pollutants being carried into our waterways
  • Reduction of ponding and flooding
  • Reduction of water bill costs

Rain barrels have become increasingly popular. As a community, we can increase this popularity by making them more visually appealing. Businesses, organizations, and individuals have the opportunity to fund a rain barrel with an installation kit for $34. The cost includes sanding, washing, and priming each barrel before it is given for painting. The barrels can be both sponsored and painted by the same entity, or a request can be made for a local art class to paint it. These barrels will be raffled off at the NOW Festival on June 16th at Mingo Park and proceeds will go to help support the Upper Olentangy River Watershed.

See form, below.

Payment must accompany the sponsorship requests. All rain barrel request forms must be received by Friday, April 13th by 4 p.m. The purchase of the rain barrel and kit is non-refundable.

Checks can be made out to “City of Delaware, Public Utilities” and mailed to:

City of Delaware
Caroline Cicerchi, Watershed Coordinator 
225 Cherry Street
Delaware, Ohio 43015

There are a limited number of barrels available for this opportunity. Once that limit has been obtained or the deadline for ordering has been reached the barrels will be distributed to the appropriate painters. Local art programs in the community, including local schools, have been contacted about painting some of these barrels. If you are interested in utilizing one of these programs, please indicate so on the order form. There may be a limit to these programs, so each request will be accommodated on a first-come basis. You will be notified by email once the supplies are available for pickup or delivery. It is expected that the rain barrels will start to be delivered or available for pick up starting Monday, April 2nd as requests are received.

If you are painting the barrel yourself, please use outdoor acrylic paint (same paint that is bought for painting the outside of houses, outdoor fencing, etc.). The rain barrels will need to be decorated by May 31st. Once decorated, you can put them on display at your business either inside or outside leading up to the Northern Olentangy Watershed (NOW) Festival or, if preferred, they can be dropped off at the Wastewater Treatment Plant Facility for the City to put them on display.

All painted barrels will need to be delivered to the City of Delaware’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Facility (225 Cherry St., Delaware, OH) before 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 13th.

Please consider participating in this fun event! The festival will be held at Mingo Park (500 E. Lincoln Ave., Delaware, Ohio) on June 16th from 12:00-3:00 p.m. Raffle ticket sales will begin at 12 p.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. with the winning ticket to be drawn shortly after.

Please contact Caroline Cicerchi, Watershed & Sustainability Coordinator, with any questions at 740-203-1905 or ccicerchi@delawareohio.net.

 

 

 

 

 

 

OWU Talk Feb. 20: Kemi Fuentes-George (OWU ’01): Post-Slavery Narratives and Conservation in Rural Jamaica

Kemi Fuentes-George’s (OWU ’01) recent book, Between Preservation and Exploitation: Transnational Networks and Conservation in Developing Countries explores how local justice claims affect states’ abilities to implement their obligations under international environmental agreements.

Post-Slavery Narratives and Conservation in Rural Jamaica:
How Local Culture Affects Global Environmental Governance

Tuesday, Feb. 20th 7:00 p.m. HWCC Benes B

Kemi Fuentes-George (OWU ’01)

Kemi Fuentes-George (OWU ’01) is an Assistant Professor at Middlebury College. His recent book, Between Preservation and Exploitation: Transnational Networks and Conservation in Developing Countries, published by MIT Press, explores how local justice claims affect states’ abilities to implement their obligations under international environmental agreements. He has also published research in Global Environmental Politics Journal, book chapters in Routledge, and written about environmental justice on Salon.com. He is active in his community as a member of the Town of Middlebury Conservation Commission, and as a volunteer for the Vermont chapter of Migrant Justice.