Scioto River – Sustainability & Environment @ OWU

Olentangy Watershed Forum, Wed, November 2, 2022

The Olentangy Watershed Forum has been held on OWU’s campus for the last few years but is moving to a new venue for the Fall of 2022, at Highbanks Metropark, about 20 minutes south of Delaware.

This is a great event to hear about regional watershed issues from an array of local, municipal, county and state folks who’s work focuses on the environment. It has been a very good networking opportunity for students in the past.

Reserve a spot and a free lunch (register by Oct. 29) here

If enough students are interested, we can arrange to carpool. Contact Krygier.

Join us for a day-long seminar to hear updates about the watershed. This is for any resident or watershed professional who would like to stay up to date on watershed issues, or simply gain more knowledge on the watershed. Network with water quality professionals from across central Ohio. Guest speakers will discuss the Olentangy River Wetlands Park research, Olentangy wildlife updates, updates from watershed groups, and opportunities to get involved.

We will meet in the Multipurpose Room in the Visitor Center at Highbanks Metro Park. We encourage you to carpool due to limited parking at the Visitor Center. Lunch will be provided for those who register by October 29th. You are still welcome to attend if you aren’t able to register until after October 29th, but we might not be able to provide lunch for those who register after this date. Please bring your own water bottle to refill, and a coffee mug to reduce single-use coffee cup waste.

Please contact Erin Wolfe, ewolfe@delawareohio.net, or 740-203-1905, if you have dietary restrictions or prefer a vegan lunch.

2021 Olentangy Watershed Forum @ OWU @ Wed. Oct. 27

It is still possible to pre-register via Erin Gibson: see contact information above. Folks from OWU should feel free to drop in if interested.

The Forum will be held on the 3rd floor of OWU’s Merrick Hall, from 9am-4pm on Wednesday, October 27.

Sept. 11: Olentangy River Festival!

The 8th Annual Olentangy River Festival will be held Saturday, September 11. For the first time, the festival is being held during the academic year, and OWU students can more easily participate.

Students who want to volunteer can contact John Krygier (ENVS)

OWU Sponsored Event: 17th Annual Virtual Olentangy Watershed Forum, Thursday, Oct. 22

17th Annual Virtual Olentangy Watershed Forum, October 22, 2020

Recording of event is here.

Please register using this Eventbrite link. To get the Zoom link, check your email (OWU students, staff and faculty) or contact Carline Cicerchi or John Krygier.

The Annual Olentangy Watershed Forum brings together a series of speakers to discuss the status of the watershed. This year features Keynote speaker Jonathan Overpeck, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize as part of the United Nations advisory group on climate change and Dean of the School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, “American Rivers and Climate Change: a Tale of Two Hydrologic Extremes”

The forum is great for regional practitioners as well as students, who can network and make contacts for internships and projects.

8:00 – 8:10 Welcome and introductions, Sean Kay, Ohio Wesleyan University

8:10 – 8:55 Keynote speaker: Jonathan Overpeck, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize as part of the United Nations advisory group on climate change and Dean of the School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, “American Rivers and Climate Change: a Tale of Two Hydrologic Extremes”

8:55 – 9:05: Q & A

State of the Watershed Updates

9:05 – 9:15: Update from Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) by Kelly Thiel. 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.

9:15 – 9:30: 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.

9:30 – 9:45: Update from City of Delaware and Olentangy Watershed Alliance (OWA) by Caroline Cicerchi. The City of Delaware works diligently to protect existing stormwater infrastructure as well as the Olentangy River and its tributaries through its Stormwater Management Program. OWA was formed as a non-profit in April 1999, with a mission to inspire appreciation and stewardship of the Upper Olentangy River and its watershed.

9:45 – 9:55: 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.

9:55 – 10:05: Q & A and Break

10:05 – 10:15: Vanessa Bishop, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

10:15 – 10:30: Erin Wolfe, Delaware Soil & Water Conservation District. “Del-Aware Water: Outreach Efforts in the Watershed”

10:30 – 10:50: Jim Palus, FLOW. “Putting FLOW’s Greenspace Implementation Plan Into Action”

10:50 – 11:20: Ed Rankin & Anthony Sasson, Midwest Biodiversity Institute, “Fish and Mussels Trends in the Central Scioto River Basin”

11:20-11:50: Jesse Womack, The Nature Conservancy. “The Nature Conservancy & the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework”

11:50 – 12:00: Janelle Valdinger, Ohio Wesleyan University, “Connecting with Career Connection”

Videos: Careers in Water Management Speaker Series (October, 2020)

Careers in Water Management Speaker Series I: Video

Jeff Paetz, Phoenix Environmental (15 minutes)
Heather Sheets, Ohio Clean Marinas (15 minutes)
Caroline Cicerchi, City of Delaware (15 minutes)

Careers in Water Management Speaker Series II: Video

Sarah Orlando, Ohio Sea Grant (15 minutes)
Chad Spring, City of Delaware (15 minutes)
Erin Wolfe, Delaware SWCD (15 minutes)
Janelle Valdinger, Ohio Wesleyan University (10 minutes)

Careers in Water Management Speaker Series III: Video

Christine Szymanski, ODNR Scenic Rivers (15 minutes)
Jeff Kauffman, Del-Co Water Company (15 minutes)
Chris Roshon, Preservation Parks (15 minutes)

This Week: OWU Event: Water Management Careers – Students hear from Professionals

Ohio Wesleyan, City of Delaware, Ohio EPA Hosting Free Three-Day Speaker Series

OWU and the City of Delaware will collaborate with the Ohio EPA for an upcoming grant-supported speaker series on water management careers.

DELAWARE, Ohio – Designed for high school and college students, you’re invited to participate in a three-day, online “Careers in Water Management Speaker Series.”

The free event will be held Oct. 5-7 and provide information about careers in stormwater, wastewater, watershed, and drinking water management, among other fields.

Contact Caroline Cicerchi for Zoom Details:

Careers in Water Management Speaker Series I

Monday, Oct. 5 from 9:30 AM – 10:20 AM:

Jeff Paetz, Phoenix Environmental (15 minutes)
Heather Sheets, Ohio Clean Marinas (15 minutes)
Caroline Cicerchi, City of Delaware (15 minutes)

Careers in Water Management Speaker Series II

Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM:

Sarah Orlando, Ohio Sea Grant (15 minutes)
Chad Spring, City of Delaware (15 minutes)
Erin Wolfe, Delaware SWCD (15 minutes)
Janelle Valdinger, Ohio Wesleyan University (10 minutes)

Careers in Water Management Speaker Series III

Wednesday, Oct. 7 from 11:50 AM – 12:40 PM:

Christine Szymanski, ODNR Scenic Rivers (15 minutes)
Jeff Kauffman, Del-Co Water Company (15 minutes)
Chris Roshon, Preservation Parks (15 minutes)

*The Delaware Run winds through the City of Delaware and Ohio Wesleyan campus. (Photo by Cole Hatcher)*

The event is supported by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and presented by the OEPA in collaboration with Ohio Wesleyan University and the City of Delaware Public Utilities Department.

The speaker series will include panelists from both the public and private sector, and each session will conclude with a question-and-answer session.

Organizations confirmed to speak during the series include:

City of Delaware Public Utilities
Del-Co Water Co.
Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District
Ohio Clean Marinas
Ohio Department of Natural Resources: Scenic Rivers
Ohio Sea Grant/OSU Extension
Phoenix Environmental

The sessions – also part of the OWU classes Introduction to Environment and Sustainability 100.1 and Conversations Toward a Sustainable Future 100.2/400.1 – are scheduled for the following dates and times:

9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. Oct. 5
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6
11:50 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. Oct. 7

For access to the online Zoom sessions, email Caroline Cicerchi, Delaware’s watershed and sustainability coordinator, at ccicerchi@delawareohio.net. Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s Environment and Sustainability Program at owu.edu/environment.

OWU Event: Water Management Careers – Students hear from Professionals

Ohio Wesleyan, City of Delaware, Ohio EPA Hosting Free Three-Day Speaker Series

OWU and the City of Delaware will collaborate with the Ohio EPA for an upcoming grant-supported speaker series on water management careers.

DELAWARE, Ohio – Designed for high school and college students, you’re invited to participate in a three-day, online “Careers in Water Management Speaker Series.”

The free event will be held Oct. 5-7 and provide information about careers in stormwater, wastewater, watershed, and drinking water management, among other fields.

The speaker series will include panelists from both the public and private sector, and each session will conclude with a question-and-answer session.

Organizations confirmed to speak during the series include:

City of Delaware Public Utilities
Del-Co Water Co.
Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District
Ohio Clean Marinas
Ohio Department of Natural Resources: Scenic Rivers
Ohio Sea Grant/OSU Extension
Phoenix Environmental

9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. Oct. 5
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6
11:50 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. Oct. 7

#OWUENVS

In the overwhelming crush of media about the COVID 19 pandemic we don’t want to lose sight of the profound importance of the environment.

#OWUENVS is a collective effort to push environmental news and ideas and advocacy and creative efforts out through social media and other media by students, faculty, and staff in the Environment & Sustainability Program at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Find or create relevant stuff. Anything having to do with the environment anywhere. Links, ideas, videos, maps, photos, music, data, artwork, etc. Focus on the stuff you care about.

Put it out there: use the hashtag or tag #OWUENVS so we can track the effort. Focus on the media you use. On social media, video sites, music sites, whatever. Be creative.

Please let Meg Edwards or John Krygier or Laurie Anderson know if you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions.

This effort is what we make it. It keeps us connected, and it matters.

Do Something! OWU Volunteers Needed for Spring Cleaning & Planting

Last year President Trump and President Macron of France planted a lovely oak tree on the White House lawn. Sadly, the tree is now dead.

Let’s do better!

Tree planting and spring clean up opportunities abound. No big commitment. Please sign up soon and often:

A Scioto River Clean-up March 15th organized by a Buckeye Valley H.S. Student: Register here

OWA’s Earth Day Program April 4th at Delaware State Park: Register here

Blue Limestone Park Stream Clean-up from 4:30-5:30, April 15^th: (weather back-up date is scheduled for April 16^th same time and place) registration can be completed by emailing Caroline Cicerchi (here).

City of Delaware’s Earth Day Program April 22nd: Register here

The Scioto River if we didn’t do the river clean up every year:

Actually, this is the Bahagia river in Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia.

Volunteer for Scioto River Sweep: September 7, 2019

Scioto River Sweep: September 7, 2019, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch, equipment and canoes provided.
Bellpoint Community Church Shelter
4771 OH-257, Delaware, OH 43015