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A First Hand Account of Crossing Lake Erie, Published in Cleveland Magazine in 1978

[Photo credit: Cleveland Magazine]

Ice Age


Like most Clevelanders, somewhere in the back of my mind, I have a general awareness that during the late 1970s there was an extreme cold wave and a massive blizzard. If you talk to someone who lived through those winters, they'll tell you that January 1977 was the coldest and snowiest month on record. That snowfall record only stood until January 26, 1978, when the city was hit with the worst winter storm in its history. With 80 mph winds and intense snow, it led the old Cleveland Press to declare in a banner over the masthead "Blizzard Smashes Area". Others dubbed it the "White Hurricane". If you're looking to put our recent frigid temperatures into perspective, you can check out the Case Western Reserve University Encyclopedia of Cleveland History's Blizzards entry that details how the windchill exceeded -100.


By February of that year, Clevelanders must have felt hardened to anything that mother nature was throwing at them. The prior winter had seen 38 days in a row below freezing and temperatures wouldn't break the freezing mark after the storm until 2/24/1978. Lake Erie had 100% ice coverage. Perhaps, it was this combination that inspired a trek across the lake, that was later captured for posterity in an article titled "I Walked Across Lake Erie - Alone". While it's ill advised to try such a stunt, I highly recommend reading the article.


A healthier way to explore the lake's ice coverage is with the NOAA - Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory website. I must admit to going down the rabbit hole while exploring the site. There are a lot of tools that make visualizing the data really enjoyable. However, that's not the only place I've been exploring on the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's website. WVP will be conducting a pilot version of their Marine Debris Monitoring Program on our Cleveland Metroparks Beaches. We'll have an indoor training in February and an outdoor, hands-on training in March. If you'd like to learn more or get a jump on things, you can visit their site here. I'm excited to work alongside Lake Erie and take our watershed efforts to the egress of every drop of rain (and snow) that falls in our area.


Don't miss the kickoff of our Natural Resources Winter Lecture Series Tim Krynak's "Uncovering The Mystery of Migration With Rehabilitated Bats" tonight, January 22nd at 6pm at the Watershed Stewardship Center! Temperatures will be rising into the balmy teens by event time.


Excelsior!

Sara Corrigan

WVP Coordinator

Winter Stonefly Club

Join us in February for our thrilling next edition of (M) Winter Stonefly Survey

[Image credit: Cleveland Metroparks]

Lecture Series

Salt Watch



Salt Watch Reminder


Salt Watch Volunteers: It’s time to take your January sample.


Questions? Email us

Happenings

(M) Winter Stonefly Survey - first stonefly found for the year!

Jan 18, 2025 @ Baldwin Creek

[Photo credit: Cleveland Metroparks]

WVP Opportunities

Key

  • (L)earning: These events include talks, workshops, and training sessions.
  • (M)onitoring: These events include water quality testing through chemistry and macroinvertebrate monitoring.
  • (R)estoration: These events include bioretention clean-ups, tree plantings, invasive plant removal, etc.
  • (O)utreach: These events are used to spread awareness of the Watershed Volunteer Program and general watershed health.



(L) Natural Resources Winter Lecture Series: Tim Krynak's "Uncovering The Mystery of Migration With Rehabilitated Bats" * 

Wed, Jan 22, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. @ The Watershed Stewardship Center, West Creek Reservation


(L) Tool Maintenance Clinic with Jen "Cricket" Hilmer 

Wed, Jan 29, 6 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. @ West Creek Reservation


(M) Training: Hemlock Survey @ North Chagrin Reservation 

Wed, Feb 5, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. @ North Chagrin Reservation


(M) Training: Hemlock Survey @ North Chagrin Reservation 

Sat, Feb 8, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ North Chagrin Reservation


(L) Natural Resources Winter Lecture Series: Andy Burmesch's "Assorted Topics in Wildlife Monitoring Within Cleveland Metroparks"* 

Wed, Feb 12, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. @ The Watershed Stewardship Center, West Creek Reservation


(M) Winter Stonefly Survey  

Sat, Feb 15, 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. @ Baldwin Creek


(M) Marine Debris Monitor Training  

Tue, Feb 18, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. @ The Watershed Stewardship Center, West Creek Reservation


WVP volunteers, please log into Volgistics to register for primary events.

*Open to the public.  Click Here or Email us for the registration link.

View Event Details

(R) Work Session: Invasive Mantis Egg Case Removal

Jan 15, 2025 @ South Chagrin Reservation

[Photo credit: Cleveland Metroparks]

Opportunities With Our Partners


(S) Western Reserve Land Conservancy: Ripples of Plastic (Documentary and Panel Discussion)

Thu, Jan 23, 7-9 p.m. @ Capital Theatre

Embark on an eye-opening journey through the unseen impacts of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes region. Guided by Dr. Sherri Mason and other regional voices, witness the vast extent of contamination pathways, effects of microplastics, and the unexpected toll on human health. Beyond individual action, the film inspires a collective movement for transformative progress toward a plastic-free future. Explore the unseen impacts of Great Lakes plastic pollution, inspiring a movement for systemic change and a plastic-free future.

Following the movie, they’ll host an in-person Q&A session with Film Director Chris Langer, as well as Researcher Dr. Sherri Mason and Sustainability Coordinator Jill Bartolotta—both of whom are featured in the movie.

More Information and Registration Here


(S) CRWP Annual Speaker Series: Green Infrastructure 101

Fri, Jan 24, 11:30 a.m. @ Online via Zoom

Join Chagrin River Watershed Partners and Elizabeth Hiser, Stream Restoration Ecologist with Cleveland Metroparks for an engaging presentation about stormwater management, green infrastructure, and bioretention. Learn more about bioretention maintenance throughout the Park District and Cleveland Metroparks' efforts to provide the community with clean, healthy waters and forests.

More Information and Registration Here


(S) Winter Salt Week: An Eye on Salt Pollution

Mon, Jan 27, 1:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. @ Online

Road salt 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. 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. Since 2018, the Izaak Walton League Salt Watch program has been mobilizing community scientists across the nation to monitor chloride (road salt) levels in their local waterways and advocate for smarter salting practices.

More Information and Registration Here


(S) Winter Salt Week: Dilution is NOT the Solution

Tue, Jan 28, 1:30 p.m. @ Online

Our understanding around how salt affects freshwater communities continues to evolve. As scientists across disciplines come together to study this pollutant, their work is revealing a host of ecological complexities and cascading impacts. This talk will highlight how “sublethal” concentrations of salt can still be harmful to wildlife and how other environmental factors (predators and water chemistry) can alter the effects of salt on wildlife.

More Information and Registration Here


(S) Invasive Plant Management

Wed, Jan 29, 11:30 a.m. @ Online

Join Matt Kneitel, Land Steward with Geauga Park District, for this presentation as he discusses invasive plants and how the District's Natural Resources Management team assesses and manages their presence. Using a variety of methods, they balance timing, priority, outcomes, and the promotion of native vegetation throughout their properties. Matt will share some of the most common invasive plants found in the county, (maybe even on your property!), along with ways you can help manage and remove them.

More Information and Registration Here


(S) Water Cooler Talk: Ice Melter Impacts and Reduction Strategy

Wed, Jan 29, 12 - 1 p.m. @ Online

The widespread use of road salt and other ice melters during winter has become a cornerstone of maintaining safety on roadways and sidewalks, but it comes at a cost. While these substances effectively lower the freezing point of water, they are corrosive to infrastructure and pose significant environmental risks. Winter salts can accumulate in the soil and runoff into watersheds, impacting ecosystems, human health, and water quality. This presentation will explore the detrimental effects of ice melters and provide practical strategies to reduce their use without compromising public safety, offering a balanced approach to winter weather management.

This free one-hour webinar offers insights on reducing chemical ice melters to protect the environment while maintaining safety.

More Information and Registration Here


(S) Winter Salt Week: Public Works Perspectives

Wed, Jan 29, various times throughout the day @ Online

Hear directly from state and local agency staff about recent successes and challenges of transitioning to newer technologies and adopting policy changes. Individual livestreams with staff from: Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

More Information and Registration Here


(S) Winter Salt Week: Policy Solutions Panel

Thu, Jan 30, 1:30 p.m. @ Online

Several states and municipalities have enacted innovative policy solutions to address various facets of the salt pollution problem. Learn about the New Hampshire Green SnowPro program that provides limited liability protection to trained applicators, the H2Ohio Chloride Reduction grant program, and the Low Salt, No Salt Minnesota campaign in a 30-minute lightning round of presentations followed by Q&A.

More Information and Registration Here


(S) Rocky River Watershed Council 2025 Annual Meeting

Thu, Jan 30, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. @ Rocky River Nature Center Auditorium

Featuring speakers on "Backyard Conservation & How You Can Get Involved in Your Neighborhood": Mike Durkalec presenting highlights on his 20 years with the RRWC, and Kate Catanese on organizing an advocacy group for their neighborhood park! The annual election for RRWC Board of Directors will be held as well. Refreshments provided. Registration preferred so that we can get a count for refreshments.

The Rocky River Watershed Council is looking for new volunteer board members to help plan educational and restoration activities in the watershed. All backgrounds are welcome; the only requirement is a desire to help your community and nature! Email mhennessey@cuyahogaswcd.org for more information.

More Information and Registration Here



More (S)upplemental events can be found on our website here.


*WVP volunteers can submit supplemental hours in Volgistics under (S) Watershed Partner Event Contact us if you need assistance reporting any hours.

Recording Hours with WVP

(M) Winter Stonefly Survey - getting up close and personal with Small Winter Stonefly

Jan 18, 2025 @ Baldwin Creek

[Photo credit: Cleveland Metroparks]

Extras

News






Jimmy Carter's Enduring

Environmental Legacy

Read on and watch video here

315 Trees Vanished from an Ohio Forest; 3 Men Just Admitted to Cutting Them Down | Read on


Still Not O-fish-al: The Walleye Bill Is the One That Got Away........AGAIN | Read on


Cuyahoga Valley National Park Celebrates 50 Years of Environmental Stewardship | Read on and listen here

Check Out the Rainbow Swamp – A Flooded Forest in Virginia That Puts on a Magical Light Show Every Winter | Read on

On sunny winter days (if the light is just right), a cypress swamp in Virginia turns into a giant rainbow.

Beautiful, but how and why does it happen? The article directly above explains the phenomenon.

[Image Credit: Nature's Charm via Shuttershock]

 

Jobs

Manager of Environmental Planning

Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency - Cleveland, OH | Apply Here


Hydro Technician

Miami Conservancy District - Dayton, OH | Apply Here


Urban Stormwater Technician (Deadline 1/24/25)

Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District - Lancaster, OH | Apply Here


Environmental Education and Outreach Internship

Huron County Park District - Norwalk, OH | Apply Here


Entry Level Research Assistant

Midwest Biodiversity Institute - Hilliard, OH | Apply Here


Wetland Project Manager (2 openings)

EnviroScience - Remote, PA | Apply Here


Stream Management Program Manager

Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District - Shokan, NY | Apply Here


Stream Restoration Designer

Wetland Studies & Solutions, a Davey Company - Louisville, KY | Apply Here


Aquatic Restoration & Resiliency Coordinator

The Nature Conservancy - New York Locations | Apply Here


Natural Resources Specialist 2, 3 - Hydrology Technician

Cleveland Metroparks - Parma, OH | Apply Here


Illinois Watershed Coordinator

American Farmland Trust -Central Illinois Embarrass Watershed | Apply Here


Water Resources Engineer

Biohabitats - Charleston, SC | Apply Here

 

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