Rocky River Watershed Council Spring 2021 Newsletter

May 16 Fundraiser

Bock for the Rock is a new type of event for RRWC. It includes a hands-on educational workshop, a tasting of beers, lunch (vegetarian chili), RRWC membership, and the camaraderie of other river lovers! It costs $15 for college students and seniors and is $25 for all other adults. Those 20 and under are free (no beer tasting of course).

Registration is required. Click HERE to register and for more details. Location: Blue Heron Brewery

We hope you can join us in visiting the majestic headwaters of the Rocky while learning a bit and supporting the Rocky!

Earth Day Success

Thank you to all our board members and volunteers who helped this Headwaters Stream Team event be a success. The RRWC partnered with Medina SWCD and was able to plant 200 sycamores and river birches in a floodplain at the Aaron Smith Nature Preserve in Montville Township.

These trees will help protect this tributary of the Rocky River from erosion and will help protect water quality in years to come. Volunteers were able to take home a tree seedling and help the environment in their own backyards.

New Chair of RRWC

Bekah Strait was elected to be the chair of the Rocky River Watershed Council’s 2021 Executive Committee.

Bekah has fond memories throughout the Rocky River watershed and is excited to lead this volunteer group toward its goals of improving water quality and educating those that live in and around the watershed. Bekah loves mentoring and encouraging others and has a passion for water quality.

We all would like to extend a warm welcome to the new chair of the RRWC.

Rocky River Backyard Buffers Program gives away over 3,000 free tree seedlings to streamside homeowners!

Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District staff held the Rocky River Backyard Buffers program for the first time in nine years. With the help of funding from the Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Dominion Energy we were able to give out over 3,000 free tree seedlings to homeowners with streams and tributaries to address riparian erosion.

A huge thank you to our partners, including Heritage Farm Museum & Park and Emerald Necklace Marina for helping us carry off socially-distant distribution events! These trees will help establish riparian zones to absorb floods, provide habitat for wildlife, and prevent soil loss for years to come.

Join us in our decade-and-a-half tradition of the Rocky River Clean-Up on June 5th!

This year our clean up will be a bit different; we'll be gathering in small groups scattered around the watershed. You can also participate on your own remotely using the app Litterati, and sadly we'll be skipping our traditional cook-out.

The clean up will be Saturday June 5th, from 10 am- 12 pm. For more information check out our website here, or RSVP on our Facebook event.

All participants who sign in or use Litterati will be automatically entered into a drawing to win a free RRWC T-shirt, RRWC metal water bottle, or other great prizes!

Rocky River Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program Returns!

After temporarily closing last year due to concerns about COVID-19, our Citizen Science program in which volunteers monitor water quality around the Rocky River Watershed is ramping up again! Whether you're a returning monitor or new volunteer contact Meg Hennessey at mhennessey@cuyahogaswcd.org join our web of scientists looking out for the river! Prospective volunteers are encouraged to check out our instructional video on YouTube to review what's entailed: https://youtu.be/os2kRBeqYL8.

The Rocky River Watershed Council is the only organization dedicated solely to the protection and restoration of the Rocky River and its watershed. But we can't do it alone. You can help us secure a healthy future for the Rocky River by making a donation or becoming a member.

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