Friends of Euclid Creek
Jane Goodman
4034 Wyncote Road South
Euclid, OH 44121
(216)-291-4323
E-mail: janegood@jgoodwork.com
www.friendsofeuclidcreek.org
In the wake of an intense
battle over a 67-acre luxury mall development within some
of the Euclid Creek Watershed’s last significant stands
of forest, the Friends of Euclid Creek was spawned. Virginia
Aveni of Lyndhurst, Ohio and a group of concerned citizens
in neighboring communities came together to do something
about the looming development and increased downstream
flooding. With some help from the Ohio Environmental Council
(OEC), the Friends of Euclid Creek was formed to promote
watershed stewardship and protect their backyard stream.
OEC sought to help bring
together a collection of friends and allies from groups
such as the League of Women Voters, local gardening clubs,
park workers, a local university, and other area activists
for a meeting on the state of the creek. At the meeting,
the group discussed the increased frequency of flooding,
the persistent seizure of green space adjacent to the
creek’s waters for residential and commercial development,
and continued beach closings where Euclid Creek empties
into Lake Erie.
Our GLAHNF grant was for
a "Starting Up Project" to protect and bring
awareness to the watershed by forming a local watershed
group for the Euclid Creek area. (The watershed is in
northeast Ohio, near the eastern suburbs of Cleveland.)
Friends of Euclid Creek set out to change the spirit of
neglect that pervaded the shores of Euclid Creek. Its
founders saw themselves as stewards of the creek with
a mission to teach their neighbors to be watershed stewards
and stand up for the creek’s integrity.
The first step to facilitating
community stewardship came in the form of Euclid Creek
Day. Over 20 organizations, including municipalities,
parks, libraries, universities and schools signed on as
supporters of Euclid Creek Day. A promotional poster was
printed to solidify the event. Additionally, promotional
cards were passed out and collected asking for the names
of those interested in participating in the newly formed
group. The Friends compiled a database of interested parties
and set out to inform all those interested through letters,
e-mails, and newspaper articles about their future intentions.
Friends of Euclid Creek
has made great strides in educating their community regarding
watershed stewardship and the importance of the creek.
The Friends are in the process of deciding whether to
incorporate as a 501(c)(3). Furthermore, groups in Northeast
Ohio, after seeing the success of the Friends of Euclid
Creek, are more receptive to a council of watershed groups
in the region, and the Ohio Environmental Council, building
on the successes of the Friends of Euclid Creek, is working
to establish such a group.
What do you consider
the key to your success?
The strong leadership of
Virginia Aveni and others was essential to the development
of the emerging watershed group. Strong leaders bring
credibility to the idea of forming watershed groups, and
also draw interested people into the process. A strong
leader gains respect through skills that place emphasis
on a fair process for determining goals, objectives and
group roles.
Other important aspects
were database development, public outreach, public relations,
group dynamics and strategic planning.
Lastly, a strong understanding
of the political, social, economic
and demographic landscape is vital to the health of the
project.
How would you outline
the steps you took to organize your project in order to
advise another group working on a similar project?
· Identify key, interested
and informed individuals in the community.
· Gather information on
the area and what’s happening in the region.
· Have meetings with informational
presentations.
· Begin to form a stronger
organizational structure after several meetings i.e. by-laws,
etc.
· Find a creative way to
educate the community about the problems that the watershed
encounters (an event or another outreach avenue).
· Identify other groups
in the area to collaborate with.
· Continue to educate the
community through media sources, e-mail, a newsletter,
newspapers, etc.
What have the effects
of this effort been on your organization’s work?
Opportunities like this
"Starting-Up" project provide OEC a unique perspective
on the everyday issues watershed groups must deal with
in order to accomplish their goals and objectives. These
types of experiences shed light on the services OEC should
provide for developing and existing watershed groups around
the state.
In addition, this project
was part of a larger initiative to strengthen individual
watershed groups in Northeast Ohio with the eventual goal
of fostering the formation of a regional watershed council
for Northeast Ohio.
How has the project affected
your community?
The communities in Euclid
Creek now have greater knowledge and appreciation for
the watershed and the importance of watershed stewardship.
What particular stumbling
blocks, challenges, or defeats did you encounter?
The sudden departure of
a key leader and the lack of full funding for the project
were hurdles that the "Starting-up" project
encountered. OEC had to re-start from square one to identify
leadership and interest in starting a Friends of Euclid
Creek group as well as developing a plan that was capable
of achieving success on a limited budget.
How was public involvement
motivated and facilitated?
Through the organization
of "Euclid Creek Day". The event was advertised
via promotional posters and media coverage. Events at
"Euclid Creek Day" included nature hikes, a
table-top exhibition, a benthic macroinvertebrates collection
display and testing, music, and kids’ activities.
In addition, a creek cleanup
was held and fishing events were included.
How was public education
a component of your program?
It was a critical part of
the project by educating the community about the importance
of the watershed and why stewardship is so critical. "Euclid
Creek Day" and a follow-up
event with the president of the West Creek Preservation
Committee to share his experiences. Currently, storm stenciling
activities and teacher education projects are being planned.
What was the primary
means of communication?
Through media sources such
as the local newspaper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, posters,
e-mails, phone calls, T-shirts, and visors.
What resources were available/acquired/tapped
into?
$1,500 from the Great Lakes
Aquatic Habitat Network and small portions of two grants
were used specifically for the project, in addition to
being utilized to support capacity building workshops
and for steering the formation of a regional watershed
council in Northeast Ohio.
Funds were provided by an
Ohio DNR Coastal Management Assistance grant and the Lake
Erie Protection Fund. The City of Euclid provided T-shirts
and visors for the group.
What level and types
of media exposure were you able to obtain and how did
it affect/assist your efforts?
Press releases were sent
out for a local development project and for "Euclid
Creek Day". The group’s media exposure was greatly
increased by articles in the local newspaper and the Cleveland
Plain Dealer. In addition, the Friends of Euclid Creek
printed promotional posters for the Euclid Creek Day event
and the City of Euclid printed T-shirts and visors. All
of this greatly increased the Friends’ exposure locally
and helped to recruit new members to the organization.
Other comments that you
feel would be helpful to other grassroots organizations
working on similar projects.
Strong leadership is essential
to the beginning stages of any watershed group. In addition,
watershed groups must keenly understand their audience,
allies, and foes in order to realize a valid purpose and
niche for their organization. Also, discussions with other
watershed groups in the region can prove to be valuable.
Friends of Euclid Creek
Jane Goodman
4034 Wyncote Road South
Euclid, OH 44121
(216)-291-4323
E-mail: janegood@jgoodwork.com
www.friendsofeuclidcreek.org
Ohio Environmental Council
Elizabeth Hoffman 1207 Grandview Avenue -- Suite 201 Columbus,
OH 43212-3449 (614)-487-7506 E-mail: Elizabeth@theoec.org
www.theoec.org
