Freshwater Voices

The Newsletter of Freshwater Future

Freshwater Voices is the newsletter of Freshwater Future, published four times per year. Freshwater Voices is intended to provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas among citizens and organizations working to protect aquatic habitats in the Great Lakes Basin.

Volume 16, Number 4 • Winter 2008-2009

Volunteer Help Needed to Monitor Vernal Pools

The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) is looking for volunteers, both individual and groups, around Lake Erie and beyond to help their Vernal Pool Monitoring Program.

Vernal pools are wetlands that fill up annually but typically dry out during the summer. These usually small, but very dynamic, wetlands fill with water, blossom with life and host a cacophony of sounds and a plethora of life forms every spring, only to disappear into the forest floor every autumn.

The OEC has developed the first, statewide, on-line vernal pool database to help with conservation of these delicate ecosystems. “Ultimately, we would like to work with local planning officials to protect these areas,” stated David R. Celebrezze, Director of Air & Water Special Projects with the OEC. Additionally, by providing the resources for watershed residents to document the vernal pools in their area, the OEC hopes to raise local awareness of these wetlands, provide opportunities for local groups to build membership by organizing volunteers around fun events in the field, gather information for better natural resource protection, and build a forum for exchanging ideas and experiences on vernal pools around Ohio.

For more information on how you can get involved, contact David R. Celebrezze, Director of Air & Water Special Projects, The Ohio Environmental Council at david@theOEC.org.

Disclaimer: The interpretations and conclusions presented in this newsletter represent the opinions of the individual authors. They in no way represent the views of the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, the C.S. Mott Foundation, subscribers, donors, or any organization mentioned in this publication.

Freshwater Future builds effective community-based citizen action to protect and restore the water quality of the Great Lakes basin. We work toward this goal by providing financial assistance, communications and networking assistance and technical assistance to citizens and grassroots watershed groups throughout the Great Lakes basin. Through these efforts we work with over 1,800 grassroots watershed groups and citizens to protect and restore the rivers, lakes and wetlands in their communities. Freshwater Future is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization.

For more information, please contact:

info@freshwaterfuture.org
P.O. Box 2479,
Petoskey, MI 49770
PH (231) 348-8200;