You Can Make a Difference At Your Beach!

Are you passionate about the health of Huntington Beach and its usability for future generations? If so, be certain to attend the kick-off meeting for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) right here at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center on July 27 at 6:30 p.m.

In collaboration with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, University of Toledo, and the cities of Bay Village and Westlake, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center will be helping to improve water quality at Huntington Beach.

The U.S. EPA has granted over $247,000 for the project, “A Holistic Watershed Approach to Health at Huntington Beach.” As an individual component of a national restoration effort, the improvements at Huntington Beach will have far-reaching effects on the rest of the lake. Through this project, citizens will have the opportunity to become more educated about potential pollution sources feeding into the Porter Creek watershed and can even participate in clean-up activities that show how an individual really can make a difference in water quality.

The project continues through 2013, so there will be plenty of opportunities for community involvement! Future events include storm drain sketching, measuring bacteria levels and teacher workshops which include Project Wet and a rain barrel workshop that can be utilized in the classroom.

Anyone interested in helping with the monitoring or prevention efforts of the GLRI should plan to attend the July 27 kick-off at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. The grant will be explained, an activity will be provided for children and a preliminary survey to test your knowledge about watershed protection will be given. Additional information is available at the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Website.

To further encourage the improvement of the health of Lake Erie, the Center will be hosting family-friendly Adopt-A-Beach events in August, September and October to record data on beach conditions. This information will be entered into a database to help improve Lake Erie’s water quality. For more information on Lake Erie Nature & Science Center’s programs, please click here.

Have Your Say On the Huntington Reservation Shoreline Plan

We wanted to share with you/remind you about an opportunity for anyone who loves Huntington Reservation to offer input into the Cleveland Metroparks planning process for the park. The Metroparks will host a public meeting seeking input on the first phase of Huntington Reservation Shoreline Management Plan on Tuesday, June 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Huntington Playhouse in Bay Village.


In a news release, the The Park District said it is "currently preparing a study of the reservation, focusing primarily on the area adjacent to Lake Road, as part of an effort to update Cleveland Metroparks overall master plan."

"Huntington Reservation, particularly the area north of Lake Road, is facing a myriad of challenges over the next several years. These include concerns from both, natural processes (coastal erosion, bluff instability and an influx of invasive species) and human intervention (increased visitation rates, increased need for storm water management and deteriorating infrastructure)."

"With the help of a Coastal Management Assistance Grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Cleveland Metroparks will focus on shore protection, bluff stabilization, ecological restoration, public access, and site and facility improvements."

Huntington Playhouse is a hop and skip from Lake Erie Nature & Science Center on the other side of the park at 28601 Lake Road. For more information on the meeting, call 216-635-3200.

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is a proud Metroparks Affiliate and independently-funded nonprofit organization.