Green Euclid

What to Do with Yard Waste

We all know that it is not acceptable to dump tires, machine parts, plastics and other unnatural trash into our waterways. But many still believe it’s okay to put yard debris like grass and leaves onto a streambank, in a storm drain, or into a ditch.

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Volume 11, Issue 9, Posted 4:04 PM, 09.03.2020

Thoughts While Raking Oak Leaves

Life means struggle. Currently, CV-19 has us struggling for a new, more sustainable future; a new normal of behavior and belief. We can’t determine or foresee the future, but we know that life will be different in the wake of the virus.

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Volume 11, Issue 5, Posted 5:48 PM, 05.07.2020

Euclid Shade Tree Commission Celebrates Arbor Day

The Euclid Shade Tree Commission has celebrated Arbor Day for 25 years. It is the day of the year to renew our twofold mission: to work with City officials to improve Euclid’s urban forest; and to educate residents about the benefits of numerous and healthy trees.

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Volume 11, Issue 5, Posted 5:48 PM, 05.07.2020

Spring Into Ohio's First Native Plant Month

Along with a state bird, flower, tree, fruit, Ohio now has its first native plant month! What's even better, is that it is here. That's right, April has now been officially designated as Ohio Native Plant Month.

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Volume 11, Issue 4, Posted 4:26 PM, 04.01.2020

Euclidian Trees: Time to Identify

Euclid’s urban forest is special. Our trees absorb stormwater, sequester carbon and release oxygen. Underlying surfaces are kept cool during the summer. The city is beautified. What can we do for our forest in return?

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Volume 11, Issue 4, Posted 4:26 PM, 04.01.2020

Wipes Clog Pipes

Only flush the “3 Ps!” – pee, poop and (toilet) paper

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Volume 11, Issue 4, Posted 4:26 PM, 04.01.2020

City of Euclid Shade Tree - Commission News for 2020

The Current Chair of the Shade Tree Commission Brenda Hall will be stepping down as Chair Person this year. But she will still be an active member on the Shade Tree Commission.  It is with great appreciation that everyone associated with the Shade Tree Commission gives a warm ”thank you” to Brenda Hall for her service.   Brenda has brought the Commission many of her unique skills, one being public relations work, and her passion to make Euclid a great place to live and garden. She has made the Euclid Pond and Garden Tour one of the best in Northeastern Ohio. Vice Chair Greg Lawrence will be taking her place. Greg is a long time resident and supporter of the growth in Euclid. Brenda has said she has left her position in good hands.

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Volume 10, Issue 12, Posted 6:26 PM, 12.02.2019

2019 Lake Erie Day at Stone Lab

For over a decade, Ohio Sea Grant has hosted an annual Lake Erie Day for coastal county commissioners, mayors, and decision makers at Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island off the coast of South Bass Island. I, along with approximately 20 other officials and representatives of local government agencies, were able to experience Lake Erie up close aboard a research vessel, attend presentations by experts on current Lake Erie research, and visit other Ohio Sea Grant facilities that inform the public about Lake Erie. 

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Volume 10, Issue 10, Posted 5:24 PM, 09.08.2019

Pocket-Sized Planting

A little green would make a big difference in the midst of the acres of pavement near the Euclid

Maintenance Facility. Roy Larick put out a call for volunteers to plant a miniature urban “forest” of trees, bushes and native wildflowers along border of the City Garage on Lakeland Blvd.

On a July Saturday, a half dozen City workers helped some 30 volunteers called out by Bluestone Heights, Friends of Euclid Creek and the Keep Euclid Beautiful program.  In what had been an asphalt desert, the wildflowers and trees will provide color and shade. But the intent goes even deeper into the soil. Vegetation traps rainwater. It slows the storm runoff, allowing pollutants to settle rather than being flushed untreated into streams and sewers that feed our Lake Erie.

True, this is but a pocket-sized planting. But small is how a big Great Lake comes to be healthy.

Volunteers with the shovels and wheelbarrows coming together with the huge hope of a brighter Euclid and cleaner Lake Erie.

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Volume 10, Issue 8, Posted 8:51 AM, 07.30.2019

Euclid DePave Planting Event - Volunteers Needed!

Bluestone Heights has received a grant to remove pavement and add native plants to the area around the Euclid Sewer Department. Not only are native plants great for butterflies, bees, and birds, they also are great for stabilization and stormwater uptake!

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Volume 10, Issue 7, Posted 12:30 PM, 07.07.2019

Calling all Beautiful Yards

Have a well-kept house and beautiful yard?  Know someone that does?  Keep Euclid Beautiful wants to know about it!

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Volume 10, Issue 7, Posted 12:30 PM, 07.07.2019

Public Input Needed for Euclid Creek Watershed Plan

Public input is needed to help update a watershed plan for the Euclid Creek watershed. A watershed plan is a comprehensive plan for achieving water resource goals for a geographically defined watershed.  The Euclid Creek Watershed encompasses 23.3 square miles in northeastern Cuyahoga County and a part of Lake County.  It covers portions of 12 communities including Beachwood, Cleveland, Euclid, Highland Heights, Lyndhurst, Mayfield, Mayfield Heights, Pepper Pike, Richmond Heights, Shaker Heights, South Euclid, and Willoughby Hills. Euclid Creek watershed includes 40+ miles of stream, 30 miles of which is open channel and 10 miles of which is culverted or buried, as far as 8 miles away from the Creek’s confluence with Lake Erie, our source of drinking water, at Wildwood Park in Cleveland. The watershed is nearly 85 percent developed. Non-point source pollution challenges include stream sedimentation / siltation, habitat alterations, stream ditching or channelizing, and other flow regime alterations stemming from high levels of impervious cover such as roads, driveways, and rooftops. Updates to this plan are led by Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District with funding from Euclid Creek Watershed Council and Friends of Euclid Creek through a Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District grant.

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Volume 9, Issue 12, Posted 1:10 PM, 12.07.2018

Streamside Tree Planting at Community Christian Church in Euclid

The Euclid Creek Tree Planting at Community Christian Church project enhanced 155 lineal feet of forested riparian buffer along Euclid Creek, and an additional 261 lineal feet of turf grass with 80 native trees and shrubs on October 13, 2018. Trees and shrubs were planted on a cold rainy morning by 22 Friends of Euclid Creek and Community Christian Church volunteers. The conditions were less than ideal for humans, but perfect for the trees and shrubs to get in the ground. Thanks to all our tree stewards, church members, Friends of Euclid Creek members, and family and friends who chose to come out on a cold, rainy, muddy day, and get the job done. Thank you to Madelon Watts for bringing the much needed donuts and coffee. Thank you to the City of Euclid for providing mulch! Thanks to Dominion and Western Reserve Land Conservancy for providing the funding!

Expanding the riparian buffer along Euclid Creek will help reduce erosion along the Main Branch and resulting sedimentation as this section of Euclid Creek has steep streambanks. The site is adjacent to a heavily used road by automobiles and pedestrians, so educational signage will be placed spring of 2019 by the sidewalk and by the parking lot to educate the public and members of the church congregation about the project. As part of the project, two educational presentations were given to church members at their annual bazaar and picnic about the project and the benefits of trees and shrubs. In spring of 2019 a presentation will be given to church members about the watering equipment purchased and how often to water.

Plant species for the site were chosen based on their soil moisture preference and height restrictions due to utility lines on the property. Species used included: Allegheny serviceberry, American Hornbeam, American sycamore, Buttonbush, Pawpaw, Silky dogwood, Swamp rose, Winterberry, and Witch hazel. 15 yards of mulch was donated by the city and was spread around each of the trees and shrubs. Our watershed program manager got out and added cages and deer netting to protect the trees and shrubs from the deer November 2nd and 4th.

Partners on the project were the Community Christian Church, Friends of Euclid Creek (FOEC), Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District (Cuyahoga SWCD) and the City of Euclid, a member of the Euclid Creek Watershed Council.

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Volume 9, Issue 12, Posted 1:10 PM, 12.07.2018

Stream Restoration of Euclid Creek at Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation Begins

We’ve broken ground on the Willoughby-Eastlake School of Innovation Stream Restoration Project! The project is in the City of Willoughby Hills in Lake County in the Euclid Creek Watershed at the headwaters of the East Branch of Euclid Creek. The Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District received a $156,462 grant through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's Section 319 Grant Program to conduct the restoration project. The grant requires a local match of 40% which is committed by the City of Willoughby Hills through their Lake County Stormwater Management Program Funds, up to $104,000, and by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), up to $50,000. The project will remove a culvert with maintenance issues (replacing it with a riffle ford), create instream habitat, and reconnect the stream to its floodplain. Biohabitats was awarded the project on June 7th, 2018 and 60% designs were submitted and approved September 27, 2018.

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Volume 9, Issue 11, Posted 12:01 PM, 11.04.2018

Perils of Plastic

Friends of Euclid Creek (FOEC) welcomed Dr. Sherri Mason from State University of New York at Fredonia to present her recent research on plastic pollution in the Great Lakes and its tributaries as well as plastic in our tap water, bottled water, beer and sea salt on August 14th at Beachwood Community Center. The event also featured Dr. Cathi Lehn from Cleveland Office of Sustainability, Director Diane Bickett from Cuyahoga Solid Waste District, and Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Sunny Simon to talk about local plastic reduction efforts and the latest on changes to our county recycling program.  The night concluded with a question and answer session as well as ideas about how we can address this threat by making simple changes in our daily lives like refusing a straw or bringing re-useable bags to the grocery store. You can listen, watch, or read about several other presentations Dr. Mason made throughout Cleveland on the 14th on NPR (Sound of Ideas), City Club, and cleveland.com. Look for a video of our program coming soon on our website: http://euclidcreekwatershed.org.

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Volume 9, Issue 9, Posted 12:13 PM, 09.07.2018

Recycle Today for a Better Tomorrow

Keep Euclid Beautiful often gets questions about recycling.  The Do's and Dont's are different in each state and sometimes vary from city to city.  This can make recycling a bit confusing.  In this column, Keep Euclid Beautiful will do our best to answer your recycling questions based on the guidelines for the City of Euclid and the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District.

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Volume 9, Issue 7, Posted 3:08 PM, 07.05.2018

Euclid Rain Barrel Workshop

Learn how to harvest rainwater for all your garden needs and to combat stormwater pollution in your community by constructing a rain barrel!

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Volume 9, Issue 6, Posted 11:05 AM, 06.07.2018

A Day at the Beach

From fishing and swimming to boating and birding, Northeast Ohioans enjoy spending time on the water.  And we’re not alone - Lake Erie tourism in Ohio generates nearly $13 billion in revenue annually. But a day at the beach and the nearshore habitat that fish, birds and other wildlife depend on can be easily ruined by ignorance and carelessness. 

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Volume 9, Issue 6, Posted 11:05 AM, 06.07.2018

Free Rain Barrels and More at Euclid’s First Eco-Friendly Fair

Do you want to plant your yard with native species?

Do you want to learn about our watersheds?

Do you have an interest in sustainable energy?

Do you compost or recycle – or want to learn how to start?

Do you pick up litter? Do you love Lake Erie? 

If you answered “yes!” to any of the above questions, you should definitely come to the City of Euclid’s first Eco-Friendly Fair at Euclid City Hall on Saturday, June 9th from 10am to 1pm. This free event is presented by Keep Euclid Beautiful and will offer something for everyone – whether you are just beginning to set up a garden with native plants or are already a master recycler (yes that’s a thing and the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District will tell you more!). Whether you live in an apartment or own a home, all Euclid residents can make a difference and improve the health of our environment.

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Volume 9, Issue 5, Posted 4:48 PM, 05.10.2018

This Winter...use the Right S.A.L.T.

STUFF
Road salt (sodium chloride) only works above 15°F. For colder temperatures use sand for added traction, or switch to an ice melting product designed to work at colder temperatures. 

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Volume 9, Issue 2, Posted 2:00 PM, 02.10.2018

Proper Disposal of Yard Waste

Grass clippings. Leaves. Sticks. Wood chips. These and other yard waste may not sound like they would be harmful to creeks or the animals that live in them.  Homeowners and landscapers may even think that dumping these natural, organic materials on streambanks helps to slow erosion. But in reality, they can cause major problems, especially when they are dumped in smaller backyard streams and roadside ditches. 

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Volume 8, Issue 11, Posted 1:17 PM, 11.03.2017

Not Sure What to do with those Pesky Fall Leaves? Give Composting a Try.

As the city’s fall leaf collection pickup is upon us, instead of raking those leaves to the curb, why not give composting a try.  Leaves and other organic waste are an excellent addition to your home compost pile or bin.  To compost your leaves put them in a composting bin or pile in your yard.  If you are able to shred your leaves it will allow them to breakdown faster.  For even faster breakdown of leaves try adding organic waste such as kitchen vegetables or garden/lawn clippings to your pile.  By adding one part grass clippings or other green organic matter, for example kitchen vegetable scraps, to two parts leaves or other brown matter.  The process for materials to breakdown can take about 6 to 24 months for the earthworms, inspects, and microorganisms to breakdown the material.

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Volume 8, Issue 11, Posted 1:17 PM, 11.03.2017

Being Nature-Friendly is So Easy

Being nature-friendly is something many of us rarely think about, or we worry it is complicated and a lot of work. But, actually it takes just a few simple actions every once in a while. Just a few extra steps can help protect wildlife, clean up our community, and keep our water safe. Take a look at these easy tips and try a few for yourself.

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Volume 8, Issue 9, Posted 4:31 PM, 09.14.2017

It's Time to Redefine Your Lawn

Lawns currently are considered to be a status symbol and homeowners can spend hundreds of dollars a year to have a perfect lawn; one that is green, lush, and free of weeds.  A lawn like this does not sustain life or promote diversity rather it must be catered to, covered in fertilizers and pesticides, maintaining this type of lawn cost the homeowner money all while putting humans and animals at risk due to exposure to lawn chemicals. Additionally, these chemicals on the lawn get washed into storm drains polluting our rivers and lakes. The soil underneath this lawn is deprived of nutrients and devoid of life.  

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Volume 8, Issue 8, Posted 12:15 PM, 08.04.2017

Friends of Euclid Creek Announces Fourth Annual Day in the Life of Euclid Creek

Friends of Euclid Creek (FOEC), Cleveland Metroparks Watershed Volunteer Program and Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District are pleased to announce their fourth annual Day in the Life of Euclid Creek event on Saturday, July 15th from 9am to 2:30pm.  This family friendly event provides a snapshot of a typical day in Euclid Creek, highlighting water quality in an urban watershed through a variety of monitoring demonstrations and tours of restoration projects from the headwaters to the mouth at Lake Erie.

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Volume 8, Issue 6, Posted 5:55 PM, 06.13.2017

A Few Simple Resolutions

Around this time of year most of us make New Year’s Resolutions: reduce stress, lose weight, quit smoking, spend more time with family. These are all worthy goals and could take quite a bit of effort to accomplish. However, there are also some easy resolutions we can make to improve the environment. Small efforts can make our world a better place for all of us. Pick a few to try.

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Volume 8, Issue 1, Posted 12:20 PM, 01.13.2017

Euclid H.S. SAVE Environmental club plants trees in Green Creek Outdoor Learning Laboratory

On a chilly and wet day during the first week of November, a hearty and enthusiastic group from Euclid High School’s SAVE Environmental Club forged their way into the Green Creek Valley.

The valley threads its way between Upper Valley Drive and Green Road along Euclid’s southwest border. The students’ mission was to plant twenty trees to seed the new outdoor learning laboratory as a place where students can conduct experiments and observe the natural world. The tree plots will help demonstrate the impact of the deer population on forest regeneration.

The outdoor experiment was funded by a grant from RBC Funding Corporation as part of the commercial bank’s commitment to environmental issues in the Great Lakes region. Other partners included the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, Friends of Euclid Creek and the Alliance for the Great Lakes who developed the grant application in partnership with Euclid Public Schools.

Claire Posius of the Cuyahoga Soil and Water District was the technical advisor for the project. She selected the tree species and advised on the setup of the deer enclosure plots. The students planted one fence protected tree plot, one fenced control area and one unprotected set of planted trees. Through this experiment of creating three different enclosure types, students will observe the effect of deer browsing and analyze the results.

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Volume 7, Issue 12, Posted 6:37 PM, 12.04.2016