Hope you can make it in 2008..

THIRD ANNUAL
Earth Day 2008
Sunday, April 20
NOON to 6PM
On the corner of N. Anthony Blvd. and Niagara Dr.
(Next to the Hosey Dam)
 

Please join Save Maumee on Earth Day to celebrate the cleansing of the riverbanks and seed planting! Our goal is to pick up all trash between mile marker 1 and 2, plant 250lbs of native riparian seed and saplings & rally the community’s awareness about our 3 River’s condition in Fort Wayne. Educational information will be provided.

WHERE: Directly off N. Anthony Blvd. on the north side of the Maumee Bridge (Hosey Dam) on Niagara Drive. You won’t be able to miss it!
Participation will be fun for everyone and donations are appreciated. All donations will go
directly to community service projects like this one! Possible entertainment this year and
refreshments provided while they last.
Please bring with you:
 family and friends (must have parent present if under 18)
 garbage bags / rakes
 muddin’ shoes
 gloves
 ponchos
 your able body if you don’t have anything on this list!
 Save Maumee will provide these things until supplies are gone!

We are establishing more projects to clean up the Maumee River. These self-supported community projects will raise awareness about the unsanitary conditions and begin the slow process of reversing years of pollution. Address all questions or comments to Abigail Frost (260) 417-2500. 
 

<< "Restoration Pictures" with captions are downloadable right here

Restoration Project

2007 Earth Day we had seeded and installed over 5,000 sq. ft. of erosion control mats.  We seeded the mats with annual rye and barley for roots to start immediately and then the riparian seed we used was a mix of Indian Grass and wild rice.  Geo-Jute/erosion control mats are made from coconut mesh.  These mats will help to hold seed in place when it becomes submerged in this flood plain area.  The mats will completely dissolve in 4 years and the staples that held them down will dissolve in 8 years.  Restoration projects should ALWAYS leave the area in a more restored condition after the project.  It is important to maintain the integrity of the area, watching not to step on growth and stir up dirt that may be washed away by erosion because it was disturbed.  This project showed measurable results in 1 month!   Planting in a flood zone is never guaranteed work, however, our mats made it through the summer successfully!  The real test will be spring 2008.  Our test area was underwater for a total of 2 months during the winter flooding of 2007/2008!

Every year we also pull out approximately 25 tires & fill a 40 yard container's worth of garbage about 1/3rd full!   Going to try to fill the whole container 2008! 

Most Interesting Removals?

• 40 foot piece of clear plastic sheeting

• Car batteries

• Shopping cart from Kroger

• A airplane's wing? (9ft long X 3ft across)

Responses

• Our volunteers had many things to say about the conditions of the river:

• "Why is there so many pipes with water coming out of them and going into
  the river."

• "What is coming out of the pipes?"

• "We went way back on the other side (South Bank) of the River it was really scary over there...there were a bunch of leaky steel drum barrels turned over and hidden." 

• "There is so much garbage over there...I was going to leave but decided to make one more trip so I could really make a difference."

• "Why doesn't anyone else clean up the riverbanks?"

Well, the good news is we will be back again next year and the year after that to
plant native riparian seed pole plant native trees, clean up the banks of the Maumee River, and raise awareness about the conditions of our beautiful waterways...same time, same place.