Event Types
Primary Events: These events are open to registered Cleveland Metroparks WVP volunteers. They count towards credit for Watershed Stewardship Certification. Some events are only open to WVP Certified Stewards. Types of primary events include:
(E)ducation: Broaden and share watershed knowledge at presentations, workshops, community events, and tours
(M)onitoring: Make observations and collect watershed data
(R)estoration: Restore and care for natural areas and green infrastructure
Public Events: These events are indicated by an (*) at the end of the title and are open to both the public and WVP volunteers. Public volunteers may register here.
(S)upplemental Events: These events are held by our partner and collaborating organizations but count towards WVP service hours.
August Events
(R) Green Infrastructure Gardening Series*
Sun, Aug 3, 9 - 11 a.m. @ Wolf Picnic Area, Huntington Reservation in Cahoon Creek-Frontal Lake Erie Watershed
Start off your Sunday by joining the WVP team and fellow volunteers for a morning snack and refreshing beverage before we set foot into the Huntington Reservation Wolf Picnic Area Green Infrastructure. In part 8 of this 8 week series, we will remove invasive plant species, add mulch to barren areas, perform other routine maintenance ensuring proper functionality and provide a natural space for wildlife in Huntington Reservation's stormwater control measures.
(M) Large Woody Debris Index & Bank Erosion Hazard Index
Tue, Aug 5, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ TBD
For WVP volunteers who have attended LWD & BEHI training this year or previous years.
Join the hydrology team (Chris Meigs and Gabe Zimmerman) out in the field to help assess LWDI and BEHI of our streams.
(E) Watershed Wednesday w/ West Creek Conservancy
Wed, Aug 6, 6 - 7:30 pm @ Stickney Creek, Brooklyn’s Veterans Memorial Park
Join us to for our fifth Watershed Wednesday event of the year.
Join Derek Schafer, Executive Director of West Creek Conservancy, to learn about and tour the recently completed Stickney Creek-Brooklyn Memorial Park Restoration. The completed project helped to reconnect the floodplain, stabilize the bank, and enabled the connection of the trail system, connecting people to and through the park.
(M) Marine Debris Monitoring
Sun, Aug 10, 9 - 11 a.m. @ Euclid Beach in Euclid Creek Watershed
Join us for monitoring Marine Debris at Euclid Creek.
(E) Watershed Wednesday: The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery
Wed, Aug 13, 6 - 7:30 pm @ Watershed Stewardship Center, West Creek Reservation in West Creek Watershed
Join us to for our sixth Watershed Wednesday event of the year.
Join us for a showing of the documentary The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery. J.K. Simmons narrates The Fish Thief, which explores the mystery behind how and why the fish most prized by people nearly disappeared from the largest freshwater ecosystem on Earth: the Great Lakes.
(R) Green Infrastructure Gardening Series Brunch Celebration*
Sun, Aug 17 , 9 - 11 a.m. @ Merwin's Wharf
This event is only for WVP Volunteers who attended a Green Infrastructure Gardening Series event during the summer.
Join us in celebrating all our hard work and accomplishments during the 8 events of the Green Infrastructure Gardening Series at West Creek, Euclid Creek, Brookside, and Huntington Reservation this year.
(R) Invasives Removal
Tue, Aug 19, 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. @ North Chagrin Reservation in Chagrin River Watershed
Join Natural Area Manager, Josh Philipps, to help restore native habitat by removing invasives. We will help cut these invasive shrubs, freeing up the understory of the forest.
(E) Certified Steward Exclusive: Cuyahoga by Boat
Thu, Aug 21, 6:30-9 p.m. @ Merwin's Wharf, Lakefront Reservation
This is a special event for Watershed Stewards who've achieved their certification*. We'll join Cleveland Metropark's Historical Interpreter Doug Kusak on this WVP only, 2-hour Cuyahoga River boat ride aboard the eLCee2. Enjoy a river view while we discuss famous fires on the river, bridges, cargo ships, area geography, history, watersheds, trails, industry, reclamation, and so much more. We’ll look at what was, what is, and what’s to come.
Registration Coming Soon
(E) Watershed Wednesday: World Water Week: Speaker- Fisheries of the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie
Wed, Aug 27, 5 - 8 pm @ Watershed Stewardship Center, West Creek Reservation in West Creek Watershed
Join us to for our seventh Watershed Wednesday event of the year.
In celebration of World Water Week, we will hear from Fisheries of the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie.
August Supplemental Events
(S) Master Rain Gardener Class
Registration open now, course runs Aug 8-29, 2 - 4 p.m. @ Mayfield Branch, Cuyahoga County Public Library
Learn to design and install your own rain garden and become the rain garden expert in your neighborhood.
The Master Rain Gardener (MRG) course includes four (4) classes over a four-week period (see timeline below). Each class is from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm. The end time of each class may extend depending on the optional field trip location(s). Classes also include homework, quizzes, individualized feedback. Light snacks will be provided.
This course will provide you with the information and experience to build your own rain garden and become a Certified Master Rain Gardener. We recognize that not everyone can build a rain garden on their own property though, so you can also become certified by participating in a public rain garden building, volunteering at a public rain garden, or passing along your new expertise to the public (i.e. presenting to your garden club, at a public library, etc.)
Upon certification, you’ll receive a Master Rain Gardener t-shirt, sign, and certificate (included in the cost of registration).
More Information and Registration Here
(S) PADDLE: Cascade Valley to Northampton Point
Sat, Aug 3, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Cascade Valley to Northampton Point
We’ll use two new boat launches for this paddle. The first--our put-in--is in the Valley View area of Summit Metro Parks’s Cascade Valley Metro Park; it opened last summer. Our take-out will be the brand new Northampton Point access point, which just opened this July.
This section of the Cuyahoga shows mixed use: wooded parkland with intrusions from agriculture, recreation, and commercial and residential development. Akron's wastewater treatment plant discharges into the river just upstream of a large, active heron rookery. A lively current adds interest, and in-stream downed trees (strainers) demand caution. Only for paddlers who can control a boat in moving water.
Don't forget your water, sunscreen, and hat. And, as always, your PFD!
More Information and Registration Here
(S) Friends of the Doan Brook Gorge Habitat Stewardship
Sat, Aug 9, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. @ Doan Brook Gorge
A few years ago, some friends got together to start removing invasive species and planting native species in the Doan Brook Gorge in the hopes of making it a more resilient and accessible spot for community members to spend time in nature. Filled with meandering trails and multiple waterfalls, the Doan Brook Gorge is a beautiful and often under-utilized natural area of the Doan Brook watershed.
This year, we are hosting 6 “Habitat Stewardship Days” which will involve invasive species removal, native tree plantings, and so much more! Join us in helping to make the Doan Brook Gorge a more biodiverse and welcoming outdoor space for all!
More Information and Registration Here
(S) Watershed Family Fun Day
Sat, Aug 9, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. @ Twinsburg Community Center
Come join us for a day of family fun, learning, and community connection at the Twinsburg Community Center! This year’s event will have both indoor and outdoor vendors and will include activities like: Hands-on games and educational activities, Storytime with the Twinsburg library, Rain barrel workshop, Native plant sale, Live nature programs, & Free refreshments!
Bring the whole family to celebrate the importance of clean water and healthy habitats!
More Information and Registration Here
(S) Invasive Plant Removal Drop In
Thurs, Aug 14, 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Must register for location)
Are you looking for a way to get involved at Cuyahoga Valley National Park? Join us for our invasive plant removal drop-in on Thursday, July 10, to improve habitat for native plants and wildlife! Invasive species overcrowd native species, making it difficult for them to thrive, which in turn affects the wildlife in the ecosystem. Your efforts will help improve soil quality, restore native plants, and create better habitat for native wildlife. Drop-ins are a great opportunity for both first-time volunteers and veteran volunteers to get involved in their national park.
More Information and Registration Here
(S) Invasive Plant Removal Drop In
Sat, Aug 16, 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Must register for location)
Are you looking for a way to get involved at Cuyahoga Valley National Park? Join us for our invasive plant removal drop-in on Thursday, July 10, to improve habitat for native plants and wildlife! Invasive species overcrowd native species, making it difficult for them to thrive, which in turn affects the wildlife in the ecosystem. Your efforts will help improve soil quality, restore native plants, and create better habitat for native wildlife. Drop-ins are a great opportunity for both first-time volunteers and veteran volunteers to get involved in their national park.
More Information and Registration Here
(S) Take to the Lake
Sat, Aug 23, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. @ Lower Shaker Lake, Brook Rd. Shaker Heights
Doan Brook Watershed Partnership has been hosting our annual event Take to the Lake which was started in 2013 as a memorial to Lester Stumpe, an avid paddler and early DBWP board member. We typically host the event on the last Saturday in August and this years event details can be found below. Canoeing on the Shaker Lakes was a popular pastime in the first half of the 20th century, but public boating on the lakes is now less common. Take to the Lake gives participants a chance to resurrect this recreational opportunity for a day, and gain a new perspective on the lakes and their place in our watershed community. We hope you will join us for an afternoon of paddling, guided hikes, yoga, along the banks of historic Lower Shaker Lake.
More Information and Registration Here
(S) Lower Lake Hike with Dr. Roy Larick & Shaker Historical Society
Sat, Aug 23, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Lower Shaker Lake, Brook Rd. Shaker Heights
Join Dr. Roy Larick (Bluestone Conservation) and the Shaker Historical Society for a 90-minute interpretive hike around Lower Shaker Lake. Learn how Doan Brook emerged with the retreat of the last glacier 14,000 years ago. Comprehend the evolution of the native forest as snowbelt conditions came to the East Side Heights some 4,000 years ago. Take in the transformations brought about by Shaker milling nearly 200 years ago and by suburban development already 100 years in passing. Gain insight on the management choices we face as temperature and rainfall increase, and as alien plants and animals come to displace the natives. How can Doan Brook help us live more equitably with each other and with local nature?
More Information and Registration Here
(S) Invasive Plant Removal Drop In
Thurs, Aug 28, 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Must register for location)
Are you looking for a way to get involved at Cuyahoga Valley National Park? Join us for our invasive plant removal drop-in on Thursday, July 10, to improve habitat for native plants and wildlife! Invasive species overcrowd native species, making it difficult for them to thrive, which in turn affects the wildlife in the ecosystem. Your efforts will help improve soil quality, restore native plants, and create better habitat for native wildlife. Drop-ins are a great opportunity for both first-time volunteers and veteran volunteers to get involved in their national park.
Have further questions about events or registering? Please contact WVP staff at [email protected].