Thank you and congratulations to the 69 youth who participated in the 14th Annual Partnering for Clean Streams Youth Patch Day Workshop on Sunday, March 6th. Seven groups of energetic children from kindergarten through fifth grade earned the blue and white embroidered Partnering for Clean Streams patch by participating in our unique water education stations. Professionals from across northwest Ohio exposed the participants to different aspects of our water resource, such as the importance of storm drains, the connection between trees and rivers, the algae of Lake Erie, and the movement of different particles through the water cycle.  More importantly, each station empowered the youth to become active stewards of our local environment with ways they can make a difference in the water quality of northwest Ohio’s rivers and beyond.

Many who participated in the Workshop are already excited to come back next year. One parent said, “The kids had a great time, I’ll bring more next year!” A favorite activity of many participants was the “Lake in a Bag” station where kids built their own miniature lake and learned what causes algae blooms. However, majority of the participants and parents said they enjoyed all the stations. We, as PCS, would like to extend a big thank you to all our participants and especially, our presenters and those involved in the planning process. These individuals include Cherie Blair, Andrea Beard, Jen Huber, Jamie Kochensparger, Cheryl Rice, Patrick Lawrence, Richard Kroeger, Jessica Wilbarger, Lauren Rush, and the ZOOTeens. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s Workshop!