Tinkers Creek Watershed Partnersinc

TO PROTECT AND RESTORE WATER QUALITY AND HABITATS OF THE TINKERS CREEK WATERSHED THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.

TCWP IS NOW FULLY SERVING BOTH THE TINKER'S CREEK AND BRANDYWINE CREEK WATERSHEDS. THROUGH COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP AND GRANT SUPPORT, WE CAN PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND STEWARDSHIP COORDINATION TO MORE COMMUNITIES. OUR FIRST MAJOR STREAM RESTORATION GRANT FOR BRANDYWINE WAS AWARDED IN 2020 AND WE'RE EXCITED TO CONSTRUCT IT IN 2021. WHEN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BEGAN, TCWP HAD TO ADAPT AND REMAIN RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF A CRISIS. WE TOOK CUES FROM THE WATERSHED IN HOW TO RESPOND. WE ADAPTED OUR EVENTS FOR SAFETY BY UTILIZING DRIVE-THROUGH EVENTS. WE DIVERSIFIED OUR OPTIONS FOR OURSELVES AND OUR VOLUNTEERS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND INDIVIDUAL ACTS OF CONSERVATION. WE FOUND NEW WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOU ON VIRTUAL HIKES. AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PROGRESSED, WE'VE SEEN MORE INDIVIDUALS TURN TO THEIR LOCAL GREENSPACES AS A WAY TO GET OUTSIDE, EXERCISE, AND SIMPLY MAINTAIN THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. TCWP HOSTS FUNDRAISERS EACH YEAR TO DRUM UP SUPPORT FOR OUR MISSION. WITH COVID PRECAUTIONS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, WE WERE ABLE TO HOST TWO OF OUR TRADITIONAL EVENTS: THE GOLF OUTING AND DRINKERS FOR TINKER'S. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS WHO MADE THESE EVENTS POSSIBLE AND THANK YOU TO HOP TREE BREWING FOR CREATING OUR COLLABORATIVE ALE, BOATSMAN. TCWP ADAPTED OUR POPULAR RAIN BARREL WORKSHOPS TO DRIVE-THROUGH EVENTS THIS YEAR TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE. RAIN BARRELS ARE A GREAT WAY TO CAPTURE STORMWATER AND PUT IT TO GOOD USE IN GARDENS AND LANDSCAPING. NEORSD HOUSEHOLDS MAY EVEN BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE A CREDIT ON THEIR STORMWATER FEE BY INSTALLING THESE SYSTEMS THE NORTHERN OHIO WATERSHED CORPS (NOWCORPS) IS AN AMERICORPS PROGRAM FUNDED BY SERVEOHIO AND THE CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE (CNCS). CNCS ENGAGES THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS IN CITIZEN SERVICE THROUGH ITS AMERICORPS AND SENIOR CORPS PROGRAMS EVERY YEAR AND LEADS THE NATION'S VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE EFFORTS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT NATIONALSERVICE.GOV AND SERVE.OHIO.GOV. OUR 2019-2020 SERVICE YEAR RAN FROM OCTOBER 1, 2019, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2020. NOWCORPS MEMBERS SERVED A COLLECTIVE 18,656 HOURS AND ENGAGED WITH 4,600 VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. TINKER'S CREEK WATERSHED PARTNERS (TCWP) IS PROUD OF THE IMPACTS NOWCORPS MEMBERS MADE ON THEIR COMMUNITIES AND WITHIN THEIR HOST SITE ORGANIZATIONS. THE ANNUAL OHIO STORMWATER CONFERENCE IS DEDICATED TO ADVANCING THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF COMPREHENSIVE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FOR THOSE DEALING IN ALL ASPECTS OF PLANNING, DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. IN 2020, WE MOVED OUR EVENT TO AN ALL VIRTUAL FORMAT. WITH OVER 750 ATTENDEES, 73 SPONSORS, AND OVER 100 SPEAKERS, WE WERE STILL ABLE TO BRING A VERY INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL EVENT DURING THE PANDEMIC TO THOSE WHO IN STORMWATER AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT. AS PART OF OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE, WE ALSO INTRODUCED A STORMWATER WEBINAR SERIES AS WELL. WE HAD MONTHLY WEBINARS ON SPECIFIC STORMWATER AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT TOPICS. WE WILL CONTINUE IN 2021 WITH THIS WEBINAR SERIES AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED GROWTH IN THE FUTURE. TCWP'S WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM SERVES MULTIPLE PURPOSES. BY UTILIZING VOLUNTEER ASSISTANCE, TCWP IS ABLE TO PROVIDE STEWARDSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITIZEN SCIENTISTS THROUGHOUT THE WATERSHED. IF ANY WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS COME BACK UNUSUAL, AN ATYPICAL DISCHARGE IS ENTERING THE CREEK, OR THE SURFACE OF THE CREEK LOOKS OILY OR OTHERWISE POLLUTED, VOLUNTEERS CAN SERVE AS A FIRST ALERT REPORTING POTENTIAL ISSUES TO TCWP AND SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES. WE CONTINUED TO STUDY OUR WATERSHED IN 2020 WITH 12 SITES EACH MONTH FROM MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER. OUR VOLUNTEER FORCE HAS EXPANDED THIS YEAR, AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO THE FOLKS THAT SPEND TIME WITH US EACH MONTH AND EACH SEASON TO HELP US UNDERSTAND OUR WATERSHED. WITH MULTIPLE YEARS OF DATA, WE WILL BE ABLE TO START SEEING TRENDS AND MAKING COMPARISONS.