Nature and Science Center heading beach cleanup project
By Jeff Gallatin
Bay Village
Published Sept. 3, 2008

Workers from the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center are teaming up with area residents to help ensure Huntington Beach and the Lake Erie shoreline remain healthy.

Carla Roth, an education, program and administrative specialist for the center, is heading the effort, which will begin with a cleanup along Huntington’s Lake Erie’s shoreline between 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday. Roth said people involved the program will be picking up litter and compiling different data to be sent to the Adopt-a-Beach program, which is being headed by the Chicago-based Alliance for the Great Lakes.

“We became interested in the work after the Adopt-a-Beach group made a presentation to us at the Center a few months ago,” Roth said. “It’s a good program that will help out the beach and the Lake. It will help make people more aware of keeping the beach and the lake cleaner and safer for now and in the future.”

Roth said the volunteers will spend the morning picking up the garbage along Huntington’s beach area as well as compiling data on related subjects which will be sent to the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

“The final tabulations by Adopt-a-Beach officials will give us insight into how healthy our lakes are and what else we can do to take action,” said Roth. “During the morning, we’ll also be assessing the quality of the Lake Erie water using both simple and sophisticated tests, including a screen for E coli bacteria.”

Data from similar efforts along other Great Erie shoreline areas will be combined and put together by the Alliance workers.

“It’s a pretty big effort from what we understand,” she said. “A lot of people are taking part and will be helping out. It definitely helps people learn about how important the Great Lakes and the environment are to us.”

Roth said families and groups are being encouraged to come together and join in. Children ages 8 and up with at least one adult present are being encouraged to take part in the project.

“We’re getting interest from different organizations like the Girl Scouts and the Bay Village Green Team (a group of citizens put together by Mayor Debbie Sutherland to find ways of making the city more green and environmentally sound) who want to help out,” she said.

Lori Sprosty, the co-chairwoman of the Green Team’s waste management sub-committee, said she anticipates group members taking part in Saturday’s work.

“It’s the type of project we like to help out on,” Sprosty said. “It certainly fits in with our goals and also helps the city and the area by doing this.”

Roth said the group hopes to make this at least an annual event and could make it more often if the interest is there. She said Center also is open to working with the Alliance on this and other similar projects in the future.

“It fits in with much of our education and research work while also getting the public more involved,” she said.

Taking part is free and Center officials encouraged interested people to let them know in advance that you’re planning to attend. Call (440) 871-2900 with questions or to sign up.