FRIENDS OF THE LOWER OLENTANGY WATERSHED FLOW

Across 2 events, over 480 tires were collected for recycling, keeping them out of our watersheds and landfills and also reducing mosquito breeding areas. FLOW was awarded funds as a subrecipient of the federal Inflation Reduction Act grant awarded to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to increase the tree canopy in the right-of-way areas of the city. Along with our partners at Columbus Recreation and Parks Department's Urban Forestry section, we planted 140 trees in communities with significant environmental, social, and/or economic burdens. FLOW continued helping the Weinland Park community through the donation from the Marker Foundation by hiring a contractor to prune the mature trees in the neighborhood to keep them healthy and away from power lines. 2025 was also a busy year at our 3 tree nurseries while FLOW grew over 2,500 three-gallon containerized native trees and shrubs to be used for restoration projects and to give away to our residents to increase the low 20% canopy to a healthier level. Through multiple funding sources, we planted close to 100 trees on the campus of the Ohio School for the Blind and the Ohio School for the Deaf. We partnered with the Clintonville Green Team to improve the landscaping around Fire Station 19 by installing native plants and a pollinator garden. And through a grant from the Columbus Foundation, we installed trees and bushes at Star House to beautify the campus and also help reduce the heat island effect in an industrial area. Other tree plantings occurred at Greensview Elementary, Metro Schools, Antrim and Perry Street Parks, and the DelCo floodplain. FLOW was also busy with invasive removals (close to 1.5 acres) and weeding and planting at our 40 pollinator pathway gardens. None of this work could be done without the generous volunteers who give up their free time to support these watershed wellness projects. We also removed over 6,200 pounds of trash from the watershed through 16 litter cleanup events. As part of our Stream Quality Monitoring program, 36 FLOW volunteers took samples at 20 tributaries to the Olentangy. We also partnered with the Izaak Walton League of America to test these sites for chloride and nitrate. This data will be shared with residents and businesses near those tributaries through postcard mailings in early 2026.