Voinovich School Collection of Stream Planting Projects
Ohio University's Voinovich School and partners are dedicated to riparian tree planting to help communities improve water quality and more.
Athens, Ohio - Bike Path Wetland Planting
The Voinovich School and Athens Sunrise Rotary planted trees along the banks of the Hocking River near Columbus Road bike path spur.
Reforesting this section of the riparian corridor will be done in a multi-year approach beginning downstream on the City of Athens groundwater well field. This section of the river is prone to flooding events and erosion, the upland vegetation will help to provide longer term river migration stability.
This project is in partnership with the Athens Water Treatment Plant management plan of creating "no-mow" areas to aid in reforesting the floodplain. Trees planted (550 trees) include mostly river birch and sycamore with fewer but more mature button bush, swamp chestnut oak, witch hazel, Ohio buckeye, pecan, and hazelnut. Funded by Ohio EPA (April 2018).
Athens County, Amesville, Ohio Elementary Floodplain Planting
In celebration of Earth Day 2019, the Voinovich School collaborated with Amesville Elementary students to plant over 200 seedlings along Federal Creek. This education outreach effort will help increase a vegetative buffer to reduce impacts from flooding and runoff from surrounding land uses. Funded by the Longleaf Foundation.
Planting Our Future: Environmental Studies Applied Learning with the City of Amesville
Photo essay by Christiana Botic, 2018-19 Voinovich School Photojournalism Fellow
Athens County, Amesville, Ohio City Park Land Lab
In October 2018 the Voinovich School, in conjunction with the Mayor of Amesville and the Amesville Elementary, planted a variety of trees, shrubs, and plants to create a Land Lab adjacent Federal Creek and City Park to foster an educational and recreation environment for the community. Funding for this project was provided by the Ohio EPA.
Perry County, Glenford, Ohio Floodplain Tree Planting
In April 2019, a tree planting was conducted with Perry County Soil and Water Conservation District at Glen Fort Preserve in the floodplain of a tributary to the Johnathan Creek Watershed. Five volunteers planted 140 trees. Including: red and white oak, shagbark, hickory, pawpaw, hazelnut, American chestnut and aspen. Funds provided by Ohio EPA.
Vinton County, McArthur, Ohio - Tree Planting on Reclaimed Coal Strip Mine Land
Appalachia Ohio Alliance (AOA) hosts annual tree planting events on the Earthtouch Preserve property. The Voinovich School and the Raccoon Creek Partnership helped to support tree planting efforts. The Voinovich School provided funds through the Appalachian Ohio Clean Watershed Initiative provided by a USEPA 319 grant. Prior to recent tree plantings, the Earthtouch preserve was a reclaimed surface coal mine site. These yearly plantings help to restore degraded land to hardwood forest and reduce erosion of soil to nearby streams. (2013-2017)
Vinton County, Ohio - Sandy Run Low-head Dam Removal and Riparian Corridor Planting
Sandy Run, a tributary to Lake Hope, contained a low-head dam that effectively blocked fish passage upstream and downstream of the dam, isolating and limiting the upstream fish population. The dam impacted stream connectivity and flow making an over-widened stream channel upstream and a plunge pool downstream of the dam. The low-head dam was partially removed in August 2019 and stream riparian area disturbed during the removal was replanted and seeded to decrease erosion and increase bank stability. This project was funded by an USEPA 319 grant and conducted with partners from Ohio Department of Natural Resources Zaleski Forest (2019).
Captina Creek Rainbow’s End
May 9, 2020
Captina Creek Rainbow’s End riparian tree planting funded by OEPA 319 and Longleaf Foundation, 268 trees planted with the Belmont SWCD Captina Creek Watershed Coordinator and the Blue Feather Land Trust.
Rainbows End and Raven Rock
April 28, 2021
Rainbows End and Raven Rock in Captina Creek Watershed funded with OEPA 319 grant and the Longleaf Foundation. 340 Trees planted.
Captina Creek
April 11 th , 2022.
2022 Riparian corridor planting funded with OEPA 319 grant and Longleaf Foundation
Volunteers, AmeriCoprs, Voiniovich School staff, and Belmont SWCD planted 463 trees including spice bush, rose mallow, buttonbush, new jersey tea, basswood, persimmon, coral berry, catalpa, Black Cherry, PawPaw Pin Oak, Pussy Willow, Sawtooth Oak, Swamp White Oak, and White Flowering Dogwood.