CLEVELAND — For decades, groups and organizations have been working to clean up Northeast Ohio's environment, hoping to see resulting resurgence in the ecosystem. A spotting last week in the Cuyahoga River indicates that those efforts are having positive effects.
John Veres, a nature enthusiast, was outside taking photos of birds with his wife and friends. The group was traveling along Canal Road in Valley View when his friend spotted something in the river.
"One of my friends pointed out what he thought was a snake swimming in the canal and upon closer inspection, it was an otter, which was pretty awesome to see," Veres said with a smile.
Veres had to act quickly to snap a photo. The group spotted two otters, and with a little luck and a quick draw, Veres captured one of the otters on camera before it dove under the water.
"I've seen bald eagles, I've seen snapping turtles on the trail—but now to see otters, knowing that they're so picky about their water cleanliness and stuff, it does mean a lot. So it's great to see," Veres said.
The spotting does, in fact, indicate the state of the water and surrounding environment. Director of wildlife at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Jim Nemet says he's heard stories like Veres' more and more frequently in recent years.
"We are hearing stories all the time of these animals that people haven't seen for years showing up in their backyard," Nemet said. "We just had a report last week or two weeks ago of ravens showing up in Cleveland Metroparks and North American river otters and coyotes and you name it, they're making a comeback and people are starting to see them again."
Cleveland Metroparks has been working hard to ensure that wildlife can thrive across Northeast Ohio.
Jennifer Grieser, director of natural resources at Cleveland Metroparks, has a team that focuses on those efforts daily.
"My crew is working really hard every day to make sure our forests, streams and wetlands can provide the best habitat possible for a wide array of wildlife," Grieser said. "We've done things like breeding bird surveys all throughout the park district...we also have hands on planting and we get volunteers very involved in that."
Often times it's a joint effort with organizations like Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and Portage Park District, among others.
From the river otters to trumpeter swans, the efforts to boost Northeast Ohio's ecosystem have resulted in sightings of rare species making their way back to Ohio after extended absences. And when people like Veres capture them on camera, it helps confirm those efforts are truly having an impact.
"This has been such an exciting week having this awesome weather here and everybody's outside and we love when the public lets us know what they're seeing," Grieser said. "Those uncommon sightings—we can't be everywhere—so it's helpful to have people letting us know what they see."
"If we can fix it, they make a comeback. We have cleaner water, we have tons of fish in the lake, just a lot of things are going in the right direction," Nemet said.
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