Summit Metro Parks is proud to announce that Watershed Specialist Elaine Marsh was inducted into the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Hall of Fame.
Marsh has spent her life as a champion of the waterways of the Great Lakes region, focusing her entire career on raising awareness of the water quality of wetlands, lakes, streams and rivers in Northeast Ohio — especially the Cuyahoga River.
Marsh’s many accomplishments include helping establish what is now Cascade Valley Metro Park, co-founding Friends of the Crooked River (an environmental group that educates the public on the value of a clean Cuyahoga River), and creating plans to eliminate dams along the Cuyahoga to restore its health.
“Where many saw a dead river, Elaine saw a sick friend barely able to whisper: I am still here. When the Cuyahoga burned, Elaine marched for clean water. Were it not for the action of heroes like Elaine, we would not have the Clean Water Act. It is an honor to continue to work with her on the restoration and preservation of our Cuyahoga River,” said Mike Johnson, chief of conservation at Summit Metro Parks.
“I don’t know where we would be without Elaine; I do not think we would be where we are now. Were it not for her devotion to the Cuyahoga River, I doubt we would be paddling its beautiful clear water today,” Johnson added.
On July 30, ODNR celebrated and honored Ohioans for their lifetime achievements in conservation and protection of Ohio’s natural resources with a ceremony to recognize Cardinal Award winners and Hall of Fame inductees.
The Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame award was created in 1966 to celebrate individuals who have made significant contributions to protecting Ohio’s natural resources. With today’s inductions, the number of people presented with this honor is 200.