The blue heron, native to the Akron area, once faced a population decline due to the poor water quality of the Cuyahoga River. Thanks to improved water quality efforts, this four-foot bird has seen a resurgence and now may be spotted along the Towpath Trail, Ohio & Erie Canal, Cuyahoga River and Little Cuyahoga River.
The City of Akron will host its 3rd Annual Blue Heron Homecoming, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mustill Store, located at 57 W. North St. The Blue Heron Homecoming is an annual environmental festival that provides community members an opportunity to learn about the Akron Waterways Renewed! (AWR!) program. The event is free and open to the public.
The event will be a day of education, health and recreation and feature walking, hiking, biking and trolley tours of some of the Akron Waterways Renewed! projects.
“This family-friendly event is one of the ways we inform and educate the public, in a fun and interactive way about our commitment to improving our environment,” said Mayor Dan Horrigan. “This festival allows the community to see, firsthand, what their sewer dollars are being used for, and learn about the important impact these projects are having on our local ecosystem.”
The festival will feature representatives from the city of Akron, firms involved with the AWR! program, and community partners, including local nonprofits and environmental groups.
Here’s an overview and parking map of the May 6 Blue Heron Homecoming event, hosted by the city of Akron.
Other highlights of the event include sign-ups for free trees and free rain barrels, an interactive rain garden planting with students from the All Akron Engineering Program, live music from Hey Mavis, free lunch and more.
This ‘homecoming’ is a direct result of the work that the City of Akron has performed so far, and serves as a reminder of the positive impact that the AWR! program is having on the local environment.
Parking locations will be clearly marked in the vicinity of the event.
For info, visit www.akronwaterwaysrenewed.com.
