Annual fish fry funds educational field trips for students

The Mud Run Stream Keepers will host their annual fish fry on Saturday, March 9 from 4-7:30 p.m. at the Tuscarawas VFW Post 7943. The dinners are $10 each and include fresh fried cod, fries, coleslaw, a roll and dessert. The annual fish fry helps fund educational outreach programs offered to area schools.

“This is the main source of funding for our educational field trips,” Middle Tuscarawas River Watershed coordinator Marissa Lautzenheiser said. “We’ve had more than 600 kids come out to watershed sites over the past year, and they get to see science in action and gain a better understanding of what they learn in the classroom.”

Lautzenheiser explained the watershed pays for bussing students to field trip locations, all the materials used by the students during the outings, and at times even the cost of bringing in a substitute teacher for the day if necessary. “We’ve gotten feedback from school systems, and we know that if we weren’t able to cover those costs, the schools would not be able to offer the students these kinds of field trips. The program has great value for schools and students.”

Lautzenheiser is hoping to raise at least $2,000 for the program via the upcoming fish fry. “We’ve been doing the fish fry for several years, and we usually see about 150-200 people there,” she said.

Lautzenheiser said funding for the watershed and its waterway restoration projects comes from several sources. “Our funding comes from grants from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, the EPA and private donations. Specifically, funding for the educational field trips we offer students is dwindling. We feel it is an important part of what we do, but it is hard to find funding,” she said.

The watershed has several events coming up including a litter pickup on April 13 and a rain barrel workshop on April 20. “It’s important that anyone interested in these events come out and support them. Active participation by the public is one way we get feedback and are able to show that what we’re doing has value,” Lautzenheiser said. “The work that we do is needed and important. Attendance at events helps us in many ways.”

The Huff Run/Mud Run Watershed is seeing real success in reclaiming waters contaminated by mining. “We monitor the water quality frequently and the PH levels at the mouth of Mud Run, and where the waterways connect near Wainright and Tuscarawas are showing very good-quality samples. That translates into more fish, more insects and better water chemistry overall,” Lautzenheiser said.

According to information provided by Rural Action, the Mud Run Watershed, located just west of the village of Tuscarawas, is nearly 10 square miles of land that drains directly into the Tuscarawas River. Mud Run is a 7.8-mile-long stream that has been heavily impacted by past coal mining activity, resulting in increased metal concentrations, acidic water and decreased biodiversity.

In 2011 a group of citizens formed the Mud Run Stream Keepers to improve the health of the watershed and provide environmental education opportunities to members of the community.

Tickets for the fish fry fundraiser are available at the door with no advance sales. Carryout also will be available.

More information on events and the ongoing efforts of the watershed district are available at www.ruralaction.org and at the group’s Facebook page.

The Tuscarawas VFW Post 7943 is at 421 N. Main St. in Tuscarawas.