CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Museum of Natural History has received a $750,000 grant to continue restoration work at Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, one of Northeast Ohio’s largest remaining coastal wetlands.
The funding, awarded through the Ohio Lake Erie Commission’s Lake Erie Community Grant program, will support a three-year effort to improve water flow, remove invasive plant species and restore native habitat across the marsh.
Museum officials said the project builds on more than a decade of conservation work at the 801-acre preserve. Since 2015, restoration crews have removed more than 1 billion stalks of invasive phragmites and planted more than 324,000 native plants. The marsh now supports 180 native plant species, 259 bird species and 26 state-listed rare species.
The new phase of work includes removing hybrid cattail across large portions of the marsh basin, restoring 2.5 acres of wetland at the mouth of Blackbrook Creek and installing “beaver dam analogs” — structures designed to mimic natural beaver dams — along 5,700 feet of channel to help maintain water levels.
“Ohio is home to abundant, beautiful natural resources, including Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve,” Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “We have invested significantly into restoring wetlands across Ohio because we know the important role they play in improving water quality and conserving native habitat. I am grateful to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for prioritizing this impactful water quality project.”
Mentor Marsh is Ohio’s largest “undiked” coastal marsh, meaning it remains open to natural water flow rather than being controlled by man-made barriers. That makes it a key site for biodiversity and ecological research, according to the museum.
In addition to environmental work, the grant will support education and workforce initiatives. Plans include hosting about 150 K-12 students for environmental programming, and hiring 12 seasonal staff members, with an emphasis on recruiting local college students.
The Lake Erie Community Grant program is funded through the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and supports projects aimed at improving water quality and environmental conditions throughout the Lake Erie watershed.
