MTSO awarded major grant for wetland restoration

MTSO has received a $400,000 grant through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to revert an engineered campus pond back to natural wetlands. The goal of the project is to reduce water pollution in Ohio and beyond.

When the pond was installed decades ago, it replaced a stretch of Weiser Run, a stream that runs through campus and the surrounding area. Draining the pond and restoring the stretch of Weiser Run will slow the speed of water flow. That allows any excessive phosphorus and nitrogen in the water to drop out before it reaches the Olentangy River, and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.

MTSO Land Steward Tim Bachelor said that’s important because those excess nutrients can decrease the oxygen levels in water (called hypoxia), creating aquatic “dead zones” in the Gulf. In those zones, plants and marine life can’t survive, and issues like harmful algal blooms can develop.

“This project confirms the value of MTSO's ecological commitments and initiatives,” said Leigh Precise, chief operating officer at MTSO. “Restoring Weiser Run to a wetland will assist in an extensive effort to reduce chemical loads that eventually contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.”

The project, which will also involve installing native plants in and around the water to act as a natural filter, is expected to increase biodiversity in the area as well. “Restoring the stream and wetlands creates more habitat for fish and bird species,” said Bachelor.

The wetland restoration project is expected to be completed by August 2028.

This wetlands restoration project was financed in part or totally through an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency FFY24 Gulf Hypoxia Assistance Grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The contents and views, including any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations, contained in this product or publication are those of the authors and have not been subject to any Ohio Environmental Protection Agency or United States Environmental Protection Agency peer or administrative review and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency or the United States Environmental Protection Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred.

Methodist Theological School in Ohio provides theological education and leadership in pursuit of a just, sustainable and generative world. In addition to the Master of Divinity degree, the school offers master’s degrees in public theology, social justice and theological studies, along with a Doctor of Ministry degree.

CONTACT:

Danny Russell, communications director
drussell@mtso.edu, 740-362-3322