Welcome!

Hi there! I’m Shelly Douglas (she/her pronouns), and I am a newly-graduated Ohio State alumna with a B.S. in Environment and Natural resources. When I saw FLOW as a host site for the Summer Fellowship, I was ecstatic. With a major in Environmental Policy and Decision Making and a minor in Nonprofit Management, it was pretty much a perfect match. FLOW’s mission is to “keep the Olentangy River and its tributaries clean and safe for all to enjoy.” Amazing, right? Having attended a few FLOW events throughout my years at Ohio State, I was eager to see operations from the other side.

During our first learning session with The Columbus Foundation, fellows were asked to describe their expectations for the summer in one word. The word I chose was “growth.” While I do expect my professional skills to grow exponentially this summer, it’s also a bit of a play on words since FLOW hosts many tree planting events. Run by almost all volunteers, I was immediately inspired by the passion and determination within FLOW. Even with full-time jobs, families, and other responsibilities to tend to, each person at FLOW puts their whole heart into the organization. While the first week can be quite a bit of on-boarding and information, I am motivated to soak up as much knowledge as I can and be a part of the FLOW family.

I’ve always hoped my career wouldn’t require me to sit at a desk all day, and that dream is certainly possible at FLOW. While I am working on projects using Network for Good, ArcGIS, and Google Drive, I also get to head out into nature to work at various project sites. I haven’t had the chance to check out a site yet, but I have a tour of the watershed and an invasive species removal event to look forward to in the next week. I am extremely excited to learn about the different native and invasive species in Ohio and what effects they have on the river.

Reflecting on my first week, my biggest takeaway is how much work goes into keeping a river healthy. FLOW has so many resources and events that I never knew about! Litter clean-ups, tree plantings, sapling giveaways, invasive species removals, pollinator gardens, and so much more. I have enjoyed learning about the myriad of projects going on all throughout Columbus.

Going into Week 2, I have set a couple goals for myself to evaluate in the next blog post. First, I hope I can successfully identify the relevant invasive species in the watershed. Second, I want to learn how to mix and apply our aquatic- and terrestrial-safe herbicides to project sites. As you can see by these goals, I am eager to get outside and get to work next week! In conclusion, I feel confident that my summer with FLOW will be filled with growth and amazing opportunities.

Talk to you next week! -Shelly