March 25, 2025 • 38 mins
Mera Cardenas is a historic preservationist working to connect people to place as the Executive Director of Canalway Partners. We are the people, and the place is the historic Towpath Trail, located within the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. The 100-mile Towpath Trail from Cleveland to New Philadelphia follows what once was a significant transportation artery from the mid-1800s until the railroads came. The trail was completed in 2021 when the final section was constructed in Cleveland, ending at Canal Basin Park following 40 years of planning and $54 million. For Mera, preserving this connection between past and present is her passion and mission as she honors the legacy of her predecessors who envisioned and transformed Cleveland's industrial corridor into its recreational backbone.
Mera's background as a CNN producer and cultural historian brings a unique storytelling perspective to her role. Under her leadership, Canalway Partners has expanded its community engagement through signature events like the Lantern Parade, environmental stewardship through River Sweep, the Towpath Trilogy, and Cleveland History Days, featuring over 70 events highlighting the region's heritage.
Canalway Partners started with a meeting of like-minded people 40 years ago who never lost sight of their vision to reclaim Cleveland's industrial valley and bring us a unique, world-class recreational space. Today, Mera Cardenas is its new Executive Director, following the retirement of Tim Donovan, who led the trail's development. The work ahead will bring us new opportunities to experience the trail and the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage area through expanded public spaces like Canal Basin Park in Cleveland and the many trails linking east and west with the Towpath as the spine and the Cuyahoga River as the source.
As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the canal's construction this year, Mera reminds us that our waterways fundamentally shaped our communities: "We're here in Cleveland and Akron because of the construction of that canal. Everything that came after came from what the canal brought to this region."
Learn more at canalwaypartners.com or follow their social media for upcoming events.
Learn More:
Our Guest, Mera Cardenas, Executive Director, Canalway Partners
Canalway Events
Discover the Towpath Trail
Volunteer with Canalway
History and Legacy of the Towpath Trail
Ohio and Erie Canalway National Heritage Area
Ohio and Erie Canalway Coalition
Follow us:
https://www.facebook.com/ecospeakscle
https://www.instagram.com/ecospeakscle
Contact us:
hello@ecospeakscle.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Diane Bickett (00:04):
You're listening to EcoSpeak CLE, a podcast for
the eco-curious in NortheastOhio.
My name is Diane Bickett and myproducer is Greg Rotuno.
Together we speak with localsustainability leaders and
invite you to connect, learn andlive with our community and
planet in mind.
Hello friends, chances are thatif you live in the Cleveland or
(00:24):
Akron area, you've spent sometime on the Towpath Trail.
This recreational trail followswhat was once a major artery of
commerce in the mid-1800sthrough 1913, the historic Ohio
and Erie Canal.
The trail was completed in 2021, when the final northern
section was constructed inCleveland, ending at Canal Basin
(00:45):
Park.
The canal's corridor fromCleveland down to New
Philadelphia is so significantthat it was designated by
Congress in 1996 as the Ohio andErie Canalway National Heritage
Area.
The organization we can thankfor this regional treasure is
Canalway Partners, which justcelebrated its 40th anniversary,
and joining us today is itsexecutive director, Mera
(01:08):
Cardenas.
Mera joined Kanawe in 2020 andbrings her unique background as
a cultural historian to connectus to Cleveland's early history.
Welcome,On LinkedIn, you describe
yourself as a placemaker and astory protector yes, which I
love.
That explains the veryeloquent quote which I pulled up
(01:33):
when you summed up, canalwayswork this way, and I'm just
going to read your quote 40years ago, a small group of
Cleveland visionaries created anonprofit to reclaim both the
industrial valley of theCuyahoga River and the region's
narrative.
Today, those stories connectcommunities through the corridor
via the Towpath Trail and theOhio and Erie Canalway National
(01:56):
Heritage Area.
So, Mera, what's it like to bethe steward of this historic and
culturally significant treasurethat we have?
Mera Cardenas (02:15):
Well, I think it's an honor.
People had a vision 40 yearsago and when somebody entrusts
you to carry their visionforward because many people are
still involved, who've beeninvolved for a long time we have
board members who've been onthe board for over a decade and
some who have just joined in thepast few years so when somebody
entrusts you with that visionto carry that forward, that's a
(02:37):
great honor and I look at thatas you know.
That's my role is to carry itforward.
Diane Bickett (02:44):
Yeah, and you joined Canal Way at a kind of a
critical juncture it was towardsthe end when the trail Topat
Trail was being completed.
Yes, and the organization hadto reinvent itself.
I mean, what was it going to begoing forward?
And you came here from Georgia,I believe.
Mera Cardenas (03:04):
From Atlanta, yes , I moved here from Atlanta to
take this job
Diane Bickett (03:08):
what attracted you job.
the position?
Mera Cardenas (03:10):
So in Atlanta I worked for the Arabian Mountain
National Heritage Area, so I wasalready familiar with the way
national heritage areas work andat their core, national
heritage areas are takinghistory, nature recreation.
National heritage areas aretaking history, nature
recreation.
They're tying them all togetherin a very defined geographic
space.
But, unlike what you mightthink of, we're part of the
(03:33):
National Park Service but,unlike what you might think of
as a national park, none of theland is owned by the federal
government.
We're working in partnershipwith communities in a different
way.
We don't have any of theauthority that the federal
government has to work togetherand they don't give us all the
(04:06):
money to do it.
So were the forerunner ofpublic-private partnerships.
What's the boundary for theNational Heritage Corridor here?
Heritage Area in Cleveland isfrom Edgewater Park on the west
side to Lakeview Cemetery on theeast side and that kind of
(04:29):
creates a funnel along the lakeand then it narrows as it
travels from the lake about 100miles south and it's about five
to 10 miles wide off the centerpoint of the corridor.
And I'll point out that we dooperate in very close
partnership with anotherorganization in Akron that is
(04:52):
greatly responsible for theareas south of the national park
and that's the Ohio and ErieCanalway Coalition, and so they
work a lot on the towpath trail,on things like Lock 3, on
Summit Lake in.
Diane Bickett (05:07):
Akron, and so your responsibility is Cuyahoga
County.
Within that heritagedesignation, what came first,
the designation or the planningfor the towpath, or did it all
kind of coincide it?
Mera Cardenas (05:20):
kind of all came together.
The organization so Canal WayPartners was formed as an
organization in 1985.
Decided or started to explorejokingly might have trespassed a
(05:48):
little bit to figure out wherethe towpath trail was, because
it wasn't easily where thetowpath was, because that and
the canal and a lot of placesweren't easily accessible.
And they studied that idea.
There's a study from countyplanning about that same time
which created the reallycodified the idea of this
(06:10):
north-south corridor in CuyahogaCounty.
So we tend to think of the cityand the county as east-west and
this is the first time thatpeople were putting forth that
idea.
First time in modern timespeople were putting forth that
idea of a north-south corridor.
Diane Bickett (06:28):
So, and that corridor runs along Cuyahoga
County's industrial valley,right the steel valley.
So shout out to Rick and MarshaRick Sika and Marsha Moll, who
prepared the study, which I'mthere's a copy of it sitting
there in front of you city orcounty planners and Paul Alcinas
(06:54):
, too, was a champion for thatas well.
And then Tim Donovan reallystarted the organization.
Mera Cardenas (06:58):
Yes, so the three founders, as far as the board
goes, were Tom Jablonski, jeffLenards, who went on after
creating Canal Way, he went onto create West Creek Conservancy
, and Mike Giangrande.
And then that group wasconvened by State Representative
(07:22):
Pat Sweeney, okay, by staterepresentative Pat Sweeney, okay
, and he brought them alltogether on.
You know, this is starting toget mythological on this cold
January evening.
Diane Bickett (07:31):
The meeting that started it all.
Yes, exactly yes.
Mera Cardenas (07:34):
So and then there were a lot of people early on
who bought into the vision.
It's one thing to have thisgrand vision, but somebody has
to say I can help you do thispart of it.
So there was Howard Mayer atNOACA.
There was John Debo at theNational Park.
(07:57):
Now, not all these folks werethere that first day, but they
came on as the vision started togrow and started to pick up
steam.
And then Vern Hartenberg atCleveland Natural Parks.
So these are some early peoplewho bought into this idea.
And when we talk specificallyabout the towpath trail because
(08:22):
the work that Canalway does isbigger than the towpath trail,
but it took so much to build thetowpath trail that a lot of the
energy and identity of theorganization went to that I
think it was about five yearsafter the creation of the
organization where they hiredtheir first employee, who was
(08:43):
Tim Donovan, and he went on toserve for 30 years as the
executive director.
So when you talk about it beinga critical time, the towpath
trail in Cuyahoga County isfinished, what does this
organization become?
It was also the time that Timwas retiring, so that's a
(09:05):
critical point for a nonprofitis a change of leadership.
Diane Bickett (09:11):
Well, welcome to Cleveland, thank you, even
though you've been here for anumber of years already.
I understand you have abackground or you have a
master's in historic or heritagepreservation from Georgia State
University, so I don't knowwhat that means heritage
preservation.
(09:32):
Maybe you can tell us, but itsounds like it would make you
uniquely qualified to take theorganization forward in an
interpretive way, helping peopleto connect to the area and the
towpath and learn something ofits history.
Mera Cardenas (09:50):
Yeah, that was my interest.
I was drawn to heritagepreservation and that program at
Georgia State University,really for the architectural.
I don't have an architecturalbackground, but I always love
old buildings and whenever Iwould.
I didn't grow up going tonational parks like on family
(10:10):
vacations, but whenever I as anadult would travel to national
parks like on family vacations,but whenever I as an adult would
travel, it was national parksand old buildings that I always
went to.
And so, as I was deciding toleave my career at CNN and
determine what I wanted to donext, I wanted to pick something
that I didn't feel like I everhad to retire from, that I
wasn't escaping from, and sothis was something that you know
(10:34):
I just I enjoy writing ahistory tour to me is a great
vacation, and that would notappeal to everybody.
Uh, so there are somequalifications.
Heritage preservation can bevery, very detail, heavy things
(11:05):
like National Registernominations, a lot of
architectural history, or, youknow, you take my background at
CNN and background in historyand I do like to Canal Way in
2020.
One of the things we did was werestated our mission.
(11:39):
We said who are we, what is ourpromise to the community now
and what we determined myself,the board, interviews with
partners.
We connect people to place,whether that's the Towpath Trail
, the Cuyahoga place, whetherthat's the towpath trail, the
Cuyahoga River, whether that's ahistoric cemetery which I'm
particularly fond of, whetherthat's a whatever that is.
(12:03):
We connect people to place.
And the second part of that isfor the prosperity of all.
And what does prosperity meanto you?
It doesn't always mean economicdevelopment, but it can.
It could mean improved health,it could mean improved mental
health.
It could, you know, a betterconnection to your community
(12:23):
increases the prosperity of thewhole community.
So what does that prosperitylook like for the individual
person that then folds into thewhole?
Diane Bickett (12:32):
So you're enriching our community, you're
drawing more people in, and Ishould mention the CNN reference
.
You were a producer at CNN.
Mera Cardenas (12:42):
Yes, I think, and I actually was a producer when
the Rock Hall opened.
So two Ohio Connection stories.
I was here when the Rock Hallopened.
I covered like three days ofevents.
It was not glamorous because Iwas in you know a van in a
(13:02):
parking lot working you knowvideotape editing and things.
And then the second story, withthe Ohio connection, with the
strong Ohio connection, is JohnGlenn's return to space.
So I covered that story down inFlorida.
Diane Bickett (13:22):
Okay, wow, well, that was an exciting time in
Cleveland because Jacobs Fieldopened at the same time and
there was so much promise andyou could just feel the energy.
So maybe you remember that andwanted to come back.
So tell us about what KanawhaPartners is doing now.
You mentioned some of yourpartners, but I imagine you work
(13:46):
deep in the community.
Do you maintain the trails, doyou?
What is your role today?
I do not maintain the towpathtrail, toepathtrails.
Mera Cardenas (13:52):
What is your role today?
We do not maintain the ToePathTrail.
So in the vision for theToePath in the late 2000s there
(14:30):
was a four the city owns theactual property.
The county coordinated visionthrough five mayoral
administrations and three countyexecutives and two county forms
of government and carried thatvision through.
We also wrote a lot of thegrants, looked for ways to draw
funding into the area for it.
(14:51):
And then the fourth party,cleveland Metro Parks, agreed 15
years ago that once this trailis built they would maintain it.
So Cleveland Metro Parksmaintains the trail.
Now the city's responsible forany long-term maintenance
capital projects.
Diane Bickett (15:12):
Such a monumental achievement.
I read somewhere it took 30years and $54 million to make
all this happen.
Mera Cardenas (15:18):
So just assembling the parcels, waiting
for real estate to comeavailable, figuring out where
the route was going to go andsouth of Steelyard, between the
Steelyard development which isits own story about somebody
buying into the vision to haveMitch Snyder buy into that and
(15:45):
construct the area behindSteelyard and where the Ohio and
Erie Canal Reservation begins.
On Harvard, that was iteration9b, so when you talk about the
planning that wasn't just we did10 iterations of the trail and
(16:10):
picked which one worked the best.
That was, as you were talkingabout different factors coming
in.
Well, wait, that property isnot available now.
Oh, maybe that property iscontaminated.
Oh, we have to, we can't getpermission.
You know there was a lot thathad to happen, so that was 9B.
(16:30):
Okay, 9b, it just kind of, youknow, it just illustrates Better
than being 30F, you know, butthere was a tenacity for
building the towpath trail.
Diane Bickett (16:43):
So much grit and determination and you can't give
up.
No one gave up, you just keptat it.
Mera Cardenas (16:48):
Exactly.
Working the problem, keepworking the problem.
Yeah, exactly.
Diane Bickett (16:54):
How do you connect people to place?
You mentioned that a coupletimes.
Mera Cardenas (16:59):
That is.
There's no one formula Mm-hmm.
So connecting people to place,it starts first with the
physical space itself beingwelcoming.
With the physical space itselfbeing welcoming, is it a place
(17:21):
where you feel it's safe toenter?
Is it a place where you'reexperiencing safety?
But also, connecting people toplace, you have to tell them a
story about why this place isimportant and meaningful.
So it needs to be welcoming ifsomebody comes across it.
About why this place isimportant and meaningful, so it
needs to be welcoming ifsomebody comes across it.
But there also needs to beconstant invitation and
(17:43):
reinforcement of that invitationthat this place is for you,
that this was built with publicfunds, and that's if we're
talking specifically about theTowpath Trail or about Canal
Basin Park.
So if we're talking about those, you know you're talking about
places that are built withpublic funds, but you might also
be talking about private spacesthat people are invited into.
(18:05):
For one of the programs we do,called Cleveland History Days.
It's about sharing the storiesof that place and creating that
connection.
People are going to connect ondifferent levels the Towpath
Trail Lantern Parade, which wejust held last week, which Greg
and I went to Thank you Our weaksauce lanterns that we made.
(18:29):
But I think that's part of it.
You all walked that trail witha gamut of, first of all,
participation.
Diane Bickett (18:38):
I love that.
So many families.
It was a lot of fun assomething they would do in their
every day right.
Mera Cardenas (18:56):
They think the trail is for people who run or
they think the trail is forpeople who are fast on bikes.
And helping people understandthat you don't have to go far to
enjoy the trail.
This is for you, and we lovethat.
We start in the neighborhood ofTremont and then we walk down
(19:16):
the hill and we walk along theriver, because the river is
essential.
We wouldn't have had the canalif it weren't for the river.
We wouldn't be here if itweren't for the river.
So, connecting people to that.
They may not know that storylast week, but now they have a
connection to that and sothey're more open to hearing the
messages about why the river isimportant to us because they've
(19:38):
experienced it.
So that's part of making thatconnection.
Diane Bickett (19:43):
And there's good access points.
So in Tremont there's twoparking lots available there and
that's right off of what AbbeyRoad.
Abbey Road, okay, by theCleveland signveland sign we
call that we now call thatsokolowski's overlook.
Mera Cardenas (19:59):
Oh nice, okay, and it's.
Diane Bickett (20:00):
It's on google maps, so it's official okay, I
wish I'd bring the restaurantback, but then canal basin park,
which people have no idea where, how to get there, and that's
like right down the hill fromyour office here.
Yes, so right under theVeterans Memorial Bridge,
detroit.
Mera Cardenas (20:17):
Shorey Bridge, and as much as we love the
Veterans Memorial Bridge, that'sprobably why most people don't
know where Canal Basin isBecause they drive over it.
Exactly, you drive over it.
It was in fact one of thesupports, for the bridge is
(20:37):
right in the middle of whatwould have been the historic
turning basin, so that bridgeitself probably blew out what
was left of any historicinfrastructure down there when
it was built in the 19-teens.
Diane Bickett (20:52):
Canal Basin Park is being developed by the city
of Cleveland, or Cleveland MetroParks.
There's big plans for that area.
It's going to be beautiful.
Mera Cardenas (20:59):
Yes, so Canal Basin Park again, a huge
partnership.
And you have partners and youhave stakeholders.
The city of Cleveland owns theland and they own the entire 20
acres at this point 20 acres atthis point.
So some of the land has beenremediated, meaning that it was
(21:20):
reclaimed.
So there are millions ofdollars of investment in Canal
Basin Park already.
Some of that investment started20 years ago with the
acquisition of land, then withenvironmental remediation, and
we'll go back to that themeagain of partners buying into
the vision.
When the sewer district puttheir new pump station there,
(21:44):
they understood that this wasgoing to become a park.
So they created a muchdifferent experience than if
they were just creating this,you know, in some place where
the public wasn't going to beaccessible.
So they upgraded thearchitecture of the pump station
(22:04):
so that it would be morewelcoming in a park.
So those are things that youdon't really like?
yeah, you don't really thinkabout that.
Yeah, but the fact that thesewer district saw the vision
and said, all right, we're gonna.
We, our commitment is going tobe to make this welcoming and
(22:25):
not just, you know, a concreteblock structure and and those
are the types of things thathappened over the last 20 years.
So it isn't that we now havethe slate to start with.
There have been many plans tofor Canal Basin Park and the
(22:47):
last one, which took intoaccount a lot of the planning
that had already happened.
It's a process and it's acontinuum.
It was just approved by CityPlanning Commission on January
3rd, so we're now with Canal Way.
The city and the planners aremoving into the next phase of
(23:12):
planning.
Cleveland Metro Parks and thecounty are integral partners to
that the National Park, thesewer district.
There are a lot of partners whoare involved and will influence
the creation of the plan, sothe fundraising never ends.
Diane Bickett (23:30):
What does that look like today versus a year
ago?
Mera Cardenas (23:48):
In terms of access to capital to bring these
projects into being.
First, interstate created SteelYard.
They created a TIF fund thathelped to build the segments of
the towpath and it will alsohelp us to bring dollars to the
(24:09):
table immediately for theconstruction of Canal Basin.
So I mentioned January 3rd.
We had the planning commissionpass the schematic design,
approve the schematic design.
So our next phase, we're movingimmediately into design
documentation, constructiondocumentation, which is huge.
(24:30):
We don't have to raise themoney for that.
That actually is not comingfrom the TIF.
But then we can be verystrategic about those TIF
dollars and figure out how usingthose dollars in the future
will lead to the build out ofthe plan.
Right now at Canal Basin we'relooking at three components for
(24:54):
what we're calling the core ofCanal Basin.
So one is riverfront connection, so building a cohesive river
access, so whether that's apromenade or, you know, a
boardwalk along the river, thatties into the entire vision for
Cleveland Metro Parks along theriver, the Columbus Road
(25:17):
Peninsula and, now that they'rethey have, you know, property up
along the East Bank as well.
Diane Bickett (25:24):
Well, you have a lot of economic development
stats you can use in terms ofnumber to tell the story number
of visitors and the moneygenerated, and plus all the add
on, I mean the trail has led toa lot of the bike trails that
Cleveland Metro Parks is puttingin right along the lake and the
(25:44):
connector trails, so that'svery exciting.
Mera Cardenas (25:46):
A lot of those connector trails were inspired
by the towpath trail If you lookat the towpath trail as the
spine.
If you hadn't had the towpathtrail, we might not have the
bike connectivity across thecity, across the county and
across the region that we do now.
It was just announced thatSandusky is building their own
(26:06):
100-mile loop around the bay.
Really that's cool and what theTowpath Trail has brought to the
region is now being reflectedand repeated.
I think we just saw was it newsthis week too, about the Slavic
(26:28):
Village downtown connector thatis moving forward.
Kanaway was involved very earlyon in that, but Cleveland Metro
Parks has now been able to takethat project, get the funding
for it and really take thatexpertise from a lot of their
trail building and move thatproject forward.
Diane Bickett (26:46):
That's exciting.
So this whole area 40 yearsfrom now, with the bedrock
development and what's happeningon Scranton Peninsula and all
these connector trails, isreally great for the region.
Mera Cardenas (26:56):
Yeah, yeah, it really reflects the generational
work that is done, that itdoesn't get started and finished
in three or five years.
These are really big projectsand if you talk, whether it's
Canal Basin Park or the Towpath,irish Town, bend or Bedrock or
(27:20):
the lakefront, these are allthings that take, you know, a
generation to implement.
We were talking about theTowpath Trail in Canal Basin
Park 40 years ago.
That's where the vision wasborn.
A lot of work has gone intoCanal Basin.
Still a lot more work torealize that vision.
Diane Bickett (27:40):
Let's talk about a venture, hosting together us
all on the trail.
We talked about the LanternParade a couple weeks ago, but
you have several events comingup that are your signature
events you want to talk aboutthose?
Mera Cardenas (27:52):
Yes, so that was part of the reimagining of Canal
Way is that we were looking formore ways to engage people now
that the construction of the ofthe towpath was completed in
2021.
And while we're still working,so we work projects.
We talked a lot about canalbasin and the towpath, but these
programs are are really how weconnect with people.
(28:14):
So we had the lantern paradeand if you miss the lantern
parade, the professionallycreated lanterns will be on
display at Tower City startingApril 5th.
We have River Sweep, which wehave been running for 30,.
This is our 36th year of pickingup trash along the Cuyahoga
(28:36):
River corridor.
I would like to point out we'renot always going back to the
same places.
We do have success.
We've converted about 400 acresinto parkland, again not
single-handedly, but areas thatwe used to clean regularly
either no longer need cleaned orthey might be in public
(28:58):
ownership now or have beenredeveloped.
So we seek successes and we addnew sites every year.
So we've added.
For last year we added theOpportunity Corridor.
We'll return there this year,and then we've added West 65th
Street into this year.
So we're constantly addingvolunteer opportunities for that
(29:20):
open the first week of April,so that'll be the first Saturday
in May.
In April as well, we have theTowpath Half Marathon in the
Ohio and Erie Canal Reservation.
That is the first of our raceseries of the Towpath Trilogy.
In June we start Cycle CanalWay, so we'll lead the bike
(29:42):
rides out of a small communitybike rides and we take a
different tour every month.
And then we have a really largecommunity event Cleveland
History Days.
It starts June 19th, goesthrough the 29th.
We have about 30 history-mindedcommunity partners who work on
(30:05):
it.
Over 70 events history tours,lectures, fun things that we
have one historic bank lobbytours, which is this is the only
time we run it.
Historic bank lobby tours,which is this is the only time
we run it.
And then we have tours that youmight be able to do as part of
organizations at other times ofthe year.
Diane Bickett (30:24):
Yeah, I'm excited for Cleveland History Days.
You have 70 events going onover those 10 days.
Mera Cardenas (30:28):
Probably more than 70.
Yeah, we haven't filled out thecalendar yet.
We're in the planning stagesfor that.
We have River Rally, which ison August 9th.
Diane Bickett (30:41):
I love I have them, as I have the dates
written down, but you're likeI'm impressed.
Mera Cardenas (30:47):
The visual, a visual calendar.
We have some fun things in,interspersed within that as well
.
You're going to see a lot moreprogramming out of Canal Basin
Park.
Out of Canal Basin Park wehaven't announced some of it,
but we'll probably have somelive theater and some music and
different ways to get people tounderstand where Canal Basin
Park is and what to do downthere.
(31:10):
So we have some fun things withthat.
On April 26th we have Celebrate.
Trails Day will be based inCanal Basin and that is in
conjunction with the county andBike Cleveland, the city,
cleveland Metro Park.
So we'll be hosting some bikerides out of Canal Basin.
And then we have the jumpingahead in the calendar.
(31:35):
In October we have our TowpathMarathon, which is our third in
the running race series.
You don't have to run amarathon, there is also a half
marathon distance.
Diane Bickett (31:44):
How about a half-half marathon, a half-ass
marathon?
Mera Cardenas (31:50):
We do a 5K in our June event and each one of
those running races explores adifferent part of the towpath
trail, and then we kind of wrapup the year.
Inspired by Cleveland HistoryDays and my love of historic
cemeteries, we started an eventlast year that we called Buried
History Days, and so we engagewith the historic cemeteries
(32:13):
around the city and the eventsare designed to enlighten, not
frighten, and they're sharingthe stories of Clevelanders of
the past.
Diane Bickett (32:25):
Very exciting, everything's awesome, so I could
plan my whole summer juststaying here in.
Cleveland, between your eventsand the Conservancy for CVNP has
great, great concerts andeverything down that way.
So how do you use volunteers tosupport all these efforts and
(32:47):
how can people help?
Mera Cardenas (32:48):
Yeah, so volunteers are integral to the
success of any nonprofit.
You can volunteer with RiverSweep.
You can also volunteer for oneof our running races, so if you
have a group of folks, you don'thave to run the race.
You can be at one of our waterstops, which are always a lot of
fun.
You cheer on the runners, youcome out for a couple hours and
(33:13):
help people enjoy the TowpathTrail.
We have some corporations thatcome out and they'll well, I
won't say what's in their cups,but they have a good time with
their employees.
You can also talk to us aboutvolunteering for Cleveland
History Days.
We're actually starting I don'tknow if we're calling it a host
(33:33):
program, but we're starting away for people who are really
engaged with Cleveland historyto help us.
70 events is a lot of eventsand we have a small staff of
four.
So bringing people, you know,making sure that people have
their questions answered atCleveland History Days, but also
(33:54):
our events like River Rally.
We always need our volunteersto help us put these events on
and they might involve, like atthe Lantern Parade.
They involved greeting orkeeping people on the trail when
we had to turn around.
So it's a way to get outsideand enjoy the events on a
(34:15):
different level.
Diane Bickett (34:16):
Okay, well, I look forward to volunteering
with you guys.
Mera Cardenas (34:19):
We look forward to seeing you.
Diane Bickett (34:20):
If you give me a script, I can help you with the
Cleveland History Day.
Greg Rotuno (34:24):
And.
Diane Bickett (34:24):
I might know some people.
So, wrapping up, any partingthoughts or an homage to the
past, or a vision for the futurethat you want to leave us with,
or a vision for the future thatyou want to leave us with.
Mera Cardenas (34:39):
I think when you get to a big anniversary, it's a
great time for reflection Forsure it's a and you know I
pulled out this Plain Dealerarticle from 2000 entitled the
Forgotten Valley.
Steve Litt was very integral toreally understanding and
helping the public understand alot of the projects that we were
(35:00):
, that we were working on, and Ithink when you reflect on that
you also can can see if you'recaught up in a current moment
that might make you feel veryanxious.
You can look back at whetherit's an organization or
something connected to your ownlife.
(35:21):
You can look at that 40 yearsand see the progress and know
(35:47):
that we have.
That might change.
Every event might not be there.
For the next 40 years,hopefully we have new events
that are inspired by people,that connect people to place.
We also are looking at the 200thanniversary of canal
construction starts this year onJuly 4th.
(36:08):
The first canal boat went fromAkron to Cleveland on July 4th
1827.
So we're looking at the 200.
So the next two years we'll betalking about the 200th
anniversary of that keyconnection.
We're here in Cleveland and inAkron because of the
(36:30):
construction of that canal.
Everything that came after cameout of what the canal brought
to this region.
So we'll be looking at how dowe highlight the steelmaking or
the railroads that actuallyended up usurping the canal as
(36:53):
transportation, or the river,and the creation of the EPA
based on the river fire.
All these things are points ofreflection and that's what we'll
be talking about in the nearterm, but we're also setting our
organization up for success forthe next 40 years.
Diane Bickett (37:13):
Yeah, I like what you said about.
I mean, we're part of acontinuum and when we get upset
on our, you know, watching thenews or the day-to-day stuff, I
mean you just have to see thebigger picture, and I like what
you said.
The quote I read earlier fromyou was we're reclaiming the
narrative of our industrial past, which you know we like to run
(37:37):
away from because it was dirtyand it was polluting, but it was
so integral to who we are andthe formation of the
environmental regulations thatallow us to have a clean
environment today and use thisarea to the way we're using it
today.
So, thank you very much forjoining us, thank you for being
here and I'm really excited tosee what you do under your
(38:00):
tenure and learning more.
Mera Cardenas (38:04):
Thank you so much .
Greg Rotuno (38:07):
We hope you've enjoyed this episode of EcoSpeak
CLE.
You can find our full catalogof episodes on Spotify, apple
Podcasts or wherever you getyour podcasts.
New episodes are available thefirst and third Tuesday of each
month.
Please follow EcoSpeak CLE onFacebook and Instagram and
become part of the conversation.
If you would like to send usfeedback and suggestions, or if
(38:28):
you'd like to become a sponsorof EcoSpeak CLE, you can email
us at hello at ecospeakclecom.
Stay tuned for more importantand inspiring stories to come.
You're listening to EcoSpeak CLE, a podcast for
the eco-curious in NortheastOhio.
My name is Diane Bickett and myproducer is Greg Rotuno.
Together we speak with localsustainability leaders and
invite you to connect, learn andlive with our community and
planet in mind.
Hello friends, chances are thatif you live in the Cleveland or
(00:24):
Akron area, you've spent sometime on the Towpath Trail.
This recreational trail followswhat was once a major artery of
commerce in the mid-1800sthrough 1913, the historic Ohio
and Erie Canal.
The trail was completed in 2021, when the final northern
section was constructed inCleveland, ending at Canal Basin
(00:45):
Park.
The canal's corridor fromCleveland down to New
Philadelphia is so significantthat it was designated by
Congress in 1996 as the Ohio andErie Canalway National Heritage
Area.
The organization we can thankfor this regional treasure is
Canalway Partners, which justcelebrated its 40th anniversary,
and joining us today is itsexecutive director, Mera
(01:08):
Cardenas.
Mera joined Kanawe in 2020 andbrings her unique background as
a cultural historian to connectus to Cleveland's early history.
Welcome,On LinkedIn, you describe
yourself as a placemaker and astory protector yes, which I
love.
That explains the veryeloquent quote which I pulled up
(01:33):
when you summed up, canalwayswork this way, and I'm just
going to read your quote 40years ago, a small group of
Cleveland visionaries created anonprofit to reclaim both the
industrial valley of theCuyahoga River and the region's
narrative.
Today, those stories connectcommunities through the corridor
via the Towpath Trail and theOhio and Erie Canalway National
(01:56):
Heritage Area.
So, Mera, what's it like to bethe steward of this historic and
culturally significant treasurethat we have?
Mera Cardenas (02:15):
Well, I think it's an honor.
People had a vision 40 yearsago and when somebody entrusts
you to carry their visionforward because many people are
still involved, who've beeninvolved for a long time we have
board members who've been onthe board for over a decade and
some who have just joined in thepast few years so when somebody
entrusts you with that visionto carry that forward, that's a
(02:37):
great honor and I look at thatas you know.
That's my role is to carry itforward.
Diane Bickett (02:44):
Yeah, and you joined Canal Way at a kind of a
critical juncture it was towardsthe end when the trail Topat
Trail was being completed.
Yes, and the organization hadto reinvent itself.
I mean, what was it going to begoing forward?
And you came here from Georgia,I believe.
Mera Cardenas (03:04):
From Atlanta, yes , I moved here from Atlanta to
take this job
Diane Bickett (03:08):
what attracted you job.
the position?
Mera Cardenas (03:10):
So in Atlanta I worked for the Arabian Mountain
National Heritage Area, so I wasalready familiar with the way
national heritage areas work andat their core, national
heritage areas are takinghistory, nature recreation.
National heritage areas aretaking history, nature
recreation.
They're tying them all togetherin a very defined geographic
space.
But, unlike what you mightthink of, we're part of the
(03:33):
National Park Service but,unlike what you might think of
as a national park, none of theland is owned by the federal
government.
We're working in partnershipwith communities in a different
way.
We don't have any of theauthority that the federal
government has to work togetherand they don't give us all the
(04:06):
money to do it.
So were the forerunner ofpublic-private partnerships.
What's the boundary for theNational Heritage Corridor here?
Heritage Area in Cleveland isfrom Edgewater Park on the west
side to Lakeview Cemetery on theeast side and that kind of
(04:29):
creates a funnel along the lakeand then it narrows as it
travels from the lake about 100miles south and it's about five
to 10 miles wide off the centerpoint of the corridor.
And I'll point out that we dooperate in very close
partnership with anotherorganization in Akron that is
(04:52):
greatly responsible for theareas south of the national park
and that's the Ohio and ErieCanalway Coalition, and so they
work a lot on the towpath trail,on things like Lock 3, on
Summit Lake in.
Diane Bickett (05:07):
Akron, and so your responsibility is Cuyahoga
County.
Within that heritagedesignation, what came first,
the designation or the planningfor the towpath, or did it all
kind of coincide it?
Mera Cardenas (05:20):
kind of all came together.
The organization so Canal WayPartners was formed as an
organization in 1985.
Decided or started to explorejokingly might have trespassed a
(05:48):
little bit to figure out wherethe towpath trail was, because
it wasn't easily where thetowpath was, because that and
the canal and a lot of placesweren't easily accessible.
And they studied that idea.
There's a study from countyplanning about that same time
which created the reallycodified the idea of this
(06:10):
north-south corridor in CuyahogaCounty.
So we tend to think of the cityand the county as east-west and
this is the first time thatpeople were putting forth that
idea.
First time in modern timespeople were putting forth that
idea of a north-south corridor.
Diane Bickett (06:28):
So, and that corridor runs along Cuyahoga
County's industrial valley,right the steel valley.
So shout out to Rick and MarshaRick Sika and Marsha Moll, who
prepared the study, which I'mthere's a copy of it sitting
there in front of you city orcounty planners and Paul Alcinas
(06:54):
, too, was a champion for thatas well.
And then Tim Donovan reallystarted the organization.
Mera Cardenas (06:58):
Yes, so the three founders, as far as the board
goes, were Tom Jablonski, jeffLenards, who went on after
creating Canal Way, he went onto create West Creek Conservancy
, and Mike Giangrande.
And then that group wasconvened by State Representative
(07:22):
Pat Sweeney, okay, by staterepresentative Pat Sweeney, okay
, and he brought them alltogether on.
You know, this is starting toget mythological on this cold
January evening.
Diane Bickett (07:31):
The meeting that started it all.
Yes, exactly yes.
Mera Cardenas (07:34):
So and then there were a lot of people early on
who bought into the vision.
It's one thing to have thisgrand vision, but somebody has
to say I can help you do thispart of it.
So there was Howard Mayer atNOACA.
There was John Debo at theNational Park.
(07:57):
Now, not all these folks werethere that first day, but they
came on as the vision started togrow and started to pick up
steam.
And then Vern Hartenberg atCleveland Natural Parks.
So these are some early peoplewho bought into this idea.
And when we talk specificallyabout the towpath trail because
(08:22):
the work that Canalway does isbigger than the towpath trail,
but it took so much to build thetowpath trail that a lot of the
energy and identity of theorganization went to that I
think it was about five yearsafter the creation of the
organization where they hiredtheir first employee, who was
(08:43):
Tim Donovan, and he went on toserve for 30 years as the
executive director.
So when you talk about it beinga critical time, the towpath
trail in Cuyahoga County isfinished, what does this
organization become?
It was also the time that Timwas retiring, so that's a
(09:05):
critical point for a nonprofitis a change of leadership.
Diane Bickett (09:11):
Well, welcome to Cleveland, thank you, even
though you've been here for anumber of years already.
I understand you have abackground or you have a
master's in historic or heritagepreservation from Georgia State
University, so I don't knowwhat that means heritage
preservation.
(09:32):
Maybe you can tell us, but itsounds like it would make you
uniquely qualified to take theorganization forward in an
interpretive way, helping peopleto connect to the area and the
towpath and learn something ofits history.
Mera Cardenas (09:50):
Yeah, that was my interest.
I was drawn to heritagepreservation and that program at
Georgia State University,really for the architectural.
I don't have an architecturalbackground, but I always love
old buildings and whenever Iwould.
I didn't grow up going tonational parks like on family
(10:10):
vacations, but whenever I as anadult would travel to national
parks like on family vacations,but whenever I as an adult would
travel, it was national parksand old buildings that I always
went to.
And so, as I was deciding toleave my career at CNN and
determine what I wanted to donext, I wanted to pick something
that I didn't feel like I everhad to retire from, that I
wasn't escaping from, and sothis was something that you know
(10:34):
I just I enjoy writing ahistory tour to me is a great
vacation, and that would notappeal to everybody.
Uh, so there are somequalifications.
Heritage preservation can bevery, very detail, heavy things
(11:05):
like National Registernominations, a lot of
architectural history, or, youknow, you take my background at
CNN and background in historyand I do like to Canal Way in
2020.
One of the things we did was werestated our mission.
(11:39):
We said who are we, what is ourpromise to the community now
and what we determined myself,the board, interviews with
partners.
We connect people to place,whether that's the Towpath Trail
, the Cuyahoga place, whetherthat's the towpath trail, the
Cuyahoga River, whether that's ahistoric cemetery which I'm
particularly fond of, whetherthat's a whatever that is.
(12:03):
We connect people to place.
And the second part of that isfor the prosperity of all.
And what does prosperity meanto you?
It doesn't always mean economicdevelopment, but it can.
It could mean improved health,it could mean improved mental
health.
It could, you know, a betterconnection to your community
(12:23):
increases the prosperity of thewhole community.
So what does that prosperitylook like for the individual
person that then folds into thewhole?
Diane Bickett (12:32):
So you're enriching our community, you're
drawing more people in, and Ishould mention the CNN reference
.
You were a producer at CNN.
Mera Cardenas (12:42):
Yes, I think, and I actually was a producer when
the Rock Hall opened.
So two Ohio Connection stories.
I was here when the Rock Hallopened.
I covered like three days ofevents.
It was not glamorous because Iwas in you know a van in a
(13:02):
parking lot working you knowvideotape editing and things.
And then the second story, withthe Ohio connection, with the
strong Ohio connection, is JohnGlenn's return to space.
So I covered that story down inFlorida.
Diane Bickett (13:22):
Okay, wow, well, that was an exciting time in
Cleveland because Jacobs Fieldopened at the same time and
there was so much promise andyou could just feel the energy.
So maybe you remember that andwanted to come back.
So tell us about what KanawhaPartners is doing now.
You mentioned some of yourpartners, but I imagine you work
(13:46):
deep in the community.
Do you maintain the trails, doyou?
What is your role today?
I do not maintain the towpathtrail, toepathtrails.
Mera Cardenas (13:52):
What is your role today?
We do not maintain the ToePathTrail.
So in the vision for theToePath in the late 2000s there
(14:30):
was a four the city owns theactual property.
The county coordinated visionthrough five mayoral
administrations and three countyexecutives and two county forms
of government and carried thatvision through.
We also wrote a lot of thegrants, looked for ways to draw
funding into the area for it.
(14:51):
And then the fourth party,cleveland Metro Parks, agreed 15
years ago that once this trailis built they would maintain it.
So Cleveland Metro Parksmaintains the trail.
Now the city's responsible forany long-term maintenance
capital projects.
Diane Bickett (15:12):
Such a monumental achievement.
I read somewhere it took 30years and $54 million to make
all this happen.
Mera Cardenas (15:18):
So just assembling the parcels, waiting
for real estate to comeavailable, figuring out where
the route was going to go andsouth of Steelyard, between the
Steelyard development which isits own story about somebody
buying into the vision to haveMitch Snyder buy into that and
(15:45):
construct the area behindSteelyard and where the Ohio and
Erie Canal Reservation begins.
On Harvard, that was iteration9b, so when you talk about the
planning that wasn't just we did10 iterations of the trail and
(16:10):
picked which one worked the best.
That was, as you were talkingabout different factors coming
in.
Well, wait, that property isnot available now.
Oh, maybe that property iscontaminated.
Oh, we have to, we can't getpermission.
You know there was a lot thathad to happen, so that was 9B.
(16:30):
Okay, 9b, it just kind of, youknow, it just illustrates Better
than being 30F, you know, butthere was a tenacity for
building the towpath trail.
Diane Bickett (16:43):
So much grit and determination and you can't give
up.
No one gave up, you just keptat it.
Mera Cardenas (16:48):
Exactly.
Working the problem, keepworking the problem.
Yeah, exactly.
Diane Bickett (16:54):
How do you connect people to place?
You mentioned that a coupletimes.
Mera Cardenas (16:59):
That is.
There's no one formula Mm-hmm.
So connecting people to place,it starts first with the
physical space itself beingwelcoming.
With the physical space itselfbeing welcoming, is it a place
(17:21):
where you feel it's safe toenter?
Is it a place where you'reexperiencing safety?
But also, connecting people toplace, you have to tell them a
story about why this place isimportant and meaningful.
So it needs to be welcoming ifsomebody comes across it.
About why this place isimportant and meaningful, so it
needs to be welcoming ifsomebody comes across it.
But there also needs to beconstant invitation and
(17:43):
reinforcement of that invitationthat this place is for you,
that this was built with publicfunds, and that's if we're
talking specifically about theTowpath Trail or about Canal
Basin Park.
So if we're talking about those, you know you're talking about
places that are built withpublic funds, but you might also
be talking about private spacesthat people are invited into.
(18:05):
For one of the programs we do,called Cleveland History Days.
It's about sharing the storiesof that place and creating that
connection.
People are going to connect ondifferent levels the Towpath
Trail Lantern Parade, which wejust held last week, which Greg
and I went to Thank you Our weaksauce lanterns that we made.
(18:29):
But I think that's part of it.
You all walked that trail witha gamut of, first of all,
participation.
Diane Bickett (18:38):
I love that.
So many families.
It was a lot of fun assomething they would do in their
every day right.
Mera Cardenas (18:56):
They think the trail is for people who run or
they think the trail is forpeople who are fast on bikes.
And helping people understandthat you don't have to go far to
enjoy the trail.
This is for you, and we lovethat.
We start in the neighborhood ofTremont and then we walk down
(19:16):
the hill and we walk along theriver, because the river is
essential.
We wouldn't have had the canalif it weren't for the river.
We wouldn't be here if itweren't for the river.
So, connecting people to that.
They may not know that storylast week, but now they have a
connection to that and sothey're more open to hearing the
messages about why the river isimportant to us because they've
(19:38):
experienced it.
So that's part of making thatconnection.
Diane Bickett (19:43):
And there's good access points.
So in Tremont there's twoparking lots available there and
that's right off of what AbbeyRoad.
Abbey Road, okay, by theCleveland signveland sign we
call that we now call thatsokolowski's overlook.
Mera Cardenas (19:59):
Oh nice, okay, and it's.
Diane Bickett (20:00):
It's on google maps, so it's official okay, I
wish I'd bring the restaurantback, but then canal basin park,
which people have no idea where, how to get there, and that's
like right down the hill fromyour office here.
Yes, so right under theVeterans Memorial Bridge,
detroit.
Mera Cardenas (20:17):
Shorey Bridge, and as much as we love the
Veterans Memorial Bridge, that'sprobably why most people don't
know where Canal Basin isBecause they drive over it.
Exactly, you drive over it.
It was in fact one of thesupports, for the bridge is
(20:37):
right in the middle of whatwould have been the historic
turning basin, so that bridgeitself probably blew out what
was left of any historicinfrastructure down there when
it was built in the 19-teens.
Diane Bickett (20:52):
Canal Basin Park is being developed by the city
of Cleveland, or Cleveland MetroParks.
There's big plans for that area.
It's going to be beautiful.
Mera Cardenas (20:59):
Yes, so Canal Basin Park again, a huge
partnership.
And you have partners and youhave stakeholders.
The city of Cleveland owns theland and they own the entire 20
acres at this point 20 acres atthis point.
So some of the land has beenremediated, meaning that it was
(21:20):
reclaimed.
So there are millions ofdollars of investment in Canal
Basin Park already.
Some of that investment started20 years ago with the
acquisition of land, then withenvironmental remediation, and
we'll go back to that themeagain of partners buying into
the vision.
When the sewer district puttheir new pump station there,
(21:44):
they understood that this wasgoing to become a park.
So they created a muchdifferent experience than if
they were just creating this,you know, in some place where
the public wasn't going to beaccessible.
So they upgraded thearchitecture of the pump station
(22:04):
so that it would be morewelcoming in a park.
So those are things that youdon't really like?
yeah, you don't really thinkabout that.
Yeah, but the fact that thesewer district saw the vision
and said, all right, we're gonna.
We, our commitment is going tobe to make this welcoming and
(22:25):
not just, you know, a concreteblock structure and and those
are the types of things thathappened over the last 20 years.
So it isn't that we now havethe slate to start with.
There have been many plans tofor Canal Basin Park and the
(22:47):
last one, which took intoaccount a lot of the planning
that had already happened.
It's a process and it's acontinuum.
It was just approved by CityPlanning Commission on January
3rd, so we're now with Canal Way.
The city and the planners aremoving into the next phase of
(23:12):
planning.
Cleveland Metro Parks and thecounty are integral partners to
that the National Park, thesewer district.
There are a lot of partners whoare involved and will influence
the creation of the plan, sothe fundraising never ends.
Diane Bickett (23:30):
What does that look like today versus a year
ago?
Mera Cardenas (23:48):
In terms of access to capital to bring these
projects into being.
First, interstate created SteelYard.
They created a TIF fund thathelped to build the segments of
the towpath and it will alsohelp us to bring dollars to the
(24:09):
table immediately for theconstruction of Canal Basin.
So I mentioned January 3rd.
We had the planning commissionpass the schematic design,
approve the schematic design.
So our next phase, we're movingimmediately into design
documentation, constructiondocumentation, which is huge.
(24:30):
We don't have to raise themoney for that.
That actually is not comingfrom the TIF.
But then we can be verystrategic about those TIF
dollars and figure out how usingthose dollars in the future
will lead to the build out ofthe plan.
Right now at Canal Basin we'relooking at three components for
(24:54):
what we're calling the core ofCanal Basin.
So one is riverfront connection, so building a cohesive river
access, so whether that's apromenade or, you know, a
boardwalk along the river, thatties into the entire vision for
Cleveland Metro Parks along theriver, the Columbus Road
(25:17):
Peninsula and, now that they'rethey have, you know, property up
along the East Bank as well.
Diane Bickett (25:24):
Well, you have a lot of economic development
stats you can use in terms ofnumber to tell the story number
of visitors and the moneygenerated, and plus all the add
on, I mean the trail has led toa lot of the bike trails that
Cleveland Metro Parks is puttingin right along the lake and the
(25:44):
connector trails, so that'svery exciting.
Mera Cardenas (25:46):
A lot of those connector trails were inspired
by the towpath trail If you lookat the towpath trail as the
spine.
If you hadn't had the towpathtrail, we might not have the
bike connectivity across thecity, across the county and
across the region that we do now.
It was just announced thatSandusky is building their own
(26:06):
100-mile loop around the bay.
Really that's cool and what theTowpath Trail has brought to the
region is now being reflectedand repeated.
I think we just saw was it newsthis week too, about the Slavic
(26:28):
Village downtown connector thatis moving forward.
Kanaway was involved very earlyon in that, but Cleveland Metro
Parks has now been able to takethat project, get the funding
for it and really take thatexpertise from a lot of their
trail building and move thatproject forward.
Diane Bickett (26:46):
That's exciting.
So this whole area 40 yearsfrom now, with the bedrock
development and what's happeningon Scranton Peninsula and all
these connector trails, isreally great for the region.
Mera Cardenas (26:56):
Yeah, yeah, it really reflects the generational
work that is done, that itdoesn't get started and finished
in three or five years.
These are really big projectsand if you talk, whether it's
Canal Basin Park or the Towpath,irish Town, bend or Bedrock or
(27:20):
the lakefront, these are allthings that take, you know, a
generation to implement.
We were talking about theTowpath Trail in Canal Basin
Park 40 years ago.
That's where the vision wasborn.
A lot of work has gone intoCanal Basin.
Still a lot more work torealize that vision.
Diane Bickett (27:40):
Let's talk about a venture, hosting together us
all on the trail.
We talked about the LanternParade a couple weeks ago, but
you have several events comingup that are your signature
events you want to talk aboutthose?
Mera Cardenas (27:52):
Yes, so that was part of the reimagining of Canal
Way is that we were looking formore ways to engage people now
that the construction of the ofthe towpath was completed in
2021.
And while we're still working,so we work projects.
We talked a lot about canalbasin and the towpath, but these
programs are are really how weconnect with people.
(28:14):
So we had the lantern paradeand if you miss the lantern
parade, the professionallycreated lanterns will be on
display at Tower City startingApril 5th.
We have River Sweep, which wehave been running for 30,.
This is our 36th year of pickingup trash along the Cuyahoga
(28:36):
River corridor.
I would like to point out we'renot always going back to the
same places.
We do have success.
We've converted about 400 acresinto parkland, again not
single-handedly, but areas thatwe used to clean regularly
either no longer need cleaned orthey might be in public
(28:58):
ownership now or have beenredeveloped.
So we seek successes and we addnew sites every year.
So we've added.
For last year we added theOpportunity Corridor.
We'll return there this year,and then we've added West 65th
Street into this year.
So we're constantly addingvolunteer opportunities for that
(29:20):
open the first week of April,so that'll be the first Saturday
in May.
In April as well, we have theTowpath Half Marathon in the
Ohio and Erie Canal Reservation.
That is the first of our raceseries of the Towpath Trilogy.
In June we start Cycle CanalWay, so we'll lead the bike
(29:42):
rides out of a small communitybike rides and we take a
different tour every month.
And then we have a really largecommunity event Cleveland
History Days.
It starts June 19th, goesthrough the 29th.
We have about 30 history-mindedcommunity partners who work on
(30:05):
it.
Over 70 events history tours,lectures, fun things that we
have one historic bank lobbytours, which is this is the only
time we run it.
Historic bank lobby tours,which is this is the only time
we run it.
And then we have tours that youmight be able to do as part of
organizations at other times ofthe year.
Diane Bickett (30:24):
Yeah, I'm excited for Cleveland History Days.
You have 70 events going onover those 10 days.
Mera Cardenas (30:28):
Probably more than 70.
Yeah, we haven't filled out thecalendar yet.
We're in the planning stagesfor that.
We have River Rally, which ison August 9th.
Diane Bickett (30:41):
I love I have them, as I have the dates
written down, but you're likeI'm impressed.
Mera Cardenas (30:47):
The visual, a visual calendar.
We have some fun things in,interspersed within that as well
.
You're going to see a lot moreprogramming out of Canal Basin
Park.
Out of Canal Basin Park wehaven't announced some of it,
but we'll probably have somelive theater and some music and
different ways to get people tounderstand where Canal Basin
Park is and what to do downthere.
(31:10):
So we have some fun things withthat.
On April 26th we have Celebrate.
Trails Day will be based inCanal Basin and that is in
conjunction with the county andBike Cleveland, the city,
cleveland Metro Park.
So we'll be hosting some bikerides out of Canal Basin.
And then we have the jumpingahead in the calendar.
(31:35):
In October we have our TowpathMarathon, which is our third in
the running race series.
You don't have to run amarathon, there is also a half
marathon distance.
Diane Bickett (31:44):
How about a half-half marathon, a half-ass
marathon?
Mera Cardenas (31:50):
We do a 5K in our June event and each one of
those running races explores adifferent part of the towpath
trail, and then we kind of wrapup the year.
Inspired by Cleveland HistoryDays and my love of historic
cemeteries, we started an eventlast year that we called Buried
History Days, and so we engagewith the historic cemeteries
(32:13):
around the city and the eventsare designed to enlighten, not
frighten, and they're sharingthe stories of Clevelanders of
the past.
Diane Bickett (32:25):
Very exciting, everything's awesome, so I could
plan my whole summer juststaying here in.
Cleveland, between your eventsand the Conservancy for CVNP has
great, great concerts andeverything down that way.
So how do you use volunteers tosupport all these efforts and
(32:47):
how can people help?
Mera Cardenas (32:48):
Yeah, so volunteers are integral to the
success of any nonprofit.
You can volunteer with RiverSweep.
You can also volunteer for oneof our running races, so if you
have a group of folks, you don'thave to run the race.
You can be at one of our waterstops, which are always a lot of
fun.
You cheer on the runners, youcome out for a couple hours and
(33:13):
help people enjoy the TowpathTrail.
We have some corporations thatcome out and they'll well, I
won't say what's in their cups,but they have a good time with
their employees.
You can also talk to us aboutvolunteering for Cleveland
History Days.
We're actually starting I don'tknow if we're calling it a host
(33:33):
program, but we're starting away for people who are really
engaged with Cleveland historyto help us.
70 events is a lot of eventsand we have a small staff of
four.
So bringing people, you know,making sure that people have
their questions answered atCleveland History Days, but also
(33:54):
our events like River Rally.
We always need our volunteersto help us put these events on
and they might involve, like atthe Lantern Parade.
They involved greeting orkeeping people on the trail when
we had to turn around.
So it's a way to get outsideand enjoy the events on a
(34:15):
different level.
Diane Bickett (34:16):
Okay, well, I look forward to volunteering
with you guys.
Mera Cardenas (34:19):
We look forward to seeing you.
Diane Bickett (34:20):
If you give me a script, I can help you with the
Cleveland History Day.
Greg Rotuno (34:24):
And.
Diane Bickett (34:24):
I might know some people.
So, wrapping up, any partingthoughts or an homage to the
past, or a vision for the futurethat you want to leave us with,
or a vision for the future thatyou want to leave us with.
Mera Cardenas (34:39):
I think when you get to a big anniversary, it's a
great time for reflection Forsure it's a and you know I
pulled out this Plain Dealerarticle from 2000 entitled the
Forgotten Valley.
Steve Litt was very integral toreally understanding and
helping the public understand alot of the projects that we were
(35:00):
, that we were working on, and Ithink when you reflect on that
you also can can see if you'recaught up in a current moment
that might make you feel veryanxious.
You can look back at whetherit's an organization or
something connected to your ownlife.
(35:21):
You can look at that 40 yearsand see the progress and know
(35:47):
that we have.
That might change.
Every event might not be there.
For the next 40 years,hopefully we have new events
that are inspired by people,that connect people to place.
We also are looking at the 200thanniversary of canal
construction starts this year onJuly 4th.
(36:08):
The first canal boat went fromAkron to Cleveland on July 4th
1827.
So we're looking at the 200.
So the next two years we'll betalking about the 200th
anniversary of that keyconnection.
We're here in Cleveland and inAkron because of the
(36:30):
construction of that canal.
Everything that came after cameout of what the canal brought
to this region.
So we'll be looking at how dowe highlight the steelmaking or
the railroads that actuallyended up usurping the canal as
(36:53):
transportation, or the river,and the creation of the EPA
based on the river fire.
All these things are points ofreflection and that's what we'll
be talking about in the nearterm, but we're also setting our
organization up for success forthe next 40 years.
Diane Bickett (37:13):
Yeah, I like what you said about.
I mean, we're part of acontinuum and when we get upset
on our, you know, watching thenews or the day-to-day stuff, I
mean you just have to see thebigger picture, and I like what
you said.
The quote I read earlier fromyou was we're reclaiming the
narrative of our industrial past, which you know we like to run
(37:37):
away from because it was dirtyand it was polluting, but it was
so integral to who we are andthe formation of the
environmental regulations thatallow us to have a clean
environment today and use thisarea to the way we're using it
today.
So, thank you very much forjoining us, thank you for being
here and I'm really excited tosee what you do under your
(38:00):
tenure and learning more.
Mera Cardenas (38:04):
Thank you so much .
Greg Rotuno (38:07):
We hope you've enjoyed this episode of EcoSpeak
CLE.
You can find our full catalogof episodes on Spotify, apple
Podcasts or wherever you getyour podcasts.
New episodes are available thefirst and third Tuesday of each
month.
Please follow EcoSpeak CLE onFacebook and Instagram and
become part of the conversation.
If you would like to send usfeedback and suggestions, or if
(38:28):
you'd like to become a sponsorof EcoSpeak CLE, you can email
us at hello at ecospeakclecom.
Stay tuned for more importantand inspiring stories to come.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com