Mark
Warman,
a
2013
Baldwin
Wallace
sustainability
and
biology
graduate,
surprised
local
botanists
with
some
major
discoveries
in
Northeast
Ohio.
Invasive
Species
Specialist
Warman
serves
as
the
aquatic
invasive
species
project
coordinator
for
the
Cleveland
Metroparks.
He
oversees
efforts
to
identify
and
manage
invasive
plant
species
before
they
disrupt
the
local
ecosystem.
These
initiatives
save
the
city
major
maintenance
costs
down
the
line.
"Who
wants
to
kayak
through
a
mat
of
water
weeds?"
Warman
explains.
An
Accidental
Discovery
Warman
is
regularly
dispatched
with
local
botanists
to
various
sites
in
Northeast
Ohio
in
search
of
invasive
plant
species.
It
was
during
a
routine
expedition
that
they
happened
upon
two
'lost'
plants
whose
natural
population
had
not
been
observed
in
over
50
years
in
the
state
of
Ohio.
"We
tossed
garden
rake
heads
on
ropes
into
the
water
and
retrieved
[the]
plants,"
Warman
said.
The
first
plant,
Vasey's
Pondweed,
was
found
on
an
assignment
in
the
Lorain
County
Metro
Parks,
and
the
second,
Fineleaf
Pondweed,
was
discovered
right
here
in
Lake
Erie,
north
of
Burke
Lakefront
Airport.
Both
plants
were
verified
by
the
state
botanist,
confirming
their
exciting
reappearance
in
Ohio.
"It's
a
plant
that
you
don't
see
very
often
…
So
to
come
to
Lorain
County
Metroparks
and
just
see
it
really
thriving
and
just
a
ton
of
it
everywhere,
it's
a
pretty
neat
thing,"
Warman
said
in
a
News
Channel
5
story.
Double
Major
Pays
Off
Warman's
commitment
to
the
study
of
both
biology
and
sustainability
during
his
tenure
at
BW
has
informed
his
career
in
robust
ways.
Warman
is
not
only
able
to
identify
rare
aquatic
plant
species
but
can
also
communicate
the
value
of
these
finds
in
a
way
that
shapes
the
conversation
around
preserving
our
local
aquatic
ecosystem.
Due
to
Ohio's
tremendous
water
resources,
we
are
witnessing
the
resurgence
of
these
'lost'
plants.
Learning
about
the
health
of
local
rivers,
lakes
and
other
bodies
of
water
is
key;
these
resources
"should
be
protected
and
kept
free
of
invasive
species
so
we
can
continue
to
support
a
wide
variety
of
wildlife,"
Warman
says.
The
Cleveland
Metroparks
Aquatic
Invasive
Plant
Project
is
jointly
administered
by
the
Ohio
Department
of
Natural
Resources
Division
of
Wildlife
and
U.S.
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service
via
the
Great
Lakes
Restoration
Initiative
Program.
