The Remarkable Restoration of Cuyahoga Valley National Park
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- I've been wanting to tell the story of the restoration of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, literally, since the day I started National Park Diaries. This is a story that has captivated me since I first heard about it and is really a perfect fit for the types of stories I like to tell on National Park Diaries. I told myself though, that I would only do this story when I had the opportunity to travel to Cuyahoga Valley National Park myself... Well, the time has finally come! I made the trip to Cuyahoga Valley, saw the restoration with my own two eyes, and I'm here now to tell you its story. Enjoy!
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Sources and Resources:
www.columbusmonthly.com/story...
www.smithsonianmag.com/histor...
• The Cuyahoga River Fir...
• The Cuyahoga River Fir...
• Cuyahoga River Polluti...
• Celebrating the Comeba... ]( • Celebrating the Comeba...
time.com/3921976/cuyahoga-fire/
www.washingtonpost.com/news/v...
time.com/archive/6637266/amer...
www.cleveland.com/metro/2009/...
slate.com/technology/2012/12/...
www.ideastream.org/news/envir...
cuyahogaaoc.org/
www.nps.gov/cuva/learn/cuyaho...
www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-...
www.nps.gov/articles/000/cuya...
www.nps.gov/articles/000/remo...
www.nps.gov/articles/story-of...
www.nps.gov/articles/carl-sto...
www.nps.gov/articles/how-a-na...
www.conservancyforcvnp.org/wp...
www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-...
www.nps.gov/parkhistory/onlin...
• John Debo - Generation...
pshistory.com/publications/cuv...
www.nps.gov/articles/project-... of wells have been,properties that contained abandoned wells](www.nps.gov/articles/project-...
Images and Music:
Storyblocks
NPS
WKYC-TV
PBS - Розваги
Oh man, I had to hold back tears the entire time I was watching this video. The restoration efforts that have been put on by so many people in and around the Cleveland-Akron bring me such hope; CVNP and the two Metroparks systems that flank and intertwine with it have done so much to save and preserve the area from the encroachments of industrialization. In a world where the threat of climate change looms large and environmental regulations are slowly being picked apart by conservatives, their continued efforts to preserve and recover the space show that there truly are good, caring people left in the world. Once the Gorge dam comes down, the Cuyahoga River will truly get to flow freely again. People with more impressive parks rag on Cuyahoga Valley, but it holds truly such a large space in my heart.
The entire Seiberling family really deserves mention. John Seiberling, as pointed out in the video, really spearheaded the effort to establish CVNP, but he also helped push for the expansion of the parks nationally as well. His grandfather, Frank Augustus Seiberling, co-founded the Goodyear Rubber company as well as the Seiberling rubber company and had multiple patents that helped revolutionize tired production, really bolstering Akron's economy and putting it on the map as a major tire producer. He was also known for treating his workers well and working to establish safe neighborhoods for his employees to live in. He was involved with a truly impressive list of charities and community organizations (seriously check out the list on Wikipedia, it is long) and was a founding member for the Akron Metropolitan Parks (now Summit Metro Parks) and was appointed the park commissioner in 1925. Hospitals, educational institutions, park services, fair housing you name it - the man truly didn't forget his community and I don't doubt that his attitude influenced his grandson. F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm in Summit Metroparks is named in his honor.
The children of F.A. Seiberling donated their family home, Stan Hywet, to be preserved as a museum and to this day you can visit it, enjoy the beautiful gardens, the greenhouse, and the lovely architecture, and reflect on how much good can be done by people who actually care. The work the Seiberlings did is still having a positive effect on the Akron community.
Scribed above the doors of Stan Hywet Hall are the latin words 'Non nobis solum' ; 'Not for us alone.'
Words to live by.
❤Thanks for sharing these additional details of an awesome story. Great to hear this type thing in these trying times!
@@tompfeiffer2755 I'm really surprised that the Seiberlings don't get more attention as philanthropists; there's pros and cons of old-school upperclass philanthropy, but as far as I've ever read, the Seiberlings were the real deal and actually really cared about people and their community.
Bonus fact, Henrietta Seiberling, Senator John Seiberling's mother, helped facilitate the founding of Alcoholic's Anonymous and the first meeting of AA was held at Stan Hywet, and her and her husband were devoted supporters of the group.
Wow, you're passion and knowledge of Cuyahoga Valley and this area's history really shine through in this comment. Thanks for sharing and adding some further context to a truly remarkable restoration story. And thanks for watching!
@@NationalParkDiaries Well, full disclosure, I had to double check some of my facts because a lot of this stuff is things I've learned over the years.
It doesn't hurt that I work seasonally for one of the park districts (keeping it a bit vague intentionally,) my dad is in the tire industry and I grew up around it, and well, I got married at Stan Hywet and grew up visiting it. XD
I kind of have the perfect background to pick up these random factoids.
Well they're much appreciated!
Cuyahoga Valley is like when an addict finally gets sober and starts living their best life
🤘👊🖤
A great analogy 😂
Just a question/suggestion: What happens to all the trash, etc. taken from toxic waste sites? Perhaps a short UA-cam for the future?
We really enjoyed our time in Cuyahoga National park a few years ago. You would never know it was there since it's sandwiched between two interstates. We stayed at the "grandfathered inn " bed and breakfast by Brandywine Falls - The transformation of the old car dump into a wetland was impressive. Loved walking the towpath and taking the train.
I've heard so many good things about the Brandywine Inn - going to try and stay there for my next visit! It's a beautiful park and I truly can't wait to go back!
Having grown up on the edge of the Cuyahoga Valley and remembering the fire as a kid, I am so happy that the river is healthy and alive again! thank you!
I am too and thanks for watching!
I'm really glad you talked about how the fire wasn't something new and unheard of when it happened, a lot of videos that have talked about this don't.
Yeah, this was something I didn't really know about before I researched this episode. I only knew the story from the way it had been covered traditionally, so it was nice to learn about those restoration efforts being undertaken before the 1969 fire and cover them here in the episode.
Cuyahoga Valley is a really special place, and I literally cannot overstate how important it is as a symbol of how it's never too late to try to fix our messes and build a better future. It bums me out when people dismiss it as unworthy of its National Park status, since it has such a crucial role in the history of the conservation movement and an incredible ongoing story.
Couldn't agree more! I made a video not too long ago about the problem of only focusing on scenery as a standard for how "good" our National Parks are, and I think Cuyahoga Valley continues to suffer from that very mentality. But, when you look at it as a symbol of recovery and what we can achieve by restoring degraded ecosystems, it's a really remarkable place and well worth its place in the National Park System.
@@NationalParkDiaries honestly its fine, I'll continue to laugh at their scorn and enjoy my smaller park for its quiet, resilient beauty. :D
@@lothlin right there with you 🤘🏻
As I watch this, I sit here wearing my Cuyahoga National Park T-shirt with tears in my eyes. It is an incredibly beautiful place and I am so grateful for all of the effort and work that has been and continues to be done to restore and preserve it for generations to come. Once you know the backstory, it really clicks in... we absolutely have the power to be the change we wish to see. Cuyahoga is truly a legacy. Thank you for telling this story and making this video.
Stories like these are necessary to tell in the modern day as environmental restoration and federal funding for said restorations have become even more important as there are plenty of landscapes and environments that need restoration whether they're on federal land or not.
Agreed. Cuyahoga Valley is like the poster child for these sorts of efforts and I think we can learn a lot from the efforts that went into bringing this place back to life.
So cool to get the historical context into this park!!!
I always love diving into the histories of these parks, it just enriches the experiences we have today!
Thanks for the shout out!! :D
Absolutely, can't wait to listen to the episode!
I've lived in Cuyahoga Falls, on the Cuyahoga River my entire life. Just minutes from the Cuyahoga Valley. The amount of restoration I've seen over the last 20 years has been amazing. I spent most of my childhood in the woods or in the river. I could go on and on. One of my favorite places in my little world.
Love stories like this. I love the fact that parks can provide these sorts of experiences and relationship for people. Glad to hear of your love for Cuyahoga Valley - thanks for sharing!
Thanks for featuring my home park and the work that has gone into and continues to go into its recovery! 😀The nearby Gorge Dam in the Summit Metroparks is also undergoing a removal and remediation project. Once complete the Cuyahoga Falls, obscured by the dam for over 100 years, will be able to be seen again. This is another long-term project, but one that will certainly continue to improve the Cuyahoga Valley.
Saw that - so exciting! I'm happy for Cuyahoga Valley and all the people that made that happen. Here's to more restoration efforts!
It's so inspiring to see how far the Cuyahoga Valley has come in its restoration! It can feel so hopeless trying to work towards ecological goals but this helps give the larger perspective and showcases how much we can fix. The large river in my city has 25 sewage overflow outlets into the river, so it's not always safe to go into it, but they're currently trying to fix the water systems to not dump raw sewage upstream of the city, or at all.
I think Cuyahoga is an important reminder that no place is beyond saving. This was one of the most polluted places in America, and now its a National Park. Certainly, it stands as a shining example of the power of restoration. Thanks for watching and I hope your city's river gets restored soon.
Always great content! Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Never realized how much active restoration was occurring here! I have seen closed off areas of restoration at other parks, but it is great that we can see the results at cuyahoga. Gives me hope for restoration efforts elsewhere
I couldn't believe it either when I started looking into this park! It quickly emerged as the main theme of this episode - Cuyahoga shows just what's possible when we choose to actively recover polluted and degraded landscapes.
Cuyahoga really is such a special park. Even without the conservation success story, it’s a place that celebrates the subtle beauty of a Midwestern forest, which deserve much of the same respect we give to mountains or deserts. But within the context of the NPS aiming to highlight American history as well as natural places, it’s such an important place to highlight the modern conservation movement and the history of the time period that lead to its creation.
Totally agreed. Cuyahoga is a really well-rounded park. Nature, history, culture, recreation - it has it all. I love parks like that and think CV is very deserving of its NP status. Thanks, as always, for watching!
I’ve lived in Cuyahoga County my whole life,I visited CVNP for the first time last August to watch the meteor shower. It was beautiful from what I could see in the dark lol. I’ve been back a few times since and love the place. Great video! ❤
Thank you for doing this video. I hike trails in the CVNP, sometimes as much as 10 miles. It is a beautiful gem, hiking trail after hiking trail, up and down the valley... A wilderness between two major metropolitan areas, it has become a gift to those who live here...
Thanks so much for watching!
Growing up my grandparents would take me out in the valley to see where the cranes would nest. I took one of my favorite field trips to Mary Campbells cave, the gorge, and the falls behind the Sheraton. The last time I saw a lot of my friends who I traveled to Australia with was at Beaver Lodge. I did a teambuilding retreat at the ledges near ice box cave. If I get my way I'll be holding my wedding at one of the cabins. Every part of that park has touched every part of my life, and I'm beyond grateful to all the people who worked so hard to make it a place where I could have those special memories. People truly don't understand the beauty this place has. This landscape is in my heart and soul, and it means so much to see those places brought to a larger audience.
What a fantastic story, thanks so much for sharing! It warms my heart to know that Cuyahoga provided that sort of experience for you, as it has for many people over the years. Hearing stories like this truly motivate me to tell more park stories because I know the power they can have in people's lives. Truly, thank you!
Thanks for the awesome content and great videos!
Thanks as always for watching!
Another great video! I didn't know anything about this park. Thank you for telling us about it. What a great story!
The Cuyahoga Valley Natl Park is a symbol of hope that we can right what we have wronged. "... create parks where people need them", what a great mantra!!!
The old Cuyahoga River sounds just like the old Chicago River. Both are healthy rivers now. The Los Angeles River is next (I hope).
People often treat parks as not a priority and balk at funding them, but they should be priorities. Just as healthy food is good for the body, healthy parks are good for the spirit and the soul, which is just as important. Good parks contribute to a city's economy by making a city attractive and a pleasant one to want to live and work in.
Right? I love the "parks where people need them" approach! I couldn't agree more on the physical, spiritual, and mental benefits of parks, of all sizes. Here's hoping our elected officials learn that funding them is a "high tide raises all boats" situation - they're good for everyone. Thanks for watching!
Perfect timing!!! We just spent a week there last week! Wonderful park! Hiked and biked nearly 90 miles! Tons of history! Thanks!
Big week! I didn't get to see nearly as much as I wanted during my visit, but the silver lining is that I know have a great excuse to go back, which I'm very much looking forward to. Glad you enjoyed your trip and thanks for watching!
Cleveland native, many volunteer groups put work in, I have buzzards circling my neighborhood all summer long. Lots of animals are returning and the Cleveland Metroparks are their highway (The Emerald Necklace)!
Thanks
I, and many other National Park visitors, are very grateful to those groups - they've done a fantastic job, not just at Cuyahoga Valley, but across the Cleveland/Akron area. Major props to them!
Wow, thank you. I live in Akron myself and honestly I had no idea what went in to making it the beautiful place that it is now. Always enjoy your content and I hope you visit again someday.
I'll certainly be back, don't you worry! Appreciate the support and thanks for watching!
I was able to do a short drive around the park and get a quick 1hr hike in, on a visit to Cleveland for a wedding. I wasn't overly impressed until I factored in what the area was, to what it is now. Astounding restoration of the area. Your video really sums up what this park is about.
It really does change your perspective on the park, and greatly enhances your experience, IMO. Glad you came around on it and enjoyed your visit. Hopefully we can both get back there for a little more time on our next visit!
Thanks for a great video on my favorite national park and the one where I essentially live whenever I don't have to be at work. CVNP doesn't have the "wow" factor, full-on wilderness away from civilization, unique landscapes and geology of some of the more famous parks, but we have a more subtle beauty, a rich history, and a vital story of how to restore a damaged ecosystem unparalleled in any other park. Plus, the sheer scope of activities available in the park is impressive--within the park boundaries, we have hiking, road biking, kayaking, train riding, golfing, picnicking, fishing, going to concerts ranging from small artists on a stage in a field to the world's greatest orchestra and major rock/pop/country acts at Blossom, seeing theater productions (Porthouse Theater is on the Blossom grounds), cross country skiing, downhill skiing, sledding, ice skating, mountain biking, visiting farms and farmer's markets, horseback riding, hosting events in historic buildings, visiting art galleries, shopping for antiques, getting a Christmas tree from a tree farm, birdwatching, taking scenic drives, visiting a winery, and probably other activities that I haven't thought of. (Plus, this year, we also had experiencing a total eclipse and the Aurora Borealis, which was awesome 😉).
I hadn't even heard of some of those recreational activities you mentioned! But you're right there are a ton, and Cuyahoga succeeds on a more non-traditional approach to National Park experiences. I think we need places like that in the system just as much as we need the true wilderness experiences!
I just went there. It was amazing I thought. Knowing that everything in the park was fought for and won makes it even more special to me. Top five favorite NP for me.
I really do think knowing the history of this park greatly enhances your visit there. Really special place, I agree!
I just visited Cuyahoga Valley recently! Beautiful place. Brandywine Falls is a sight to see. Also visited the old Jaite mill and Krejci site. Fascinating history. Sad, yet inspiring.
Glad you enjoyed it! I found my visit so much more enjoyable knowing the park's restoration history. Hopefully this story is able to do the same for others!
This is another comment to boost the algorithm, as this video is excellent and needs more views.
Always appreciated 🙏
I'll be sending this video to all my friends when they say that the park isn't good. Yeah, its no Grand Canyon, Zion, or Rocky Mountain, but its still great to have in our backyard. Also this was a great video to watch before my evening run on the towpath through the CVNP.
Please do! I fell in love with CVNP immediately and am happy to share its wonderful story with as many people as possible
one my favorite national parks went to it almost daily last year. live 30mins from it and work about 15 from the park. glad to see this video
It was such a delightful park, really enjoyed my time there. Can't wait to go back, as there was so much I didn't get to see! You're lucky to live so close!
I didn’t know cuyahoga valley had such a rich history
Very! One of the more historically dense parks I've covered, especially when it comes to environmental and restoration history.
@@NationalParkDiarieslove the rehabilitation efforts put into the park, very fascinating too! Love ur videos!
Appreciate it, thanks for watching!
Sounds like Chrissie Hynde's great ballad, 'My City was Gone' could have included a line about 'my river was on fire'!
Great post, thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Well done! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
❤Another fantastic video! Your content keeps getting better. Nat Geo quality. We have been there 3 times and had a wonderful experience each time. From the Towpath history to Brandywine Falls to the the Ledges Trail, all National Park type experiences. Thank you very much for this effort!
Thanks for the kind words, Tom! I knew immediately that I would have to go back to Cuyahoga Valley - there was so much I didn't get to see!
Love the story. A great recovery 🎉
Totally agree, thanks for watching!
I really love the cvnp I've spent a lot of time there and it's cool to be in what feels like a remote forest until you come upon old foundations or quarries. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad would've been a good thing to mention too! It's the only national park with a train that runs all the way through it, and it's likely to be extended to downtown Cleveland in the next few years, so it'll be accessible to a lot more people especially without cars. It's also cool for kayaking/biking in one direction and being able to take the train back!
The train is a very cool aspect of the park, I agree! I didn't get a chance to ride it, but it's definitely on my list for a bike trip next time I'm up that way.
Great video! I like the angle of focusing on the importance of restoration in conservation work rather than just monumentalism. I get so tired of hearing people talk about how thia doesnt "deserve" to be a national park because it isnt Yosemite or Mt Rainier. If only the federal government had stepped in time to protect the Indiana Dunes landscape before it got all pock-marked like it is today.
I love learning from you!
Thank you 😊
I love CVNP. Thanks for your good report on it!
Thanks for watching!
amazing!!!
Agreed!
Yuk. 39 seconds in, and your visceral description forced me to pause. I am now highly anticipating the redemption/resurrection!
Inspiring.
Agreed!
Wonderful presentation.
Thank you!!
Thank you for the correct pronunciation of our river!
I didn't know there were alternative pronunciations lol!
@@NationalParkDiaries Some folks call it ka-HOG-ah, for reasons I've never been able to fathom. 😂 But whatever it's called, it's a terrific place. My daughter is a conservation ecologist who has worked there and in other parks in the region, so I know what sort of hard work goes into this sort of restoration effort. It truly is the people of the community who make it possible. The thousands of hours of volunteer work which account for a lot of the heavy lifting the spread-far-too-thin parks service personnel don't have the ability to do are what make a lot of restoration projects come to fruition. So get out there and volunteer, if you can. Almost every park, whether national, state, or local, have volunteer corps that can always use extra hands.
I believe Seiberling, an ancestor of the Goodyear Tire Company donated thousands of acres. I lived through the early years at the top of the valley and remember it well. We often hiked into the valley at the Cuyahoga/Summit Counties line. I used to realize what so many locals didn't see what I got to see. Well before the park existed. Both of my sisters still live in homes at the top of the valley. What wasn't mentioned is how bad Lake Erie was also. You didn't want to fish the lake.
It really is a remarkable recovery, and symbolizes the larger movement for restoration in America at that time, Lake Erie being a great example of that. That entire region has done a great job imo
Great documentary video.
Thank you!!
The Sandy River here in Maine used to catch fire like back in the 80s nothing huge but people would throw matches in cause the little floating fires
The Hackensack River up in NJ is still a huge task at getting it un-polluted. There used to be a swim club along the river, before it got too polluted for people to use it. It's still known to be a really bad river.
I was literally at Cuyahoga Valley earlier today.
I love visiting the newer national parks...I've been to many of the western acclaimed national parks but feel like the historical, cultural and natural history of the eastern US has been ignored.
East Coast definitely has some underrated parks imo
How the heck did people think it was ok to dump toxins into a river?! And what did they do with all the contaminated soil that was removed? Great story, thanks. I’m so glad it was restored.
Contaminated soil was removed to a proper storage location, built to handle toxic waste and other such contaminants. Not sure specifically where, but it was removed safely.
Not important but I absolutly love The Blossom. Never been to a concert venue that FREE parking. Also Summit (County Akron is in) Metro Parks is removing a damn in the river this year. Very cool.
Blossom is on my list for a return visit!
@@NationalParkDiaries wait till they get that dam out. It will be fabulous!
As a resident of Ohio I'm ashamed the Cuyahoga ended up like that.
Now it is a beautiful park with trails for hiking and all sorts of things to see and do...
The important thing is it's not like that any more and Cuyahoga Valley serves as a reminder of what we can achieve when we choose to restore places like it!
My least favorite part of the myth of the burning river is that in the common mind set, people think that it was the only river ever to catch fire. 🙄
Yep, one of those myths that has persisted throughout history unfortunately. Glad to correct the record where I can!
CVNP is one of places to be. I run there at least once a week.
Lucky you! It looks like a great running park!
@NationalParkDiaries thanks for telling this story.
Although no relation, 'Krejci' is pronounced more like 'Cray-CHEE'. The 'j' is slightly in there too but it's fine to skip it. 😊
Akron was not a megalopolis. It was part of the Cleveland metro area.
When a river catches on fire, what do you put it out with?
You either smother it with CO2 or take the heat away with water overtop of it. Sometimes a foam is used. It also depends on what exactly is burning. If it's a mix of stuff burning, you'd have to try a range of options until you find something that works.
I look at this and cant help but to be reminded that we are the most dangerous animal the world has ever known.
burning the slug was standard for the river weird
Where did all the polluted soil go from the illegal unlined diump site.
It was removed and taken to a proper waste-disposal facility
So where did all that pollution get moved to instead? Especially the dirt
Contaminated soils and other toxic pollutants like that are removed from the site to an containment area built to handle them. Not sure exactly where, but there are protocols for these sorts of things 👍
Is this what they mean when they say, "Make America Great Again"?
Spin was invented long before the wheel .
Try Vegan Please
Akron was not a megalopolis. It was part of the Cleveland metro area.