The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

World Wetlands Day 2008
-- USA

World Wetlands Day at the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park (ORWRP), The Ohio State University

World Wetlands Day event at the ORWRP on Saturday February 2, 2008 was a great success with over 100 students, faculty, general public and children showing up for the 8 am breakfast catered by Two Caterers Contemporary Cuisine. Speakers included Jerry Pausch, ORW Advisory Committee Chair, Joe Jordan, film maker and master fisherman, and Gordon Gee, President, OSU. President Gee unveiled a picture of the belle of the ball--Olentangy Olga--a muskrat who will represent wetlands every February 2 (to complete with that groundhog on groundhog day Feb 2 in Pennsylvania!). ORWRP Director Bill Mitsch then led an excursion to the wetlands at the ORWRP where Olentangy Olga lives. She has put out a welcome sign next to her home but on this cold winter morning she was clearly hibernating!

See slide show of the event at http://swamp.osu.edu/news/WWD-Feb-2-2008.htm

Gordon Gee, President, Ohio State University, and Bill Mitsch, Director of the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park at Ohio State University, introduce Olentangy Olga to the public on Feb 2, 2008 World Wetlands Day, in Columbus Ohio USA.

For further information about World Wetlands Day or the Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ). Posted 13 February 2008, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.