http://www.toledoblade.com The Latest News from Toledoblade.com (v5) Wed, 07 Oct 2026 05:35:12 GMT en-us hourly 1 https://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2026/10/03/great-lakes-leaders-gather-regional-push/stories/20261003012 https://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2026/10/03/great-lakes-leaders-gather-regional-push/stories/20261003012#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2026 15:00:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2026/10/03/great-lakes-leaders-gather-regional-push/stories/20261003012 Regionalism isn’t new, but the argument for it is gaining new urgency around the Great Lakes. Toledo Harbor Light is lit at sunset. A view of Lake Erie is seen from the Gibraltar Island shoreline at sunrise. The Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial's column are at Put-in-Bay. Carty Finkbeiner, a former Toledo mayor and South Toledo resident, left, and John Irish, who lives next to the now-closed Harvard Elementary School, talk about the Harvard School at Wixey Bakery in South Toledo on July 1. The two are part of a group pushing to saving the historic building and find a new use for it. Former Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner talks. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) talks. A large rock sticks out of the water near Lake Erie's Gibraltar Island. View of Lake Erie from Gibraltar Island is featured. A view of western Lake Erie is featured. A boat plies the western Lake Erie water. Rocks are located off the Gibraltar Island shoreline in western Lake Erie. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/30/area-students-find-joy-in-baby-lake-sturgeon-release-near-fremont/stories/20260930094 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/30/area-students-find-joy-in-baby-lake-sturgeon-release-near-fremont/stories/20260930094#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:30:00 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/30/area-students-find-joy-in-baby-lake-sturgeon-release-near-fremont/stories/20260930094 FREMONT — Joy, giggles, and even some powerful words of hope made the second release of baby lake sturgeon into the Sandusky River an event to remember for 300 area high school students Wednesday. Port Clinton High School junior Clara Blatt, 16, releases a sturgeon into the Sandusky River on Sept. 30 in Fremont. Gage Hockenberry, 16, of Gibsonburg releases a sturgeon into the Sandusky River on Sept. 30 in Fremont. From left, Huron High School students Ida Lamb, 14, and Emma Keller, 17, pose for a photo before releasing sturgeon into the Sandusky River on Sept. 30 in Fremont. A baby sturgeon Sept. 30 in Fremont. 300 kids from multiple high schools across the region are releasing 750 baby lake sturgeon into the Sandusky River. A baby sturgeon on Sept. 30 in Fremont. A baby sturgeon on Sept. 30 in Fremont. Jorden McKenna, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, puts baby sturgeon into a bucket on Sept. 30 in Fremont. Jorden McKenna, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, nets baby sturgeon to be released into the Sandusky River on Sept. 30 in Fremont. Jorden McKenna, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, handles baby sturgeon to be released into the Sandusky River on Sept. 30 in Fremont. Three hundred students from multiple high schools across the region release 750 baby lake sturgeon into the Sandusky River on Sept. 30 in Fremont. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) did not speak at the event but posed with multiple students. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) did not speak at the event but posed with multiple students. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) did not speak at the event but posed with multiple students. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/28/strong-winds-northeast-make-toledo-area-algae-even-more-gross/stories/20260928099 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/28/strong-winds-northeast-make-toledo-area-algae-even-more-gross/stories/20260928099#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2026 20:06:39 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/28/strong-winds-northeast-make-toledo-area-algae-even-more-gross/stories/20260928099 Western Lake Erie’s 2026 algal bloom is still going strong in the Toledo area as October looms. The Western Lake Erie algal bloom on Sept. 28 along Bay Shore Road in Oregon. Lake Erie water has been especially green along the Oregon shoreline lately because of strong winds from the northeast. Warning sign about the risk of coming in contact with potential toxins from the algal bloom on Sept. 28 at Maumee Bay.State Park. The Western Lake Erie algal bloom on Sept. 28 along Bay Shore Road in Oregon. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/27/iconic-lake-sturgeon-living-twice-long/stories/20260926010 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/27/iconic-lake-sturgeon-living-twice-long/stories/20260926010#comments Sun, 27 Sep 2026 17:05:18 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/27/iconic-lake-sturgeon-living-twice-long/stories/20260926010 It’s an exciting time of year for kids and kids at heart. In this photo, taken in May, Sean Leask, fish and wildlife biologist for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; and Mohammed Khalifa, a PhD student at Michigan State University, hold one of the larger adult lake sturgeons removed that spring from northern Michigan's Black River. The Black River was found to have the oldest known lake sturgeon in the Great Lakes region. Shown holding this whopper of a sturgeon in 2017 were Jessica Collier, Jennifer Johnson, and Paige Wigren. The fish was removed from the Detroit River during a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assessment of that waterway. A baby sturgeon swims around in a tub before it was released into the Sandusky River, at Darr-Root Fishing Access in Fremont, on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. A baby sturgeon slides out of a bucket to start its new life in the Sandusky River, at Darr-Root Fishing Access in Fremont, on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. Closeup of a baby lake sturgeon released in 2025. Baby lake sturgeon in a bucket of water during 2025, moments before they were released. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/26/hundreds-volunteers-clean-maumee-river-litter/stories/20260926096 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/26/hundreds-volunteers-clean-maumee-river-litter/stories/20260926096#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2026 19:46:25 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/26/hundreds-volunteers-clean-maumee-river-litter/stories/20260926096 Diana Schwind looked toward the ground at Side Cut Metropark with a trash picker in hand, cleaning up trash along the Maumee River. Sarah Abts empties out a can while cleaning up trash during Partners for Clean Streams’ 30th annual Clean Your Streams Day at International Park in Toledo on Sept. 26. Matthew Scheiber looks for trash to pick up during Partners for Clean Streams’ 30th annual Clean Your Streams Day at International Park in Toledo on Sept. 26. Sarah Abts picks up trash during Partners for Clean Streams’ 30th annual Clean Your Streams Day at International Park in Toledo on Sept. 26. Marie Clark-Phelps, left, Matthew Scheiber, center, and Deirdre Manning clean up trash next to the Anthony Wayne Bridge during Partners for Clean Streams’ 30th annual Clean Your Streams Day at International Park in Toledo on Sept. 26. Deirdre Manning picks up trash during Partners for Clean Streams’ 30th annual Clean Your Streams Day at International Park in Toledo on Sept. 26. Volunteers clean up trash along the Maumee River during Partners for Clean Streams’ 30th annual Clean Your Streams Day at International Park in Toledo on Sept. 26. Sarah Abts and her husband Howard clean up trash during Partners for Clean Streams’ 30th annual Clean Your Streams Day at International Park in Toledo on Sept. 26. Howard Abts picks up trash along the Maumee River during Partners for Clean Streams’ 30th annual Clean Your Streams Day at International Park in Toledo on Sept. 26. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/26/deadly-pest-once-eradicated-united-states-comeback/stories/20260919021 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/26/deadly-pest-once-eradicated-united-states-comeback/stories/20260919021#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2026 19:31:39 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/26/deadly-pest-once-eradicated-united-states-comeback/stories/20260919021 Death by flesh-eating maggots. An adult New World Screwworm fly is shown. New World Screwworm maggots. They differ from ordinary maggots in that they twist, turn, and screw their way into live warm-blooded animal tissue. Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge. A deer infested by screwworm maggots.. A dog's eye infested by screwworm maggots. A pig's mouth infested by screwworm maggots. A dog's neck with severe infestation of screwworm maggots. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/24/metroparks-board-embraces-bat-conservation-efforts/stories/20260923085 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/24/metroparks-board-embraces-bat-conservation-efforts/stories/20260923085#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2026 17:17:40 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/24/metroparks-board-embraces-bat-conservation-efforts/stories/20260923085 The Metroparks Toledo Board of Park Commissioners spent the first half hour of its September meeting learning more about bats. About 30 people participated in a pair of tree-climbing sessions during the Ohio Bat Blitz event at Wildwood Preserve Metropark in West Toledo in July. A species known as the big brown bat. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/17/ut-med-students-experts-look-lake-erie-algal-bloom-peak/stories/20260917083 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/17/ut-med-students-experts-look-lake-erie-algal-bloom-peak/stories/20260917083#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:35:30 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/17/ut-med-students-experts-look-lake-erie-algal-bloom-peak/stories/20260917083 Thirty-five University of Toledo medical students got a firsthand look at western Lake Erie’s algal bloom near its seasonal peak during a chartered cruise aboard the Glass City Pearl. University of Toledo Lake Erie Center Director Tom Bridgeman holding a large sample of algae-plagued water he pulled out of Lake Erie during the trip. UT medical students Natalyia VanLiew and Ethan Edelbrock get information about Lake Erie from professor David Kennedy at the Toledo Yacht Club on Sept. 17 in North Toledo. UT medical researcher Joan Duggan gives information about Lake Erie at the Toledo Yacht Club on Sept. 17 in North Toledo. David Kennedy, professor of medicine, leads UT medical researchers and medical students on a Lake Erie tour at the Toledo Yacht Club on Sept. 17 in North Toledo. Dr. Deepa Mukundan, UT pediatrics department chair, was one of the speakers at the Toledo Yacht Club before the Lake Erie cruise began. In this photo, taken in April, she demonstrated during a tour of a medical building how medical students are now being trained to look for symptoms of exposure to harmful algal blooms, or HABs, in children through use of a manikin. Lead organizer David Kennedy, center, is flanked by some of the 35 medical students on the upper deck of the Glass City Pearl during the Lake Erie cruise. Lead organizer David Kennedy, a University of Toledo professor of medicine, discusses the Lake Erie sample with second-year medical students Cynthia Bukirwa, 24, Natalyia VanLiew, 26, and Desiree Schafer, 23, aboard the Glass City Pearl. David Kennedy, professor of medicine, with the Lake Erie water sample drawn moments earlier by University of Toledo Lake Erie Center Director Tom Bridgeman. Teya LeBlanc-Hill, 25, a second-year UT medical student from Cleveland. A closeup of what western Lake Erie's water looks like now that the summer 2026 algal bloom is at its peak. Jeana Schafer, 24, a second-year UT medical student from Lambertville. UT medical students Natalyia VanLiew and Ethan Edelbrock get information about Lake Erie from professor David Kennedy at the Toledo Yacht Club on Sept. 17 in North Toledo. David Kennedy, professor of medicine, leads UT medical researchers and medical students on a Lake Erie tour at the Toledo Yacht Club on Sept. 17 in North Toledo. Teya LeBlanc-Hill, 25, a second-year UT medical student from Cleveland, gives thumbs up during the cruise aboard the Glass City Pearl. David Kennedy, professor of medicine, leads UT medical researchers and medical students on a Lake Erie tour at the Toledo Yacht Club on Sept. 17 in North Toledo. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/14/lake-erie-algal-bloom-remains-thick-between-toledo-monroe/stories/20260914091 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/14/lake-erie-algal-bloom-remains-thick-between-toledo-monroe/stories/20260914091#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:37:52 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/14/lake-erie-algal-bloom-remains-thick-between-toledo-monroe/stories/20260914091 Western Lake Erie’s cyanobacteria bloom, more commonly known as an algal bloom, has decreased a tad in size. This NOAA graphic depicts the current state of western Lake Erie's algal bloom, as of Sunday. The red and orange areas between Toledo and Monroe have the highest toxin concentrations. The current state of Lake Erie's algal bloom, as of Sunday. This satellite imagery was eleased by NOAA on Monday afternoon. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/11/parts-lake-erie-are-now-reported-very-scummy/stories/20260911108 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/11/parts-lake-erie-are-now-reported-very-scummy/stories/20260911108#comments Fri, 11 Sep 2026 20:18:15 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/11/parts-lake-erie-are-now-reported-very-scummy/stories/20260911108 Now’s the time to be especially careful if you’re boating on western Lake Erie. A photo of the open water of Lake Erie, near the mouth of the Maumee River, taken Aug. 25 from aboard a NOAA research vessel. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/09/h2ohio-wetlands-project-ottawa-hills/stories/20260909102 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/09/h2ohio-wetlands-project-ottawa-hills/stories/20260909102#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2026 16:46:55 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/09/h2ohio-wetlands-project-ottawa-hills/stories/20260909102 The latest H2Ohio wetlands project was dedicated this week, this time at a 23-acre site inside Ottawa Hills. From left, Bill Stanley, Nature Conservancy Ohio chapter director; Ohio Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D., Toledo), Ohio Rep. Erika White (D., Springfield Township), and Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz. A portion of the 23-acre wetland project dedicated this week by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the village of Ottawa Hills. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/09/with-no-time-to-spare-michigan-hatches-a-great-lakes-whitefish-rescue-plan-1/stories/20260909081 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/09/with-no-time-to-spare-michigan-hatches-a-great-lakes-whitefish-rescue-plan-1/stories/20260909081#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:18:38 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/09/with-no-time-to-spare-michigan-hatches-a-great-lakes-whitefish-rescue-plan-1/stories/20260909081 With time running out to save the Great Lakes’ whitefish from a deadly mussel invasion, Michigan officials have a moonshot plan to pluck fish from Lake Michigan and breed them in captivity. Joel Petersen carries a net of whitefish aboard a boat near Leland, Mich., 2025. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/08/construction-of-invasive-carp-barrier-resumes/stories/20260908083 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/08/construction-of-invasive-carp-barrier-resumes/stories/20260908083#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2026 21:22:33 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/08/construction-of-invasive-carp-barrier-resumes/stories/20260908083 JOLIET, Ill. — Construction of the invasive carp barrier near Chicago is back on. Invasive carp shown leaping near Memphis in this 2011 file photo. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/06/lettuce-safe-shoppers-ready/stories/20260903096 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/06/lettuce-safe-shoppers-ready/stories/20260903096#comments Sun, 06 Sep 2026 17:12:16 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/06/lettuce-safe-shoppers-ready/stories/20260903096 Shannon Solt has no problem buying lettuce — so long as it is grown locally. “I’d rather support local at this point,” Mrs. Solt, of Perrysburg, said outside Kazmaier’s Market in Perrysburg on Wednesday.  The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers For Salad is displayed at the salad bar on Sept. 3 at Walt Churchill's Market in Perrysburg. Salad is displayed at the salad bar on Sept. 3 at Walt Churchill's Market in Perrysburg. Dawn Self, a manager at Walt Churchill's Market in Perrysburg, holds a container of iceberg lettuce from the popular salad bar inside the store. Salad Bar Lead Cari Vicary tends to the salad bar on Sept. 3 at Walt Churchill's Market in Perrysburg. Rob and Shannon Solt are reluctant to buy bagged lettuce again. Frank Johnoff of Maumee and his wife Joann said they prefer alternatives to lettuce. Holly Spenthoff of Monclova Township uses the salad bar on Sept. 3 at Walt Churchill's Market in Perrysburg. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/02/photo-gallery-dry-creek-preserve/stories/20260902106 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/02/photo-gallery-dry-creek-preserve/stories/20260902106#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2026 20:03:35 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/02/photo-gallery-dry-creek-preserve/stories/20260902106 Community members were invited Wednesday to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Walbridge Dry Creek Preserve in Walbridge, Ohio. Attendees were invited to tour the preserve and learn more about the ecological practices implemented on the site. Walbridge mayor Ed Kolanko talks about the work involved for the Dry Creek Preserve trail at a ribbon-cutting news conference announcing its opening on Sept. 2 in Walbridge, Ohio. The habitat rehabilitation project slows down the Dry Creek, allowing for ecological health improvement. Walbridge mayor Ed Kolanko talks about the work involved for the Dry Creek Preserve trail at a ribbon-cutting news conference announcing its opening on Sept. 2 in Walbridge, Ohio. Walbridge mayor Ed Kolanko talks about the work involved for the Dry Creek Preserve trail at a ribbon-cutting news conference announcing its opening on Sept. 2 in Walbridge, Ohio. Guests listen to information at a ribbon-cutting news conference announcing the opening of the Dry Creek Preserve trail on Sept. 2 in Walbridge, Ohio. Guests are given tours of the half-mile trail in off-road vehicles after the ribbon-cutting news conference announcing the opening of the Dry Creek Preserve trail on Sept. 2 in Walbridge, Ohio. Wood Co. engineer Josh Belknap and Walbridge mayor Ed Kolanko congratulate each other on the project at a ribbon-cutting news conference announcing the opening of the Dry Creek Preserve trail on Sept. 2 in Walbridge, Ohio. Guests walk the half-mile trail after a ribbon-cutting news conference announcing the opening of the Dry Creek Preserve trail on Sept. 2 in Walbridge, Ohio. The Ohio EPA's Cherie Blair cuts the ribbon with local project partners at a news conference announcing the opening of the Dry Creek Preserve trail on Sept. 2 in Walbridge, Ohio. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/02/explore-more-of-toledo-with-new-park-quest-pass/stories/20260902080 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/02/explore-more-of-toledo-with-new-park-quest-pass/stories/20260902080#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2026 18:21:46 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/02/explore-more-of-toledo-with-new-park-quest-pass/stories/20260902080 Toledo wants its residents to “stop scrolling and start strolling,” so an incentive program has been launched to do just that. Lyndaris Caldwell uses the Explore More Parks pass Sept. 1 at Jermain Park in Toledo. From left, Lyndaris Caldwell, Parks Commissioner Karen Ranney Wolkins, and Parks and Recreation Outreach and Special Events Manager Jacqueline Johnson check in using the Explore More Parks pass Sept. 1 at Jermain Park in Toledo. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/01/late-summer-heat-blankets-ohio-temperature/stories/20260901090 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/01/late-summer-heat-blankets-ohio-temperature/stories/20260901090#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:48:27 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/09/01/late-summer-heat-blankets-ohio-temperature/stories/20260901090 Don’t grab your flannels just yet — the start of September might signal that fall is around the corner, but Toledo and most of Ohio are still in the thick of summer heat. Pablo Williams mows a lawn on a hot summer day in Toledo on Sept. 1. Jason Schwartz, Toledo, fishes for yellow perch off a dock in Cullen Park on Sept. 1 in North Toledo. John Ortyl, of Point Place, enjoys a cigar in his 'summer shoes' at Cullen Park on Sept. 1 in North Toledo. Pablo Williams mows a lawn on a hot summer day in Toledo on Sept. 1. Jason Schwartz, Toledo, fishes for yellow perch off a dock in Cullen Park on Sept. 1 in North Toledo. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/08/30/anxiety-lake-erie-future-remains-progress/stories/20260830053 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/08/30/anxiety-lake-erie-future-remains-progress/stories/20260830053#comments Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:45:18 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/08/30/anxiety-lake-erie-future-remains-progress/stories/20260830053 GIBRALTAR ISLAND, Ohio — As Ohio’s race for governor enters its final stretch, a few encouraging signs have emerged about the future of Lake Erie. A view of Lake Erie from the Gibraltar Island shoreline shortly after sunrise Friday. Two of the many rocks along the Gibraltar Island shoreline. One of the many rocks near the Gibraltar Island shoreline. This little walleye, probably less than a year old, shows its razor-sharp teeth and disgust after being captured in a trawl during the science cruise on Lake Erie. It was returned to the lake. A live yellow perch caught in the trawl. On top is a baby yellow perch. Below it is a baby walleye. Those are Lake Erie's two most popular sportfish. Both were captured in a trawl and returned to the lake. NOAA oceanographer Rick Stumpf, who tracks algal blooms in Lake Erie and other parts of the country, came out from his office in Maryland for the event. In his photo, he is examining fresh water samples taken during Friday's Lake Erie science cruise hosted by Ohio Sea Grant/OSU Stone Laboratory. NOAA oceanographer Rick Stumpf, who tracks algal blooms in Lake Erie and other parts of the country, came out from his office in Maryland for the event. In his photo, he is examining fresh water samples taken during Friday's Lake Erie science cruise hosted by Ohio Sea Grant/OSU Stone Laboratory. Ohio Sea Grant/Ohio State University Stone Laboratory Director Chris Winslow aboard Friday's science cruise. Ohio Sea Grant/Ohio State University Stone Laboratory Director Chris Winslow comparing three freshly drawn water samples aboard the science cruise. Lake Erie is a major draw for recreational boaters, such as this one photographed Friday. Microplastics expert John Lenhart. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/08/26/plant-biodiversity-is-increasing-on-metroparks-property-report-shows/stories/20260826077 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/08/26/plant-biodiversity-is-increasing-on-metroparks-property-report-shows/stories/20260826077#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2026 18:15:28 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/08/26/plant-biodiversity-is-increasing-on-metroparks-property-report-shows/stories/20260826077 Two-thirds of Metroparks Toledo plant sites examined over a recent six-year period showed biodiversity gains, a new report shows. LaRae Sprow, Metroparks Toledo crew leader, explains some of Pearson Metropark's ecological features during an Earth Day hike on April 22. A native trillium that started to flower when it was photographed inside Pearson Metropark on Earth Day. Trilliums are wildflowers native to Ohio that flower in the spring. The species known as the Large-Flowered Trillium was designated Ohio's state flower in 1986. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/08/24/algal-bloom-now-up-to-480-square-miles-in-size/stories/20260824068 https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/08/24/algal-bloom-now-up-to-480-square-miles-in-size/stories/20260824068#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:57:43 GMT https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2026/08/24/algal-bloom-now-up-to-480-square-miles-in-size/stories/20260824068 Western Lake Erie’s algal bloom has grown to 480 square miles, the largest it has been this summer.