In Ohio's case, a birthday doesn't just mean birthday cards. It also means a set of bicentennial note cards.

        The note cards, each featuring a river or stream, will be sold to raise awareness about cleaning up Ohio's rivers. They will also help support the Ohio Natural Heritage River System, which tries to aid those working to protect and restore rivers.

        “We realized it was around the time of the bicentennial (2003), and not a lot of nature was being involved,” said Charles Wallner, director of development and resources at Rivers Unlimited. “Rivers were important in the development of Ohio, so we decided to do this.”

        The concept for the note cards was conceived about a year ago in a meeting between Mr. Wallner and Benchmark Outdoor Outfitters, where they were discussing the best way to clean up Ohio's rivers. Ohio ranks 44th in quality of rivers in the nation, Mr. Wallner said.

        The five rivers and streams pictured on this first set of cards, which have a photograph on the front and a brief history on the back, are the Great Miami River (photographed by Marc Perkins), Pike Run (William A. Miller), Black River (Ian Adams), Chagrin River/Falls (Richard D. Cochran) and Olentangy River (Kim Myers).

        The note cards will be sold in sets of 10 (two images of each river or stream) for $10.95 and 15 (three images of each) for $15.95.

        Nonprofit organizations throughout the state will also be selling the note cards for fund-raisers.

        These first five note cards could also be just the beginning.

        “We're hoping, if it's successful, to come out with another five streams next year and a final five in 2003,” Mr. Wallner said. “Then we'll have 15 for the bicentennial.”

       The note cards will be sold at Benchmark Outfitters, Crazy Ladies Bookstore, Ell Howard Farm, Nature Outfitters, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Nature Center, Cincinnati Museum Center and Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. For more information and other outlets, call 761-4003.

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