2023 JULY-SEPTEMBER STEWARDSHIP PROJECT SCHEDULE
We will include a short field trip on each project to see some of the preserve we are working at. When registering to volunteer, please allow at least 24 hours prior to the project as weather may impact conditions and we make every effort to inform our volunteers of changes.
Questions: Contact us HERE.
Registration: Please let us know you are joining us, sign up HERE.
Volunteer Forms: If you are joining us for volunteer stewardship training or for one or more stewardship projects,
please complete our Volunteer forms found HERE.
Volunteer Hours: At the completion of a project, please enter your time (Including travel time to and from the site) HERE.
Registration: Please let us know you are joining us, sign up HERE.
Volunteer Forms: If you are joining us for volunteer stewardship training or for one or more stewardship projects,
please complete our Volunteer forms found HERE.
Volunteer Hours: At the completion of a project, please enter your time (Including travel time to and from the site) HERE.
Thursday, July 13, 2023
Teasel and Woody Species Control at Daughmer Savanna State Nature Preserve Area 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
786 Marion-Melmore Road, Bucyrus (Crawford County) Daughmer Prairie Savanna is one of the finest prairie savannas in the country. It is a state nature preserve managed by the Crawford County Park District. The prairie has been grazed, but never farmed. Ever since ODNR purchased the site in 2011 and the |
sheep were removed, a number of invasive species have appeared, the most troublesome being common teasel. Work projects here over the last several years have greatly reduced common teasel numbers, but as yet, it has not been totally eradicated from the preserve. A few other herbaceous invasive plants have been documented as well. Some thickets of woody species such as dogwoods should be removed.
We will be digging any teasel plants found in the savanna. We will also control other invasive plants, including woody species such as dogwoods, as encountered in the savanna.
Directions: Meet at the parking lot located at 786 Marion-Melmore Road, one mile north of State Route 294, in Crawford County about 9 miles southwest of Bucyrus.
What to bring: Bring lunch, work gloves, long-sleeved shirt and pants, hiking boots, a long-handled shovel, tick spray or repellent, and hand pruners.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
We will be digging any teasel plants found in the savanna. We will also control other invasive plants, including woody species such as dogwoods, as encountered in the savanna.
Directions: Meet at the parking lot located at 786 Marion-Melmore Road, one mile north of State Route 294, in Crawford County about 9 miles southwest of Bucyrus.
What to bring: Bring lunch, work gloves, long-sleeved shirt and pants, hiking boots, a long-handled shovel, tick spray or repellent, and hand pruners.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
In April 2010, the Knox County Park District, with financial assistance from the Clean Ohio Fund Green
Space Conservation Program, acquired a 348-acre property located across the road from the Honey Run
Waterfall. The park includes hiking trails, picnic facilities and habitat restoration
(warm season grasslands/prairie forb areas and tree plantings). During the 2021 growing season,
park volunteers identified a total of 320 species of forbs.The park includes 60 acres of planted prairie,
on which ONAPA assists with the prescribed burning in the spring.
Directions: The entrance to Honey Run Highlands is on Millersburg Road or State Route 62. Follow the
gravel road back to the second parking lot. We will work at one of the grassland units near this parking
lot.
What to bring: Bring lunch, work gloves, hiking boots, tick spray or repellent, and water. ONAPA will provide the tools.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Space Conservation Program, acquired a 348-acre property located across the road from the Honey Run
Waterfall. The park includes hiking trails, picnic facilities and habitat restoration
(warm season grasslands/prairie forb areas and tree plantings). During the 2021 growing season,
park volunteers identified a total of 320 species of forbs.The park includes 60 acres of planted prairie,
on which ONAPA assists with the prescribed burning in the spring.
Directions: The entrance to Honey Run Highlands is on Millersburg Road or State Route 62. Follow the
gravel road back to the second parking lot. We will work at one of the grassland units near this parking
lot.
What to bring: Bring lunch, work gloves, hiking boots, tick spray or repellent, and water. ONAPA will provide the tools.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Invasive Species Control at Jackson Bog State Nature Preserve 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 7984 Fulton Drive NW, Massillon Stark County Jackson Bog is a 58-acre preserve located in northern Stark County and owned by the Jackson Township Local Board of Education and the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. The area was dedicated in 1980 as an interpretive preserve. It is actually a fen, or alkaline wetland, which lies at the foot of a dry, sandy kame (a glacially deposited hill or ridge). The belts of kames in this area of Stark County provide an extensive aquifer. These highly permeable gravel deposits readily absorb surface water and then hold it in staggering quantities as groundwater. The alkalinity is a limiting factor which dictates the types of unique plants which grow there. While the preserve is surrounded by residential development, a large school system, and a township park, it contains an amazing amount of plant and animal diversity, particularly many rare plant species. Habitat management is critical in the fen meadows to maintain the biodiversity of this small preserve.
We will be removing invasive plant species such as narrow-leaved and hybrid cattail, glossy buckthorn, privet, and purple loosestrife which are encroaching in the fen meadows. We will |
be cutting and treating woody stems with herbicide, and removing the cut stems from the fen meadows. Flowering purple loosestrife will be cut and removed from the preserve. Cattails will be treated with herbicide.
Directions: Located in Stark County, 2 miles north of Massillon on Fulton Drive and a 1/2 mile west of the intersection of State Route 687 and State Route 241. The preserve is adjacent to Jackson Township Park. What to bring: Bring lunch, water, gloves, and muck boots. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants. Tools will be provided. RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE. |
Thursday, July 27 and Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Invasive Woody Species Control at Cedar Bog State Nature Preserve 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 980 Woodburn Road, Urbana Champaign County Cedar Bog has been referred to as "The Crown Jewel of Natural Areas in Ohio." While there are many crown jewel nature preserves in Ohio, this special wetland preserve is located in southern Champaign County in the Mad River Valley between the Farmersville and Springfield moraines. The moraines were left behind when the Wisconsin Glaciers receded 10,000-15,000 years ago. Cedar Bog is actually a fen (not a bog), with a constant source of alkaline water flowing through it. Cedar Bog has the highest biodiversity index of any preserve in the state and is home to many rare, threatened and endangered plant and animal species. ONAPA volunteers will be helping DNAP and the Cedar Bog Association remove woody and invasive species in several locations. The stems will be cut and treated with herbicide in most locations and the woody stems removed from the meadows. Directions: Cedar Bog is located off of US Route 68 at 980 Woodburn Road, about 3 miles south of Urbana and 1 mile north of the Clark/Champaign County line. What to bring: Water, lunch, sunscreen, insect repellant, gloves, and muck boots. Herbicide treatment will be done by trained OHC staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants. ONAPA will provide tools. |
What to Bring: Bring lunch, water and gloves. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA volunteers.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE. |
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
Woody Species Removal at Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 2381 State Route 343, Yellow Springs Greene County This 268-acre preserve protects one of the most spectacular dolomite and limestone gorges in the state. Registered as a National Natural Landmark in 1968, Clifton Gorge encompasses a 2-mile stretch of the Little Miami State & National Scenic River, just east of John Bryan State Park. The gorge protects one of the best examples of post-glacial and inter-glacial canyon cutting. The Silurian limestone and dolomite bedrock supports an abundance of plant life, including at least 347 species of wildflowers and 105 species of trees and shrubs. The cool north-facing slopes provide much needed moist, shady habitat for northern relics such as hemlock, Canada yew, arborvitae, red baneberry and mountain maple.
The limestone bedrock here provides an ideal habitat for bush honeysuckle, and other invasive shrubs. This stewardship project |
will focus on removal of these shrubs in sensitive areas. We will be working on the south side of the river which is the Scientific side and usually requires an access permit to visit. We will be cutting shrubs and treating stumps with herbicide to prevent re-sprouting. Smaller shrubs may be pulled and removed from the site. Hiking on the Scientific side of the preserve may be difficult as there are no trails & it is very rocky, including some mild climbing down rocks to reach some areas. We will also be scouting for Japanese stiltgrass, in preparation for treatment.
Directions: Park at the main Clifton Gorge parking lot, just west of Clifton on State Route 343.
What to Bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking boots, and gloves. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Directions: Park at the main Clifton Gorge parking lot, just west of Clifton on State Route 343.
What to Bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking boots, and gloves. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Woody Species Control at Wolf Run Regional Park 10:00 am – 3:00 pm 17621 Yauger Road, Mt Vernon Knox County The state-endangered yellow-bellied sapsucker, a small woodpecker, utilizes wooded habitat in the park for foraging and shelter. Granite boulders carried by Ohio’s last ice age 100,000 years ago dot the landscape. Small streams that comprise the headwaters of Wolf Run, which flows to the Kokosing River, grace the landscape. This park is adjacent to Knox Woods State Nature Preserve.
We will be assisting the Knox County Park District to control woody species invading grassland units which have been burned recently (ONAPA helps the park district with prescribed burning). We will work in at least two units in or adjacent to Wolf Run Park, which is located on the east side of Mount Vernon. DIRECTIONS: We will meet at the parking lot on Yauger Road, near the dog park. |
What to bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking boots, gloves, and water. ONAPA and the Park district staff will provide tools and herbicide and conduct herbicide application
. RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE. |
Thursday, August 10, 2023
Woody Species Control at Kiser Lake Wetlands State Nature Preserve 10:30 am – 3:30 pm 3975 Kiser Lake Road, St. Paris Champaign County This 51-acre preserve is located within Kiser Lake State Park and contains two separate prairie fen areas (Headwaters and Grandview Heights sections) which are the last vestiges of a 360- |
acre area known as Mosquito Lake Bog. This large fen complex occupied the upper Mosquito Creek Valley prior to the construction of Kiser Lake. Both areas contain alkaline fen and marsh habitat with summer prairie and fen wildflowers. Unusual plant species present include shrubby cinquefoil, Kalm's lobelia, grass-of-parnassus, smaller fringed gentian, big bluestem, queen-of-the-prairie, Ohio goldenrod, and poison sumac.
The Grandview Heights section in the southcentral part of the park includes a meadow on the edge of the lake. The Headwaters section in the southeast part of the park includes meadows, marsh, and woods with a trail and boardwalk. For this stewardship project, we will be working in the Headwaters section to cut and treat woody species and treat cattails to maintain the open meadow habitat.
Directions: The Headwaters section of Kiser Lake State Nature Preserve is located at the eastern end of Kiser Lake (3975 Kiser Lake Road). We will meet in the small parking lot near the Kiser Lake State Nature Preserve sign. From St. Paris, proceed north on North Springfield Street. As you head out of town, this will become Kiser Lake Road; follow this road to the east side of the lake.
What to bring: Lunch, water, muck/knee boots, insect repellent. DNAP and ONAPA will provide tools. DNAP staff and trained ONAPA stewardship assistants will apply the herbicides.ONAPA volunteers will be helping DNAP and Johnny Appleseed staff and volunteers remove garlic mustard, dame’s rocket, and some woody invasives from the northern portion of the woods.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
The Grandview Heights section in the southcentral part of the park includes a meadow on the edge of the lake. The Headwaters section in the southeast part of the park includes meadows, marsh, and woods with a trail and boardwalk. For this stewardship project, we will be working in the Headwaters section to cut and treat woody species and treat cattails to maintain the open meadow habitat.
Directions: The Headwaters section of Kiser Lake State Nature Preserve is located at the eastern end of Kiser Lake (3975 Kiser Lake Road). We will meet in the small parking lot near the Kiser Lake State Nature Preserve sign. From St. Paris, proceed north on North Springfield Street. As you head out of town, this will become Kiser Lake Road; follow this road to the east side of the lake.
What to bring: Lunch, water, muck/knee boots, insect repellent. DNAP and ONAPA will provide tools. DNAP staff and trained ONAPA stewardship assistants will apply the herbicides.ONAPA volunteers will be helping DNAP and Johnny Appleseed staff and volunteers remove garlic mustard, dame’s rocket, and some woody invasives from the northern portion of the woods.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Tuesday, August 15 and Tuesday, August 22, 2023 Invasive Species Control at Myersville Fen State Nature Preserve 10:30 am – 3:30 pm Myersville Road, Green Summit County Myersville Fen is a small, 27-acre wetland area owned by the City of Green that contains two small fen meadows. It is one of only two fens in Ohio containing the naturally occurring, state-listed pitcher-plant (Sarracenia purpurea). Surrounded by a housing development and besieged by invasive plants from the residences, Myersville Fen is truly an island of unique plants under constant threat and in need of persistent stewardship. |
We will be removing invasive plant species such as purple loosestrife, glossy buckthorn, alders, and other invading woody species which are encroaching upon the two fen meadows. We will be cutting the stems and treating them with herbicide, as well as hauling the stems out of the meadows.
Directions: Two miles west of Interstate 77, take State Route 241 to State Route 619 west, then on to Myersville Road. Turn south on Myersville Road to Turtle Bay Circle. Park along Turtle Bay Circle where the nature preserve signs are located.
What to bring: Bring lunch, water, gloves, and muck boots. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants. Tools will be provided.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Directions: Two miles west of Interstate 77, take State Route 241 to State Route 619 west, then on to Myersville Road. Turn south on Myersville Road to Turtle Bay Circle. Park along Turtle Bay Circle where the nature preserve signs are located.
What to bring: Bring lunch, water, gloves, and muck boots. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants. Tools will be provided.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Thursday, August 17 and Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Woody Species Control at Brinkhaven Oak Barrens State Nature Preserve 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Township Road 13, Brinkhaven (Gann) Holmes County Brinkhaven Oak Barrens was designated as a state natural landmark in 2005 for being the best example in north central Ohio of what famous Ohio ecologist, Paul Sears called “oak openings.” It was just dedicated as a state nature preserve this year. The 114-acre preserve, owned by the private non-profit organization, Killbuck Watershed Land Trust, protects two oak barrens containing 6 state-listed plants, including the threatened thyme-leaved pinweed. ONAPA has been assisting the KWLT with habitat management to restore the two oak openings. We will work in one of the two openings, cutting woody stems and treating the cut stems with herbicide. Trained ONAPA stewardship assistants will conduct the herbicide application. Directions: From Brinkhaven (Gann) on U.S. Rt. 62, drive about 4 ¼ miles east on U.S. Route 62 to Holmes Co. Rd. 25. Drive about ¾ mile north to an intersection and turn |
left (west) on to Township Road 13. Drive for about 1.2
miles and the parking lot will be on the right. The parking lot is about 500 feet beyond the old railroad overpass, on the right (it is hard to see as it is a grass parking lot with no signage). What to bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking boots, and gloves. ONAPA and KWLT will provide tools and herbicide, and conduct herbicide application. RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE. |
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Teasel and Woody Species Control at Daughmer Savanna State Nature Preserve Area (Replaces Gallagher Fen project) 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
786 Marion-Melmore Road, Bucyrus (Crawford County) Daughmer Prairie Savanna is one of the finest prairie savannas in the country. It is a state nature preserve managed by the Crawford County Park District. The prairie has been grazed, but never farmed. Ever since ODNR purchased the site in 2011 and the |
sheep were removed, a number of invasive species have appeared, the most troublesome being common teasel. Work projects here over the last several years have greatly reduced common teasel numbers, but as yet, it has not been totally eradicated from the preserve. A few other herbaceous invasive plants have been documented as well. Some thickets of woody species such as dogwoods should be removed.
We will be digging any teasel plants found in the savanna. We will also control other invasive plants, including woody species such as dogwoods, as encountered in the savanna.
Directions: Meet at the parking lot located at 786 Marion-Melmore Road, one mile north of State Route 294, in Crawford County about 9 miles southwest of Bucyrus.
What to bring: Bring lunch, work gloves, long-sleeved shirt and pants, hiking boots, a long-handled shovel, tick spray or repellent, and hand pruners.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
We will be digging any teasel plants found in the savanna. We will also control other invasive plants, including woody species such as dogwoods, as encountered in the savanna.
Directions: Meet at the parking lot located at 786 Marion-Melmore Road, one mile north of State Route 294, in Crawford County about 9 miles southwest of Bucyrus.
What to bring: Bring lunch, work gloves, long-sleeved shirt and pants, hiking boots, a long-handled shovel, tick spray or repellent, and hand pruners.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Tuesday, August 29 and Thursday, September 21, 2023
Woody Species Control at Kitty Todd Preserve 10:30 am – 3:30 pm 10420 Old State Line Road, Swanton Lucas County Ohio’s earliest European colonizers found the sandy soils of the Oak Openings Region to be unfit for growing crops, but it didn’t take botanists long to figure out that this ‘sand country’ was unparalleled in the state for the propagation of rare and wild plants. The 1,300-square-mile Oak Openings Region is a complex of oak savanna and wet prairie that developed on sand and clay deposited by glacial Lake Warren, the ancient predecessor of present-day Lake Erie. The combination of porous sandy soils of the former beach ridges and an impervious clay layer beneath those soils creates an unforgiving environment that fluctuates from flooding in the spring to arid in midsummer.
The Nature Conservancy’s 1,400-acre Kitty Todd Preserve is a centerpiece of the Oak Openings region and is a model of land management practices for the region. |
We will be assisting TNC staff in woody species removal and treatment.
Directions: We will meet at the TNC office at 10420 Old State Line Road, which is north of State
Route 2 near the intersection with Eber Road.
What to Bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking boots, and gloves. Herbicide treatment will be done by TNC staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Directions: We will meet at the TNC office at 10420 Old State Line Road, which is north of State
Route 2 near the intersection with Eber Road.
What to Bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking boots, and gloves. Herbicide treatment will be done by TNC staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Thursday, September 7, and Thursday, September 14, 2023
Woody Species Control at Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve 10:00am – 3:00 pm Buckeye Lake, Licking County Now called Buckeye Lake, this lake was once a swamp that was converted into a reservoir to feed the Ohio and Erie Canal system. The plan did not work well because the new lake was too shallow to feed the canal for barge traffic, especially during the dry season. |
Strangely, it was the impoundment of the swamp in 1830 which made Cranberry Bog so unique. As the waters backed up behind the dike, all of the big swamp was inundated and destroyed, except the very youngest and therefore most buoyant segment of the bog mat. Instead of disappearing beneath the mucky waters, as did most of the adjacent swamp forest, a 50-acre upper segment of the bog mat along the north shore stretched and expanded like a giant water-logged sponge and rose 8 feet with the new water level. No longer did the floating bog mat surround the glacial lake as is typically the case with bogs. Now the lake surrounded the bog mat, the only known such occurrence of its kind in the world.
Little habitat management was done in the bog meadows for several years and thus the meadows are severely invaded by woody species, including poison sumac. ONAPA began working in the bog meadows in 2019 to restore them. We will be working in the west bog meadow to open the meadow up. Activities will include cutting woody species and hauling cut stems to brush piles; trained ONAPA stewardship assistants or DNAP staff will treat the cut stems with herbicides.
Directions: We will be meeting at the North Shore boat ramp in Buckeye Lake State Park at 10am to take a pontoon boat to the island. Take State Route 79 south from I-70, then turn left into the state park. Be sure to register if you wish to attend this project and more details will be provided in advance. We will need to know how many people are coming to arrange for sufficient boat transportation with DNAP.
What to bring: Bring lunch, water, gloves, and muck boots. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants. Tools will be provided, as well as protective Tyvek suits to avoid touching poison sumac while working. NOTE: poison sumac is throughout the areas we will be working, so take this into consideration if you are severely allergic to poison ivy or sumac.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Little habitat management was done in the bog meadows for several years and thus the meadows are severely invaded by woody species, including poison sumac. ONAPA began working in the bog meadows in 2019 to restore them. We will be working in the west bog meadow to open the meadow up. Activities will include cutting woody species and hauling cut stems to brush piles; trained ONAPA stewardship assistants or DNAP staff will treat the cut stems with herbicides.
Directions: We will be meeting at the North Shore boat ramp in Buckeye Lake State Park at 10am to take a pontoon boat to the island. Take State Route 79 south from I-70, then turn left into the state park. Be sure to register if you wish to attend this project and more details will be provided in advance. We will need to know how many people are coming to arrange for sufficient boat transportation with DNAP.
What to bring: Bring lunch, water, gloves, and muck boots. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants. Tools will be provided, as well as protective Tyvek suits to avoid touching poison sumac while working. NOTE: poison sumac is throughout the areas we will be working, so take this into consideration if you are severely allergic to poison ivy or sumac.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Woody Species Control at Meilke Road Savanna Wildlife Area
Woody Species Control at Meilke Road Savanna Wildlife Area
10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Hill Avenue, Holland Lucas County Meilke Road Savanna was acquired by the Division of Wildlife (DOW) as oak savanna habitat specifically for Karner blue butterflies and other rare butterflies in the Oak Openings. While it is a small wildlife area, only 22 acres in size, it has tremendous plant and animal diversity. The Division also has a management agreement with Spencer Township for another 15 acres of oak savanna adjacent to the wildlife area. Regular management including prescribed burning and woody species removal is necessary to maintain the open oak savanna and barrens habitat. In the spring, large populations of wild lupine, the only host plant for the Federal threatened Karner blue butterfly, once known to be abundant in the Oak Openings, bloom. For this stewardship project, we will cutting and treating woody sprouts in the savanna to maintain open habitat necessary for rare plants and butterflies. Directions: Located on the north side of Hill Avenue, west of Crissey Road, and east of Meilke Road in Holland, just west of Toledo; parking is located in a small pull-off on Hill |
Avenue. Hill Avenue can be accessed from Crissey Road.
What to bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking boots, gloves, and hand tools such as hand saws and loppers (if you wish). ONAPA will also provide loppers. Herbicide application will be done by DOW staff and trained ONAPA volunteers. RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE. |
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Woody Species Control at Prairie Road Fen State Nature Preserve 10:30 am to 3:30 pm 1976 Buck Creek Lane, Springfield Clark County One of the largest and finest prairie fens remaining in Ohio, Prairie Road Fen is a 97-acre gem tucked away in northern Clark County. Admittance to this site is by permit only due to the fragile nature of this site. The ground water emerging here is cold, calcareous and oxygen-deficient which provides a harsh habitat that |
only a number of specially-adapted plants can tolerate. Intermingled with the fen plants are relics of a time when a prairie extension thrived in this part of Ohio. This prairie fen complex is another unique feature of this site.
The goal of this project is to remove woody vegetation in the fen meadows, which by means of succession, are invading the fen meadows. We will target all woody species, but glossy buckthorn will be the primary species of concern. To control woody vegetation, we will cut and treat the stems with herbicide.
REVISED Directions: More specific directions will be emailed to those who pre-register. We will be parking along Old Mechanicsburg Road in New Moorefield, near Prairie Road. We will NOT be meeting at Buck Creek State Park.
What to bring: Please bring lunch, water, loppers, waterproof boots, and gloves. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.
The goal of this project is to remove woody vegetation in the fen meadows, which by means of succession, are invading the fen meadows. We will target all woody species, but glossy buckthorn will be the primary species of concern. To control woody vegetation, we will cut and treat the stems with herbicide.
REVISED Directions: More specific directions will be emailed to those who pre-register. We will be parking along Old Mechanicsburg Road in New Moorefield, near Prairie Road. We will NOT be meeting at Buck Creek State Park.
What to bring: Please bring lunch, water, loppers, waterproof boots, and gloves. Herbicide treatment will be done by DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants.
RSVP: Please REGISTER HERE. Online registration is important for our planning. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE.