Ohio Natural Areas & Preserves Association

UPDATE: Wednesday, July 29, 10 am - WILL BE HELD AS SCHEDULED

Who are the Native Bees in your backyard?

Two former students of Denise Ellsworth, Pollinator Education, OSU Entomology-OSU Extension, will lead participants on a discovery of our native bees. This program will be held at Denny's Tallgrass Prairie in Knox County (see July 25 for directions). Please join Kelly Capuzzi and Susan Moore for this program.

Registration REQUIRED - email [email protected].

Thursday, July 9, 2026
Herbaceous Species Removal at Jackson Bog State Nature Preserve

10:30 am – 3:30 pm
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 purple loosestrife, cattails, hairy willow herb and other invasives.

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 volunteers. Tools will be provided.

RSVP: If you would like to attend, please REGISTER. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE . Online registration is important for our planning.

Lophocolea heterophylla - (Photo courtesy of Ohio Moss & Lichen Association)

Thursday, July 9, 10 am
Life among the Liverworts

Steve McKee, naturalist and retired Director of the Richland County Park District and Gorman Nature Center, will lead us through the woods in the Mohican State Forest region. His focus will be on liverworts.

Registration REQUIRED - participation is limited to 20 - email [email protected].

Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Garlic Mustard and More at The Woodlands Knox County Park

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
1740 Vernonview Drive, Mount Vernon
Knox County

The Woodland Park in Mount Vernon is a 165-acre park formerly part of the Mount Vernon Developmental Center. It was recently acquired by the Knox County Park District and officially opened to the public on May 9th. Most of the park is wooded, with a central portion containing impressive large oaks, hickories, beech, maples, and black cherries. The understory has beautiful wildflowers, ferns, and sedges. The entrance at 1740 Vernonview has a large parking lot and pavillion, with a trail leading to two loops in the woods.

ONAPA will be assisting the Park District to control several invasive plants in the woods, including garlic mustard, Dame's rocket, butterweed, Japanese stiltgrass, Japanese barberry, privet, and bush honeysuckle. Join us to visit this amazing new park and help with its restoration.

What to bring: Water, lunch, sunscreen, insect repellant, gloves, and muck boots.

RSVP: If you would like to attend, please REGISTER. If you have questions, please contact The Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association HERE . Online registration is important for our planning.

The Gray Petaltail Dragonfly-An Ohio Living Fossil

Story and photo by John Watts

Many naturalists have their “natural history annual calendar” where they search for certain species each year as an annual tradition. For some it starts in late January, searching your local wet seep for that first Skunk Cabbage bloom or the first Spring Peeper during warm late February and early March. For me, in early June after completing early morning bird surveys I like to check a few locations for dragonflies. One species I enjoy finding is the Gray Petaltail which I have been able to find consistently at the intersection of the Creekside Meadows and Hemlock Trails at Clear Creek Metro Park and State Nature Preserve in Hocking County. This 3-inch long dragonfly is unmistakable when encountered. Its pattern of gray and black is unique among Ohio’s dragonflies as it is our only

black and gray species. I most often find it near a wooded stream or creek, although it may also be found near wooded fens, seeps, and forested wet areas often those containing skunk cabbage (McShaffrey, Spring, and McCormac, 2024) . This particular dragonfly belongs to a primitive family of dragonflies, the Petaluridae, that closely resembles its ancestral dragonflies present in the fossil record dating back to between 150 and 200 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. This was a common and widespread group of dragonflies during that time. Today 11 species of Petaluridae still occur worldwide.

The Gray Petaltail ranges over much of eastern United States except the Florida peninsula. In Ohio, it has a scattered distribution across much of the state containing high quality forested seeps, wetlands and wooded streams. It is largely absent from northwest Ohio. I generally find them perched flat against a tree or log as they scan for prey which may include other dragonflies or swallowtail butterflies. Gray Petaltails have an affinity for people. While leading a hike in Clear Creek several years ago, a Petaltail landed on the hat of one of folks in our group. While startling at first, it gave everyone a chance to see this unique species up close and personal.

References
McShaffrey, D., M. Spring, and J. McCormac. 2024. A Naturalist’s Guide to the Odonata of Ohio. Special Publication of the Ohio Biological Survey. viii+393 pp.
Rosche, Larry O., Judy M. Semroc and Linda K. Gilbert. 2008. Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeast Ohio. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. 300 pp.

April stewardship: prescribed burns added to regular projects

April was a busy month for ONAPA stewardship! Between eight prescribed burns and six stewardship projects, our volunteers and one stewardship assistant, Annalora were busy. Along with a team of partners, we accomplished eight prescribed burns at:

Crall Woods & Blackfork Bottoms Parks, Ashland Co. Park District
Daughmer Savanna & Salem Prairie, Crawford Co. Park District
Gorman Nature Center, Richland Co. Park District
Honey Run Highlands & Wolf Run Regional Parks, Knox Co. Park District
North Kingsville Sand Barrens, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Our stewardship projects were focused on garlic mustard control at Shallenberger Preserve, Brinkhaven Barrens, Christmas Rocks, Olsen Preserve, Knox Woods Preserve, and Salem Prairie. The stewardship project at Salem Prairie was after the prescribed burn and was an effort to cut and treat the woody species, primarily autumn-olive, in the burned part of the prairie. It will likely look spectacular this summer.

Bonnett Pond Bog

W. Pearl King Savanna

For February, we were able to accomplish six projects, so it was a productive month:

February 4 - Bonnett Pond Bog - worked on the bog mat as the pond was frozen thanks to long-term frigid temperatures
February 11 - Daughmer Savanna
February 17 - Pearl King Savanna with Columbus Metro Parks - large group of almost 40 people, many staff and volunteers from Columbus Metro Parks
February 19 - North Kingsville Sand Barrens with Cleveland Museum of Natural History - cleared more trees and burned brush piles to open more units for prescribed burning in the spring
February 25 - Kitty Todd with The Nature Conservancy - worked on fire breaks for two burn units
February 26 - Wolf Run Regional Park with Knox Co Park District - cut and treated woody species in a grassland unit to be burned this spring

ONAPA is preparing to help several other partners with prescribed burns this spring including at Daughmer Savanna, North Kingsville Sand Barrens, Ashland County Park District, Knox County Park District, Crawford County Park District, and Richland CountyvPark District. These burns will be conducted in March and April. (Photos by Jennifer WIndus)

Bonnett Pond Bog

Only two projects to start 2026

Due to the holiday break, we did not start our stewardship projects until January 15 at Lakeside Daisy Preserve. We had a good turnout of 10 people on a snowy day and lots

of cedars were removed. At the second project - Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area - we removed woody species from one of the prairie fringed orchid sites. Brinkhaven Barrens, cancelled January 28 because of snow depth, was rescheduled for February 12.

Crall Woods & Blackfork Bottoms Parks, Ashland Co. Park District
Daughmer Savanna & Salem Prairie, Crawford Co. Park District
Gorman Nature Center, Richland Co. Park District
Honey Run Highlands & Wolf Run Regional Parks, Knox Co. Park District
North Kingsville Sand Barrens, Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Attendees at ONAPA 12th Annual Meeting August 23 enjoy great weather at Alley Park

ONAPA held its 12th Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 23 at the Gosling Nature Center at Alley Park in Lancaster. Two guest speakers, Andrew Lane Gibson from the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves and Heather Stehle from Crane Hollow, Inc., shared their experience, often with a side of humor. Andrew took the audience on a trip around Lake Superior, highlighting the orchids of the region’s many habitats. Heather shared the legacy of Crane Hollow Preserve.

Guy Denny and Jennifer Windus also gave updates about ONAPA activities in the past year. It was a good turnout with 72 people attending. Two vendors selling nature-related items were available for attendees -- Savannah Freeman with Moonville Print Shop and Nora Steele. It was a beautiful day, perfect for the four field trips in the afternoon -- Crane Hollow, led by Heather Stehle and Jennifer Windus, Wahkeena Preserve, led by Tom Shisler, Rock House in Hocking Hills State Park, led by Tim Snyder, and a short hike around Alley Park, led by Dick Moseley.

Volunteer Stewardship

Stewardship Project Reports

Member Activities

2024 Event Highlights

Stewardship
Projects

We plan stewardship projects year-round throughout Ohio and we are always looking for volunteers. We will include a short field trip on each project to see some of the preserve where we are working.

2025 Member
Field Trips

Preserve
Monitoring

Field trips are scheduled from late spring into early fall. Most are easy walks through our state's Division of Natural Area's preserves. Watch the website and Facebook page for updates.

Any state nature preserve in your area can be visited and a report completed to help inform ONAPA and the preserve managers about the condition of the preserve.