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Thursday, December 7, 2023
Woody Species Removal at Erie Sand Barrens State Nature Preserve 10:30 am – 3:30 pm Taylor Rd, Sandusky Erie County Erie Sand Barrens is situated in the sandy beach ridges of glacial Lake Warren, a predecessor to modern Lake Erie. Because of past intensive agricultural activities, the flora of this preserve is not very diverse. Nevertheless, many state-listed species still remain. The sandy soil of the preserve is well-drained and plants which survive here are adapted to its dry conditions. On the highest, driest ridges and knolls, prairie plants including green milkweed, partridge-pea and sand panic grass thrive. Wet depressions between the rises hold wet sedge meadow communities where plants more commonly found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts occur. These include lance-leaved violet, Virginia meadow-beauty, twisted yellow-eyed grass and least St. John's-wort. We will removing woody species in the barren areas of the preserve where rare plants occur such as the Virginia meadow-beauty, lance-leaved violet, and twisted yellow-eyed grass. DNAP staff or trained ONAPA stewardship assistants will conduct herbicide application to the cut stems. |
Directions: Located in Erie County, the preserve is easily accessed from SR 4. Proceed east on Mason Road, and take Taylor Road to the left. The preserve is located on the right side of the road with a small parking lot and sign.
What to bring: Lunch, water, hiking boots, and gloves. 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. |
This winter, watch Canada Geese flocks for the appearance of "white" geese
Ross's Goose
Story and photos sby John Watts
As we enter the winter months, flocks of Canada Geese become a very common sight across Ohio. While lakes, wildlife areas, crop fields, and farm ponds are the usual locations; storm water retention ponds in suburban housing and warehouse areas have also become a favorite staging area for some wintering flocks. Occasionally mixed in with these flocks will be one of two of Ohio’s “white” goose species. Historically, the only white goose in Ohio was the white phase of the Snow Goose. This continues to be our most common of the two species. However, in recent years a second white colored goose, the Ross’s Goose, has increasingly been observed. While usually considered a rare winter migrant, Ross’s Geese are now annually observed during Ohio’s winters. Ohio’s first record of a Ross’s Goose was in 1982. They were rarely observed until the past ten years or so when observations increased not only in Ohio, but across North America as the continental goose populations increased. By comparison, Snow Geese are considered locally common winter migrants, especially in the western half of Ohio. Snow Geese also have a color phase with a dark body and white head referred to as a blue phase or blue morph Snow Goose or Blue Goose. Snow Geese are known to congregate in impressively large numbers during migration and winter with flocks of tens of thousands not uncommon in their wintering areas. |
Snow Goose
While superficially very similar at a glance, a closer look will reveal a couple of key identifying characteristics. The first field mark to check is the bill. Snow Geese will have a bill that slopes gradually from the head and shows a “grin patch” from the side. Ross’s Geese possess a short stubby bill that lacks the “grin patch”. Instead of gently sloping from the head, there is an abrupt drop from the top of the
head to the base of the bill. The second field mark to note is the length of the neck. Snow Geese are larger and show a longer neck versus a shorter neck and smaller size of the Ross’s Goose giving it an overall chunkier appearance. Both geese show black primary feathers in flight. Hybridization between the two is also known to occur. References: Harlan, Robert N. 2022. Ohio Bird Records Committee Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ohio. 65 p. 
Blue Phase Snow Goose
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Tuesday, December 12, 2023 Clean-up in the pine plantation area of Crane Hollow State Nature Preserve 10:30am – 3:30pm Gibisonville (Hocking County) Located in Hocking County, Crane Hollow Preserve is part of the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. The Preserve features varied native vegetation, along with cliffs and ravines formed in Black Hand Sandstone. William and Jane Ann Ellis began protecting the Crane Hollow watershed in 1977. In addition to preserving and managing Crane Hollow, scientific research is an important part of Crane Hollow's program. Studies of the preserve's geology, flora and fauna, and other natural features have been or are being conducted. In 1990, 1,200 acres of the Crane Hollow Preserve became part of the State of Ohio Nature Preserve system. Between the years of 2002-2011, an additional 85 acres were dedicated, increasing the size of the dedicated nature preserve to 1,285. |
Crane Hollow is in the process of removing a planted white pine plantation within the preserve. Trees have been cut down and assistance is needed to clean up the branches and smaller logs to facilitate access for invasive plant control. ONAPA will be helping with this clean-up work.
Directions: Crane Hollow is access by permit only or guided hikes. It is located south of Gibisonville on SR 374. Volunteers who register for this project will be provided more specific directions of where to meet before the project.
What to bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking 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.
Directions: Crane Hollow is access by permit only or guided hikes. It is located south of Gibisonville on SR 374. Volunteers who register for this project will be provided more specific directions of where to meet before the project.
What to bring: Bring lunch, water, hiking 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.
Natives in Harmony plants ready for customers (Photo by Jennifer Windus)
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Seed collecting event is always a big hit with attendees
ONAPA held its popular prairie seed collecting event at Guy Denny's prairie on Saturday, October 7. It was well-attended with over 100 people on a somewhat cloudy, cool day. Natives in Harmony and The Wild Ones (Cleveland Chapter) were both on site to sell plants and other items related to native plants and pollinators. Guy and Dick Mosely talked about prairies, prairie plants, and seed collecting before attendees headed out in the prairie to fill their bags with the precious seeds. Several ONAPA board members and stewardship assistants were available to help people with plant identification and location of specific species in the prairie. |
Final instructions from Guy (Photo by Lydia Radcliffe)
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Cranberry Bog meadow cleared
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Great group at Brinkhaven Barrens
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Targeting Cranberry Bog creates more open meadows for rare plants
While stewardship projects are winding down in the fall, ONAPA still had five stewardship projects in October. We added to the two September projects at Cranberry Bog with two more (October 3 and 17). ONAPA made significant improvements by opening new bog meadows as part of a research project, including four plots with different control treatments. More area around the boardwalk is now open bog meadow than has been open in 10 or more years. We look forward to seeing the restored meadows next year!
Sharon Woods Gorge with Great Parks (October 5), Daughmer Savanna (October 10), and Brinkhaven Oak Barrens with Killbuck Watershed Land Trust (October 28) rounded out the month. We worked on woody species as well at Sharon Woods Gorge, Daughmer Savanna, and Brinkhaven Oak Barrens. We had a great turnout of 16 people for the Saturday project at Brinkhaven Oak Barrens, which included six students from the OSU Botany Club, led by our former stewardship assistant, Edison Cigany. We have nine more projects scheduled in November and December, so come out and join us for a great time!
While stewardship projects are winding down in the fall, ONAPA still had five stewardship projects in October. We added to the two September projects at Cranberry Bog with two more (October 3 and 17). ONAPA made significant improvements by opening new bog meadows as part of a research project, including four plots with different control treatments. More area around the boardwalk is now open bog meadow than has been open in 10 or more years. We look forward to seeing the restored meadows next year!
Sharon Woods Gorge with Great Parks (October 5), Daughmer Savanna (October 10), and Brinkhaven Oak Barrens with Killbuck Watershed Land Trust (October 28) rounded out the month. We worked on woody species as well at Sharon Woods Gorge, Daughmer Savanna, and Brinkhaven Oak Barrens. We had a great turnout of 16 people for the Saturday project at Brinkhaven Oak Barrens, which included six students from the OSU Botany Club, led by our former stewardship assistant, Edison Cigany. We have nine more projects scheduled in November and December, so come out and join us for a great time!
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Working to keep natural areas of fens, bogs and meadows open
The ONAPA stewardship team kept busy in September with eight projects - Brinkhaven Oak Barrens (September 5), Cranberry Bog (September 7 and 14), Meilke Road Savanna (September 19), Herrick Fen (September 20), Kitty Todd (September 21), Cedar Bog (September 26), and Prairie Road Fen (Sepember 28). At all these sites, we cleared woody species and treated the cut stems with herbicides. These projects are important for keeping the natural areas open, including barrens and savanna, bogs, fens, and wet prairies. We will continue with similar projects October through December, listed under our VOLUNTEER page. (Photos by Lydia Radcliffe) |
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August a busy month in the field
August was another busy month for our stewardship team with nine projects! Our team decreased in size as Rachael and Jordon went back to college, and Maddie took a full-time preserve manager job at Cedar Bog. We are down to two stewardship assistants now for the fall and winter. We are always looking for more volunteers, so come help us with preserve stewardship soon! In August, we transitioned to working on woody species control. This started at Clifton Gorge (August 1) working on bush honeysuckle, then to Wolf Run Regional Park in Mount Vernon (August 3). We worked on woody species and cattails at Kiser Lake Fen on August 10. We had two days at Myersville Fen as there was plenty to clear in both fen meadows (August 15 and 22). We continued our work at Brinkhaven Barrens (August 17) and Daughmer Savanna (August 24). In the last week of August, we worked at two new preserves for ONAPA, Kitty Todd in northwest Ohio on August 29 and Grand River Terraces on August 31. Several of these projects included working with partners including Knox County Park District, Killbuck Watershed Land Trust, Crawford Park District, The Nature Conservancy, and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. |
Myersville Fen
Kitty Todd
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Callery pear removed at Honey Run Highlands
Jordan levels invasives at Daughmer Savanna
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July a month for education and stewardship
In July, the ONAPA stewardship team kept busy with some habitat management and rare plant surveys. We finished up Eastern prairie fringed orchid surveys on July 6 at Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area. A survey for a newly found rare plant, tower mustard, was taken at Cedar Bog on July 27 in an area ONAPA had cleared previously. An educational day was spent at Kelleys Island on July 11, visiting two preserves, the glacial grooves (with its new improvements), and Lakeside daisy sites. On July 20, we visited Gode Prairie and Greenville Falls in Miami County, checking to see if ONAPA may be able to help the park district with stewardship work at these preserves. Habitat management work took place at Daughmer Savanna (July 13), Honey Run Highlands Park (July 18), and Jackson Bog (July 19). Stewardship assistants also helped with an OIPC invasive plant workshop at Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District in Lima on July 25th. July was full of diverse and educational activities! |
Clearing out around tower mustard at Cedar Bog
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As always, speakers and field trips are highlights of ONAPA Annual Meeting
ONAPA’s 10th Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 5, at the Caesar Creek Lake Visitor Center in Waynesville enjoyed a good turnout of 60 people, which included 16 walk-ins. The first of our morning speakers, David Nolin, retired from Five Rivers Metro Parks, outlined research showing a more detailed evaluation of pre-European settlement flora in Ohio, which gives new knowledge about plant communities. DeVere Burt, retired from Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, gave an entertaining look at the creation of Birds of America and its author, John James Audubon. After a brief business meeting, most attendees headed out to one of three field trips in the afternoon: Caesar Creek Gorge, led by Dick Moseley, Huffman Prairie, led by Daniel Boone, and Doorley Natural Area, led by Nolin. Thanks to our caterers: morning refreshments were from the Coffee Hub and the box lunches were from Brock Masterson's Catering. Field Trips: Daniel Boone led a small but engaged group through the historic Huffman Prairie in full bloom, explaining the uniqueness of this original prairie and its species. Thanks to royal catchfly, cup plant, spiked blazing star, and plentiful purple coneflower, the prairie abounded in color among the grasses and sedges. A giant swallowtail butterfly and a number of ruby-throated hummingbirds made an appearance, bringing even more life to our exploration of this vibrant tallgrass prairie. (Lydia Radcliffe) |
Approximately 20 people joined Dave Nolin on the field trip to Doorley Natural Area, a private preserve. The property, protected by a conservation easement, has an impressive combination of native xeric prairie, small fen remnants, and a white oak woodlands. The group also took a short tour of the nearby Pearl's Fen, part of the Greene County Park District. (Jennifer Windus)
During the walk at Caesar Creek Gorge State Nature Preserve, participants enjoyed leader Dick Moseley’s knowledge of area plants. Participant Jack Laverty exclaimed in his Facebook post: “Imagine going hiking in a woodland full of so many species of plants that you might have just walked past, not knowing what most of them are. That sums up most of my 55-plus years of hiking and backpacking. But imagine doing that with someone who knows what all of those plant and tree species are! What an amazing experience.” |
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Stewardship assistants make the difference
ONAPA has a full team of five stewardship assistants this season, with four of them returning from previous years. Madison Brown is in her fourth year with ONAPA and Lydia Radcliffe is in her third year. Mariola Castrejon worked for ONAPA in 2019-2020. She recently finished her Master's degree at OSU and is returning for a third season. Rachael Patterson is also in her third season and will return to Michigan State University in mid-August. Jordan Tackett is a new stewardship assistant, currently enrolled at Ashland University and working part-time for the Richland County Park District as a land management assistant. He will also return to college in mid-August. We are pleased to have this great team of enthusiastic and experienced stewards! However, we will be losing one of our stewards soon as Maddie has accepted the full-time preserve manager position at Cedar Bog in Champaign County. ONAPA has been working hard at Cedar Bog for the past four years, so Maddie has plenty of experience with the preserve. We are excited that one of our stewardship assistants will now be managing one of the highest quality fen ecosystems in Ohio. We look |
Left to right: Jordan Tackett, Mariola Castrejon, Rachael Patterson, Jennifer Windus, Madison Brown and Lydia Radcliffe.
forward to continuing our partnership there with the Cedar Bog Association, Ohio History Connection, and ODNR's Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. Maddie will start at Cedar Bog on July 26, so welcome her there if you visit the preserve. She is thrilled to get this position and will do an excellent job.
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Habitat management and plant surveys mark June stewardship projects
Lady Slipper survey at Cedar Bog
June was another busy month for the ONAPA stewardship team, with some habitat management and several days monitoring rare plant populations. We conducted habitat management at Chaparral Prairie June 13, pulling sweet-clover & teasel. At Jackson Bog June 20, woody species were cut in the fen meadows. We did a survey of the showy lady's-slipper population at Cedar Bog on June 15, a follow-up to one we started last year to estimate the number of plants at the preserve. Near the end of June, we spent three days surveying Eastern prairie fringed orchids at eight sites. This important work is done in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the state Division of Natural Areas & Preserves, following specific survey protocols. Conducting the rare plant surveys is excellent experience for our five stewardship assistants.
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Pulling sweet-clover at Chaparral Prairie
Prairie fringed orchid survey - Photos by Lydia Radcliffe
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May projects varied and in different regions of the state
Four of the five 2023 Stewardship Assistants
May was a busy month for the ONAPA stewardship program with eight projects and getting the stewardship assistants back on board. We have five stewardship assistants again this season, four who are returning - Madison Brown, Lydia Radcliffe, Rachael Patterson, and Mariola Castrejon. We added one new assistant, Jordan Tackett, who also works for the Richland County Park District.
We had four projects removing garlic mustard and Dame's rocket: Lake Katharine (May 9), Davey Woods (May 11), Irwin Prairie (May 16), and Bonnett Pond Bog (May 30). Two days were spent working with Lakeside daisy projects |
Lakeside Daisy project volunteers
Downed trees that needed to be cleared in the Crane Hollow pine plantation
- monitoring planted plots and collecting seeds. We
helped improve habitat at DuPont Marsh for a rare iris species, in cooperation with DNAP and Erie Metro Parks (May 4). We also assisted Crane Hollow in the clean-up of downed white pines in a plantation (May 17). |
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VOLUNTEERWe have many volunteer opportunities available throughout the year. Invasive control, preserve monitoring, etc.
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