Successful stewardship projects in November end challenging 2020 on a high note
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On Thursday, November 5, ONAPA had its third stewardship project at Cranberry Bog this fall. Five ONAPA volunteers, two volunteers from the Native Orchid Preservation & Education Society (NOPES), a group from Cincinnati that has been partnering with ONAPA, and one DNAP staff person worked together to continue to open up the bog meadow adjacent to the boardwalk. We are slowly making great progress, but it is tedious working among the poison sumac in Tyvek suits, trying to avoid getting sumac rash. We cut and treated primarily poison sumac and glossy buckthorn, with a few alders. We hope the meadow looks spectacular next spring!
On Tuesday, November 17, nine ONAPA volunteers and five DNAP staff had a great day removing red cedars from two different alvar openings at the new addition to the Lakeside Daisy Preserve in Marblehead. This is our second day this fall working to improve habitat for Lakeside daisy and other rare alvar plants. We had three chain saws going, so the rest of us were busy hauling the brush out of the alvar openings, as photo on right shows. 
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On Tuesday, November 10, four ONAPA volunteers, two NOPES volunteers, and five DNAP staff and cleared woody species at the Medway prairie fringed orchid site owned by the City of Dayton. It was a beautiful day and we accomplished a good amount of clearing, restoring the meadow for the federally listed orchid (photo of orchid in bloom at left, next to photo of group from March 2019 project working at the site).
On Thursday, November 19, six ONAPA volunteers and five DNAP staff and volunteers partnered to remove woody species, primarily glossy buckthorn, Amur honeysuckle, and dogwood, at Prairie Road Fen in Clark County. It was another beautiful day and we helped to restore the sedge meadows in the fen. This important habitat management will help to maintain the native fen and prairie plants which grow here at one of the most diverse prairie fens in the state.
A new year will bring another series of stewardship projects. Watch this website and sign up for our eNews (Sign Up Today box below) for announcement of Volunteer opportunities in 2021. Our Winter schedule starts in January, weather permitting. |
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October wraps up with two projects in nature preserves
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Karlo Fen volunteers work to identify and clear unwanted flora.
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On Wednesday, October 21, a cold, damp day, ten ONAPA volunteers worked with four DNAP staff and two Summit County Metroparks staff to remove and treat woody species in the fen meadow at Karlo Fen State Nature Preserve in Summit County. Summit County MP is responsible for management of the preserve, but DNAP and ONAPA have been assisting for several years to ensure the fen meadow is maintained in its open character. Ken, Mary, and Keith Schilstra show family spirit (see photo at right, above) by working together at this project and having a good time.
On Saturday, October 24, we had an overwhelming turnout to help us at the Donald J. Beam Brinkhaven Oak Barrens, a recently dedicated state nature preserve. Ten ONAPA volunteers worked with Randy Carmel, President of the Killbuck Watershed Land Trust along with Jacob and Jonathan Beam (sons of Don Beam). Jon's 3 year-old son, Solomon also worked with us as our youngest volunteer and set an excellent work ethic for everyone. It was a great day to work in the north barrens and we removed and treated a significant amount of woody species, including sumac, hawthorn, and black cherry, to open the barrens. This has been an awesome year of partnership between ONAPA and the KWLT!
On Saturday, October 24, we had an overwhelming turnout to help us at the Donald J. Beam Brinkhaven Oak Barrens, a recently dedicated state nature preserve. Ten ONAPA volunteers worked with Randy Carmel, President of the Killbuck Watershed Land Trust along with Jacob and Jonathan Beam (sons of Don Beam). Jon's 3 year-old son, Solomon also worked with us as our youngest volunteer and set an excellent work ethic for everyone. It was a great day to work in the north barrens and we removed and treated a significant amount of woody species, including sumac, hawthorn, and black cherry, to open the barrens. This has been an awesome year of partnership between ONAPA and the KWLT!
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Partners work to open barrens and allow rare plants to flourish.
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Two preserves benefit from ONAPA work clearing woody species in early October
On Tuesday, October 6, six ONAPA volunteers and stewardship assistants worked with three DNAP staff to conduct habitat management at the new addition of the Lakeside Daisy Preserve in Marblehead. It was a beautiful day and we improved two small alvar openings near the glacial grooves by removing red cedars, dogwoods, autumn-olive, and Amur bush honeysuckle. On Wednesday, October 7, five ONAPA volunteers and stewardship assistants, two members of the Native Orchid Preservation & Education Society (NOPES), and two staff from DNAP continued to work on the bog meadows at Cranberry Bog. This time we cleared an area along the boardwalk to remove the tall, invading poison sumac and glossy buckthorn. The work is tedious, especially cutting and hauling poison sumac, but very worthwhile as we are slowly restoring the bog meadows which have been grown up for several years. We saw a great response from our work last fall as the rose pogonia and grass-pink orchids were plentiful and flowering in June. Our next trip is planned for November 5! 
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Thinning cedars creates opening for Lakeside daisies.
Cutting and treating woody species at Cranberry Bog.
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Good to see everyone who came to collect prairie seeds
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ONAPA has not held any public events, except its regular stewardship projects, until this month. It was decided that the prairie seed collecting event at Denny's prairie in Fredericktown could be held safely with people wearing masks and staying widely separated in the prairie. The event was held on Saturday, September 26, from 10 am until approximately 2:30 pm, with more than 70 people attending. People were able to view samples of many of the prairie plants in seed on tables and visit the ONAPA tents with displays and ONAPA materials (bandanas, shirts, and hats) available for a donation. Approximately 15 ONAPA Board members, stewardship assistants, and volunteers helped to show people around the prairie and identify the various species ready for collection. It was a beautiful day and ONAPA members were happy to see each other again and visit, along with seed-collecting.
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