Ohio Natural Areas & Preserves Association

Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 10 a.m.
Lake Erie Shorebird ID
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
14000 OH-2, Oak Harbor, Ohio
Registration required. To register, email guydenny@centurylink.net Please note your registration. You will not receive an email confirmation.

Leader Jason Larson, naturalist, expert birder, and Director of the Richland County Park District and Gorman Nature Center, will lead a shorebird identification field trip to several of his favorite sites along Lake Erie during the peak of spring shorebird migration.

This field trip will last well into late afternoon. Plans are to visit several shorebird sites before noon, eat lunch at Jason’s favorite local restaurant, and then head out to do more birding at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.

Bring binoculars, bird book, and a spotting scope if you have one. Participants should dress for the weather (rain or shine), pack a lunch unless you plan on eating at the restaurant.

Directions: Meet at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 14000 OH-2, Oak Harbor, Ohio.

Note: There is no limitation on the number of participants, but those planning on attending must sign-up ahead of time so so that you can be contacted with any schedule changes.

March and April Stewardship Projects Attack Woody Invaders and Garlic Mustard

Woody invasive plants at Medway Prairie Fringed Orchid Site no match for the volunteers March 21.

Recent stewardship projects include March 21 at the Medway Prairie Fringed Orchid Site and April 11th at Rhododendron Cove SNP. Eight (8) ONAPA volunteers, 3 USFWS staff, and 1 DNAP staff worked at the PFO site in Medway to remove woody species to improve habitat for the rare orchid. At Rhododendron Cove SNP, 10 ONAPA volunteers and 2 DNAP staff pulled garlic mustard to restore habitat for spring wildflowers. It was a great start to the 2019 season! Garlic mustard was much less abundant than previous years, but there was still plenty to remove.

For a description of upcoming volunteer opportunities, go HERE. And here is a complete list of 2019 Stewardship Projects.

Garlic mustard was the object of the volunteers who trekked though Rhododendron Cove April 7 to help control the invasive spring bloomer before it sets seed. This State Nature Preserve is likely the home of the largest population of the native Rhododendron maximum in Ohio. Peak blooming is typically during late June and early July.

Friday, June 28, 2019 at 10 a.m.
Dragonflies, Damselflies and Other Invertebrates of the Clear Fork Area
Clear Fork of the Mohican River
Junction S.R. 97 and S.R. 3, Loudenville, Ohio
Registration required. To register, email guydenny@centurylink.net. Please note your registration. You will not receive an email confirmation.

Naturalists Judy Semroc and Larry Rosche, co-authors of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeastern Ohio, are two of the foremost experts for identifying odonates in Ohio. They will be leading a wading field trip of the Clear Fork of the Mohican River to discover and identify dragonflies and damselflies of central Ohio.

No limit on the number of participants, but you must sign up. Sign up by emailing Guy Denny at guydenny@centurylink.net. Please include your cell phone number if you have one so we can stay in touch in the field if needed. We will meet at 10:00 a.m. at the parking lot at the junction of State Route 97 and State Route 3 in Ashland County just about 2-3 miles south of Loudonville, Ohio. We will actually be wading in the Mohican River, so make sure you have old tennis shoes or wading shoes to wear - not boots. Pack a lunch and water. In case of rain, we will reschedule the field trip to Monday, July 1.

Save the Date - ONAPA Annual Meeting: August 17, 2019

This year's ONAPA Annual Meeting will be on Saturday, August 17
at Goslin Nature Center at Alley Park, south of Lancaster.
Planning for speakers & field trips is in progress.
(Photo courtesy of Lancaster, OH, Parks and Recreation).

Volunteer Stewardship Project Reports

For the latest Stewardship Project Reports,
CLICK HERE.

Member Activities

For the latest Member Activity Reports,
CLICK HERE,

Stewardship
Projects

We have several stewardship projects planned for 2019, some of which are again on weekdays this year. We will include a short field trip on each project to see some of the preserve we are working at. RSVP HERE.

Member
Field Trips

Preserve
Monitoring

The 2019 ONAPA member field trip schedule can be found HERE. Please remember to RSVP in advance so that we can plan accordingly. Not a member? Join HERE.

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. Click HERE for information.