Collect seeds of prairie plants for your garden Saturday, October 3 at 10 am
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Here is your chance to try your hand at growing native prairie plants. Visitors to the free Saturday event may collect all the seeds they want from Denny’s Tallgrass Prairie and learn how to establish their own prairie gardens. Several prairie specialists will be on hand to answer questions and help identify various species of prairie plants.
Participants should bring hand pruners, and containers such as paper bags in which they can deposit and label the seeds they collect. This “free to the public event" takes place at Denny’s Tallgrass Prairie which is a 20-plus acre |
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prairie located in Knox County about 45 minutes north of Columbus. The street address is 6021 Mt. Gilead Road (SR95) Fredericktown, Ohio. From the junction of Interstate 71 and State Route 95, follow SR95 east just under 5 miles to the Knox County Line Just about 20 feet beyond on the North side of SR95 is the driveway where there will be an ONAPA events sign directing participants up the drive to the designated parking area. Registration is not required.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Woody Species Control at Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Buckeye Lake, Licking County Now called Buckeye Lake, this lake was once a swamp that was to be 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
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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.
Activities will include cutting woody species, hauling cut stems to brush piles, and trained volunteers or DNAP staff will treat the cut stems with herbicides. We will be working in the west meadow near the boardwalk to remove woody species.
Directions: We will be meeting at the North Shore boat ramp at Buckeye Lake State Park at 10am to take a pontoon boat to the island. Take State Route 79 south from I-70, then follow SR 79 south until the curve where you enter the state park. Park in the large parking lot and look for the boat at one of the docks to take us to the island. 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 as the state park will be providing the boat.
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 and notifying you of project changes.
Activities will include cutting woody species, hauling cut stems to brush piles, and trained volunteers or DNAP staff will treat the cut stems with herbicides. We will be working in the west meadow near the boardwalk to remove woody species.
Directions: We will be meeting at the North Shore boat ramp at Buckeye Lake State Park at 10am to take a pontoon boat to the island. Take State Route 79 south from I-70, then follow SR 79 south until the curve where you enter the state park. Park in the large parking lot and look for the boat at one of the docks to take us to the island. 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 as the state park will be providing the boat.
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 and notifying you of project changes.
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May. June and July stewardship projects tackled invasives, surveys and seed collection
May, June, and July were busy for our stewardship assistants and volunteers. We had 11 projects in May, 11 projects in June, and nine projects in July. This included 11 days conducting Lakeside daisy surveys and seed collection, and four days focused on Prairie fringed orchid surveys. We also worked at Irwin Prairie, Clifton Gorge, Fowler Woods, Brinkhaven Barrens, The Woodlands Park, Milford Center Prairie, Jackson Bog, Daughmer Savanna, Cedar Bog, Myersville Fen, and Travertine Fen. We appreciate all the help we received from our dedicated volunteers, especially when gas prices are still high! |
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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:
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
Bonnett Pond Bog
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W. Pearl King Savanna
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For February, we were able to accomplish six projects, so it was a productive month:
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)
- 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
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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.
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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:
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
Attendees at ONAPA 12th Annual Meeting August 23 enjoy great weather at Alley Park
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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
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Member Activities
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Stewardship
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JOINHelp us help Ohio's natural areas and preserves by becoming a member today by using PayPal!
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DONATEONAPA is a 501(C)3 Ohio, volunteer run organization. Your donations are fully tax-deductible. Donate today using PayPal.
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VOLUNTEERWe have many volunteer opportunities available throughout the year. Invasive control, preserve monitoring, etc.
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