2021 MEMBER FIELD TRIPS & EVENTS
ONAPA field trips will last from 2 to 3 hours or longer depending on interest.
Bring water and a snack or a bag lunch to tide you over.
All trips require registration. To register, email [email protected] with your name and cell phone.
You will receive a confirmation email only for field trips that have limited participation.
If you are not a member or if your membership is not current you can join or renew now
using PayPal or by downloading a membership form HERE.
Bring water and a snack or a bag lunch to tide you over.
All trips require registration. To register, email [email protected] with your name and cell phone.
You will receive a confirmation email only for field trips that have limited participation.
If you are not a member or if your membership is not current you can join or renew now
using PayPal or by downloading a membership form HERE.
2021: FOUR field trips scheduled
After suspending our regular series of field trips last year and again early this year due to the threat of COVID-19, now, with so many of us fully vaccinated, we have decided to cautiously resume to see how things work out. We want to encourage particularly those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate. Un-vaccinated participants will be required to wear face coverings and social distance. To sign up, please email Guy Denny at [email protected].
Saturday, July 31 Denny’s Tallgrass Prairie Tour - 10:00 am Naturalists Dick Moseley, Jennifer Windus, and Guy Denny will give participants a walking tour around the tallgrass prairie. We will be discussing the origin of the tallgrass prairies of North America and Ohio and introducing folks to the various grasses and wildflowers comprising this ecosystem. Participants will not only learn how to recognize the various prairie species, but also learn interesting facts about their uses by Native Americans and early settlers. See the October 2 field trip for directions. Saturday, September 25 Johnson Woods Old Growth Forest Walk - 10:00 am Join naturalist Gordon Maupin for an easy walk along the mile-long boardwalk at Johnson Woods State Nature Preserve. Johnson Woods is an amazing old growth forest. The towering trees will be approaching the peak of fall color. In addition to the towering old growth trees, Johnson Woods has areas for forested wetlands with vernal pools and native wildflowers in all seasons. Johnson Woods is located a few miles north of Orrville on Fox Lake Road between Highways 57 and 94. Saturday, October 2 Annual Prairie Seed Collecting Event If you have ever wanted to try your hand at growing native prairie plants, this is your opportunity to collect seeds and learn how to establish your |
own prairie garden. Participants should bring
hand pruners, and containers such as bags in which they can deposit the seeds they collect. Several prairie specialists will be on hand to answer your questions and help you identify the various species of prairie plants. This 20 plus acre prairie is located in Knox County about 45 minutes north of Columbus. The street address is 6021 Mt. Gilead Road (SR 95) Fredericktown, Ohio. From the junction of Interstate 71 and State Route 95, follow State Route 95 east for just under five miles to the Knox County Line. Just about 20 feet beyond on the north side S.R. 95 is the driveway where there will be an ONAPA events sign directing participants up the driveway to the designated parking area. Saturday, October 9 Easy walk planned through Blackhand Gorge - 10:00 am Join naturalist Dick Moseley for an easy wallk through Blackhand Gorge. The prime feature of this preserve is a narrow, east-west gorge cut by the Licking River through the famous Black Hand sandstone formation. The Black Hand, for which the preserve is named, originated from a dark, hand-shaped Native American petroglyph which was engraved on the face of a massive sandstone cliff along the north side of the river. Unfortunately, the engraving was destroyed in 1828 when canal builders dynamited the cliff face, during construction of the Ohio-Erie Canal, which ran through the gorge. Remnants of the canal towpaths and canal locks may be seen from the trails along the river. Several species of glacial relic plants continue to live in the gorge as well as other plants typical of southeastern Ohio. Blackhand Gorge is located in northeast Licking County in Hanover Township, eight miles east of Newark on State Route 16. Exit to right on State Route 146, travel one quarter mile to County Road 273, turn right and travel about one and a half miles to the preserve. No limits on the number of participants, but you must sign up so that if the event needs to be cancelled for any reason, we can let you know. Sign up by emailing Guy Denny at [email protected]. Pack a lunch, and dress for the weather. |