A SUMMER OF STEWARDSHIP
A THIRD SEASON OF ONAPA STEWARDSHIP ASSISTANTS – ANOTHER SUCCESS!
As the season of stewardship draws to a close, we reflect on all that we have experienced these past six months. Valerie Sasak, Brad Von Blon, and I, Brad Small, are the three latest additions to the ONAPA stewardship assistantship program. We are unhappy to see our time with ONAPA come to an end so swiftly. Yet, we are grateful to have gained this experience, met many different like-minded individuals in the process, and partnered with organizations that share the same goals as ONAPA. Here I report information on the work we completed this season and relay some of the thoughts the stewardship assistants have.
Over the course of the season, the three of us travelled to visit 37 state nature preserves. Not to mention those locations that were not counted among the state nature preserves, such as other natural areas. These natural areas were located in 28 counties throughout the state. Between the three of us, we succeeded in putting in over 800 hours of work on behalf of ONAPA. We took part in 20 different stewardship projects across the state, performing various types of invasive plant control. We also attended several workshops through diverse organizations during the year including: Ohio Invasive Plant Council’s (OIPC) invasive plant workshops, Ohio Prescribed Fire Council’s (OPFC) annual meeting, Division of Forestry’s prescribed fire manager training, and The Dawes Arboretum for botany sessions with Dr. David Brandenburg.
Out of everything we did this year, there were notable projects and trips that stand out in our memories. The ongoing efforts to restore and preserve populations of Lakeside Daisy was one of these projects. Multiple times this year we made the trip to Lakeside-Marblehead in order to be a part of this incredible conservation effort. Trips to survey for Eastern prairie fringed orchid were always rewarding and challenging. Very early in the season, we were able to participate in prescribed burns at Honey Run Highlands and Daughmer Savannah – what a rare treat! The rare plant surveys we took part in yielded some intriguing moments as well. The plants we surveyed comprised of royal catchfly, red baneberry, Canby’s mountain-lover, Northern monkshood, and prairie valerian. I am all but certain that Brad Von Blon managed to capture these majesties with his tireless camera work.
As the season of stewardship draws to a close, we reflect on all that we have experienced these past six months. Valerie Sasak, Brad Von Blon, and I, Brad Small, are the three latest additions to the ONAPA stewardship assistantship program. We are unhappy to see our time with ONAPA come to an end so swiftly. Yet, we are grateful to have gained this experience, met many different like-minded individuals in the process, and partnered with organizations that share the same goals as ONAPA. Here I report information on the work we completed this season and relay some of the thoughts the stewardship assistants have.
Over the course of the season, the three of us travelled to visit 37 state nature preserves. Not to mention those locations that were not counted among the state nature preserves, such as other natural areas. These natural areas were located in 28 counties throughout the state. Between the three of us, we succeeded in putting in over 800 hours of work on behalf of ONAPA. We took part in 20 different stewardship projects across the state, performing various types of invasive plant control. We also attended several workshops through diverse organizations during the year including: Ohio Invasive Plant Council’s (OIPC) invasive plant workshops, Ohio Prescribed Fire Council’s (OPFC) annual meeting, Division of Forestry’s prescribed fire manager training, and The Dawes Arboretum for botany sessions with Dr. David Brandenburg.
Out of everything we did this year, there were notable projects and trips that stand out in our memories. The ongoing efforts to restore and preserve populations of Lakeside Daisy was one of these projects. Multiple times this year we made the trip to Lakeside-Marblehead in order to be a part of this incredible conservation effort. Trips to survey for Eastern prairie fringed orchid were always rewarding and challenging. Very early in the season, we were able to participate in prescribed burns at Honey Run Highlands and Daughmer Savannah – what a rare treat! The rare plant surveys we took part in yielded some intriguing moments as well. The plants we surveyed comprised of royal catchfly, red baneberry, Canby’s mountain-lover, Northern monkshood, and prairie valerian. I am all but certain that Brad Von Blon managed to capture these majesties with his tireless camera work.
Finally, I would like to expound on the value this program has for aspiring recent college graduates. Without a doubt, the stewardship assistantship served its intended purpose as a springboard into the field of ecology, preserve management, and the like. The combination of being exposed to the wide-ranging natural habitats of Ohio and those who are already involved in these types of careers has opened many doors. The countless organizations, groups and individuals we have interacted with through this program have granted us many possibilities and potential interests, making it difficult to choose a direction to proceed from here. The three of us truly appreciate the opportunity that ONAPA has afforded us and we come out of this experience feeling as though our work helped make the world a little bit better. `Brad Small