Join us as we learn more about what our amazing field staff find on our protected properties every single day.

8.6.2020 As part of our effort to provide the public with more outdoor space to explore and enjoy in a socially-distant fashion, we have officially opened a new public preserve in Oberlin! The 63-acre property includes native prairie which is home to 600 native wildflower plants, more than 50 native trees, birds, amphibians, and other wildlife.

7.23.2020 This baby we spotted might be cute but did you know that if bothered, juvenile and adult Turkey Vultures will throw up on whoever is bothering them? Found by our stewardship staff at Blue Heron Preserve in Memory of Janet Franklin Foster.

7.21.2020 In many urban and suburban communities, tree canopies are dwindling. Some trees are lost to development. Others are never planted or replaced due to municipal budget constraints. Our Reforest Our City program team is working hard, while social distancing, this summer to plant and maintain thousands of trees in an effort to reduce this trend.

7.15.2020 Our staff took a field trip to Haley’s Run Trail outside Akron to do some cleanup and trail maintenance. We know how important it is to #getoutsideohio and want to make sure that trails, parks and preserves are clean and safe for all to enjoy!

7.13.2020 Our team is working hard to provide the public with access to some of our most beautiful properties during this time when getting outside is more important than ever.

7.8.2020 Look what we found! A Harlequin Darner, listed as Threatened in Ohio, found at Blue Heron Preserve in Memory of Janet Franklin Foster.

5.17.2020 We never know what we’re going to come across in the field! Today one of our Land Stewards, Shane Wohlken, shares a very rare and majestic creature!
5.14.2020 Let’s talk salamanders! Did you know Ohio is home to 25 different species? They spend most of their lives hidden but they’re here! And quite abundant. We love finding them on our protected properties, as they are good environmental indicators because of their permeable skin (making them susceptible to toxins or changes in their environment). The pictured Northern Two-Lined Salamander found by Brett Rodstrom, Vice President of Eastern Field Operations, is a good indicator that there is good water quality in the nearby stream!

5.11.2020 It’s officially spring when ramps, a wild-grown cousin to leeks, start popping up in our woodlands. Today, our Firelands Associate Field Director, Kate Pilacky, shows us how to find, harvest, and sustain ramps. Make sure you pick them only with permission from a property owner, take only the leaves and never pick from a Metropark. Never cooked ramps before? Here are 25 recipes to get you started! https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/devour/recipes/2014/05/how-to-use-ramps

5.2.2020 Wetlands are an important part of our natural surroundings. Watch the Land Conservancy’s Senior Vice President of Conservation Transactions as he explains the benefits of an Agri Drain.