Nature center 'coming back to life'

UPPER SANDUSKY — The Gottfried Nature Center near Upper Sandusky is home to both wetland and prairie habitats, a field of cattails, giant anthills and even a muskrat den. "We have a lot to offer out here," said Lauren Burner, the new agriculture educator at Wyandot Soil and Water Conservation District. Besides providing agriculture-related programs, Burner oversees the center that sits on 22.7 acres off Wyandot County 330, about 5 miles west of Upper Sandusky in Crane Township. The area is open to the public daily from dawn to dusk and includes woods, walking trails and a small pond. Bruner explained that the center is named for brothers Chuck and Norman Gottfried, who donated the land to the conservation district in 1992. "Part of it was farmland," said Chuck Gottfried. "Part of it we worked the ground, but we never raised anything in the marshy part. We farmed most of it. There was probably 6 acres or maybe less that had marsh." He said the conservation district wanted a place where they could demonstrate small pond maintenance. Since there is a half-acre pond on the property, the site seemed to fit the bill. Chuck and his wife, Jean, live nearby. Norman died in 2014. "I'm down there quite a bit," said Chuck. "I don't know why, but I just enjoy it." There are two entrances to the property, from Wyandot County 330 and Township Highway 111. Programs and meetings can be held in the educational building, which was built in 1996. "All of that building is pretty much recycled material," said Jean. "Aluminum pop cans were used for the roof. There was concrete, which was obviously a recycled product. So everything pretty much in that building was some form of recycled material." Even the framework incorporated recycled plastic boards. Those warped with time, however, and had to be supported by pieces of lumber. "It was somewhat of an experiment at the time. That was 30 years ago, really, but the building has held up beautifully," said Jean. Inside, visitors can view an assortment of licensed taxidermy mounts. Burner said most are animals that farmers consider a nuisance such as red fox, raccoon, coyote and badger. Over the years, much of the land around the center had become overgrown. Burner, who took over in June, has made it one of her missions to get the place back in shape. "They introduced me to the nature center and asked me if I'd be willing to help with maintenance, oversee it," she said. "When I walked out here I didn't really know what I was getting into. But I've just kind of grown and learned from there." Recent improvements include mowing and trimming, paying particular attention to the 10-foot-wide grass walking path that meanders around the area. Trails are estimated to cover about 2 miles, said Burner. Visitors can climb onto an observation deck for a better view of the wetlands. Burner is hoping groups like 4-H and FFA clubs will be interested in building duck and bird boxes to place throughout the area. There is also a floating dock that can be used to observe wildlife. An amphitheater built by the Upper Sandusky FFA in 2019 now has electrical outlets. It's a nice area for people to sit and have a picnic lunch, said Burner. A stage was built there by Sam Bailey for his Eagle Scout project in 2019. Nearby is a field of cattails. Burner said Todd Karg, a district technician for Wyandot Soil and Water, reconstructed a bridge that oversees the perennial plants. "A lot of people don't know or rarely see cattails, so we're going to keep this area," Burner said. She said more informational signs are planned. They will also plant additional trees to provide coverage for animals. The center is home to rabbits, deer, birds and ducks. Visitors can walk around the prairie, which features native grasses and forbs. There are also a number of large anthills in the area. "I think they're pretty cool, and you don't see this every day in Ohio," Burner said. A three-sided wooden bird blind allows visitors to view wildlife. Burner said the pond is now in a turnover stage. New aquatic plants will be added and the pond will be restocked for catch and release fishing. Muskrats have made their home in the pond. "Sometimes you see them scurrying around, usually early mornings," Burner said. "We were going to take them down but we thought, you know, you don't see that very often and that's really cool." Chuck said he's happy to see the area "coming back to life." He said his brother would be happy, too. A burl oak tree was planted on the grounds in Norman's memory. "I think we would like to see this place grow, and I think Lauren is the person for the job to convince folks that there's programs that she can provide that will be something everybody would benefit from," Jean said. Burner said she's had plenty of community support for the center and hopes to continue making connections in Wyandot County. "Once we move past all this COVID stuff, I see a lot of potential out here," she said. For more information, contact Burner at 419-294-2312 or email lauren.burner@usda.gov. Wolf: 419-427-8419 jeanniewolf@thecourier.com