What the land 'wants to be'

The toads had moved in and already begun breeding in the ponds at the new wetlands at Oakwoods Nature Preserve before construction was even complete last year, Hancock Park District Natural Resource Manager Chad Carroll said. Six weeks before the wetlands opens to the public, the former agricultural property is now lush and green, dotted with wildflowers and home to animals of all kinds. And it's only expected to grow from there. The land naturally tends to be a wetland, and, for millennia, that's what it was. After all, we refer to this area as the "Black Swamp," Carroll noted. And now — following a relatively brief blip of human development — it's expected to stay a wetland into the far future. "It wants to be a wetland," Carroll said. The wetlands restoration project encompasses 100 acres, nearly doubling the size of Oakwoods, which totals about 220 acres. It was funded through H2Ohio, a comprehensive water quality initiative launched by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2019 to address serious water issues across the state. Among those issues are harmful algal blooms on Lake Erie, caused by phosphorus runoff from farm fertilizer. Carroll explained that the wetlands will act as a filter, reducing nutrients that would otherwise get into the water and lead to algal blooms. "We're trying to fix the problem at the source," he said. Flora and fauna Along with creating cleaner water, the project is also already creating habitat for an array of wildlife. Park district staff have seen several species of ducks as well as herons, egrets and many other birds. Muskrats and mink also have been sighted. A white-tailed deer wandered onto a path as Carroll and two colleagues showed The Courier around the wetlands on Tuesday morning. Birdsong was in abundance. And even to the untrained eye, several distinct types of butterflies and moths could be seen fluttering around, as well as other insects, including dragonflies. "You come out here on a sunny day … there're hundreds, thousands of them probably," Carroll said. The wetlands project includes 43 pools of water, ranging from 6 inches to 6 feet in depth. They're vernal pools, meaning they fill with water in the rainy spring, then dry out later in the year. Fish can't live there, which means that amphibians (like frogs, toads and salamanders) can, with no danger of being eaten by fish. The land is covered in native plants, wildflowers in hues ranging from yellow to blue to white. Native grasses have been planted there, too. From the section of the park focused on prairie habitat, visitors can look down upon ponds below. The prairie is planted with flowers preferring drier conditions, while the other parts of the wetlands have different types of plants. Native trees are present, too — currently small and skinny. But they'll grow. Hundreds of years from now, "hopefully this whole area's a woods," Carroll said. He said native plants evolved for this climate, and have adapted to the dry late summers. "They take care of themselves," he said. Invasive plants, by contrast, can be aggressive. A few are already trying to make their presence felt, so park district staff are keeping a close eye. A variety of plants will attract a variety of insects, Carroll explained. Just as monarch butterflies only eat milkweed, other insects will eat specific plants. He explained the insects, in turn, are food for many area birds. "You lose plants, you lose bugs, you lose birds," he said. The wetlands has been created with an eye toward having a diverse array of species. Some plants will take longer than others to get established. Carroll said in several years, though, when the trees are bigger, he expects it to be a site where birdwatchers can observe the spring warbler migration. Along with birdwatching, he expects popular activities may include looking for dragonflies, or simply hiking. (The public will need to stay on the trails. Dogs will be permitted but must stay on leash.) The future Noting that Oakwoods is already among the more popular parks, Carroll said he anticipates the wetlands getting visitors from not just Hancock County but the region as a whole. "I feel like Oakwoods is going to be really busy," Carroll said. The contract for the farm ended in 2019. In three years, the property was transformed into its current state. Carroll said the work was helped by weather — a milder winter that allowed them to do earth work, and a fall 2021 that was conducive to planting trees. Park district staff recently mowed about two miles of trails. Among the remaining tasks are installing signs, which the state has provided to educate on the benefits of wetlands. The Oakwoods expansion will open to the public in mid-September. Carroll said the park district also plans to hold educational events for youths, something the state has encouraged. And, he said, the park district can always use more volunteers. Hancock Park District is also creating a smaller wetlands at Bright Conservation Area, on park property adjacent to the Blanchard River in Marion Township. Construction there is expected to start in mid-August, and must be complete by the end of the calendar year.