Wetlands expansion at Oakwoods opens to public

Oakwoods Nature Preserve has officially nearly doubled in size, with the Wednesday morning opening of the wetlands expansion. Mary Mertz, director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, was on hand to declare the new section of the park open just after 10:45 a.m. following a ceremonial ribbon cutting. After some drizzle earlier in the morning, the day grew sunny by the time the group of attendees toured the wetland. In her opening remarks, Mertz said the site will offer more recreational and hiking opportunities — but, at its heart, it's a water quality project. The wetland is designed to filter water to reduce nutrients that will flow into Aurand Run — from which water flows into the Blanchard River, then the Maumee River, then Lake Erie. A state H2Ohio grant funded the construction of the project, which had a final cost of $1,404,722.36. Gary Pruitt, director of the Hancock Park District, said the story began when the park district acquired the land between 2006 and 2009. The property was formerly a farm. Pruitt said besides the benefits for water quality and as a habitat for wildlife, the area will be an asset for the public, too, including offering "scenic beauty." Trails totaling 1.5 miles in length are now open for hiking, and the park district already has programs planned at the site. 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. Because fish can't live there, amphibians (like frogs, toads and salamanders) can, with no danger of being eaten by fish. In addition to the wetlands, another section of the former farmland was transformed into prairie habitat to create a buffer. John Shady, project manager for Coldwater Consulting, said on the tour that his team had planted thousands of native trees, shrubs and other plants. About 50 years from now, it will be a solid stand of trees, he said. Nature is already taking up residence. Butterflies flitted over equally brightly colored wildflowers Wednesday — among many types of animals and plants already at home in the space. Chad Carroll, natural resources manager for the park district, has reported seeing rare birds. "These projects are like magnets for the wildlife," said Eric Saas, ODNR's H2Ohio program manager. By July, park district staff reported having also seen herons, egrets and many other birds, along with muskrat and mink. When The Courier toured the property in July, a white-tailed deer wandered onto the path, and birdsong was in abundance. Dragonflies, too, were prevalent. As the group toured the site Wednesday, a hawk flew overhead. "This is fantastic habitat" for birds, said avid birdwatcher Greg Snowden, senior biologist for the Lancaster-based Stream and Wetlands Foundation. He said the pools will attract shorebirds and ducks, while the meadow habitat could attract different types of birds, like bobolinks. And, since other "critters" like mice and rabbits are present, raptors like hawks will come to eat them. "This is really popular with wildlife," Bob Midden, Ph.D., research professor at Bowling Green State University's Department of Chemistry. He said he'd seen many types of waterfowl this spring. The H2Ohio initiative has funded research into the effectiveness of these wetlands. Midden said his team is monitoring Oakwoods and many other sites but, "I have to say, this is one of my favorites. ... This is really a quintessential wetlands project." Pruitt noted that the landscape will evolve over time, the trees growing into more of a forest. So people can keep in mind while they walk the trails that the area won't always look the way it does now. Members of the public are encouraged to take photographs of the site, to create a crowdsourced timelapse image to show how it progresses over time. Midden said every time someone takes such a photo, scientists like him get an additional data point. Oakwoods, 1400 Oakwoods Lane, is in its entirety about 220 acres, including 100 acres that newly opened. Hancock Park District is also creating a wetlands at Bright Conservation Area, on park property adjacent to the Blanchard River in Marion Township. That wetlands, about 15 acres, is also old agricultural land. It's currently under construction. Arthurs: 419-427-8494