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Beaver Creek Wetlands Association
In this IssueRiver Otters ................................. 1President’s Message ................. 2Volunteer Corner ....................... 3Science Corner ........................... 5History of Beaver Creek ......... 8Eagle Scout Project ................... 10Endowment Fund ..................... 11
Volume 31, No. 3 Summer 2017
www.beavercreekwetlands.org
Calendar
August Sun., August 13, 6-8 pmFinding Frogs Family Fun HikeSiebenthaler Fen, Fairgrounds Road
Sat., August 19, 11 am-7 pm& Sun., August 20, 11 am-6 pmFairborn Sweet Corn FestivalFairborn Community Park
September
Sat., September 9, 10 am-8 pm&Sun., September 10, 11 am-6 pmBeavercreek Popcorn FestivalDayton-Xenia Rd between Fairfield & Meadow Bridge
Sat., September 16, 2:30-4:30 pmMonarch Tagging ProgramKoogler Wetland/Prairie ReserveBeaver Valley Road, just south of New Germany-Trebein Road
River Otters in the Wetlands!
Beaver Creek Wetlands Association:Combined Federal Campaign
#72199
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(Counterclockwise, from top left) BCWA member Mike Mushala took his first photo of a river otter at Siebenthaler Fen on May 29. Excited by his sighting, he returned the next day and took “... three more pictures of the otter I took yesterday. There was one above the spillway with pictures (I used to think it was a beaver dam up near the bridge at Siebenthaler Fen) and a smaller one below the spillway. No picture of the smaller one. He was headed up stream so I went back to the spillway in hopes of maybe catching him cross...”
2 Spotted Turtle—Summer 2017
President’s Message
JOIN TEAM BCWA:Together...Everyone...Achieves...More
The Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is heading towards its 30th year as a non-profit corpora-tion. To get us there has taken the dedication, work and involvement of countless individuals. Except for our paid, part-time Administrative Coordinator, all of this work has been done by unpaid volunteers. As you saw in our last newsletter, more than 4,000 hours were do-nated by 53 volunteers in 2016.
The mission of our organization is to help preserve and protect wetlands and adjoining uplands within the Beaver Creeks cor-ridors. A majority of our work involves removing invasive spe-
cies and replacing them with native species. But not everyone is cut out to tackle those tasks. It takes a group of folks willing to do that physical labor we have taken on as part of our mission.
It also takes people with a vari-ety of skills and talents to make our organization as successful as it is. It is these individuals that help us edu-cate the public about the value of the wetlands through programs, events, festivals, parades, newsletters and social media.
As a non-profit organization, there are also positions we need to meet state law and to be compliant with our own bylaws and the stan-
dards of a land trust. At the annual meeting we announced that our Treasurer for 14 years has stepped down. Recently, our Secretary for the past 4 years has also announced his resignation from that position. These positions are critical to our organization to keep us financially sound, legal and maintain the re-cords of our organization. One other position that we have had lacking for several years is that of an archi-vist. If you or someone you know could fill one of these positions, it would be a great contribution to our organization. Contact me and I will outline these positions for you.
—Jim [email protected]
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A Few Facts About River OttersOhio Division of Wildlife reports
that the North American River Otter has been reintroduced to Ohio streams through release pro-grams conducted between 1986 and 1993. River otters are semi-aquatic mammals, native to North America. They are 3-4 feet long and weigh between 11-30 pounds. They are highly adapted for swim-ming, with large webbed feet, streamlined bodies with water repellant fur, and a long muscular tail that comprises 1/3 of their body length.
Long stiff whiskers allow river otters to sense underwater move-ments and locate their food. They eat a large variety of aquatic wild-life, including fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, eggs, birds and turtles. They also eat aquatic plants and small
mammals. River otters are quite ac-tive and need to eat frequently.
The river otter lives in a den constructed in the burrows of other animals, or in natural hollows, such as under a log or in river banks.
River otter populations are sensi-tive to pollution and loss of habitat, and they are not common in this part of Ohio. Their appearance at Siebenthaler Fen speaks well for the quality of habitat found in the Bea-ver Creek Wetlands. The animals are highly mobile, so we don’t yet know if river otters are staying and breed-ing in our area or passing through. They have been spotted in June and July at Siebenthaler Fen.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife monitors river otters, and encour-ages otter spotters to report their sightings. In SW Ohio, contact
District Five, 1076 Old Springfield Pike, Xenia 45385, or call (937) 372-9261.
Sources for this story include the Websites of Ohio Division of Wildlife, National Wildlife Federa-tion, and National Geographic.
Welcome back, otters! —Sue Rytel
Rick Luehrs photographed this river otter at Siebenthaler Fen in June.
See this newsletter in full color online at www.beavercreekwetlands.org 3
Spring Volunteer Activity
Continued on Page 4
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BCWA volunteers were anx-ious to get back out in the field after taking the winter off, but the weather did not always cooperate this spring. Still, the Saturday vol-unteers were able to visit Hagen-buch Reserve, Little Beaver Creek Prairie, Phillips Park, and Zim-merman Prairie during the spring window of opportunity to control poison hemlock. Herbicide was used on the dense stands of this invasive plant, but most of us used a shovel to sever the root, which kills the plant. It is a labor-inten-sive but effective way to interrupt the 2-year life cycle of biennials. This annual effort has reduced the amount of poison hemlock in these locations. Also, the first spring visit to a reserve requires a cleanup, which was undertaken at several of these locations. Un-fortunately, the morning of the scheduled cleanup of the littered highway embankment overlooking Zimmerman Prairie was cancelled due to a downpour. Hopefully, we can reschedule, but there may be higher priorities as the growing season progresses.
The Saturday volunteers also worked on garlic mustard control at Hagenbuch Reserve in the areas where dense stands of honey-suckle had been removed last year, using string trimmers or hedge clippers to cut off the top of the plant where the seeds were form-ing, then cutting down the remain-der of the plant. This prevents the seeds from maturing to repopulate the area and since the plants are near the end of their 2-year life-cycle, resprouting and additional flower and seed production will be curtailed. While working here, we were pleasantly surprised to
see some patches of native wildflow-ers in the area that was mostly bare after honeysuckle removal last year. Soloman’s seal, sweet Cicely, Jack-in-the-pulpit, several nice patches of Virginia and appendaged waterleaf, wild ginger, rue anemone, cut-leaf toothwort, Gray’s sedge, James’ sedge, green-headed coneflower, wingstem, jewelweed, stonecrop, bloodroot, common fleabane, mead-ow rue, great Angelica, and golden Alexanders had all been “liberated” by honeysuckle removal.
The Monarch Waystation volun-teers normally meet on Thursday mornings, but have had to resched-ule frequently this spring due to rain. Efforts here have reduced the populations of biennial teasel, poison hemlock, Queen-Anne’s lace, and white and yellow sweet clover. In mid-May, the Waystation was all
a-bloom in blue and white – the false blue indigo, spiderwort, and blue-eyed grass (not a grass, but in the iris family) providing the blue flow-ers and common fleabane and corn salad providing white flowers. Also in mid-May, we observed a monarch butterfly laying eggs in the common milkweed. Upon closer inspection, we found a mature caterpillar, so Monarchs returned to our area in early May. Many people passing by on the bike path stop and ask questions of the volunteers working here. This shows that the Monarch Waystation is fulfilling its purposes – providing appropriate habitat to support the life cycle of monarchs and other butterflies and educating the public.
Visitors to Koogler Wetland/Prairie Reserve appreciate the trail improvement project undertaken by
Love the trail improvements at Koogler Wetland/Prairie Reserve? Thank the volunteers next time you see a work party!
4 Spotted Turtle—Summer 2017
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Eagle Scout candidate Josh Ham-mond of Troop 14 and his helpers. They laid geotextile and gravel on new sections of trail and replen-ished it on other sections. BCWA’s Sunday volunteers picked up where the Eagle Scout project left off to use up the remaining gravel. They also worked on invasive plant control, targeting honeysuckle and reed canary grass, and remov-ing large patches of pokeweed in the clearing restoration. Although pokeweed is a native plant, it had overrun the planting area.
The Sunday crew also visited Beerman Fen, a small property owned by BCWA north of Fair-born Marsh. Here, they worked on removing honeysuckle and other woody invasives surrounding the fen.
BCWA’s land management team also worked to control reed canary grass at the conservation ease-ment known as Tower Wetlands and cared for the 80 tree saplings planted at Fairborn Marsh last fall.
Continued From Page 3
Spring Volunteer ActivityThe new tractor and attachments were tried out – the flail mower has been used along the ditch line at Beerman Fen and around the new trees at Fairborn Marsh, and the boardwalks at both Siebenthaler Fen and Koogler Reserve were cleaned with the brush attachment.
Land management volunteers included: Jim Amon, Skip Beehler, Matt Biggers, Ed Bogden, Matt Cary, Greg Clark, Aaron Deckard, Kim-berly Gonzales, Bethany Gray, Lois Gschwender, Anna Kamnyev, Debbie Karr, Patrick Kennedy, Jim Lucot, Kathy Potter, Sarah Potter, Brad Rit-zel, Jim Schneider, John Sullenbarger, Richard Swigart, Tom Whitman, Alex Zelles. Groups included Chaminade-Julienne juniors Chloe Crabb and Jasmine Hughes with dad Brian, Josh Hammond and Boy Scout Troop 14, and Apurva Makote, Surabhi Pasupuleti, Vraj Shah, and Pushkar Shirahatti from the Youth Group for Indian Culture.
In addition to land management activities, volunteers also assisted
with two spring mailings – the an-nual meeting invitations and the membership renewal. We met at the office in the Coy House to address and stuff envelopes (and social-ize!). Spring also brings BCWA’s most popular event – the Knollwood Garden Party in early April. BCWA’s volunteers staff the food booth and the good folks at Knollwood Gar-den Center follow up with a gener-ous donation. Volunteers for these activities included: Art Bauer, Eric and Faby Bee, Skip Beehler, Steve Blatt, Ann Byrd, Shannon Mueller & kids Phillip & Lillian, Margie Perenic, Jeff & Kathy Potter, Judy Renz, Jim Runkle, Sue Rytel, Jim Schneider, Dave Shumway, Bill Skelly, Richard Swigart, John Tirpack, and Paul Wolfe.
Please let me know if you have an interest in helping with any of these activities in the future and I will make sure you are on the appropri-ate contact list. You may call the office at 937-320-9042 or e-mail at [email protected].
—Debbie Karr
Above: Rebecca Morgann (l) and Sandy McHugh (r), co-founders of 100 Women Making a Difference in Greene County. Center left: Jane Henry, BCWA life member who proposed the donation to BCWA. Center right: Jim Schneider, BCWA president. This generous donation funded new equipment for BCWA!
BCWA Puts New Equipment to Good Use!
Skip Beehler uses the new flail mower at Fairborn Marsh.
See this newsletter in full color online at www.beavercreekwetlands.org 5
Science Corner: On the BCWA Nest Box Trails
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The Fairborn Marsh has seven nest boxes managed by BCWA volunteers and one box managed by a BCWA member whose home borders the marsh. Koogler Re-serve has a total of four nest boxes where bluebirds and tree swallows have been nesting. Although a pair of bluebirds have been spotted regularly at Fairborn Marsh this season, they have not yet nested in a box there. All boxes excepting one have hosted tree swallows so far, as the watery marsh provides a host of insects, attracting these birds that eat them aerially. We shall see if bluebirds nest a second brood this Summer in one of the boxes, or not.
To date, over 25 tree swal-lows have successfully fledged, while one box of nestlings died in the nest from a failure to thrive. Extended periods of cold/rain can be deadly to swallows because of reduced insect activity during such weather (like we had in early May).
Additionally a house wren nested in a box at the marsh, how-ever, the six eggs “disappeared” after two weeks with no evidence of intrusion. Usually if this happens to other birds, it’s the house wren that could be the culprit, yanking nesting material and possibly eggs
out of the box. It’s possible the par-ent knew these eggs were not viable and discarded them. Sometimes birds will discard nonviable eggs, but not always. So, without having a video or camera at the box, it re-mains a mystery.
Over the years, tree swallows have generally been using more and more nest boxes on bluebird trails. This is a concern of monitors, however, the tree swallow popula-tions have also improved because of nesting boxes. If you have tree swal-lows nesting near you, you receive a tremendous amount of free insect/mosquito control.
The North American Bluebird Society journal, Bluebird, published the following in 2006-07:
Each adult tree swallow will con-sume about 2,000 insects per day during an average 45 day nesting period. The parents also catch and feed their brood (of 4-7 nestlings) about 6,000 insects per day dur-ing an average 20 days spent inside the nest box. This adds up to an
estimated 300,000 insects per tree swallow nesting family: 180,000 insects for the nesting pair (2,000/day/adult x 45 days), plus 120,000 for their nestlings (6,000 insects per brood x 20 days). Since 90% of their hunting takes place below 39 feet, tree swallows can make a real dent in insect populations that pester humans.
We thank 7th grade students of McKinney Middle School in Yellow Springs for building nest boxes and baffles and prepping poles at the school district’s wood shop. Some of these were sold at the BCWA Blue-
Nest Box Trail Hike Participants at Fairborn Marsh
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Tree Swallow on Next BoxContinued on Page 6
Bluebird on Next Box
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6 Spotted Turtle—Summer 2017
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Continued From Page 5BCWA Nest Box Trails
bird workshop in January, and one was used to replace a damaged nest box at Fairborn Marsh. The YS School District partnered with the Tecumseh Land Trust, with support from the Ohio Bluebird Society. Middle school students studied bluebird and cavity-nest-ing conservation as part of their Project-Based Learning (PBL) requirement this past semester. In addition to building boxes, they were able to monitor boxes at a private farm’s bluebird trail three times this Spring. They submitted their data to Cornell University via NestWatch.org.
—Bethany Gray
Bluebird Nestlings
Rewards programs Your purchases at these businesses can benefit BCWA!
Dorothy Lane MarketGood Neighbor Program
If you are a member of Club DLM, you can designate the BCWA (char-ity ID 671) as your preferred charity. Either go to the service desk at your local DLM and complete an applica-tion or register online at https://www.dorothylane.com/clubdlm/goodneighbor.pl .
Bluebirds Fulfill Bucket List for Octogenarian
Bethany Gray will host another bluebird workshop on August 12 at Cedar Bog in Urbana.
In January, an elderly gentleman read about the BCWA-hosted Blue-bird Workshop in the newspaper. He attended and then contacted Debbie Karr later this Spring, say-ing he had never seen a bluebird in the wild, and it was actually on the top of his Bucket List! However, he did have physical mobility limita-tions. Debbie was monitoring a box of bluebirds nesting near the pond at Phillips Park, and arranged with the Township, who also owned the adjacent property, for the man to drive into that property and walk a shorter distance on the grass. He was thrilled to see them!
—Bethany Gray
KrogerCommunity Rewards Program
You can register your Kroger Plus card online and link it to BCWA’s NPO number 46587 at www.kroger-communityrewards.com. Every time you make a purchase with your Kroger Plus card, BCWA will benefit!
Bethany Gray, giving her crowd-pleasing bluebird workshop (January 2017)
Yellow Rumped Warbler
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See this newsletter in full color online at www.beavercreekwetlands.org 7
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The First Trail
I lived on a small farm in South-eastern Ohio. The farm had two big crop fields separated by a wood-land, with a creek running through it. After I read Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, I decided to build a raft to explore the ponds that populated most every property along the creek. As a kid, I must have been all of 8 or 9 years old, I had no idea what was in store, but I wanted to explore my world. The wood was full of Black Locust trees and it was my job to harvest them for fence posts and to keep them from encroaching on the crop fields. Aha I thought, I could use some of them to make a raft. Well, the green wood didn’t float very well and I tried many things to improve them, but along that adven-ture I began to notice the woods a bit more.
The woods were my refuge. They seemed to hold many secrets, more than I could imagine. My dad and I had made little paths to find the really big trees that would serve as sturdy corner posts for the fences. That was a beginning. Soon, starting at the barn the trail ran through the meadow and into the woods where a stand of Pin Oaks welcomed me to a shaded, rolling landscape. I broad-ened the paths, put in bridges that crossed the creek twice, and eventu-ally made a loop, then another loop going back to the headwaters of the creek where springs popped out of mucky soil. Eventually, there were little side paths that took me to my special places. When dad was going to tear down the old shed I salvaged the wood and rebuilt a small shelter next to the creek. It flooded now and then, that was another lesson. In a small clearing, above the flood
line, we had a small campground where my friends and I would camp overnight. As I got older the paths matured and were the place to go when I needed to get “out”. Near the entrance there was the remnant of a plum orchard - a nice treat when their small fruits were ripe. And next to that, on a little hill, I built a target practice site to shoot the
22-caliber rifle my dad gave me. We fired into a bank on the other side of the creek.
After many years I went off to college, but whenever I returned home I mowed the path to keep it clear and brought my girl friend, now my wife, out on walks. We even
used the rifle range once or twice and she got to be a pretty good shot. After college, I was off to Virginia for graduate school and a study of Marine Biology. I did not get back to the farm before my parents moved to the city, but I never forgot the lessons learned in the woods. The ant colonies, the bee swarms, the fish in the creek, the great grape vines, the occasional skunk, possum or raccoon, and the turkey feathers we found. We never saw a turkey. It was a time when much of the wild was declining and the rare finding of bobcats was a treat. The creek had salamanders in it and I raised the young that hatched from eggs before I released them back to the creek. I took all of this with me in memories that came in handy in grad school. I believe those experiences gave me an advantage over other students who had grown up in cities.
I often wonder whatever hap-pened to that place, a tiny woodland that held my interest every day. I looked for it on Google Earth today, and it is still there. One of the fields is now forest, so the forest is now bigger, but I can see the larger trees of the old woods still standing and it makes me glad. The clearing is still there and I always wondered why it had no trees. The springs seem to still be in place, but now there is a house near by. I hope some other youngster, maybe from that house, found the spring, the creek and the woods, like I did, and learned as I did.
Since then I have made many more trails. I suppose I have never grown up!
—Jim Amon
Jim and Carol Amon, on a trail in Costa Rica. They recently celebrated
their 50th wedding anniversary!
8 Spotted Turtle—Summer 2017
A Brief History of the Beaver Creek - Part 5
In Part 1 of my history of the Beaver Creek, I discussed the natural history of the valley of the Beaver Creek.In Part 2, the impacts of humans on the valley were explored.In Part 3, we looked at the Harbine Mill Dam and the attempt by its neighbors to have it taken down in the
hope that it would lower the water table and, in effect, help to drain the surrounding lands.In Part 4, the county is allowed to remove the dam and a petition is presented to the County Commissioners to
improve the Beaver Creek by turning it into a county ditch.
Continued on Page 9
****We were last with the Board of
Commissioners on April 8, 1914 when they officially received the petition for the improvement of the Beaver Creek by “straightening, widening, deepening and chang-ing” the stream. It was decided at this meeting that the Commission-ers would walk the entire length of the proposed improvement to observe firsthand if the improve-ments were warranted.
On April 17, 1914 the Xenia Daily Gazette ran an article with the headline of “Many Affected by Reclamation Plan.” This article said that “eighty property owners are affected by the petition to deepen, widen, straighten or change the Beaver Creek.” The article stated that “the territory involved extends from the Harbine Mill Dam to the property of Peter Lang in Bath Township, a distance of about nine miles. The proposition to enlarge the channel of the creek is part of the plan to reclaim about 1000 acres of land in the Beaver Valley, and follows naturally upon the removal of the Harbine dam.”
It was also noted in the article that there would be a hearing of the petition at 10:00 a.m. on May 5, 1914 during a Special Session of the Board of Commissioners to be held at the beginning of the pro-posed improvement at the north line of the property of Peter Lang. The special Session was held and it was decided that a further hearing was needed with more notice given
Part of a 1914 Bath Township map, City of Fairfield visible at upper left. Beaver Creek is outlined in brown at
the lower right.
to the affected property owners. It was then resolved that the Board would meet at the beginning of the proposed improvement at 10:00 a.m. on May 26, 1914 on the land
of Peter Lang and that the County Auditor would notify all affected parties and would advertise “in a newspaper printed and of general circulation in the county, at least two weeks before the day herein set for hearing.”
At the Special Session, an ap-plication was filed on behalf of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad Company for dam-ages to their property that would be caused by the improvement in the sum of $10,000 but no action was taken at that time.
On May 6, 1914 the County Auditor sent notices to all own-ers of lots and lands, both resident and non-resident, that the Board of Commissioners would meet on the property of Peter Lang for a hearing of the petition to improve the Beaver Creek on May 26, 1914 at 10:00 a.m. The Commissioners would then walk from the meeting place to the site of the Harbine Mill Dam. The purpose of the walk would be to hear any comments offered by those affected by the ditch improvement. The comments that they were seek-ing could be on any and all aspects of the improvement. They wanted to hear from owners that were in favor of the improvement, those that objected to the improvement, and whether the proposed route was the best route. The only restrictions were that any applications for dam-ages, and any changes to the route, had to be in writing and received by the Commissioners before or on the
Map
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See this newsletter in full color online at www.beavercreekwetlands.org 9
History of Beaver Creek, Part 5 Continued from Page 8
Continued on Page 9
day of the hearing.On May 26, 1914 the “Board met
at the beginning of the improve-ment on the lands of Peter Lang in the north line of section 19, town 3, range 8, Bath Township, and proceeded to walk the line of Beaver Creek” to assess for them-selves if the improvement that was petitioned for was warranted. (A personal note here for those that are interested, this point is now part of the Greene County Parks & Trails Cemex Reserve.) The Board was not able to walk the entire length of the course of the stream in one day and decided to adjourn until the next morning at 9:30 a.m. when they would meet on the line of the stream where they had exited that day.
After walking the entire length of the course of the creek, the Com-missioners met on May 27, 1914 to discuss what they had observed but were instead presented with an application for compensation
and damages from the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway Com-pany in the amount of $5,500.00 for damages due to what the improve-ments might cause where their bridge crossed the Beaver Creek. All and any action was continued until the regular scheduled meeting of the Board on June2, 1914.
At this meeting, the Commission-ers, having walked and after viewing the entire length of the proposed improvement to the Beaver Creek, determined that improvement was necessary. They concluded that by turning the Beaver Creek into a county ditch, the “lots and lands” ad-joining the creek would be drained and this would “be conducive to the public health, convenience and welfare.”
The Commissioners then ordered the County Surveyor to follow the line of the stream as described in the petition to “survey and level” the line and to set a stake every 100 feet and number them consecutively
downstream. He was also ordered to make and return a schedule of all “lots and lands, and public or corporate roads or railroads” that would benefit from the improve-ment. He was also to estimate the cost of locating and constructing the improvement and to apportion the costs according to the benefits that would result from the im-provement. The Surveyor was also instructed to perform all other duties that were required as the County Surveyor.
In a show of confidence in the Surveyor, the Commissioners asked him to file his report in one month so they could approve it and turn to accepting applications seeking appropriations for land taken and for damages from those affected by the improvement.
The Commissioners met on July 2, 1914 to hear the Surveyor’s report on the improvement of the Beaver Creek. It appears that the Commissioners were a little opti-mistic about how long the survey would take because the Surveyor asked for more time. The Com-missioners granted him an exten-sion and said they would meet on August 1, 1914 to hear the report. On August 1, they granted him another extension until September and so it went until January 21, 1915 when the Surveyor asked for a week’s extension to give his re-port. The Board granted the exten-sion and “the Clerk was instructed to give notice by publication in the Xenia Gazette, for two weeks, to the several persons whom are interested herein.”
On January 19 and January 27, 1915 the Xenia Daily Gazette pub-lished the following; “Notice: The County Engineer to report on all matters concerning improvement
Did you know the mills and dam on Beaver Creek, and other industrial struc-tures built by John Harbine and his kin (AKA Harbein) are now gone, but the Harbine home is still standing? It’s located south of the intersection of Alpha Road and US Highway 35.
Continued on Page 10
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10 Spotted Turtle—Summer 2017
In Search of Salamanders
of Beaver Creek channel on January 28, 1915.”
When the Commissioners met on January 28, 1915 the County Engineer presented his report. The report included an estimated cost of the improvement project and the estimated cost to be apportioned to the land owners that would benefit from the improvement. At this same meeting, two property owners came forward with objections to any as-sessments made against their prop-erties. The board decided that since there were so many different mat-ters pertaining to the improvement, time constraints dictated that these
Continued from Page 9 History of Beaver Creek, Part 5
matters would be placed on file to be considered later and the discus-sion was adjourned until February 4, 1915. That same day, January 28,1915, the Xenia Daily Gazette ran the headline “Estimate Cost of Creek Improvement” and went on to say that the report on the improvement was heard by the Commissioners “this day.” Over seven miles of the Beaver Creek would be improved in “Bath and Beaver Creek Town-ship” with about 900 acres of farm land being reclaimed among 41 property owners. The article also stated that the improvement would start at the Dayton-Yellow Springs
Road, not on the property of Mr. Lang as the petition proposed. This change, requested by the owners of the lands north of Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, resulted in the length of the improvement being reduced from nine miles to a little more that seven. The estimated cost of the improvement of the Beaver Creek would be approximately $15,427.00. There were about twenty property owners present for the hearing. “The Commissioners continued the hear-ing until next Thursday.”
—Richard Swigart(to be continued next issue)
In the spring, BCWA Trustee Anna Kamnyev led a crew in monitoring amphibians at Fairborn Marsh. In the photo above, she checks traps with trustee Mike Zimmerman on an April evening.
Anna and her crew hoped to find salamanders, but instead found many frogs, toads and tadpoles.
Eagle Scout Project at Koogler Wetland/Prairie ReserveOn April 8, 2017, approximately
58 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints arrived to help Joshua Hammond with his Eagle Project which was to improve the Koogler Wetland’s Trail. The week before was very wet and rainy, and so, everyone was glad that Saturday dawned cool but beautiful. Joshua organized the members and with geo-textile laid, 16 wheelbar-rows, many shovels and rakes, and two mounds of gravel, they started the project.
The project took about 3 hours from 8:00 a.m. to 11:05 a.m. to complete. James Amon of the Beaver
Creek Wetlands Association super-vised their efforts. Hitesh Trivedi of the Association helped facilitate the planning and came to check on the project’s progression. Joshua is grateful for their help in planning and providing geo-textile, anchors and advice to make the process smooth. He also thanks Tim Parks of the Beavercreek Township for providing the gravel and geo-textile. All of these kind men and the mem-bers of the church made it possible for Joshua to finish his endeavors to earn his Eagle as a scout. Thank you!
—Joshua Hammond
Joshua Hammond and his crew of helpers at Koogler Reserve
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See this newsletter in full color online at www.beavercreekwetlands.org 11
Spotted Turtle Name and Logo: Noted area wildlife artist Charley Harper generously donated the art for our logo in 1988. His work has been adopted by the National Park Service and is appreciated world-wide. Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare animals and plants pro-tected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands.
Submissions, Questions, or Com-ments: We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the product of many diverse voices. If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include, please send them to [email protected] Also, we welcome any comments or questions. For submissions, ques-tions, or comments, please include “newsletter” in the subject line of your e-mail. We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity.
Change of Address/EmailMembers, please don’t forget to con-tact us if you move or change your email address: [email protected]. We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle!
Donations of Land/Easements: If you are interested in donating land, placing an easement on property, or remembering the BCWA in your will, please don’t hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042.
BCWA Annual Report: Copies are available by request. E-mail the office at [email protected] or call (937) 320-9042.
Join the BCWA Today!
Choose your member level: $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA and mail to: BCWA, P.O. Box 42, Alpha, OH 45301
Name
Address
Phone
Help reclaim our local wetlands corridor and restore its natural beauty and function. Your member dues fund land acquisition, education programs, habitat restoration and management of our preserve.
$35 Contributing $50 Supporting $100 Patron $1,000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization. Your donation is tax deductible.
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund contains
more than $218,527. Did you know you can leave a bequest in the form of a life annuity? Planned giving can result in tax savings and/or income to you, while leaving a legacy of conservation.
The BCWA Endowment Fund is a permanent savings plan to help en-sure that BCWA continues to protect wetlands for future generations. The BCWA Endowment Fund may accept many types of planned, deferred, and outright gifts that can actually increase the value of your estate, enabling you to do more with what you leave for others.
Spotted Turtle Society mem-bers include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association Endowment Fund.
I would like to learn more about gift options to help grow the Beaver Creek Wetlands Endowment Fund. Please contact me about planned giv-ing.
I have already included BCWA in my estate planning. I would like to be-come a member of the Spotted Turtle Society.
I wish to make an outright gift pay-able to ‘”BCWA Endowment Fund”.Please return to:Beaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn: Endowment CommitteeP.O.Box 42, Alpha, Ohio 45301
Planned Giving •
For information on a variety of planned giving options, call or write to us, visit our website: www.beavercreekwetlands.org/supportus-plannedgiving.html, or contact The Dayton Foundation directly.
Founded in 1988, the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships, community networks, and public education.
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Moving? New e-mail address?Don’t miss an issue! Call 937-320-9042
or email:[email protected]
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAIDXENIA, OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 31, No. 3 | Summer 2017
P.O. BOX 42ALPHA, OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah Karr
WebmasterRob Evans
Visit Us on Facebook & Onlinewww.beavercreekwetlands.org
Contact UsDeborah KarrAdministrative [email protected]
Technical [email protected]
Phot
o by
Mik
e Ab
el
OfficersJim Schneider, PresidentVice President (currently vacant)Sue Rytel, SecretaryTreasurer (currently vacant)Jim Amon, Technical Advisor
TrusteesJim AmonRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansLois GschwenderAnna KamnyevShannon MuellerDave NolinJames RunkleChris SimmonsRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediAlex ZellesMike Zimmerman
Published by Oregon Printingwww.oregonprinting.com Queen of the Prairie with Bees
