Volume 39, Issue 1
Table of Contents
Calendar
Please sign up to volunteer or attend these walks or events. Visit beavercreekwetlands.org/event
January
Native Plant Gardens That You and Your Neighbors Will Love
Saturday, January 11, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Carol Graff Beavercreek Library
February
Cabin Fever Hike: Geology Underfoot at Oakes Quarry
Saturday, Feb 8, 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Oakes Quarry
Book Discussion: Nature’s Best Hope
Thursday, February 13, 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Carol Graff Beavercreek Library
Great Backyard Bird Count
Friday, Feb 14 – Monday, February 17
Doug Tallamy Meet and Greet
Friday, Feb 14, 6:00pm
Mills Park Hotel
Ticket Required
Doug Tallamy “Nature’s Best Hope” Presentation
Saturday, Feb 15, 10:00am
Ticket Required
Great Backyard Bird Count with Bethany Gray
Sunday, Feb 16, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Cemex Reserve
Volunteer Rally
Saturday, Feb 22, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Coy Middle School Commons Area
March
Bluebird Nest Box Monitor Training
Sunday, Mar 2, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Greene County Parks & Trails
Basic Wetland Volunteer Training
Saturday, Mar 8, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Beavercreek Township Fire Department Community Room
Snow Trillium/Skunk Cabbage Hunt
Saturday, Mar 15, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Pearl’s Fen
Winter Wetland Sights
The Northern Mockingbird is a talented mimic that was once captured and sold for its singing ability, nearly disappearing from the East Coast. Known for its impressive vocal ability, males learn hundreds of songs throughout their lives and sing frequently, both day and night. While both sexes sing, males are more vocal, and their singing patterns vary seasonally. (Photo by Mike Mushala)
Hooded Merganser, like this pair photographed in Beaver Creek Wetlands Reserve, are found in Ohio year-round. Females participate in brood parasitism, meaning they will lay eggs in other ducks’ nests. Visit https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Merganser/overview to hear their unusual, frog-like call. (Photo by Mike Abel)
President's Message
It’s that time of year again, when we turn in the old calendar for the new, reflect on the past year’s activities and accomplishments, and look forward to opportunities in the months ahead. Once again, BCWA has had an exciting, productive year. We purchased land that already is being restored back to natural wetland-adjacent habitat. We built trails and boardwalks that opened up wonderful recreational opportunities to the community. And we led guided hikes and educational programs for many hundreds of participants. None of this would have been possible without the dedicated efforts of the amazing office staff and the thousands of hours of effort provided by our volunteers. There is much to celebrate, and, with your support, we look forward to an equally satisfying year ahead. Season’s greetings to all.
– David Goldstein
Phase 6 of the Spotted Turtle Trail Project
The iconic Siebenthaler Fen boardwalk, the first built in the Beaver Creek Wetlands, will be replaced as part of phase six of the Spotted Turtle Trail Project. The brand-new, ADA-compliant boardwalk will ensure accessibility for all through Siebenthaler Fen: the crown jewel of the Beaver Creek Wetlands.
The cost of this phase is $1,325,500. Our partners at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, will pay 75%, leaving BCWA with the remaining 25%.
Help us raise our $331,375 portion. Scan the QR code or visit https://beavercreekwetlands.org/donate/.
Spotted Turtle Trail Phase Progress
• Phase 3 – Beerman Fen and Amon Reserve will be complete this spring
• Phase 4 – Nolin Reserve parking lot and rain garden should be complete in June
• Phase 5 – Valle View Reserve to Community Park to CEMEX Reserve will begin this month, concurrent with phase 4, and should be complete in November
• Both phases 4 and 5 are fully funded
• Phase 6 – Siebenthaler Fen will begin after a few details fall into place, one of which is raising our 25% portion
A Peek into the Past
Siebenthaler Fen Boardwalk
As BCWA prepares to replace the boardwalk at Siebenthaler Fen, let’s reminisce about the history of the original boardwalk: the first one built in the Beaver Creek Wetlands. See the map to match the building locations with the timeline.
• The entrance to Siebenthaler Fen was originally through Siebenthaler Nursery off Beaver Valley Road. Recognizing that hikers were inadvertently spreading invasive plant seeds on their shoes, BCWA decided to build a boardwalk to minimize human impact on the fen. The plan was to build a wheelchair accessible loop made of fiberglass and recycled milk jugs in three phases. The estimated cost was $63,000.
• (Map section A) In 1993, volunteers began phase one of the Siebenthaler Fen boardwalk loop and finished in fall of 1994. This 425-foot section started at the original entrance (near where the kiosk is today), went counterclockwise and stopped just short of the creek levee (where the current wooden boardwalk meets the recycled plastic boardwalk).
• In early 1995, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) completed the public parking lot off Fairground Road. Visitors had to walk east along a trail to get to the start of the boardwalk.
• (Map section B) Later that summer, the 650-foot, second phase of boardwalk and bridge, was complete. This section began slightly east of where the phase one section of boardwalk began, went clockwise (past where Nan’s Tower currently is) and ended after the bridge.
• (Map section C) On October 19, 1996, volunteers finished approximately 520 feet of boardwalk completing the third and final phase. In total, the boardwalk loop is 1,594 feet and has six decks for benches and wheelchair turnarounds.
• (Map section D) In summer 1997, work began on the boardwalk spur and Nan’s Tower. Bob Siebenthaler funded the tower and, upon request, named it after his sister. (Nan’s tower burned down by an arsonist in May 2001 and the current tower was rebuilt by ODNR in late 2002.)
• (Map section E) ODNR started a wooden, connector boardwalk from the parking lot to the loop in fall 1997 and finished in the summer of 1998. This section of boardwalk is 1,557 feet in length and has six decks for benches and wheelchair turnarounds.
• (Map section F) In August 1999 the kiosk was built, and gravel was placed on the trail leading to it and on the 200-foot trail that connects the boardwalk loop (the start of phase one with the start of phase two).
• On Saturday, May 6, 2000, BCWA celebrated with a dedication of the finished boardwalk.
– Beth Edsall
Outreach Director
BCWA’s Spotted Turtle Logo
Think Global, Act Local
For Thanksgiving this year, we visited family in South Carolina. Usually, the most efficient route for that drive has been to head down I-75 to Knoxville, then east on I-40 to Asheville and the Carolinas. But not this time. Amazingly, two months after Hurricane Helene made landfall, the highways through eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, 300 miles from the coast, were still in disrepair. Wait; really?? Hurricane damage in Asheville, North Carolina, two months after the storm? What’s that about? The short answer to that question is likely to be the change in Earth’s climate. Western North Carolina, like our own region here in Ohio, had been viewed as a “climate refuge,” relatively safe from major impacts of climate change. But Helene was unusually strong and penetrated unusually far inland. Climatologists believe that stronger storms fueled by warmer oceans were the reason. That experience does make me think about what we might expect here in Ohio. Some of the impacts of increasing average temperatures are likely to be slow and gradual. The flock of sandhill cranes I saw flying over my house in December exemplifies that pattern; those large, elegant birds increasingly remain in the northern Midwest for winter rather than flying south. But might we also anticipate more abrupt weather events, along the lines of Asheville’s experience? A recent article in the New Yorker provides a valuable perspective for thinking about this. Elizabeth Kolbert (author of The Sixth Extinction) was reporting from Greenland. In addition to observing the on-going ice-melt (the name “Greenland” is becoming more appropriate each year!), Kolbert discusses historical climate patterns revealed from analysis of ice that has accumulated over thousands of years. The big picture from those analyses is probably not surprising. That is, climate has been variable over the course of Earth’s history. Greenland once grew tropical fruits, and Ohio was substantially covered in ice. The more surprising finding from the Greenland ice cores is that within those thousands of years of gradual temperature fluctuations were a few exceptional episodes where temperatures warmed and cooled by up to 20 degrees in just a few decades. (See Fig. 1 for recent changes in US Plant Hardiness Zones.)
Fig. 1 These maps show plant hardiness zones for two time periods: one historical and one projected. The zones are based on the coldest temperature of the year at each location averaged over a 30-year period. Farmers and home gardeners use the zones on these maps to inform them of which plants will succeed in their area. Note Ohio’s change from zones 5 and 6 to zones 6 and 7 as our state has warmed.
Scientists interpret those rapid fluctuations as resulting from a combination of factors—ice, air, oceans—interacting to accelerate rates of change. As an example: shiny, white Arctic ice reflects the sun; when the ice melts, less sun is reflected and so warming progresses even faster. A system like that, where an initial change induces even more change, is called a positive feedback loop (See Fig. 2). Change may start gradually, but once it reaches a critical point—a tipping point– the feedback loop is triggered. Historically, factors like volcanic eruptions depositing soot and ash on ice fields might have provided the initial push. In more recent times, human activities like deforestation and industrial pollution are likely candidates. Scientists worry more and more that these changes are bringing us closer to critical tipping points for climate. In the Arctic, melting subsurface soils (permafrost) release trapped greenhouse gases that accelerate atmospheric warming. In the Amazon, loss of rainforest trees to fires, agriculture, and development disrupts the water cycle, which then threatens the health of the remaining forest. And in the oceans, heat absorption from the atmosphere alters the temperature gradients that drive ocean currents, which further disrupts those temperature patterns.
Fig. 2: Melting ice is one example of a positive feedback loop.
My take-home message from all this is that the future consequences of climate change might be gradual, or they might be more abrupt—but, either way, we shouldn’t expect to escape them. The broad scope of that challenge can feel overwhelming. What is an individual to do? I try to remember an old mantra of the environmental movement: Think global, act local. While governments and corporations grapple (to varying degrees) with large scale approaches, we individuals still have the power to do what we can locally. All of us can act through our personal lifestyle choices, by advocating for governmental decision-making that’s favorable to environmental health, and by direct action, alone and collectively, in support of the natural systems we love. Needless to say, protecting wetlands is a valuable contribution to that objective. BCWA looks forward to working with you on our own small corner of the planet!
David Goldstein
BCWA Board President
“Don’t think about the entire planet’s problems. Instead, focus on the piece of the earth you can influence.”
– Doug Tallamy
One of These Geese Is Not Like the Others
On November 27, 2024, Mike Mushala photographed a white morph Snow Goose flying with Canada Geese at Siebenthaler Fen. Although Snow Geese numbers are high, this goose is flying a bit east of its typical migration pathway, making it an uncommon sighting for this area.
Learn more: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snow_Goose/overview
Citizen Science
Great Backyard Bird Count
The Great Backyard Bird Count, sponsored by The Cornell Lab, National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada, is your chance to be a citizen scientist! On Presidents Day weekend, February 14 – 17, 2025, join the global, four-day event to count birds from your favorite park or right from home. Counting birds helps ornithologists monitor and protect bird populations before their spring migration. Learn how to participate and submit data by visiting birdcount.org/participate, or join Bethany Gray’s walk on Sunday, February 16, 2025. See the calendar above.
Christmas Bird Count in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
On Sunday, December 15, volunteers participated in Audubon’s 125th Christmas Bird Count. Thirty bird enthusiasts teamed up to monitor seven locations as part of the count for Greene County. The data collected allows Audubon to further understand our impact on bird habitats and populations across the globe. Participants identified 44 species with a total of 1,430 birds counted. A special thanks to Deb Adams, Dan Enders, Nicole Freshour, Sean Hollowell, Rick Luehrs, Allen McGrew, Dave Nolin, Kevin Riley and Jim Schneider who led our teams.
Find the link to BCWA’s count by location at https://beavercreekwetlands.org/?p=12051&preview=true
The Future of Monarch Butterflies
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This follows years of declining populations due to habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide use. The listing would prohibit harming or transporting monarchs but allows limited exceptions for education and research. While people would be restricted from destroying land to make it permanently unusable for monarchs, they could continue to remove milkweed, the only food source for monarch caterpillars, from their land.
How You Can Help
The agency will now accept public comments until March 12, 2025.
Read information on the initiative and its process here: https://www.fws.gov/initiative/pollinators/save-monarch
Leave a comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FWS-R3-ES-2024-0137-0001
Beth Edsall
Outreach Director
According to Kristen Lundh, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 90% of the U.S. monarch population is east of the Rocky Mountains. By 2080, those butterflies have a 57% to 74% chance of extinction while monarchs west of the Rockies have a 95% chance of extinction.
A Season of Growth and Renewal - Positive Changes in our Wetlands
As the winter chill settles in, we reflect on an autumn filled with growth and renewal in the Beaver Creek Wetlands. Our dedicated volunteers led by crew leaders Skip Beehler (Land Management Chair), Debbie Karr and Jim Schneider have once again made significant strides in the wetland corridor.
Thanks to planning by the Projects Committee, led by Ken Moran, and the field volunteers’ work, Beerman Fen has undergone significant improvements as part of phase 3 of the Spotted Turtle Trail Project. A key enhancement was the installation of 400 feet of new railings along the boardwalk. This project ensures the safety of visitors while allowing them to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding wetlands. In addition to the new railings, an elevated observation deck was constructed near the beaver pond. This 4-foot-high platform offers visitors a prime vantage point to observe waterfowl and other wildlife in their natural habitat.
Other improvements for the Spotted Turtle Trail Project include a paved parking lot on the south side of James P. Amon Biodiversity Reserve off New Germany Trebein Road. Bird lovers, get ready! Near the new parking lot, volunteers installed a new platform, interpretive sign and bench to offer visitors an enhanced viewing experience of the Purple Martin Colony. Plans are underway to triple the size of the colony housing before the birds return next spring. Less than a quarter mile north is the finished bird blind structure that overlooks Beaver Creek and the surrounding marsh. Soon volunteers will build the boardwalk and ramp leading to it.
Dayton Hikers, BCWA and local volunteers recently joined forces to combat invasive species at Dave Nolin Wetlands Reserve during two Honeysuckle Palooza events. Organized by Andy Niekamp, Skip Beehler, and Ken Moran, dozens of volunteers cut, dragged, chipped, and daubed herbicide on honeysuckle and other invasive plants. To support the efforts, a Facebook fundraiser raised $853 for chipper rental, and Lois Gschwender secured a $250 donation from Thrivent. Thanks to the hard work of these volunteers, Dave Nolin Wetlands Reserve is one step closer to a healthier, more diverse ecosystem.
At Koogler Wetland Prairie Reserve volunteers were busy battling invasive cattails and Reed Canary grass and planting native species to restore the natural balance. At both Koogler Reserve and Siebenthaler Fen, volunteers repaired boardwalk decking from storm damage to keep the boardwalk safe for visitors. To maintain neatness and accessibility, volunteers maintained the boardwalk with general trimming along the edges.
Hagenbuch Reserve is looking good along the west property line and north of Little Beaver Creek, thanks to the removal of invasive species like honeysuckle, privet, and burning bush. Over at Little Beaver Creek Prairie and Zimmerman Prairie State Nature Preserve, we have fought back against invasive cattails and woody vegetation, creating a healthier habitat for rare native plants and for wildlife.
Volunteers at the Monarch Waystation thinned the tall goldenrod and planted butterfly weed, royal catchfly, flowering spurge, and sky-blue aster to promote more diversity of plant life. They cleared invasive wintercreeper to make way for shrubby St. John’s wort plants, removed tree saplings, grapevines and tree seedlings.
Thank you to the volunteers who worked tirelessly to protect the unique biodiversity of prairie and wetland habitats. As we head into spring, we invite everyone to support our mission by volunteering, donating, or simply spreading the word about the importance of conservation. Together, we can ensure a brighter future for our local ecosystem.
Year of Environmental Education
Last year, the Beaver Creek Wetlands was buzzing with young environmental explorers! From preschoolers to college students, we welcomed a diverse group of learners to our wetland wonderland. We partnered with local schools to host field trips, where students discovered the magic of wetlands and learned about their importance. Our dedicated staff and volunteers guided these young minds, sparking their curiosity and inspiring a lifelong love of nature.
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts found a home at Beaver Creek Wetlands, earning badges, completing service projects, and embarking on exciting outdoor adventures.
Internships offered college students valuable field experience.
For adults, we offered a variety of educational programs, including guided hikes, informative presentations, and citizen science initiatives. By participating in activities like monarch tagging,* bluebird nest box monitoring, and water quality monitoring, our community members actively contributed to environmental stewardship.
We are proud to report that we touched more than 1000 community members with our environmental education programming in 2024. As we look ahead to the new year, we are excited to continue our commitment to environmental education. With your support, we will expand our programming, develop innovative learning materials, and inspire even more people to become advocates for our natural world.
Number of participants in BCWA’s 2024 educational programs, presentations and hikes:
Schools: 304
Boy and Girl Scouts: 290
Greene County Libraries: 115
Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Training (OSU Exten.) 15
Native Plant and Native Landscapes Seminars): 361
Public Hikes and Programs: 100
How You Can Help
- Volunteer: Share your passion for nature by volunteering for our educational programs, guided hikes, or conservation projects. Reach out to Education Coordinator, Shandah Brannen, at sbrannen@beavercreekwetlands.org with ideas or questions.
- Donate: Your generous contributions help us fund essential educational initiatives.
- Spread the Word: Share our mission with your friends, family, and colleagues.
By investing in the next generation of conservationists, we are ensuring a sustainable future for Beaver Creek Wetlands and beyond. Join us in making a difference!
– Shandah Brannen
Education Coordinator
*The public monarch tagging event was canceled due to weather from hurricane Helene, however, we held a monarch tagging event for more than 30 Girl Scouts in September, tagging 4 monarchs.
Combined Federal Campaign
Are you a federal employee or retiree? Then GIVE HAPPY through the Combined Federal Campaign. Choose to donate from a payroll deduction or through your retiree annuity. Give a little each pay period to support our mission all year long.
Visit https://cfcgiving.opm.gov/welcome. Access your account and designate BCWA (CFC #72199) as your charity recipient today!
Wetland Wows!
Red-Tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawks are territorial and will defend hunting grounds, especially during mating season. These aggressive hawks were photographed by BCWA member Mike Mushala at Siebenthaler Fen in spring 2023.
Red-tailed Hawks are likely the most common hawk in Ohio and North America, so it’s no surprise you might see one in the Beaver Creek Wetlands. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Red-tailed Hawks live in grasslands, pastures and woods, and build three-foot wide nests, high in trees.
Females lay two or three eggs per year. A hawk will not grow its signature red tail until it is at least one year old. A hawk’s wingspan is approximately four feet wide, but these birds weigh only 1.5 to 3 pounds. Red-tailed Hawks eat rodents, snakes and carrion, but they are also known as “chicken hawks” since they eat chickens and other large birds. A hawk’s lifespan is 10 to 15 years in the wild.
The Red-tailed Hawk possesses a screech that epitomizes the sound of a raptor. This distinctive call has become so ingrained in cinematic portrayals that filmmakers, regardless of the actual species depicted, almost always opt for the Red-tailed Hawk’s cry. Hear its cry and learn more at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk
Airbnb in a Tree
A cavity in the tree by the kiosk at Siebenthaler Fen had a squirrel on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, and bluebirds on Thursday, October 25, 2024. Hope they left a good review!
2024 Volunteer Summary
A heartfelt thank you to our 332 dedicated volunteers who generously donated 6,059.25 hours of their time in 2024! We truly appreciate your contributions, including:
- Maintaining trails and boardwalks for the enjoyment of our community
- Leading hikes and teaching lessons to educate kids and adults about the importance of wetlands
- Removing invasive plant species to allow our native plants to thrive
- Planting native plants to increase the diversity of plant life
- Participating in committee meetings and contributing to essential planning efforts
If you are looking for more ways to make a difference, we invite you to join us at our Volunteer Rally!
Saturday, February 22, 2025
10:00am – 12:00pm
Coy Middle School
Bring your family and friends! For more information and to register, visit https://beavercreekwetlands.org/event/volunteer-rally/
– Beth Edsall
Outreach Director
Mink at Siebenthaler Fen
On Thanksgiving Day, Mike Mushala watched this mink scamper across the tree spanning the stream above the beaver dam at Siebenthaler Fen.
