beaver creek wetlands association · beaver creek wetlands association ... habitat restoration in...
TRANSCRIPT
In this Issue
Beaver Creek Wetlands Association
wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg
26th Annual Meeting 1Presidentrsquos Message 2Volunteer Corner 3Wetlands Watchers 4A Muddy Field in April 5Events and Hikes 6 Science Corner 7Journey Through a Wetland 8How I Spend my Summer 9BCWA Business 10Endowment Fund 11
Calendar August 2014
Aug 1 ndash 3 Midwest Native Plant Conference
(BCWA will have a display and will be one of beneficiaries)
Aug 16 amp 17 Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
Aug 30 Summer in Bloom Hike -- Emphasizing prairies and wet
meadows -- Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve 230 pm
September 2014
Sept 6 amp 7 Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
Sept 20 BCWA Monarch tag-ging public event
Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve 230 pm
Volume 28 No 3 Summer 2014
26th Annual Membership MeetingThe 26th Annual Membership Meeting of the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Association was held at the Bergamo Center of Mount St John on Tuesday May 13 2014 After a brief business meeting conducted by our president Rob Evans the 72 members and guests were educated and entertained with a talk by our guest speaker Dave Nolin Director of Conservation for Five Rivers MetroParks The presentation was entitled ldquoDiscovery Wonder Action The Beginnings of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Associationrdquo He discussed the what the why the when the where and especially the who of the formation of the association
On Sunday May 11 2014 Dave led a group of individuals on a walk at Siebenthaler Fen Prior to the walk he began with a brief talk on the history of wetlands in the area
mdashRichard Swigart
Dave Nolin explains how BCWA came about
Singing a song for the Beaver Creek Wetlands
A hike at Siebenthaler Fen
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2 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Presidentrsquos Message Bringing Back the Monarchs
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I was recently reading an article called ldquoBring Back the Mon-archsrdquo by Chip Taylor the founder of Monarch Watch in 1992 at the University of Kansas This article talked in detail about the dire situ-ation that the Monarch is in due to the loss of habitat The scary part is that just since the 1990s the Monarch butterflyrsquos popula-tion has dropped 90 percent 90 percent If 90 percent in less than 20 years isnrsquot serious I am not sure what is
Chip went on to talk about how the monarchrsquos decline is a bellwether for a much larger crisis facing all pollinators Pollinators
are a critical part of the ecosystem and provide the services that yield berries fruits seeds foliage and roots that are food for virtually all species Chip added ldquoSeventy per-cent of native vegetation requires insect pollination as does 30 percent of our food supplyrdquo
This is where you come in One of the primary programs of Mon-arch Watch is the Monarch Waysta-tion which provides the resources required for monarchs to sustain their epic migration Monarchs need nectar sources and milkweed to support the successive gen-erations You can help by taking a patch of your garden and create
your own Monarch Waystation Visit monarchwatchorg to find out how you can contribute to monarch conservation
The Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is creating a Mon-arch Waystation just across the bike path from the Beavercreek Station on North Fairfield Rd just north of US 35 You can also join us in late September at Koogler Reserve when we hold our an-nual Monarch Tagging a criti-cal citizen science project that provides needed data to Monarch Watch about the monarch migra-tion
See you in the wetlands
Rob EvansBCWA President
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Monarch Butterfly on New England Aster
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art
Monarch Caterpillar on Milkweed Soon-to-be Monarch Butterfly
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 3
Volunteer CornerField Crews Under the
direction of Don Geiger BCWArsquos Saturday morning volunteer crew ventured out early this springmdashthe first weekend in Marchmdashto remove tree wraps at Creekside Reserve but the weather prevent-ed any additional activity for a full month Work sessions resumed in April with the primary task of woody invasive control along the gravel access road and trails at Creekside targeting autumn olive Callery pear privet Ailanthus (tree of heaven) and burning bush The crew liberated a nice stand of native blackhaw viburnum and some spicebushes from the ever present honeysuckle and discov-ered hawthorn and eastern wahoo seedlings in areas where stands of honeysuckle had been previously removed
With Jim Amon at the lead the Sunday afternoon volunteers concentrated their efforts at two sites Fairborn Marsh was tidied upmdashpots were dug up and re-moved from the site of the former nursery the bottomless buckets used to protect the young shrubs planted throughout the property over the past few years were no longer needed and were removed much of the old farm fencing was removed and recycled and the trails were cleared of fallen limbs and overgrown vegetation Seed of prairie grasses collected last fall were sown in bare areas of the property In addition two im-portant volunteer safety-training sessions took place at this sitemdashchainsaw operation conducted by Jim Schneider and herbicide ap-plication conducted by Jim Amon The Sunday crew also continued boardwalk repair at Siebenthaler Fen and worked continually on trimming the vegetation growing through and over the boardwalk
In addition to these two volun-teer group work sessions individ-uals go out regularly to clear trails
and boardwalks for visitors Spring is one of the windows of opportu-nity to successfully treat reed canary grassmdashit has been treated at Phillips Park Siebenthaler Fen and at the conservation easement in Beaver-creek Township A small group of volunteers has been working at the butterfly meadow at Hagenbuch Re-serve to remove invasive plants At this site the biennial weeds (plants that have a two-year life cycle) are the problemmdashgarlic mustard poison hemlock teasel sweet clover and Queen Annersquos lace Taking care not to trample or otherwise damage the hundreds of prairie perennials that were planted last year volun-teers are using manual control
Field crew volunteers for these activities included Deb Adams Skip Beehler Bill Byrd Ann and Jim Byrd Matt Cary Aaron Deck-ard John Deignan Rob Evans Lois Gschwender Debbie Karr Al Munoz Jim Schneider Aaron Smith Richard Swigart Hitesh Trivedi Tom Whit-man Sarah Workman Carol Amon and members of the Youth Group for Indian Culture Arihant Chorida Riya and Richa Patel Ganesh Ravela Mirisha Seth Kumar and Kinshuk Tella Amarender Valturi and Venu-gopal and Sanjana Yerubandi
Festivals In what has become a springtime tradition BCWA was again invited to staff the food booth at the Knollwood Garden Party which is a popular event for our volunteers In exchange the Knoll-wood Garden Center made a gener-ous donation to BCWA from the pro-ceeds EarthFest at Garden Station was next on the schedule This was the first time BCWA set up its booth at this downtown Dayton festival to inform and educate the visitors about the Beaver Creek Wetlands and the BCWA Volunteers at these events included Deb Adams Nancy Bain Steve Blatt Ann Byrd Carole Dudley Rob Evans Rob amp Niki Foor Don Geiger Lois Gschwender Denny Jarvi Jean Kash Jo Ann Kavalauskas
Chris Middleton Al Munoz Dane Mutter Pat Riley Jim Schneider Dave Shumway Richard Swigart Tim amp Sharon Underwood Paul Wolfe and Mike Zimmerman
Mailings Spring is a busy time of year not just for the field crews but also for administrative volun-teers There were two mailings to prepare in quick successionmdashthe membership drive and the an-nual meeting notice Nancy Bain Dorothy Bordewisch Ann Byrd Lois Gschwender Margie Perenic Judy Renz and Richard Swigart came to the office at the Coy House to stuff and label envelopes (and talk and tell stories)
Other Jim Amon and Lois Gschwender met with officials of Kettering Parks to discuss a planned habitat restoration in the upper reaches of the Little Beaver Creek watershed and examined a small fen in one of their parks
Thank you to all BCWA volun-teers for your time and efforts If you would like to become a vol-unteer and participate in these activities please contact the office at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or 937-320-9042
mdashDebbie Karr
Baltimore CheckerspotCaterpillar Tent
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4 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
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exce
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o by
Cra
ig F
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Great Days for Wetland Watchers
Welcome to the Rendas the first family to participate in BCWArsquos Wetland Watchers (WW) program Vince and Emily are both self-em-ployed and the parents of 6-year-old Veronica who attends Holy Angels School Their first outing to their chosen wetland Siebenthaler Fen was on March 28th on a 52-de-gree afternoon Along with them was 6-year-old Ella Veronicarsquos friend Ella is expert at identifying cloud formations and that day she determined the clouds to be cumu-lus Since WW is all about gaining and improving observation skills in nature relying mostly on human senses one canrsquot do better than to let six year olds lead the way That day the girls discovered handfuls of snails a frog and little bits of ev-erything that mostly escape adultsrsquo senses It was Vince though who first saw a live snake (probably a garter snake) poking its head up between the planks Along the way
were the blooms of skunk cabbage the peeping of frogs and the sparkle of a spent silver bullet shell
At 9am on April 27th the Rendas and Ella returned for their second outing The day was brisk at about 40 degrees but with perfect blue skies above They got their first birdrsquos-eye sighting of a prothonotary warbler along the creek bank in the wet woods Hard to see though was the pair of blue-gray gnatcatchers building their lichen-covered nest
in a tree along the boardwalk The girls got to observe a ldquotipsyrdquo spotted sandpiper maneuver its way across a fallen log in one of the tributar-ies to the Beaver Creek and they quickly learned to keep their eyes open for ticks that position them-selves perfectly on grasses growing up between the boardwalk planks Developing such expertise is all part of the adventure of being a WW
The Rendas made their third trip on the warm afternoon of May 23d
Ella couldnrsquot make it so another friend Riley came in-stead This day Veronica found a small dead grayish fish on the boardwalk but what kind of fish it was nobody knew Perhaps a creek chub A minnow A darter What could it be So much to learn when walking the wetlands Very spectacular were the emerging colossal Great Angelicas members of the Parsley family and the huge leaves of skunk cabbage of the Arum family So much music to hear too as birds warbled chun-ked and chittered away blue-gray gnatcatchers warbling vireos yellow warblers house wrens red-winged blackbirds tree swal-lows and more
If you are interested in par-ticipating in the Wetland Watch-ers program please e-mail us at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg for more information
mdashNancy Bain
Above (left) a curious fawn (middle) Great Angelica in bloom (right) snake sunning Below Northern Leopard Frog
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 5
A MUDDY FIELD IN APRILHello my muddy friend I see
you every day but I do not think I truly know you Why are you now so wet How is it that come May you will spring forth with wonderful green crops to feed the world Why is your soil so black How did you come to be Were you as a youth a different being I see that you are surrounded by watery ditches and pipes that seem to come from your underbelly feed those ditches with clear cool water What is that all about Are you happy You make food for people and their livestock Birds and butterflies visit you Your farmer caretaker caresses you with tractors and fertilizers and plants special seeds upon your mantle What is that like And by fall your crops are harvested taken away and never seen again Is that sad or is it happy
I talked to a wizard and she said that you were neither happy nor sad Could that be true How old are you The farmer said you have always been here and that his
great-great grandfather purchased you and built that house on the high ground surrounded by those enor-mous burr oaks Do you remember Have things changed Irsquom sure that he did not have tractors The local Ag agent says you are very impor-tant and that your soils are called Ragsdale and Brookston ndash great for crops He says that cleaning out your ditches is always a priority so that you wonrsquot get too wet to plant
Wizards answer only what is asked so I asked another ques-tion Was my muddy field once a wetland The answer was a simple yes Wizards are a strange bunch so I went to work asking people who might tell me more Wetlands were once thought to be wastelands People settling the land made those ditches to drain the wetland so it would become productive farmland Under the muddy soils they placed pipes called field tiles Those pipes carried water to ditches and then to creeks and rivers The fields could then be planted with crops that sustained the farmers and all their
neighbors What could be better than that
What I said would happen if a large rain came to the muddy field It would run quickly to the rivers Does that mean that down those streams there might be a flood Yes of course was the answer Well what happened before the field tiles were there Water eventually made it to the rivers but before it did it made habitat for all those animals that lived in the wetland Fishes dragonflies birds and mammals thrived Bacteria in the wet soils changed many of naturersquos chemicals to simple compounds that the plants growing there needed and some of the ones that may have been poison were converted to nitrogen and became parts of the air nitrogen which feed the plants with the help of some of the beneficial bacteria Where are those plants today Gone they said
What do you think Good bad or just a wash It is something to wonder about
mdashJim Amon
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edia
Com
mon
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6 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Summer amp Fall Events and HikesWatch our website for last minute changes additions and deletions to this tentative hike schedulebull Aug 1 ndash 3 Midwest Native Plant Conference (BCWA will have a display and will be one of beneficiaries)
bull Aug 16 amp 17 Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
bull August 30 9 am Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve Summer in Bloom Hike -- Emphasizing prairies and wet meadows
bull Sept 6 amp 7 Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
bull Sept 20 BCWA Monarch tagging public event Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve 230 pm Great for kids of all ages
bull October 5 sunset Early Halloween Evening Hike -- ldquoVapors on Fairborn Marshrdquo Be ready to go wading You will literally have a blast We meet at Fairborn Marsh at 700 PM
bull October 15 - 17 2014 Natural Areas Conference At conference end Jim Amon will lead a tour of fens and Don Geiger will lead a tour to Greene County Parks amp Trailsrsquo Hershner property
BCWA Work ScheduleNow through November 2014
Saturdays crews meet at Bea-vercreek Kroger parking lot 9 AM
Sundays crews meet at 2 PM in various locations Please contact our office at 320-9042 email adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or visit wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgget-involvedhtml for updates
We also work weekdays If you are interested in receiving notifica-tion of these and other land manage-ment volunteer opportunities send an e-mail to adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg to subscribe
Note Beginning this work season persons using chainsaws or applying herbicide need to meet special training requirements
Monarch TaggingWe will again be conducting
a Monarch butterfly tagging pro-gram at Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve The public event will be held on Saturday September 20th at 230 pm Come to learn about the amazing Monarch migration and the challenges to their survival In addition to the public event we conduct additional tagging pro-grams for school groups and scout troops in the week prior to and the week after the public event If you have a group interested in participating in this activity please contact Debbie at the office at 937-320-9042 or adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg
Dave Nolin guides a hike at the Siebenthaler Fen
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See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 7
Science Corner Two New ldquoWhatrsquos This rdquo
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Lysimachia terrestris Honeysuckle seedling chewed by Sawfly larvae Go Sawflies
Shark week river monsters poisonous snakes alligators and killer whales Spiders killer bees chiggers poison ivy mosquitoes malaria yellow fever Ebola What in the world would posses you to venture into nature Storms tornadoes blizzards lightninghellip All bad right And what about asteroids that might end all life as we know it We have SO MUCH to worry about
I know many folks who would never venture much beyond their mowed lawns for fear of whatrsquos out there Sad Why
Readers send in a short paragraph or statement about an observation or experience you can recall that makes you enjoy nature not fear it We will pick a few of your views and put them in the next newsletter Send them by August 15th to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
mdashJim Amon
Why are folks afraid of nature
Here are a couple of examples from Debbie Karrhellip
In late winter while I was loading a newsletter mailing into my car at the parking lot at the Coy House a large shadow passed over me I looked up and was astonished to see an adult Bald Eagle soaring overhead It headed toward the
restoration wetlands down the hill circled and then flew upstream A few days later I saw it again flying low over the wetlands and landing in an adjacent tree
On another occasion while driving down that l-o-n-g gravel lane that runs between the Phillips Park entrance and the Coy House an
animal the size of a small dog with a bushy tail ran out of the wetlands across the lane in front of me and into the wooded strip on the steep hill behind the Coy House It was a gray fox The only place I had previously seen a gray fox was in an enclosure at Bruckner Nature Center in Troy
Gray fox (image from USFWS)
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Debbie Karr and Jim Amon within about 24 hours of one anoth-er came upon an unfamiliar plant It keyed to be a flowering swamp candle Lysimachia terrestris With a little research they found that it has never been reported in Greene County Nice find It is fairly com-
mon in the NE part of OhioWhile the same two people were
caring for greenhouse plants they saw a honeysuckle seedling with many leaves obviously chewed by a caterpillar of some kind Wright State University professor Don Cipollini identified the caterpillar
as a sawfly larva Dr Cipollini has a masters student working on this beast but says it rarely is seen to choose honeysuckle in nature Of course there is hope In the picture note the lack of leaves on the stems of honeysuckle seedling
mdashJim Amon
8 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
A ReminderIf you are not already a member of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association go to httpbeavercreekwetlands
orgsupportus-membershiphtml to find out how to join
Journey Through a Wetland
The hectic pace of my Mon-day through Friday routine had left me with a Saturday morning headache I had spent most of the morning staring at the clouds and rain Now the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and my brother beckoned me to ComehellipAnd See
We drove through the suburbs past an industrial complex to a narrow country road We parked along the shoulder pulled on knee high boots slipped down a muddy embankment hopped a gurgling creek and clambered to the top of a small dike Frogs gandashgooned a welcome as we entered their world of wetlands
Wetlands are variously re-ferred to as a bog a swamp or a marsh They are just as their name implies land that has been saturated with water To many they are just a muddy nuisance But in fact they fill a vital role in the ecosystem of our earth
First of all they can be flood plains providing holding areas for excess rainwater and runoff Secondly they often act as a natu-ral filtration system and can help purify a communityrsquos water sup-ply Last but not least wetlands provide habitat for an incredible variety of plant and animal life some of which are endangered species
Following my brotherrsquos example I quickly learned the art of walk-ing through a wetland Sloshing and trekking along a ldquotrailrdquo made by deer Jim pointed out various types of sedge grasses marsh roses cattails and thistles We watched a spring bubbling up from some unknown depth saw signs of turtles and muskrats and were scolded by a pair of nesting geese In one place just a gentle flexing of our knees caused the landscape around us to bounce and roll like being on a giant waterbed Jim explained we were standing on approximately six feet of peat
But there are those who would destroy this environment Do a little dredging bring in some fill throw in some drain tiles ndash Viola ndash space to build condos golf courses office buildings or whatever you think will turn a profit
We cannot allow this to hap-pen Who knows what uses science may discover for the unusual plants that grow in wetlandshellipa super strong fiberhellipa cure for cancerhellipthe possibilities are endless Wetland archeology can help us learn about our ancient past and thereby help us plan for the future The animals that live in the wetlands are an integral part of the food chain Disrupting that process can be devastating also
To prevent the loss of our wet-
lands we must become knowledge-able about them Where are they What laws protect them Which de-velopments threaten them When will zoning boards meet which may be impacting them Another simple way to help protect these areas is to become active contributing members of organizations such as the Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society
As we made our way back to the car I had a close encounter with THE SWAMP MONSTER A heavy vine twined itself around my ankle just as I hesitated a bit too long with the other foot Kerplosh ndash down I went
After the initial shock I found myself laughing As Jim gave me a hand up he informed me that I had just been initiated into the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association We joked about what Mom would have said about us playing in the mud
Perhaps the greatest benefit of wetlands isnrsquot scientific after all Perhaps what we need is a place to be kids again ndash splashing in water and making mud pies
As the car pulled away from our wet wonderland Jim glanced over at me ldquoHowrsquos the headacherdquo he asked ldquoWhat headacherdquo was my reply
mdashAnita Shoemaker
Painted Turtle sunning
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See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 9
How I Spend My SummerWhen I was a bit younger the
end of summer meant the return to school and the dreaded assignment from the teacher for a report on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo Now that I am a little older I look forward to people asking that question
How do I spend my summer I spend my summers by volunteer-ing when I can Since most of this consists of habitat restoration and maintenance I am out in the various reserves with their varied environ-ments where I can watch the season progress On those days when I am not working in a reserve I enjoy wandering the trails just to see what is there
The flowers on display through-out the summer are always a treat From the Blue Flag in June to the Swamp Rose and Queen-of-the-prairie in July followed by the Cardinal-flower of August and the
Phantom Cranefly
Joe-Pye-weed in September there is always something new to see These are only a few of the several hun-dred species of plants that exist in our wetlands from the spectacular to the subdued but all interesting
Then we have the creatures that are drawn to the plants The ones that come for the nectar the hum-mingbirds and bees the butterflies and moths along with all the other nectar loving pollinators are all sights to behold The plants them-selves are also hosts to the various beetles and the caterpillars that become the butterflies and moths
We also have the predators that eat the bugs birds such as the orioles the warblers and the Red- winged Blackbird My favorite
predators are the dragonflies and damselflies the ones that hunt the mosquitoes
We canrsquot forget our amphibians and reptiles Look for frogs along the edges of the water Check for turtles and snakes sunning themselves the turtles on logs in the creeks and the snakes on logs and in low branches of trees
Look for signs of mammals such as trees cut down by beavers tracks of raccoon and deer in the mud and scat left on the trails and board-walks
Something else to look for in the reserves is an old guy with white hair and beard carrying at least one camera That just might be me ob-serving and documenting on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo
mdashRichard Swigart
Cardinal Flower
Whitetail Dragonfly
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wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
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See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
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wig
art
2 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Presidentrsquos Message Bringing Back the Monarchs
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om C
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ive
Com
mon
s
I was recently reading an article called ldquoBring Back the Mon-archsrdquo by Chip Taylor the founder of Monarch Watch in 1992 at the University of Kansas This article talked in detail about the dire situ-ation that the Monarch is in due to the loss of habitat The scary part is that just since the 1990s the Monarch butterflyrsquos popula-tion has dropped 90 percent 90 percent If 90 percent in less than 20 years isnrsquot serious I am not sure what is
Chip went on to talk about how the monarchrsquos decline is a bellwether for a much larger crisis facing all pollinators Pollinators
are a critical part of the ecosystem and provide the services that yield berries fruits seeds foliage and roots that are food for virtually all species Chip added ldquoSeventy per-cent of native vegetation requires insect pollination as does 30 percent of our food supplyrdquo
This is where you come in One of the primary programs of Mon-arch Watch is the Monarch Waysta-tion which provides the resources required for monarchs to sustain their epic migration Monarchs need nectar sources and milkweed to support the successive gen-erations You can help by taking a patch of your garden and create
your own Monarch Waystation Visit monarchwatchorg to find out how you can contribute to monarch conservation
The Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is creating a Mon-arch Waystation just across the bike path from the Beavercreek Station on North Fairfield Rd just north of US 35 You can also join us in late September at Koogler Reserve when we hold our an-nual Monarch Tagging a criti-cal citizen science project that provides needed data to Monarch Watch about the monarch migra-tion
See you in the wetlands
Rob EvansBCWA President
Pho
to b
y D
ebbi
e K
arr
Monarch Butterfly on New England Aster
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to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
Monarch Caterpillar on Milkweed Soon-to-be Monarch Butterfly
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 3
Volunteer CornerField Crews Under the
direction of Don Geiger BCWArsquos Saturday morning volunteer crew ventured out early this springmdashthe first weekend in Marchmdashto remove tree wraps at Creekside Reserve but the weather prevent-ed any additional activity for a full month Work sessions resumed in April with the primary task of woody invasive control along the gravel access road and trails at Creekside targeting autumn olive Callery pear privet Ailanthus (tree of heaven) and burning bush The crew liberated a nice stand of native blackhaw viburnum and some spicebushes from the ever present honeysuckle and discov-ered hawthorn and eastern wahoo seedlings in areas where stands of honeysuckle had been previously removed
With Jim Amon at the lead the Sunday afternoon volunteers concentrated their efforts at two sites Fairborn Marsh was tidied upmdashpots were dug up and re-moved from the site of the former nursery the bottomless buckets used to protect the young shrubs planted throughout the property over the past few years were no longer needed and were removed much of the old farm fencing was removed and recycled and the trails were cleared of fallen limbs and overgrown vegetation Seed of prairie grasses collected last fall were sown in bare areas of the property In addition two im-portant volunteer safety-training sessions took place at this sitemdashchainsaw operation conducted by Jim Schneider and herbicide ap-plication conducted by Jim Amon The Sunday crew also continued boardwalk repair at Siebenthaler Fen and worked continually on trimming the vegetation growing through and over the boardwalk
In addition to these two volun-teer group work sessions individ-uals go out regularly to clear trails
and boardwalks for visitors Spring is one of the windows of opportu-nity to successfully treat reed canary grassmdashit has been treated at Phillips Park Siebenthaler Fen and at the conservation easement in Beaver-creek Township A small group of volunteers has been working at the butterfly meadow at Hagenbuch Re-serve to remove invasive plants At this site the biennial weeds (plants that have a two-year life cycle) are the problemmdashgarlic mustard poison hemlock teasel sweet clover and Queen Annersquos lace Taking care not to trample or otherwise damage the hundreds of prairie perennials that were planted last year volun-teers are using manual control
Field crew volunteers for these activities included Deb Adams Skip Beehler Bill Byrd Ann and Jim Byrd Matt Cary Aaron Deck-ard John Deignan Rob Evans Lois Gschwender Debbie Karr Al Munoz Jim Schneider Aaron Smith Richard Swigart Hitesh Trivedi Tom Whit-man Sarah Workman Carol Amon and members of the Youth Group for Indian Culture Arihant Chorida Riya and Richa Patel Ganesh Ravela Mirisha Seth Kumar and Kinshuk Tella Amarender Valturi and Venu-gopal and Sanjana Yerubandi
Festivals In what has become a springtime tradition BCWA was again invited to staff the food booth at the Knollwood Garden Party which is a popular event for our volunteers In exchange the Knoll-wood Garden Center made a gener-ous donation to BCWA from the pro-ceeds EarthFest at Garden Station was next on the schedule This was the first time BCWA set up its booth at this downtown Dayton festival to inform and educate the visitors about the Beaver Creek Wetlands and the BCWA Volunteers at these events included Deb Adams Nancy Bain Steve Blatt Ann Byrd Carole Dudley Rob Evans Rob amp Niki Foor Don Geiger Lois Gschwender Denny Jarvi Jean Kash Jo Ann Kavalauskas
Chris Middleton Al Munoz Dane Mutter Pat Riley Jim Schneider Dave Shumway Richard Swigart Tim amp Sharon Underwood Paul Wolfe and Mike Zimmerman
Mailings Spring is a busy time of year not just for the field crews but also for administrative volun-teers There were two mailings to prepare in quick successionmdashthe membership drive and the an-nual meeting notice Nancy Bain Dorothy Bordewisch Ann Byrd Lois Gschwender Margie Perenic Judy Renz and Richard Swigart came to the office at the Coy House to stuff and label envelopes (and talk and tell stories)
Other Jim Amon and Lois Gschwender met with officials of Kettering Parks to discuss a planned habitat restoration in the upper reaches of the Little Beaver Creek watershed and examined a small fen in one of their parks
Thank you to all BCWA volun-teers for your time and efforts If you would like to become a vol-unteer and participate in these activities please contact the office at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or 937-320-9042
mdashDebbie Karr
Baltimore CheckerspotCaterpillar Tent
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
4 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
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tos
by R
icha
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wig
art
exce
pt fa
wn
phot
o by
Cra
ig F
erna
tt
Great Days for Wetland Watchers
Welcome to the Rendas the first family to participate in BCWArsquos Wetland Watchers (WW) program Vince and Emily are both self-em-ployed and the parents of 6-year-old Veronica who attends Holy Angels School Their first outing to their chosen wetland Siebenthaler Fen was on March 28th on a 52-de-gree afternoon Along with them was 6-year-old Ella Veronicarsquos friend Ella is expert at identifying cloud formations and that day she determined the clouds to be cumu-lus Since WW is all about gaining and improving observation skills in nature relying mostly on human senses one canrsquot do better than to let six year olds lead the way That day the girls discovered handfuls of snails a frog and little bits of ev-erything that mostly escape adultsrsquo senses It was Vince though who first saw a live snake (probably a garter snake) poking its head up between the planks Along the way
were the blooms of skunk cabbage the peeping of frogs and the sparkle of a spent silver bullet shell
At 9am on April 27th the Rendas and Ella returned for their second outing The day was brisk at about 40 degrees but with perfect blue skies above They got their first birdrsquos-eye sighting of a prothonotary warbler along the creek bank in the wet woods Hard to see though was the pair of blue-gray gnatcatchers building their lichen-covered nest
in a tree along the boardwalk The girls got to observe a ldquotipsyrdquo spotted sandpiper maneuver its way across a fallen log in one of the tributar-ies to the Beaver Creek and they quickly learned to keep their eyes open for ticks that position them-selves perfectly on grasses growing up between the boardwalk planks Developing such expertise is all part of the adventure of being a WW
The Rendas made their third trip on the warm afternoon of May 23d
Ella couldnrsquot make it so another friend Riley came in-stead This day Veronica found a small dead grayish fish on the boardwalk but what kind of fish it was nobody knew Perhaps a creek chub A minnow A darter What could it be So much to learn when walking the wetlands Very spectacular were the emerging colossal Great Angelicas members of the Parsley family and the huge leaves of skunk cabbage of the Arum family So much music to hear too as birds warbled chun-ked and chittered away blue-gray gnatcatchers warbling vireos yellow warblers house wrens red-winged blackbirds tree swal-lows and more
If you are interested in par-ticipating in the Wetland Watch-ers program please e-mail us at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg for more information
mdashNancy Bain
Above (left) a curious fawn (middle) Great Angelica in bloom (right) snake sunning Below Northern Leopard Frog
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 5
A MUDDY FIELD IN APRILHello my muddy friend I see
you every day but I do not think I truly know you Why are you now so wet How is it that come May you will spring forth with wonderful green crops to feed the world Why is your soil so black How did you come to be Were you as a youth a different being I see that you are surrounded by watery ditches and pipes that seem to come from your underbelly feed those ditches with clear cool water What is that all about Are you happy You make food for people and their livestock Birds and butterflies visit you Your farmer caretaker caresses you with tractors and fertilizers and plants special seeds upon your mantle What is that like And by fall your crops are harvested taken away and never seen again Is that sad or is it happy
I talked to a wizard and she said that you were neither happy nor sad Could that be true How old are you The farmer said you have always been here and that his
great-great grandfather purchased you and built that house on the high ground surrounded by those enor-mous burr oaks Do you remember Have things changed Irsquom sure that he did not have tractors The local Ag agent says you are very impor-tant and that your soils are called Ragsdale and Brookston ndash great for crops He says that cleaning out your ditches is always a priority so that you wonrsquot get too wet to plant
Wizards answer only what is asked so I asked another ques-tion Was my muddy field once a wetland The answer was a simple yes Wizards are a strange bunch so I went to work asking people who might tell me more Wetlands were once thought to be wastelands People settling the land made those ditches to drain the wetland so it would become productive farmland Under the muddy soils they placed pipes called field tiles Those pipes carried water to ditches and then to creeks and rivers The fields could then be planted with crops that sustained the farmers and all their
neighbors What could be better than that
What I said would happen if a large rain came to the muddy field It would run quickly to the rivers Does that mean that down those streams there might be a flood Yes of course was the answer Well what happened before the field tiles were there Water eventually made it to the rivers but before it did it made habitat for all those animals that lived in the wetland Fishes dragonflies birds and mammals thrived Bacteria in the wet soils changed many of naturersquos chemicals to simple compounds that the plants growing there needed and some of the ones that may have been poison were converted to nitrogen and became parts of the air nitrogen which feed the plants with the help of some of the beneficial bacteria Where are those plants today Gone they said
What do you think Good bad or just a wash It is something to wonder about
mdashJim Amon
Pho
to W
ikip
edia
Com
mon
s
6 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Summer amp Fall Events and HikesWatch our website for last minute changes additions and deletions to this tentative hike schedulebull Aug 1 ndash 3 Midwest Native Plant Conference (BCWA will have a display and will be one of beneficiaries)
bull Aug 16 amp 17 Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
bull August 30 9 am Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve Summer in Bloom Hike -- Emphasizing prairies and wet meadows
bull Sept 6 amp 7 Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
bull Sept 20 BCWA Monarch tagging public event Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve 230 pm Great for kids of all ages
bull October 5 sunset Early Halloween Evening Hike -- ldquoVapors on Fairborn Marshrdquo Be ready to go wading You will literally have a blast We meet at Fairborn Marsh at 700 PM
bull October 15 - 17 2014 Natural Areas Conference At conference end Jim Amon will lead a tour of fens and Don Geiger will lead a tour to Greene County Parks amp Trailsrsquo Hershner property
BCWA Work ScheduleNow through November 2014
Saturdays crews meet at Bea-vercreek Kroger parking lot 9 AM
Sundays crews meet at 2 PM in various locations Please contact our office at 320-9042 email adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or visit wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgget-involvedhtml for updates
We also work weekdays If you are interested in receiving notifica-tion of these and other land manage-ment volunteer opportunities send an e-mail to adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg to subscribe
Note Beginning this work season persons using chainsaws or applying herbicide need to meet special training requirements
Monarch TaggingWe will again be conducting
a Monarch butterfly tagging pro-gram at Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve The public event will be held on Saturday September 20th at 230 pm Come to learn about the amazing Monarch migration and the challenges to their survival In addition to the public event we conduct additional tagging pro-grams for school groups and scout troops in the week prior to and the week after the public event If you have a group interested in participating in this activity please contact Debbie at the office at 937-320-9042 or adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg
Dave Nolin guides a hike at the Siebenthaler Fen
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art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 7
Science Corner Two New ldquoWhatrsquos This rdquo
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mon
Lysimachia terrestris Honeysuckle seedling chewed by Sawfly larvae Go Sawflies
Shark week river monsters poisonous snakes alligators and killer whales Spiders killer bees chiggers poison ivy mosquitoes malaria yellow fever Ebola What in the world would posses you to venture into nature Storms tornadoes blizzards lightninghellip All bad right And what about asteroids that might end all life as we know it We have SO MUCH to worry about
I know many folks who would never venture much beyond their mowed lawns for fear of whatrsquos out there Sad Why
Readers send in a short paragraph or statement about an observation or experience you can recall that makes you enjoy nature not fear it We will pick a few of your views and put them in the next newsletter Send them by August 15th to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
mdashJim Amon
Why are folks afraid of nature
Here are a couple of examples from Debbie Karrhellip
In late winter while I was loading a newsletter mailing into my car at the parking lot at the Coy House a large shadow passed over me I looked up and was astonished to see an adult Bald Eagle soaring overhead It headed toward the
restoration wetlands down the hill circled and then flew upstream A few days later I saw it again flying low over the wetlands and landing in an adjacent tree
On another occasion while driving down that l-o-n-g gravel lane that runs between the Phillips Park entrance and the Coy House an
animal the size of a small dog with a bushy tail ran out of the wetlands across the lane in front of me and into the wooded strip on the steep hill behind the Coy House It was a gray fox The only place I had previously seen a gray fox was in an enclosure at Bruckner Nature Center in Troy
Gray fox (image from USFWS)
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to b
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mon
Debbie Karr and Jim Amon within about 24 hours of one anoth-er came upon an unfamiliar plant It keyed to be a flowering swamp candle Lysimachia terrestris With a little research they found that it has never been reported in Greene County Nice find It is fairly com-
mon in the NE part of OhioWhile the same two people were
caring for greenhouse plants they saw a honeysuckle seedling with many leaves obviously chewed by a caterpillar of some kind Wright State University professor Don Cipollini identified the caterpillar
as a sawfly larva Dr Cipollini has a masters student working on this beast but says it rarely is seen to choose honeysuckle in nature Of course there is hope In the picture note the lack of leaves on the stems of honeysuckle seedling
mdashJim Amon
8 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
A ReminderIf you are not already a member of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association go to httpbeavercreekwetlands
orgsupportus-membershiphtml to find out how to join
Journey Through a Wetland
The hectic pace of my Mon-day through Friday routine had left me with a Saturday morning headache I had spent most of the morning staring at the clouds and rain Now the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and my brother beckoned me to ComehellipAnd See
We drove through the suburbs past an industrial complex to a narrow country road We parked along the shoulder pulled on knee high boots slipped down a muddy embankment hopped a gurgling creek and clambered to the top of a small dike Frogs gandashgooned a welcome as we entered their world of wetlands
Wetlands are variously re-ferred to as a bog a swamp or a marsh They are just as their name implies land that has been saturated with water To many they are just a muddy nuisance But in fact they fill a vital role in the ecosystem of our earth
First of all they can be flood plains providing holding areas for excess rainwater and runoff Secondly they often act as a natu-ral filtration system and can help purify a communityrsquos water sup-ply Last but not least wetlands provide habitat for an incredible variety of plant and animal life some of which are endangered species
Following my brotherrsquos example I quickly learned the art of walk-ing through a wetland Sloshing and trekking along a ldquotrailrdquo made by deer Jim pointed out various types of sedge grasses marsh roses cattails and thistles We watched a spring bubbling up from some unknown depth saw signs of turtles and muskrats and were scolded by a pair of nesting geese In one place just a gentle flexing of our knees caused the landscape around us to bounce and roll like being on a giant waterbed Jim explained we were standing on approximately six feet of peat
But there are those who would destroy this environment Do a little dredging bring in some fill throw in some drain tiles ndash Viola ndash space to build condos golf courses office buildings or whatever you think will turn a profit
We cannot allow this to hap-pen Who knows what uses science may discover for the unusual plants that grow in wetlandshellipa super strong fiberhellipa cure for cancerhellipthe possibilities are endless Wetland archeology can help us learn about our ancient past and thereby help us plan for the future The animals that live in the wetlands are an integral part of the food chain Disrupting that process can be devastating also
To prevent the loss of our wet-
lands we must become knowledge-able about them Where are they What laws protect them Which de-velopments threaten them When will zoning boards meet which may be impacting them Another simple way to help protect these areas is to become active contributing members of organizations such as the Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society
As we made our way back to the car I had a close encounter with THE SWAMP MONSTER A heavy vine twined itself around my ankle just as I hesitated a bit too long with the other foot Kerplosh ndash down I went
After the initial shock I found myself laughing As Jim gave me a hand up he informed me that I had just been initiated into the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association We joked about what Mom would have said about us playing in the mud
Perhaps the greatest benefit of wetlands isnrsquot scientific after all Perhaps what we need is a place to be kids again ndash splashing in water and making mud pies
As the car pulled away from our wet wonderland Jim glanced over at me ldquoHowrsquos the headacherdquo he asked ldquoWhat headacherdquo was my reply
mdashAnita Shoemaker
Painted Turtle sunning
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art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 9
How I Spend My SummerWhen I was a bit younger the
end of summer meant the return to school and the dreaded assignment from the teacher for a report on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo Now that I am a little older I look forward to people asking that question
How do I spend my summer I spend my summers by volunteer-ing when I can Since most of this consists of habitat restoration and maintenance I am out in the various reserves with their varied environ-ments where I can watch the season progress On those days when I am not working in a reserve I enjoy wandering the trails just to see what is there
The flowers on display through-out the summer are always a treat From the Blue Flag in June to the Swamp Rose and Queen-of-the-prairie in July followed by the Cardinal-flower of August and the
Phantom Cranefly
Joe-Pye-weed in September there is always something new to see These are only a few of the several hun-dred species of plants that exist in our wetlands from the spectacular to the subdued but all interesting
Then we have the creatures that are drawn to the plants The ones that come for the nectar the hum-mingbirds and bees the butterflies and moths along with all the other nectar loving pollinators are all sights to behold The plants them-selves are also hosts to the various beetles and the caterpillars that become the butterflies and moths
We also have the predators that eat the bugs birds such as the orioles the warblers and the Red- winged Blackbird My favorite
predators are the dragonflies and damselflies the ones that hunt the mosquitoes
We canrsquot forget our amphibians and reptiles Look for frogs along the edges of the water Check for turtles and snakes sunning themselves the turtles on logs in the creeks and the snakes on logs and in low branches of trees
Look for signs of mammals such as trees cut down by beavers tracks of raccoon and deer in the mud and scat left on the trails and board-walks
Something else to look for in the reserves is an old guy with white hair and beard carrying at least one camera That just might be me ob-serving and documenting on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo
mdashRichard Swigart
Cardinal Flower
Whitetail Dragonfly
Pho
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by R
icha
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wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
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art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 3
Volunteer CornerField Crews Under the
direction of Don Geiger BCWArsquos Saturday morning volunteer crew ventured out early this springmdashthe first weekend in Marchmdashto remove tree wraps at Creekside Reserve but the weather prevent-ed any additional activity for a full month Work sessions resumed in April with the primary task of woody invasive control along the gravel access road and trails at Creekside targeting autumn olive Callery pear privet Ailanthus (tree of heaven) and burning bush The crew liberated a nice stand of native blackhaw viburnum and some spicebushes from the ever present honeysuckle and discov-ered hawthorn and eastern wahoo seedlings in areas where stands of honeysuckle had been previously removed
With Jim Amon at the lead the Sunday afternoon volunteers concentrated their efforts at two sites Fairborn Marsh was tidied upmdashpots were dug up and re-moved from the site of the former nursery the bottomless buckets used to protect the young shrubs planted throughout the property over the past few years were no longer needed and were removed much of the old farm fencing was removed and recycled and the trails were cleared of fallen limbs and overgrown vegetation Seed of prairie grasses collected last fall were sown in bare areas of the property In addition two im-portant volunteer safety-training sessions took place at this sitemdashchainsaw operation conducted by Jim Schneider and herbicide ap-plication conducted by Jim Amon The Sunday crew also continued boardwalk repair at Siebenthaler Fen and worked continually on trimming the vegetation growing through and over the boardwalk
In addition to these two volun-teer group work sessions individ-uals go out regularly to clear trails
and boardwalks for visitors Spring is one of the windows of opportu-nity to successfully treat reed canary grassmdashit has been treated at Phillips Park Siebenthaler Fen and at the conservation easement in Beaver-creek Township A small group of volunteers has been working at the butterfly meadow at Hagenbuch Re-serve to remove invasive plants At this site the biennial weeds (plants that have a two-year life cycle) are the problemmdashgarlic mustard poison hemlock teasel sweet clover and Queen Annersquos lace Taking care not to trample or otherwise damage the hundreds of prairie perennials that were planted last year volun-teers are using manual control
Field crew volunteers for these activities included Deb Adams Skip Beehler Bill Byrd Ann and Jim Byrd Matt Cary Aaron Deck-ard John Deignan Rob Evans Lois Gschwender Debbie Karr Al Munoz Jim Schneider Aaron Smith Richard Swigart Hitesh Trivedi Tom Whit-man Sarah Workman Carol Amon and members of the Youth Group for Indian Culture Arihant Chorida Riya and Richa Patel Ganesh Ravela Mirisha Seth Kumar and Kinshuk Tella Amarender Valturi and Venu-gopal and Sanjana Yerubandi
Festivals In what has become a springtime tradition BCWA was again invited to staff the food booth at the Knollwood Garden Party which is a popular event for our volunteers In exchange the Knoll-wood Garden Center made a gener-ous donation to BCWA from the pro-ceeds EarthFest at Garden Station was next on the schedule This was the first time BCWA set up its booth at this downtown Dayton festival to inform and educate the visitors about the Beaver Creek Wetlands and the BCWA Volunteers at these events included Deb Adams Nancy Bain Steve Blatt Ann Byrd Carole Dudley Rob Evans Rob amp Niki Foor Don Geiger Lois Gschwender Denny Jarvi Jean Kash Jo Ann Kavalauskas
Chris Middleton Al Munoz Dane Mutter Pat Riley Jim Schneider Dave Shumway Richard Swigart Tim amp Sharon Underwood Paul Wolfe and Mike Zimmerman
Mailings Spring is a busy time of year not just for the field crews but also for administrative volun-teers There were two mailings to prepare in quick successionmdashthe membership drive and the an-nual meeting notice Nancy Bain Dorothy Bordewisch Ann Byrd Lois Gschwender Margie Perenic Judy Renz and Richard Swigart came to the office at the Coy House to stuff and label envelopes (and talk and tell stories)
Other Jim Amon and Lois Gschwender met with officials of Kettering Parks to discuss a planned habitat restoration in the upper reaches of the Little Beaver Creek watershed and examined a small fen in one of their parks
Thank you to all BCWA volun-teers for your time and efforts If you would like to become a vol-unteer and participate in these activities please contact the office at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or 937-320-9042
mdashDebbie Karr
Baltimore CheckerspotCaterpillar Tent
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
4 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Pho
tos
by R
icha
rd S
wig
art
exce
pt fa
wn
phot
o by
Cra
ig F
erna
tt
Great Days for Wetland Watchers
Welcome to the Rendas the first family to participate in BCWArsquos Wetland Watchers (WW) program Vince and Emily are both self-em-ployed and the parents of 6-year-old Veronica who attends Holy Angels School Their first outing to their chosen wetland Siebenthaler Fen was on March 28th on a 52-de-gree afternoon Along with them was 6-year-old Ella Veronicarsquos friend Ella is expert at identifying cloud formations and that day she determined the clouds to be cumu-lus Since WW is all about gaining and improving observation skills in nature relying mostly on human senses one canrsquot do better than to let six year olds lead the way That day the girls discovered handfuls of snails a frog and little bits of ev-erything that mostly escape adultsrsquo senses It was Vince though who first saw a live snake (probably a garter snake) poking its head up between the planks Along the way
were the blooms of skunk cabbage the peeping of frogs and the sparkle of a spent silver bullet shell
At 9am on April 27th the Rendas and Ella returned for their second outing The day was brisk at about 40 degrees but with perfect blue skies above They got their first birdrsquos-eye sighting of a prothonotary warbler along the creek bank in the wet woods Hard to see though was the pair of blue-gray gnatcatchers building their lichen-covered nest
in a tree along the boardwalk The girls got to observe a ldquotipsyrdquo spotted sandpiper maneuver its way across a fallen log in one of the tributar-ies to the Beaver Creek and they quickly learned to keep their eyes open for ticks that position them-selves perfectly on grasses growing up between the boardwalk planks Developing such expertise is all part of the adventure of being a WW
The Rendas made their third trip on the warm afternoon of May 23d
Ella couldnrsquot make it so another friend Riley came in-stead This day Veronica found a small dead grayish fish on the boardwalk but what kind of fish it was nobody knew Perhaps a creek chub A minnow A darter What could it be So much to learn when walking the wetlands Very spectacular were the emerging colossal Great Angelicas members of the Parsley family and the huge leaves of skunk cabbage of the Arum family So much music to hear too as birds warbled chun-ked and chittered away blue-gray gnatcatchers warbling vireos yellow warblers house wrens red-winged blackbirds tree swal-lows and more
If you are interested in par-ticipating in the Wetland Watch-ers program please e-mail us at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg for more information
mdashNancy Bain
Above (left) a curious fawn (middle) Great Angelica in bloom (right) snake sunning Below Northern Leopard Frog
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 5
A MUDDY FIELD IN APRILHello my muddy friend I see
you every day but I do not think I truly know you Why are you now so wet How is it that come May you will spring forth with wonderful green crops to feed the world Why is your soil so black How did you come to be Were you as a youth a different being I see that you are surrounded by watery ditches and pipes that seem to come from your underbelly feed those ditches with clear cool water What is that all about Are you happy You make food for people and their livestock Birds and butterflies visit you Your farmer caretaker caresses you with tractors and fertilizers and plants special seeds upon your mantle What is that like And by fall your crops are harvested taken away and never seen again Is that sad or is it happy
I talked to a wizard and she said that you were neither happy nor sad Could that be true How old are you The farmer said you have always been here and that his
great-great grandfather purchased you and built that house on the high ground surrounded by those enor-mous burr oaks Do you remember Have things changed Irsquom sure that he did not have tractors The local Ag agent says you are very impor-tant and that your soils are called Ragsdale and Brookston ndash great for crops He says that cleaning out your ditches is always a priority so that you wonrsquot get too wet to plant
Wizards answer only what is asked so I asked another ques-tion Was my muddy field once a wetland The answer was a simple yes Wizards are a strange bunch so I went to work asking people who might tell me more Wetlands were once thought to be wastelands People settling the land made those ditches to drain the wetland so it would become productive farmland Under the muddy soils they placed pipes called field tiles Those pipes carried water to ditches and then to creeks and rivers The fields could then be planted with crops that sustained the farmers and all their
neighbors What could be better than that
What I said would happen if a large rain came to the muddy field It would run quickly to the rivers Does that mean that down those streams there might be a flood Yes of course was the answer Well what happened before the field tiles were there Water eventually made it to the rivers but before it did it made habitat for all those animals that lived in the wetland Fishes dragonflies birds and mammals thrived Bacteria in the wet soils changed many of naturersquos chemicals to simple compounds that the plants growing there needed and some of the ones that may have been poison were converted to nitrogen and became parts of the air nitrogen which feed the plants with the help of some of the beneficial bacteria Where are those plants today Gone they said
What do you think Good bad or just a wash It is something to wonder about
mdashJim Amon
Pho
to W
ikip
edia
Com
mon
s
6 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Summer amp Fall Events and HikesWatch our website for last minute changes additions and deletions to this tentative hike schedulebull Aug 1 ndash 3 Midwest Native Plant Conference (BCWA will have a display and will be one of beneficiaries)
bull Aug 16 amp 17 Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
bull August 30 9 am Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve Summer in Bloom Hike -- Emphasizing prairies and wet meadows
bull Sept 6 amp 7 Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
bull Sept 20 BCWA Monarch tagging public event Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve 230 pm Great for kids of all ages
bull October 5 sunset Early Halloween Evening Hike -- ldquoVapors on Fairborn Marshrdquo Be ready to go wading You will literally have a blast We meet at Fairborn Marsh at 700 PM
bull October 15 - 17 2014 Natural Areas Conference At conference end Jim Amon will lead a tour of fens and Don Geiger will lead a tour to Greene County Parks amp Trailsrsquo Hershner property
BCWA Work ScheduleNow through November 2014
Saturdays crews meet at Bea-vercreek Kroger parking lot 9 AM
Sundays crews meet at 2 PM in various locations Please contact our office at 320-9042 email adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or visit wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgget-involvedhtml for updates
We also work weekdays If you are interested in receiving notifica-tion of these and other land manage-ment volunteer opportunities send an e-mail to adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg to subscribe
Note Beginning this work season persons using chainsaws or applying herbicide need to meet special training requirements
Monarch TaggingWe will again be conducting
a Monarch butterfly tagging pro-gram at Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve The public event will be held on Saturday September 20th at 230 pm Come to learn about the amazing Monarch migration and the challenges to their survival In addition to the public event we conduct additional tagging pro-grams for school groups and scout troops in the week prior to and the week after the public event If you have a group interested in participating in this activity please contact Debbie at the office at 937-320-9042 or adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg
Dave Nolin guides a hike at the Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 7
Science Corner Two New ldquoWhatrsquos This rdquo
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Lysimachia terrestris Honeysuckle seedling chewed by Sawfly larvae Go Sawflies
Shark week river monsters poisonous snakes alligators and killer whales Spiders killer bees chiggers poison ivy mosquitoes malaria yellow fever Ebola What in the world would posses you to venture into nature Storms tornadoes blizzards lightninghellip All bad right And what about asteroids that might end all life as we know it We have SO MUCH to worry about
I know many folks who would never venture much beyond their mowed lawns for fear of whatrsquos out there Sad Why
Readers send in a short paragraph or statement about an observation or experience you can recall that makes you enjoy nature not fear it We will pick a few of your views and put them in the next newsletter Send them by August 15th to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
mdashJim Amon
Why are folks afraid of nature
Here are a couple of examples from Debbie Karrhellip
In late winter while I was loading a newsletter mailing into my car at the parking lot at the Coy House a large shadow passed over me I looked up and was astonished to see an adult Bald Eagle soaring overhead It headed toward the
restoration wetlands down the hill circled and then flew upstream A few days later I saw it again flying low over the wetlands and landing in an adjacent tree
On another occasion while driving down that l-o-n-g gravel lane that runs between the Phillips Park entrance and the Coy House an
animal the size of a small dog with a bushy tail ran out of the wetlands across the lane in front of me and into the wooded strip on the steep hill behind the Coy House It was a gray fox The only place I had previously seen a gray fox was in an enclosure at Bruckner Nature Center in Troy
Gray fox (image from USFWS)
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Debbie Karr and Jim Amon within about 24 hours of one anoth-er came upon an unfamiliar plant It keyed to be a flowering swamp candle Lysimachia terrestris With a little research they found that it has never been reported in Greene County Nice find It is fairly com-
mon in the NE part of OhioWhile the same two people were
caring for greenhouse plants they saw a honeysuckle seedling with many leaves obviously chewed by a caterpillar of some kind Wright State University professor Don Cipollini identified the caterpillar
as a sawfly larva Dr Cipollini has a masters student working on this beast but says it rarely is seen to choose honeysuckle in nature Of course there is hope In the picture note the lack of leaves on the stems of honeysuckle seedling
mdashJim Amon
8 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
A ReminderIf you are not already a member of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association go to httpbeavercreekwetlands
orgsupportus-membershiphtml to find out how to join
Journey Through a Wetland
The hectic pace of my Mon-day through Friday routine had left me with a Saturday morning headache I had spent most of the morning staring at the clouds and rain Now the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and my brother beckoned me to ComehellipAnd See
We drove through the suburbs past an industrial complex to a narrow country road We parked along the shoulder pulled on knee high boots slipped down a muddy embankment hopped a gurgling creek and clambered to the top of a small dike Frogs gandashgooned a welcome as we entered their world of wetlands
Wetlands are variously re-ferred to as a bog a swamp or a marsh They are just as their name implies land that has been saturated with water To many they are just a muddy nuisance But in fact they fill a vital role in the ecosystem of our earth
First of all they can be flood plains providing holding areas for excess rainwater and runoff Secondly they often act as a natu-ral filtration system and can help purify a communityrsquos water sup-ply Last but not least wetlands provide habitat for an incredible variety of plant and animal life some of which are endangered species
Following my brotherrsquos example I quickly learned the art of walk-ing through a wetland Sloshing and trekking along a ldquotrailrdquo made by deer Jim pointed out various types of sedge grasses marsh roses cattails and thistles We watched a spring bubbling up from some unknown depth saw signs of turtles and muskrats and were scolded by a pair of nesting geese In one place just a gentle flexing of our knees caused the landscape around us to bounce and roll like being on a giant waterbed Jim explained we were standing on approximately six feet of peat
But there are those who would destroy this environment Do a little dredging bring in some fill throw in some drain tiles ndash Viola ndash space to build condos golf courses office buildings or whatever you think will turn a profit
We cannot allow this to hap-pen Who knows what uses science may discover for the unusual plants that grow in wetlandshellipa super strong fiberhellipa cure for cancerhellipthe possibilities are endless Wetland archeology can help us learn about our ancient past and thereby help us plan for the future The animals that live in the wetlands are an integral part of the food chain Disrupting that process can be devastating also
To prevent the loss of our wet-
lands we must become knowledge-able about them Where are they What laws protect them Which de-velopments threaten them When will zoning boards meet which may be impacting them Another simple way to help protect these areas is to become active contributing members of organizations such as the Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society
As we made our way back to the car I had a close encounter with THE SWAMP MONSTER A heavy vine twined itself around my ankle just as I hesitated a bit too long with the other foot Kerplosh ndash down I went
After the initial shock I found myself laughing As Jim gave me a hand up he informed me that I had just been initiated into the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association We joked about what Mom would have said about us playing in the mud
Perhaps the greatest benefit of wetlands isnrsquot scientific after all Perhaps what we need is a place to be kids again ndash splashing in water and making mud pies
As the car pulled away from our wet wonderland Jim glanced over at me ldquoHowrsquos the headacherdquo he asked ldquoWhat headacherdquo was my reply
mdashAnita Shoemaker
Painted Turtle sunning
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 9
How I Spend My SummerWhen I was a bit younger the
end of summer meant the return to school and the dreaded assignment from the teacher for a report on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo Now that I am a little older I look forward to people asking that question
How do I spend my summer I spend my summers by volunteer-ing when I can Since most of this consists of habitat restoration and maintenance I am out in the various reserves with their varied environ-ments where I can watch the season progress On those days when I am not working in a reserve I enjoy wandering the trails just to see what is there
The flowers on display through-out the summer are always a treat From the Blue Flag in June to the Swamp Rose and Queen-of-the-prairie in July followed by the Cardinal-flower of August and the
Phantom Cranefly
Joe-Pye-weed in September there is always something new to see These are only a few of the several hun-dred species of plants that exist in our wetlands from the spectacular to the subdued but all interesting
Then we have the creatures that are drawn to the plants The ones that come for the nectar the hum-mingbirds and bees the butterflies and moths along with all the other nectar loving pollinators are all sights to behold The plants them-selves are also hosts to the various beetles and the caterpillars that become the butterflies and moths
We also have the predators that eat the bugs birds such as the orioles the warblers and the Red- winged Blackbird My favorite
predators are the dragonflies and damselflies the ones that hunt the mosquitoes
We canrsquot forget our amphibians and reptiles Look for frogs along the edges of the water Check for turtles and snakes sunning themselves the turtles on logs in the creeks and the snakes on logs and in low branches of trees
Look for signs of mammals such as trees cut down by beavers tracks of raccoon and deer in the mud and scat left on the trails and board-walks
Something else to look for in the reserves is an old guy with white hair and beard carrying at least one camera That just might be me ob-serving and documenting on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo
mdashRichard Swigart
Cardinal Flower
Whitetail Dragonfly
Pho
tos
by R
icha
rd S
wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
4 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Pho
tos
by R
icha
rd S
wig
art
exce
pt fa
wn
phot
o by
Cra
ig F
erna
tt
Great Days for Wetland Watchers
Welcome to the Rendas the first family to participate in BCWArsquos Wetland Watchers (WW) program Vince and Emily are both self-em-ployed and the parents of 6-year-old Veronica who attends Holy Angels School Their first outing to their chosen wetland Siebenthaler Fen was on March 28th on a 52-de-gree afternoon Along with them was 6-year-old Ella Veronicarsquos friend Ella is expert at identifying cloud formations and that day she determined the clouds to be cumu-lus Since WW is all about gaining and improving observation skills in nature relying mostly on human senses one canrsquot do better than to let six year olds lead the way That day the girls discovered handfuls of snails a frog and little bits of ev-erything that mostly escape adultsrsquo senses It was Vince though who first saw a live snake (probably a garter snake) poking its head up between the planks Along the way
were the blooms of skunk cabbage the peeping of frogs and the sparkle of a spent silver bullet shell
At 9am on April 27th the Rendas and Ella returned for their second outing The day was brisk at about 40 degrees but with perfect blue skies above They got their first birdrsquos-eye sighting of a prothonotary warbler along the creek bank in the wet woods Hard to see though was the pair of blue-gray gnatcatchers building their lichen-covered nest
in a tree along the boardwalk The girls got to observe a ldquotipsyrdquo spotted sandpiper maneuver its way across a fallen log in one of the tributar-ies to the Beaver Creek and they quickly learned to keep their eyes open for ticks that position them-selves perfectly on grasses growing up between the boardwalk planks Developing such expertise is all part of the adventure of being a WW
The Rendas made their third trip on the warm afternoon of May 23d
Ella couldnrsquot make it so another friend Riley came in-stead This day Veronica found a small dead grayish fish on the boardwalk but what kind of fish it was nobody knew Perhaps a creek chub A minnow A darter What could it be So much to learn when walking the wetlands Very spectacular were the emerging colossal Great Angelicas members of the Parsley family and the huge leaves of skunk cabbage of the Arum family So much music to hear too as birds warbled chun-ked and chittered away blue-gray gnatcatchers warbling vireos yellow warblers house wrens red-winged blackbirds tree swal-lows and more
If you are interested in par-ticipating in the Wetland Watch-ers program please e-mail us at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg for more information
mdashNancy Bain
Above (left) a curious fawn (middle) Great Angelica in bloom (right) snake sunning Below Northern Leopard Frog
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 5
A MUDDY FIELD IN APRILHello my muddy friend I see
you every day but I do not think I truly know you Why are you now so wet How is it that come May you will spring forth with wonderful green crops to feed the world Why is your soil so black How did you come to be Were you as a youth a different being I see that you are surrounded by watery ditches and pipes that seem to come from your underbelly feed those ditches with clear cool water What is that all about Are you happy You make food for people and their livestock Birds and butterflies visit you Your farmer caretaker caresses you with tractors and fertilizers and plants special seeds upon your mantle What is that like And by fall your crops are harvested taken away and never seen again Is that sad or is it happy
I talked to a wizard and she said that you were neither happy nor sad Could that be true How old are you The farmer said you have always been here and that his
great-great grandfather purchased you and built that house on the high ground surrounded by those enor-mous burr oaks Do you remember Have things changed Irsquom sure that he did not have tractors The local Ag agent says you are very impor-tant and that your soils are called Ragsdale and Brookston ndash great for crops He says that cleaning out your ditches is always a priority so that you wonrsquot get too wet to plant
Wizards answer only what is asked so I asked another ques-tion Was my muddy field once a wetland The answer was a simple yes Wizards are a strange bunch so I went to work asking people who might tell me more Wetlands were once thought to be wastelands People settling the land made those ditches to drain the wetland so it would become productive farmland Under the muddy soils they placed pipes called field tiles Those pipes carried water to ditches and then to creeks and rivers The fields could then be planted with crops that sustained the farmers and all their
neighbors What could be better than that
What I said would happen if a large rain came to the muddy field It would run quickly to the rivers Does that mean that down those streams there might be a flood Yes of course was the answer Well what happened before the field tiles were there Water eventually made it to the rivers but before it did it made habitat for all those animals that lived in the wetland Fishes dragonflies birds and mammals thrived Bacteria in the wet soils changed many of naturersquos chemicals to simple compounds that the plants growing there needed and some of the ones that may have been poison were converted to nitrogen and became parts of the air nitrogen which feed the plants with the help of some of the beneficial bacteria Where are those plants today Gone they said
What do you think Good bad or just a wash It is something to wonder about
mdashJim Amon
Pho
to W
ikip
edia
Com
mon
s
6 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Summer amp Fall Events and HikesWatch our website for last minute changes additions and deletions to this tentative hike schedulebull Aug 1 ndash 3 Midwest Native Plant Conference (BCWA will have a display and will be one of beneficiaries)
bull Aug 16 amp 17 Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
bull August 30 9 am Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve Summer in Bloom Hike -- Emphasizing prairies and wet meadows
bull Sept 6 amp 7 Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
bull Sept 20 BCWA Monarch tagging public event Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve 230 pm Great for kids of all ages
bull October 5 sunset Early Halloween Evening Hike -- ldquoVapors on Fairborn Marshrdquo Be ready to go wading You will literally have a blast We meet at Fairborn Marsh at 700 PM
bull October 15 - 17 2014 Natural Areas Conference At conference end Jim Amon will lead a tour of fens and Don Geiger will lead a tour to Greene County Parks amp Trailsrsquo Hershner property
BCWA Work ScheduleNow through November 2014
Saturdays crews meet at Bea-vercreek Kroger parking lot 9 AM
Sundays crews meet at 2 PM in various locations Please contact our office at 320-9042 email adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or visit wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgget-involvedhtml for updates
We also work weekdays If you are interested in receiving notifica-tion of these and other land manage-ment volunteer opportunities send an e-mail to adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg to subscribe
Note Beginning this work season persons using chainsaws or applying herbicide need to meet special training requirements
Monarch TaggingWe will again be conducting
a Monarch butterfly tagging pro-gram at Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve The public event will be held on Saturday September 20th at 230 pm Come to learn about the amazing Monarch migration and the challenges to their survival In addition to the public event we conduct additional tagging pro-grams for school groups and scout troops in the week prior to and the week after the public event If you have a group interested in participating in this activity please contact Debbie at the office at 937-320-9042 or adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg
Dave Nolin guides a hike at the Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 7
Science Corner Two New ldquoWhatrsquos This rdquo
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Lysimachia terrestris Honeysuckle seedling chewed by Sawfly larvae Go Sawflies
Shark week river monsters poisonous snakes alligators and killer whales Spiders killer bees chiggers poison ivy mosquitoes malaria yellow fever Ebola What in the world would posses you to venture into nature Storms tornadoes blizzards lightninghellip All bad right And what about asteroids that might end all life as we know it We have SO MUCH to worry about
I know many folks who would never venture much beyond their mowed lawns for fear of whatrsquos out there Sad Why
Readers send in a short paragraph or statement about an observation or experience you can recall that makes you enjoy nature not fear it We will pick a few of your views and put them in the next newsletter Send them by August 15th to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
mdashJim Amon
Why are folks afraid of nature
Here are a couple of examples from Debbie Karrhellip
In late winter while I was loading a newsletter mailing into my car at the parking lot at the Coy House a large shadow passed over me I looked up and was astonished to see an adult Bald Eagle soaring overhead It headed toward the
restoration wetlands down the hill circled and then flew upstream A few days later I saw it again flying low over the wetlands and landing in an adjacent tree
On another occasion while driving down that l-o-n-g gravel lane that runs between the Phillips Park entrance and the Coy House an
animal the size of a small dog with a bushy tail ran out of the wetlands across the lane in front of me and into the wooded strip on the steep hill behind the Coy House It was a gray fox The only place I had previously seen a gray fox was in an enclosure at Bruckner Nature Center in Troy
Gray fox (image from USFWS)
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Debbie Karr and Jim Amon within about 24 hours of one anoth-er came upon an unfamiliar plant It keyed to be a flowering swamp candle Lysimachia terrestris With a little research they found that it has never been reported in Greene County Nice find It is fairly com-
mon in the NE part of OhioWhile the same two people were
caring for greenhouse plants they saw a honeysuckle seedling with many leaves obviously chewed by a caterpillar of some kind Wright State University professor Don Cipollini identified the caterpillar
as a sawfly larva Dr Cipollini has a masters student working on this beast but says it rarely is seen to choose honeysuckle in nature Of course there is hope In the picture note the lack of leaves on the stems of honeysuckle seedling
mdashJim Amon
8 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
A ReminderIf you are not already a member of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association go to httpbeavercreekwetlands
orgsupportus-membershiphtml to find out how to join
Journey Through a Wetland
The hectic pace of my Mon-day through Friday routine had left me with a Saturday morning headache I had spent most of the morning staring at the clouds and rain Now the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and my brother beckoned me to ComehellipAnd See
We drove through the suburbs past an industrial complex to a narrow country road We parked along the shoulder pulled on knee high boots slipped down a muddy embankment hopped a gurgling creek and clambered to the top of a small dike Frogs gandashgooned a welcome as we entered their world of wetlands
Wetlands are variously re-ferred to as a bog a swamp or a marsh They are just as their name implies land that has been saturated with water To many they are just a muddy nuisance But in fact they fill a vital role in the ecosystem of our earth
First of all they can be flood plains providing holding areas for excess rainwater and runoff Secondly they often act as a natu-ral filtration system and can help purify a communityrsquos water sup-ply Last but not least wetlands provide habitat for an incredible variety of plant and animal life some of which are endangered species
Following my brotherrsquos example I quickly learned the art of walk-ing through a wetland Sloshing and trekking along a ldquotrailrdquo made by deer Jim pointed out various types of sedge grasses marsh roses cattails and thistles We watched a spring bubbling up from some unknown depth saw signs of turtles and muskrats and were scolded by a pair of nesting geese In one place just a gentle flexing of our knees caused the landscape around us to bounce and roll like being on a giant waterbed Jim explained we were standing on approximately six feet of peat
But there are those who would destroy this environment Do a little dredging bring in some fill throw in some drain tiles ndash Viola ndash space to build condos golf courses office buildings or whatever you think will turn a profit
We cannot allow this to hap-pen Who knows what uses science may discover for the unusual plants that grow in wetlandshellipa super strong fiberhellipa cure for cancerhellipthe possibilities are endless Wetland archeology can help us learn about our ancient past and thereby help us plan for the future The animals that live in the wetlands are an integral part of the food chain Disrupting that process can be devastating also
To prevent the loss of our wet-
lands we must become knowledge-able about them Where are they What laws protect them Which de-velopments threaten them When will zoning boards meet which may be impacting them Another simple way to help protect these areas is to become active contributing members of organizations such as the Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society
As we made our way back to the car I had a close encounter with THE SWAMP MONSTER A heavy vine twined itself around my ankle just as I hesitated a bit too long with the other foot Kerplosh ndash down I went
After the initial shock I found myself laughing As Jim gave me a hand up he informed me that I had just been initiated into the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association We joked about what Mom would have said about us playing in the mud
Perhaps the greatest benefit of wetlands isnrsquot scientific after all Perhaps what we need is a place to be kids again ndash splashing in water and making mud pies
As the car pulled away from our wet wonderland Jim glanced over at me ldquoHowrsquos the headacherdquo he asked ldquoWhat headacherdquo was my reply
mdashAnita Shoemaker
Painted Turtle sunning
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 9
How I Spend My SummerWhen I was a bit younger the
end of summer meant the return to school and the dreaded assignment from the teacher for a report on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo Now that I am a little older I look forward to people asking that question
How do I spend my summer I spend my summers by volunteer-ing when I can Since most of this consists of habitat restoration and maintenance I am out in the various reserves with their varied environ-ments where I can watch the season progress On those days when I am not working in a reserve I enjoy wandering the trails just to see what is there
The flowers on display through-out the summer are always a treat From the Blue Flag in June to the Swamp Rose and Queen-of-the-prairie in July followed by the Cardinal-flower of August and the
Phantom Cranefly
Joe-Pye-weed in September there is always something new to see These are only a few of the several hun-dred species of plants that exist in our wetlands from the spectacular to the subdued but all interesting
Then we have the creatures that are drawn to the plants The ones that come for the nectar the hum-mingbirds and bees the butterflies and moths along with all the other nectar loving pollinators are all sights to behold The plants them-selves are also hosts to the various beetles and the caterpillars that become the butterflies and moths
We also have the predators that eat the bugs birds such as the orioles the warblers and the Red- winged Blackbird My favorite
predators are the dragonflies and damselflies the ones that hunt the mosquitoes
We canrsquot forget our amphibians and reptiles Look for frogs along the edges of the water Check for turtles and snakes sunning themselves the turtles on logs in the creeks and the snakes on logs and in low branches of trees
Look for signs of mammals such as trees cut down by beavers tracks of raccoon and deer in the mud and scat left on the trails and board-walks
Something else to look for in the reserves is an old guy with white hair and beard carrying at least one camera That just might be me ob-serving and documenting on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo
mdashRichard Swigart
Cardinal Flower
Whitetail Dragonfly
Pho
tos
by R
icha
rd S
wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 5
A MUDDY FIELD IN APRILHello my muddy friend I see
you every day but I do not think I truly know you Why are you now so wet How is it that come May you will spring forth with wonderful green crops to feed the world Why is your soil so black How did you come to be Were you as a youth a different being I see that you are surrounded by watery ditches and pipes that seem to come from your underbelly feed those ditches with clear cool water What is that all about Are you happy You make food for people and their livestock Birds and butterflies visit you Your farmer caretaker caresses you with tractors and fertilizers and plants special seeds upon your mantle What is that like And by fall your crops are harvested taken away and never seen again Is that sad or is it happy
I talked to a wizard and she said that you were neither happy nor sad Could that be true How old are you The farmer said you have always been here and that his
great-great grandfather purchased you and built that house on the high ground surrounded by those enor-mous burr oaks Do you remember Have things changed Irsquom sure that he did not have tractors The local Ag agent says you are very impor-tant and that your soils are called Ragsdale and Brookston ndash great for crops He says that cleaning out your ditches is always a priority so that you wonrsquot get too wet to plant
Wizards answer only what is asked so I asked another ques-tion Was my muddy field once a wetland The answer was a simple yes Wizards are a strange bunch so I went to work asking people who might tell me more Wetlands were once thought to be wastelands People settling the land made those ditches to drain the wetland so it would become productive farmland Under the muddy soils they placed pipes called field tiles Those pipes carried water to ditches and then to creeks and rivers The fields could then be planted with crops that sustained the farmers and all their
neighbors What could be better than that
What I said would happen if a large rain came to the muddy field It would run quickly to the rivers Does that mean that down those streams there might be a flood Yes of course was the answer Well what happened before the field tiles were there Water eventually made it to the rivers but before it did it made habitat for all those animals that lived in the wetland Fishes dragonflies birds and mammals thrived Bacteria in the wet soils changed many of naturersquos chemicals to simple compounds that the plants growing there needed and some of the ones that may have been poison were converted to nitrogen and became parts of the air nitrogen which feed the plants with the help of some of the beneficial bacteria Where are those plants today Gone they said
What do you think Good bad or just a wash It is something to wonder about
mdashJim Amon
Pho
to W
ikip
edia
Com
mon
s
6 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Summer amp Fall Events and HikesWatch our website for last minute changes additions and deletions to this tentative hike schedulebull Aug 1 ndash 3 Midwest Native Plant Conference (BCWA will have a display and will be one of beneficiaries)
bull Aug 16 amp 17 Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
bull August 30 9 am Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve Summer in Bloom Hike -- Emphasizing prairies and wet meadows
bull Sept 6 amp 7 Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
bull Sept 20 BCWA Monarch tagging public event Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve 230 pm Great for kids of all ages
bull October 5 sunset Early Halloween Evening Hike -- ldquoVapors on Fairborn Marshrdquo Be ready to go wading You will literally have a blast We meet at Fairborn Marsh at 700 PM
bull October 15 - 17 2014 Natural Areas Conference At conference end Jim Amon will lead a tour of fens and Don Geiger will lead a tour to Greene County Parks amp Trailsrsquo Hershner property
BCWA Work ScheduleNow through November 2014
Saturdays crews meet at Bea-vercreek Kroger parking lot 9 AM
Sundays crews meet at 2 PM in various locations Please contact our office at 320-9042 email adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or visit wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgget-involvedhtml for updates
We also work weekdays If you are interested in receiving notifica-tion of these and other land manage-ment volunteer opportunities send an e-mail to adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg to subscribe
Note Beginning this work season persons using chainsaws or applying herbicide need to meet special training requirements
Monarch TaggingWe will again be conducting
a Monarch butterfly tagging pro-gram at Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve The public event will be held on Saturday September 20th at 230 pm Come to learn about the amazing Monarch migration and the challenges to their survival In addition to the public event we conduct additional tagging pro-grams for school groups and scout troops in the week prior to and the week after the public event If you have a group interested in participating in this activity please contact Debbie at the office at 937-320-9042 or adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg
Dave Nolin guides a hike at the Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 7
Science Corner Two New ldquoWhatrsquos This rdquo
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Lysimachia terrestris Honeysuckle seedling chewed by Sawfly larvae Go Sawflies
Shark week river monsters poisonous snakes alligators and killer whales Spiders killer bees chiggers poison ivy mosquitoes malaria yellow fever Ebola What in the world would posses you to venture into nature Storms tornadoes blizzards lightninghellip All bad right And what about asteroids that might end all life as we know it We have SO MUCH to worry about
I know many folks who would never venture much beyond their mowed lawns for fear of whatrsquos out there Sad Why
Readers send in a short paragraph or statement about an observation or experience you can recall that makes you enjoy nature not fear it We will pick a few of your views and put them in the next newsletter Send them by August 15th to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
mdashJim Amon
Why are folks afraid of nature
Here are a couple of examples from Debbie Karrhellip
In late winter while I was loading a newsletter mailing into my car at the parking lot at the Coy House a large shadow passed over me I looked up and was astonished to see an adult Bald Eagle soaring overhead It headed toward the
restoration wetlands down the hill circled and then flew upstream A few days later I saw it again flying low over the wetlands and landing in an adjacent tree
On another occasion while driving down that l-o-n-g gravel lane that runs between the Phillips Park entrance and the Coy House an
animal the size of a small dog with a bushy tail ran out of the wetlands across the lane in front of me and into the wooded strip on the steep hill behind the Coy House It was a gray fox The only place I had previously seen a gray fox was in an enclosure at Bruckner Nature Center in Troy
Gray fox (image from USFWS)
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Debbie Karr and Jim Amon within about 24 hours of one anoth-er came upon an unfamiliar plant It keyed to be a flowering swamp candle Lysimachia terrestris With a little research they found that it has never been reported in Greene County Nice find It is fairly com-
mon in the NE part of OhioWhile the same two people were
caring for greenhouse plants they saw a honeysuckle seedling with many leaves obviously chewed by a caterpillar of some kind Wright State University professor Don Cipollini identified the caterpillar
as a sawfly larva Dr Cipollini has a masters student working on this beast but says it rarely is seen to choose honeysuckle in nature Of course there is hope In the picture note the lack of leaves on the stems of honeysuckle seedling
mdashJim Amon
8 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
A ReminderIf you are not already a member of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association go to httpbeavercreekwetlands
orgsupportus-membershiphtml to find out how to join
Journey Through a Wetland
The hectic pace of my Mon-day through Friday routine had left me with a Saturday morning headache I had spent most of the morning staring at the clouds and rain Now the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and my brother beckoned me to ComehellipAnd See
We drove through the suburbs past an industrial complex to a narrow country road We parked along the shoulder pulled on knee high boots slipped down a muddy embankment hopped a gurgling creek and clambered to the top of a small dike Frogs gandashgooned a welcome as we entered their world of wetlands
Wetlands are variously re-ferred to as a bog a swamp or a marsh They are just as their name implies land that has been saturated with water To many they are just a muddy nuisance But in fact they fill a vital role in the ecosystem of our earth
First of all they can be flood plains providing holding areas for excess rainwater and runoff Secondly they often act as a natu-ral filtration system and can help purify a communityrsquos water sup-ply Last but not least wetlands provide habitat for an incredible variety of plant and animal life some of which are endangered species
Following my brotherrsquos example I quickly learned the art of walk-ing through a wetland Sloshing and trekking along a ldquotrailrdquo made by deer Jim pointed out various types of sedge grasses marsh roses cattails and thistles We watched a spring bubbling up from some unknown depth saw signs of turtles and muskrats and were scolded by a pair of nesting geese In one place just a gentle flexing of our knees caused the landscape around us to bounce and roll like being on a giant waterbed Jim explained we were standing on approximately six feet of peat
But there are those who would destroy this environment Do a little dredging bring in some fill throw in some drain tiles ndash Viola ndash space to build condos golf courses office buildings or whatever you think will turn a profit
We cannot allow this to hap-pen Who knows what uses science may discover for the unusual plants that grow in wetlandshellipa super strong fiberhellipa cure for cancerhellipthe possibilities are endless Wetland archeology can help us learn about our ancient past and thereby help us plan for the future The animals that live in the wetlands are an integral part of the food chain Disrupting that process can be devastating also
To prevent the loss of our wet-
lands we must become knowledge-able about them Where are they What laws protect them Which de-velopments threaten them When will zoning boards meet which may be impacting them Another simple way to help protect these areas is to become active contributing members of organizations such as the Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society
As we made our way back to the car I had a close encounter with THE SWAMP MONSTER A heavy vine twined itself around my ankle just as I hesitated a bit too long with the other foot Kerplosh ndash down I went
After the initial shock I found myself laughing As Jim gave me a hand up he informed me that I had just been initiated into the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association We joked about what Mom would have said about us playing in the mud
Perhaps the greatest benefit of wetlands isnrsquot scientific after all Perhaps what we need is a place to be kids again ndash splashing in water and making mud pies
As the car pulled away from our wet wonderland Jim glanced over at me ldquoHowrsquos the headacherdquo he asked ldquoWhat headacherdquo was my reply
mdashAnita Shoemaker
Painted Turtle sunning
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 9
How I Spend My SummerWhen I was a bit younger the
end of summer meant the return to school and the dreaded assignment from the teacher for a report on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo Now that I am a little older I look forward to people asking that question
How do I spend my summer I spend my summers by volunteer-ing when I can Since most of this consists of habitat restoration and maintenance I am out in the various reserves with their varied environ-ments where I can watch the season progress On those days when I am not working in a reserve I enjoy wandering the trails just to see what is there
The flowers on display through-out the summer are always a treat From the Blue Flag in June to the Swamp Rose and Queen-of-the-prairie in July followed by the Cardinal-flower of August and the
Phantom Cranefly
Joe-Pye-weed in September there is always something new to see These are only a few of the several hun-dred species of plants that exist in our wetlands from the spectacular to the subdued but all interesting
Then we have the creatures that are drawn to the plants The ones that come for the nectar the hum-mingbirds and bees the butterflies and moths along with all the other nectar loving pollinators are all sights to behold The plants them-selves are also hosts to the various beetles and the caterpillars that become the butterflies and moths
We also have the predators that eat the bugs birds such as the orioles the warblers and the Red- winged Blackbird My favorite
predators are the dragonflies and damselflies the ones that hunt the mosquitoes
We canrsquot forget our amphibians and reptiles Look for frogs along the edges of the water Check for turtles and snakes sunning themselves the turtles on logs in the creeks and the snakes on logs and in low branches of trees
Look for signs of mammals such as trees cut down by beavers tracks of raccoon and deer in the mud and scat left on the trails and board-walks
Something else to look for in the reserves is an old guy with white hair and beard carrying at least one camera That just might be me ob-serving and documenting on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo
mdashRichard Swigart
Cardinal Flower
Whitetail Dragonfly
Pho
tos
by R
icha
rd S
wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
6 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
Summer amp Fall Events and HikesWatch our website for last minute changes additions and deletions to this tentative hike schedulebull Aug 1 ndash 3 Midwest Native Plant Conference (BCWA will have a display and will be one of beneficiaries)
bull Aug 16 amp 17 Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
bull August 30 9 am Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve Summer in Bloom Hike -- Emphasizing prairies and wet meadows
bull Sept 6 amp 7 Beavercreek Popcorn Festival
bull Sept 20 BCWA Monarch tagging public event Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve 230 pm Great for kids of all ages
bull October 5 sunset Early Halloween Evening Hike -- ldquoVapors on Fairborn Marshrdquo Be ready to go wading You will literally have a blast We meet at Fairborn Marsh at 700 PM
bull October 15 - 17 2014 Natural Areas Conference At conference end Jim Amon will lead a tour of fens and Don Geiger will lead a tour to Greene County Parks amp Trailsrsquo Hershner property
BCWA Work ScheduleNow through November 2014
Saturdays crews meet at Bea-vercreek Kroger parking lot 9 AM
Sundays crews meet at 2 PM in various locations Please contact our office at 320-9042 email adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or visit wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgget-involvedhtml for updates
We also work weekdays If you are interested in receiving notifica-tion of these and other land manage-ment volunteer opportunities send an e-mail to adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg to subscribe
Note Beginning this work season persons using chainsaws or applying herbicide need to meet special training requirements
Monarch TaggingWe will again be conducting
a Monarch butterfly tagging pro-gram at Koogler WetlandPrairie Reserve The public event will be held on Saturday September 20th at 230 pm Come to learn about the amazing Monarch migration and the challenges to their survival In addition to the public event we conduct additional tagging pro-grams for school groups and scout troops in the week prior to and the week after the public event If you have a group interested in participating in this activity please contact Debbie at the office at 937-320-9042 or adminbeavercree-kwetlandsorg
Dave Nolin guides a hike at the Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 7
Science Corner Two New ldquoWhatrsquos This rdquo
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Lysimachia terrestris Honeysuckle seedling chewed by Sawfly larvae Go Sawflies
Shark week river monsters poisonous snakes alligators and killer whales Spiders killer bees chiggers poison ivy mosquitoes malaria yellow fever Ebola What in the world would posses you to venture into nature Storms tornadoes blizzards lightninghellip All bad right And what about asteroids that might end all life as we know it We have SO MUCH to worry about
I know many folks who would never venture much beyond their mowed lawns for fear of whatrsquos out there Sad Why
Readers send in a short paragraph or statement about an observation or experience you can recall that makes you enjoy nature not fear it We will pick a few of your views and put them in the next newsletter Send them by August 15th to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
mdashJim Amon
Why are folks afraid of nature
Here are a couple of examples from Debbie Karrhellip
In late winter while I was loading a newsletter mailing into my car at the parking lot at the Coy House a large shadow passed over me I looked up and was astonished to see an adult Bald Eagle soaring overhead It headed toward the
restoration wetlands down the hill circled and then flew upstream A few days later I saw it again flying low over the wetlands and landing in an adjacent tree
On another occasion while driving down that l-o-n-g gravel lane that runs between the Phillips Park entrance and the Coy House an
animal the size of a small dog with a bushy tail ran out of the wetlands across the lane in front of me and into the wooded strip on the steep hill behind the Coy House It was a gray fox The only place I had previously seen a gray fox was in an enclosure at Bruckner Nature Center in Troy
Gray fox (image from USFWS)
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Debbie Karr and Jim Amon within about 24 hours of one anoth-er came upon an unfamiliar plant It keyed to be a flowering swamp candle Lysimachia terrestris With a little research they found that it has never been reported in Greene County Nice find It is fairly com-
mon in the NE part of OhioWhile the same two people were
caring for greenhouse plants they saw a honeysuckle seedling with many leaves obviously chewed by a caterpillar of some kind Wright State University professor Don Cipollini identified the caterpillar
as a sawfly larva Dr Cipollini has a masters student working on this beast but says it rarely is seen to choose honeysuckle in nature Of course there is hope In the picture note the lack of leaves on the stems of honeysuckle seedling
mdashJim Amon
8 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
A ReminderIf you are not already a member of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association go to httpbeavercreekwetlands
orgsupportus-membershiphtml to find out how to join
Journey Through a Wetland
The hectic pace of my Mon-day through Friday routine had left me with a Saturday morning headache I had spent most of the morning staring at the clouds and rain Now the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and my brother beckoned me to ComehellipAnd See
We drove through the suburbs past an industrial complex to a narrow country road We parked along the shoulder pulled on knee high boots slipped down a muddy embankment hopped a gurgling creek and clambered to the top of a small dike Frogs gandashgooned a welcome as we entered their world of wetlands
Wetlands are variously re-ferred to as a bog a swamp or a marsh They are just as their name implies land that has been saturated with water To many they are just a muddy nuisance But in fact they fill a vital role in the ecosystem of our earth
First of all they can be flood plains providing holding areas for excess rainwater and runoff Secondly they often act as a natu-ral filtration system and can help purify a communityrsquos water sup-ply Last but not least wetlands provide habitat for an incredible variety of plant and animal life some of which are endangered species
Following my brotherrsquos example I quickly learned the art of walk-ing through a wetland Sloshing and trekking along a ldquotrailrdquo made by deer Jim pointed out various types of sedge grasses marsh roses cattails and thistles We watched a spring bubbling up from some unknown depth saw signs of turtles and muskrats and were scolded by a pair of nesting geese In one place just a gentle flexing of our knees caused the landscape around us to bounce and roll like being on a giant waterbed Jim explained we were standing on approximately six feet of peat
But there are those who would destroy this environment Do a little dredging bring in some fill throw in some drain tiles ndash Viola ndash space to build condos golf courses office buildings or whatever you think will turn a profit
We cannot allow this to hap-pen Who knows what uses science may discover for the unusual plants that grow in wetlandshellipa super strong fiberhellipa cure for cancerhellipthe possibilities are endless Wetland archeology can help us learn about our ancient past and thereby help us plan for the future The animals that live in the wetlands are an integral part of the food chain Disrupting that process can be devastating also
To prevent the loss of our wet-
lands we must become knowledge-able about them Where are they What laws protect them Which de-velopments threaten them When will zoning boards meet which may be impacting them Another simple way to help protect these areas is to become active contributing members of organizations such as the Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society
As we made our way back to the car I had a close encounter with THE SWAMP MONSTER A heavy vine twined itself around my ankle just as I hesitated a bit too long with the other foot Kerplosh ndash down I went
After the initial shock I found myself laughing As Jim gave me a hand up he informed me that I had just been initiated into the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association We joked about what Mom would have said about us playing in the mud
Perhaps the greatest benefit of wetlands isnrsquot scientific after all Perhaps what we need is a place to be kids again ndash splashing in water and making mud pies
As the car pulled away from our wet wonderland Jim glanced over at me ldquoHowrsquos the headacherdquo he asked ldquoWhat headacherdquo was my reply
mdashAnita Shoemaker
Painted Turtle sunning
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 9
How I Spend My SummerWhen I was a bit younger the
end of summer meant the return to school and the dreaded assignment from the teacher for a report on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo Now that I am a little older I look forward to people asking that question
How do I spend my summer I spend my summers by volunteer-ing when I can Since most of this consists of habitat restoration and maintenance I am out in the various reserves with their varied environ-ments where I can watch the season progress On those days when I am not working in a reserve I enjoy wandering the trails just to see what is there
The flowers on display through-out the summer are always a treat From the Blue Flag in June to the Swamp Rose and Queen-of-the-prairie in July followed by the Cardinal-flower of August and the
Phantom Cranefly
Joe-Pye-weed in September there is always something new to see These are only a few of the several hun-dred species of plants that exist in our wetlands from the spectacular to the subdued but all interesting
Then we have the creatures that are drawn to the plants The ones that come for the nectar the hum-mingbirds and bees the butterflies and moths along with all the other nectar loving pollinators are all sights to behold The plants them-selves are also hosts to the various beetles and the caterpillars that become the butterflies and moths
We also have the predators that eat the bugs birds such as the orioles the warblers and the Red- winged Blackbird My favorite
predators are the dragonflies and damselflies the ones that hunt the mosquitoes
We canrsquot forget our amphibians and reptiles Look for frogs along the edges of the water Check for turtles and snakes sunning themselves the turtles on logs in the creeks and the snakes on logs and in low branches of trees
Look for signs of mammals such as trees cut down by beavers tracks of raccoon and deer in the mud and scat left on the trails and board-walks
Something else to look for in the reserves is an old guy with white hair and beard carrying at least one camera That just might be me ob-serving and documenting on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo
mdashRichard Swigart
Cardinal Flower
Whitetail Dragonfly
Pho
tos
by R
icha
rd S
wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 7
Science Corner Two New ldquoWhatrsquos This rdquo
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Lysimachia terrestris Honeysuckle seedling chewed by Sawfly larvae Go Sawflies
Shark week river monsters poisonous snakes alligators and killer whales Spiders killer bees chiggers poison ivy mosquitoes malaria yellow fever Ebola What in the world would posses you to venture into nature Storms tornadoes blizzards lightninghellip All bad right And what about asteroids that might end all life as we know it We have SO MUCH to worry about
I know many folks who would never venture much beyond their mowed lawns for fear of whatrsquos out there Sad Why
Readers send in a short paragraph or statement about an observation or experience you can recall that makes you enjoy nature not fear it We will pick a few of your views and put them in the next newsletter Send them by August 15th to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
mdashJim Amon
Why are folks afraid of nature
Here are a couple of examples from Debbie Karrhellip
In late winter while I was loading a newsletter mailing into my car at the parking lot at the Coy House a large shadow passed over me I looked up and was astonished to see an adult Bald Eagle soaring overhead It headed toward the
restoration wetlands down the hill circled and then flew upstream A few days later I saw it again flying low over the wetlands and landing in an adjacent tree
On another occasion while driving down that l-o-n-g gravel lane that runs between the Phillips Park entrance and the Coy House an
animal the size of a small dog with a bushy tail ran out of the wetlands across the lane in front of me and into the wooded strip on the steep hill behind the Coy House It was a gray fox The only place I had previously seen a gray fox was in an enclosure at Bruckner Nature Center in Troy
Gray fox (image from USFWS)
Pho
to b
y Ji
m A
mon
Debbie Karr and Jim Amon within about 24 hours of one anoth-er came upon an unfamiliar plant It keyed to be a flowering swamp candle Lysimachia terrestris With a little research they found that it has never been reported in Greene County Nice find It is fairly com-
mon in the NE part of OhioWhile the same two people were
caring for greenhouse plants they saw a honeysuckle seedling with many leaves obviously chewed by a caterpillar of some kind Wright State University professor Don Cipollini identified the caterpillar
as a sawfly larva Dr Cipollini has a masters student working on this beast but says it rarely is seen to choose honeysuckle in nature Of course there is hope In the picture note the lack of leaves on the stems of honeysuckle seedling
mdashJim Amon
8 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
A ReminderIf you are not already a member of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association go to httpbeavercreekwetlands
orgsupportus-membershiphtml to find out how to join
Journey Through a Wetland
The hectic pace of my Mon-day through Friday routine had left me with a Saturday morning headache I had spent most of the morning staring at the clouds and rain Now the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and my brother beckoned me to ComehellipAnd See
We drove through the suburbs past an industrial complex to a narrow country road We parked along the shoulder pulled on knee high boots slipped down a muddy embankment hopped a gurgling creek and clambered to the top of a small dike Frogs gandashgooned a welcome as we entered their world of wetlands
Wetlands are variously re-ferred to as a bog a swamp or a marsh They are just as their name implies land that has been saturated with water To many they are just a muddy nuisance But in fact they fill a vital role in the ecosystem of our earth
First of all they can be flood plains providing holding areas for excess rainwater and runoff Secondly they often act as a natu-ral filtration system and can help purify a communityrsquos water sup-ply Last but not least wetlands provide habitat for an incredible variety of plant and animal life some of which are endangered species
Following my brotherrsquos example I quickly learned the art of walk-ing through a wetland Sloshing and trekking along a ldquotrailrdquo made by deer Jim pointed out various types of sedge grasses marsh roses cattails and thistles We watched a spring bubbling up from some unknown depth saw signs of turtles and muskrats and were scolded by a pair of nesting geese In one place just a gentle flexing of our knees caused the landscape around us to bounce and roll like being on a giant waterbed Jim explained we were standing on approximately six feet of peat
But there are those who would destroy this environment Do a little dredging bring in some fill throw in some drain tiles ndash Viola ndash space to build condos golf courses office buildings or whatever you think will turn a profit
We cannot allow this to hap-pen Who knows what uses science may discover for the unusual plants that grow in wetlandshellipa super strong fiberhellipa cure for cancerhellipthe possibilities are endless Wetland archeology can help us learn about our ancient past and thereby help us plan for the future The animals that live in the wetlands are an integral part of the food chain Disrupting that process can be devastating also
To prevent the loss of our wet-
lands we must become knowledge-able about them Where are they What laws protect them Which de-velopments threaten them When will zoning boards meet which may be impacting them Another simple way to help protect these areas is to become active contributing members of organizations such as the Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society
As we made our way back to the car I had a close encounter with THE SWAMP MONSTER A heavy vine twined itself around my ankle just as I hesitated a bit too long with the other foot Kerplosh ndash down I went
After the initial shock I found myself laughing As Jim gave me a hand up he informed me that I had just been initiated into the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association We joked about what Mom would have said about us playing in the mud
Perhaps the greatest benefit of wetlands isnrsquot scientific after all Perhaps what we need is a place to be kids again ndash splashing in water and making mud pies
As the car pulled away from our wet wonderland Jim glanced over at me ldquoHowrsquos the headacherdquo he asked ldquoWhat headacherdquo was my reply
mdashAnita Shoemaker
Painted Turtle sunning
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 9
How I Spend My SummerWhen I was a bit younger the
end of summer meant the return to school and the dreaded assignment from the teacher for a report on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo Now that I am a little older I look forward to people asking that question
How do I spend my summer I spend my summers by volunteer-ing when I can Since most of this consists of habitat restoration and maintenance I am out in the various reserves with their varied environ-ments where I can watch the season progress On those days when I am not working in a reserve I enjoy wandering the trails just to see what is there
The flowers on display through-out the summer are always a treat From the Blue Flag in June to the Swamp Rose and Queen-of-the-prairie in July followed by the Cardinal-flower of August and the
Phantom Cranefly
Joe-Pye-weed in September there is always something new to see These are only a few of the several hun-dred species of plants that exist in our wetlands from the spectacular to the subdued but all interesting
Then we have the creatures that are drawn to the plants The ones that come for the nectar the hum-mingbirds and bees the butterflies and moths along with all the other nectar loving pollinators are all sights to behold The plants them-selves are also hosts to the various beetles and the caterpillars that become the butterflies and moths
We also have the predators that eat the bugs birds such as the orioles the warblers and the Red- winged Blackbird My favorite
predators are the dragonflies and damselflies the ones that hunt the mosquitoes
We canrsquot forget our amphibians and reptiles Look for frogs along the edges of the water Check for turtles and snakes sunning themselves the turtles on logs in the creeks and the snakes on logs and in low branches of trees
Look for signs of mammals such as trees cut down by beavers tracks of raccoon and deer in the mud and scat left on the trails and board-walks
Something else to look for in the reserves is an old guy with white hair and beard carrying at least one camera That just might be me ob-serving and documenting on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo
mdashRichard Swigart
Cardinal Flower
Whitetail Dragonfly
Pho
tos
by R
icha
rd S
wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
8 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
A ReminderIf you are not already a member of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association go to httpbeavercreekwetlands
orgsupportus-membershiphtml to find out how to join
Journey Through a Wetland
The hectic pace of my Mon-day through Friday routine had left me with a Saturday morning headache I had spent most of the morning staring at the clouds and rain Now the afternoon sun broke through the clouds and my brother beckoned me to ComehellipAnd See
We drove through the suburbs past an industrial complex to a narrow country road We parked along the shoulder pulled on knee high boots slipped down a muddy embankment hopped a gurgling creek and clambered to the top of a small dike Frogs gandashgooned a welcome as we entered their world of wetlands
Wetlands are variously re-ferred to as a bog a swamp or a marsh They are just as their name implies land that has been saturated with water To many they are just a muddy nuisance But in fact they fill a vital role in the ecosystem of our earth
First of all they can be flood plains providing holding areas for excess rainwater and runoff Secondly they often act as a natu-ral filtration system and can help purify a communityrsquos water sup-ply Last but not least wetlands provide habitat for an incredible variety of plant and animal life some of which are endangered species
Following my brotherrsquos example I quickly learned the art of walk-ing through a wetland Sloshing and trekking along a ldquotrailrdquo made by deer Jim pointed out various types of sedge grasses marsh roses cattails and thistles We watched a spring bubbling up from some unknown depth saw signs of turtles and muskrats and were scolded by a pair of nesting geese In one place just a gentle flexing of our knees caused the landscape around us to bounce and roll like being on a giant waterbed Jim explained we were standing on approximately six feet of peat
But there are those who would destroy this environment Do a little dredging bring in some fill throw in some drain tiles ndash Viola ndash space to build condos golf courses office buildings or whatever you think will turn a profit
We cannot allow this to hap-pen Who knows what uses science may discover for the unusual plants that grow in wetlandshellipa super strong fiberhellipa cure for cancerhellipthe possibilities are endless Wetland archeology can help us learn about our ancient past and thereby help us plan for the future The animals that live in the wetlands are an integral part of the food chain Disrupting that process can be devastating also
To prevent the loss of our wet-
lands we must become knowledge-able about them Where are they What laws protect them Which de-velopments threaten them When will zoning boards meet which may be impacting them Another simple way to help protect these areas is to become active contributing members of organizations such as the Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society
As we made our way back to the car I had a close encounter with THE SWAMP MONSTER A heavy vine twined itself around my ankle just as I hesitated a bit too long with the other foot Kerplosh ndash down I went
After the initial shock I found myself laughing As Jim gave me a hand up he informed me that I had just been initiated into the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association We joked about what Mom would have said about us playing in the mud
Perhaps the greatest benefit of wetlands isnrsquot scientific after all Perhaps what we need is a place to be kids again ndash splashing in water and making mud pies
As the car pulled away from our wet wonderland Jim glanced over at me ldquoHowrsquos the headacherdquo he asked ldquoWhat headacherdquo was my reply
mdashAnita Shoemaker
Painted Turtle sunning
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 9
How I Spend My SummerWhen I was a bit younger the
end of summer meant the return to school and the dreaded assignment from the teacher for a report on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo Now that I am a little older I look forward to people asking that question
How do I spend my summer I spend my summers by volunteer-ing when I can Since most of this consists of habitat restoration and maintenance I am out in the various reserves with their varied environ-ments where I can watch the season progress On those days when I am not working in a reserve I enjoy wandering the trails just to see what is there
The flowers on display through-out the summer are always a treat From the Blue Flag in June to the Swamp Rose and Queen-of-the-prairie in July followed by the Cardinal-flower of August and the
Phantom Cranefly
Joe-Pye-weed in September there is always something new to see These are only a few of the several hun-dred species of plants that exist in our wetlands from the spectacular to the subdued but all interesting
Then we have the creatures that are drawn to the plants The ones that come for the nectar the hum-mingbirds and bees the butterflies and moths along with all the other nectar loving pollinators are all sights to behold The plants them-selves are also hosts to the various beetles and the caterpillars that become the butterflies and moths
We also have the predators that eat the bugs birds such as the orioles the warblers and the Red- winged Blackbird My favorite
predators are the dragonflies and damselflies the ones that hunt the mosquitoes
We canrsquot forget our amphibians and reptiles Look for frogs along the edges of the water Check for turtles and snakes sunning themselves the turtles on logs in the creeks and the snakes on logs and in low branches of trees
Look for signs of mammals such as trees cut down by beavers tracks of raccoon and deer in the mud and scat left on the trails and board-walks
Something else to look for in the reserves is an old guy with white hair and beard carrying at least one camera That just might be me ob-serving and documenting on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo
mdashRichard Swigart
Cardinal Flower
Whitetail Dragonfly
Pho
tos
by R
icha
rd S
wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 9
How I Spend My SummerWhen I was a bit younger the
end of summer meant the return to school and the dreaded assignment from the teacher for a report on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo Now that I am a little older I look forward to people asking that question
How do I spend my summer I spend my summers by volunteer-ing when I can Since most of this consists of habitat restoration and maintenance I am out in the various reserves with their varied environ-ments where I can watch the season progress On those days when I am not working in a reserve I enjoy wandering the trails just to see what is there
The flowers on display through-out the summer are always a treat From the Blue Flag in June to the Swamp Rose and Queen-of-the-prairie in July followed by the Cardinal-flower of August and the
Phantom Cranefly
Joe-Pye-weed in September there is always something new to see These are only a few of the several hun-dred species of plants that exist in our wetlands from the spectacular to the subdued but all interesting
Then we have the creatures that are drawn to the plants The ones that come for the nectar the hum-mingbirds and bees the butterflies and moths along with all the other nectar loving pollinators are all sights to behold The plants them-selves are also hosts to the various beetles and the caterpillars that become the butterflies and moths
We also have the predators that eat the bugs birds such as the orioles the warblers and the Red- winged Blackbird My favorite
predators are the dragonflies and damselflies the ones that hunt the mosquitoes
We canrsquot forget our amphibians and reptiles Look for frogs along the edges of the water Check for turtles and snakes sunning themselves the turtles on logs in the creeks and the snakes on logs and in low branches of trees
Look for signs of mammals such as trees cut down by beavers tracks of raccoon and deer in the mud and scat left on the trails and board-walks
Something else to look for in the reserves is an old guy with white hair and beard carrying at least one camera That just might be me ob-serving and documenting on ldquoHow I Spent My Summerrdquo
mdashRichard Swigart
Cardinal Flower
Whitetail Dragonfly
Pho
tos
by R
icha
rd S
wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
10 Spotted TurtlemdashSummer 2014
New Email Services You may have noticed by now
we have started using a new service to send email to you our members supporters and volunteers We have incorporated the MailChimpcom service to do all of our mailings about upcoming events notices newsletters etc Be sure to check your spam folder if you did not receive notification of our recent butterfly survey
We chose MailChimp because this service offered a way for us to manage email in a much better way and hopefully will be appreciated by all of you Some of those reasons are We can now address and target mul-tiple lists it is easy for us to format and it works for mailings to desktop computers as well as mobile devices It provides tools that allow us to eas-ily identify and resolve subscriber email issues analytics on how our email is opened and what links are most used We now can offer the ability for you to manage email sub-scriptions Most importantly your privacy is protected MailChimprsquos and BCWArsquos privacy policy is to never sell or rent our membership and volunteer list(s)
We hope you enjoy the new features
New BCWA Sales Items Please stop by our booth at
the upcoming summer festivals to check out some new sales items Volunteer Trustee Secretary pho-tographer and now woodcarver and artisan Richard Swigart has been collecting trimmings from invasive control and trail maintenance at sites in the wetlands and recycling them into walking sticks Each one is unique and has lots of informa-tion burned into itmdashthe type of wood the place of origin and date collected Who knew that some of the invasives like autumn olive and Ailanthus would make attractive walking sticks To accompany the walking sticks there are medallions with BCWArsquos spotted turtle logo New for 2014 are spotted turtle lapelhat pins
Support the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association(left) logo pin and (right) inscription on a walking stick
Summer is time for butterflies in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Here is a Baltimore Checkerspot at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
See this newsletter in full color online at wwwbeavercreekwetlandsorg 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 worldwide Our newsletter recognizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare ani-mals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands
Submissions Questions or Comments We rely on members like you to make this newsletter the prod-uct of many diverse voices If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include please send them to adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg Also we wel-come any comments or questions For submissions questions or comments please include ldquonewsletterrdquo in the sub-ject line of your e-mail We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity
Change of AddressEmailMembers please donrsquot forget to contact us if you move or change your email ad-dress adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg We want to ensure that you receive your issue of The Spotted Turtle
Donations of LandEasements If you are interested in donating land placing an easement on property or remembering the BCWA in your will please donrsquot hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042
BCWA Annual Report Copies are available by request E-mail the of-fice at adminbeavercreekwetlandsorg or call (937) 320-9042
Founded in 1988 the Mission of the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association is to protect the wetland ecosystem in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships community networks and public education
Join the BCWA Today
Choose your member level $5 Student $10 Senior (60+) $15 Individual $25 Family
Please make your check payable to BCWA andmail to BCWA PO 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 $1000 Life
A 501(c)(3) land trust organization Your donation is tax deductible
Endowment FundOur Endowment Fund has grown to more than $188945 A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity Such planned giving can result in tax savings andor 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 members include anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Asso-ciation 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 giving
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 payable to lsquordquoBCWA Endowment Fundrdquo
Please return toBeaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn Endowment CommitteePOBox 42 Alpha Ohio 45301
For information on a variety of planned giving options call or write to us or contact The Dayton Foundation directly
Planned Giving bull
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
Pho
to b
y R
icha
rd S
wig
art
Label (1rdquo x 2-58rdquo ) herePlace carefully to
cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line
Moving New e-mail addressDonrsquot miss an issue Call 937-320-9042
or emailadminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
NONPROFITORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAIDXENIA OHIO 45385
PERMIT NUMBER 76
The Spotted Turtle | Volume 28 No 3 | Summer 2014
PO BOX 42ALPHA OH 45301Address Service Requested
Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonSue RytelDeborah KarrWebmasterRob EvansVisit Us OnlinewwwbeavercreekwetlandsorgContact Us
Administrative Coordinatoradminbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Presidentpresidentbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Technical Advisortechnicalbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Webmasterwebmasterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
Newsletternewsletterbeavercreekwetlandsorg
OfficersRob Evans PresidentJim Schneider Vice PresidentRichard Swigart SecretaryDoug Hull TreasurerJim Amon Technical OfficerTrusteesJim AmonNancy BainRoger (Skip) BeehlerRob EvansDonald GeigerLois GschwenderDenny JarviDeborah KarrShannon MuellerJames RunkleSue RytelJim SchneiderRichard SwigartHitesh TrivediMike ZimmermanPublisherOregon Printingwwworegonprintingcom
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly at Siebenthaler Fen
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