American Bullfrogs

The American Bullfrog is native to every state east of the Mississippi River. They are nocturnal and the largest true frog found in North America. They can be up to 8 inches long and weigh over a pound. Even their tadpoles are large, some reaching up to almost 7 inches long. The croaking of a bullfrog is a familiar…

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Yucca Moth

While many may think of moths as the butterfly’s ugly cousin, a small boring insect flying around their porch lights at night, they are anything but. Ohio has over 3,000 species of moth. Most of them are nocturnal, many are colorful, some are large, and all are important members of their ecosystem. One of these moths is…

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Wildlife Wednesday 02/28

Happy #WildlifeWednesday! It is the time of year when we observe, appreciate, and celebrate Ohio’s state amphibian (and a TWC mascot), the spotted salamander! A type of mole salamander, this cute creature with bright yellow spots and a perpetual smile lives most of its life underground. After a long winter of brumation (similar to hibernation),…

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Fall Greetings…

From the Director of Development Hello! I am the new Director of development here at The Wilderness Center. I joined the team in May and have been busy ever since! Our goal in the Development Team Is to allow TWC to continue fulfilling its mission to educate and engage our community on the importance of…

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New Project: Fox Creek 2.0

For the past 150 plus years, humans have made changes across the landscape. One of the changes has been in the channelization (straightening) of streams. Humans would take what was once a small stream meandering through a woodland or meadow, and reroute it to become simply a deep ditch. Why channelize?  Channelizing a stream allows…

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Sigrist Woods inducted into the Old Growth Forest Network

On April 12, our very own Sigrist Woods at The Wilderness Center was inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network.  Somewhat of a celebrity in the conservation world, Dr. Joan Maloof, Executive Director of the Old-Growth Forest Network, travelled to our area and presented a plaque to TWC’s Executive Director, Jeanne Gural, Board President Roger Baker,…

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The Wilderness Center helps to Pass “National Native Plant Month”

The Wilderness Center has signed on as a supporter of a resolution to make April National Native Plant Month. U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) introduced the bipartisan resolution which has since received unanimous Senate passage. This resolution recognizes the importance of native plants to environmental conservation and restoration, as well…

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Big Cheers for Volunteers!

The Wilderness Center could not function without the work of volunteers.  In 2021, 171 volunteers donated 3,445 hours to Education, Conservation and Community! Grounds and Maintenance volunteers keep the trails and Interpretive Building looking beautiful! Eight volunteers worked a total of 536 hours. Tim Palaski works every week and logged 250 hours! Store Greeters are…

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Bringing Back a Wetland

Located along the eastern edge of Sigrist Woods, is a tract of land that was at one time farmland.  This parcel of land extends down to the Fox Creek restoration area and was purchased by TWC several decades ago and was entered into the USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program for early successional habitat in the early…

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Popular Fall Events Returning to The Wilderness Center

The Wilderness Center (TWC) is pleased to announce the return of two annual events this fall and much of its regular programming.  After a hiatus in 2020, TWC has reformulated the way some of its events are held to make them safer while still being fun for the community.  Nature Fest:  First, on Sunday, September…

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