Also In this Issue

Beaver Creek Wetlands Association

The Spotted TurtleVolume 26, No. 2 Spring 2012

www.beavercreekwetlands.org

President’s Message .....................2News .........................................3-4Winter Walk .................................5Ohio Forests Then & Now ........6-7Volunteer Summary......................8BCWA Birdathon .........................9Spring Photo Gallery ..................10

Calendar

April 21 Knollwood Garden PartyApril 22 Earth Day Park Cleanup with Greene County ParksMay 15 BCWA Annual MeetingJuly 14 Butterfly SurveyJuly 27-29 Midwest Native Plant Conference

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Hotdogs and Spotted Turtles…what a combination!

Mark your calendars for May 15th when we are excited to feature author Bill Felker at our Annual Meeting. Bill publishes Poor Will’s Almanack and is featured weekly in the Yellow Springs News and WYSO. Bill’s program will be the Phenology of the Beaver Creek Wetlands.

Bill Felker has been writing nature columns and almanacs for regional and national publications since 1984. His Poor Will’s Almanack has ap-peared as an annual publication since 2003, and his weekly radio essays are broadcast on National Public Radio from WYSO in Yellow Springs, Ohio. His description of weather patterns and phenology (what happens when in nature) offers a unique structure for understanding the repeating rhythms of the year.

Exploring everything from animal husbandry to the philosophy of obser-vation, Bill has become well known to farmers as well as urban readers throughout the country. He is an oc-casional speaker on the environment at nature centers, churches and uni-versities, and he has presented papers related to “almanacking” at academic conferences, as well. Bill has received three awards for his almanac writing from the Ohio Newspaper Association. “Better writing cannot be found in

America’s biggest papers,” stated the judge on the occasion of Bill’s award in 2000.

Before retiring from teaching in 2009, Bill spent almost half a cen-tury in the classroom at a number of colleges and universities - including North Central College in Illinois, the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Chowan College in North Carolina, and Central State University, Southern

State Community College and Capital University in Ohio. He taught English, Spanish, Latin American Area Stud-ies, Creative Writing and Research Methods.

Currently, Bill lives with his wife in Yellow Springs, Ohio. In addition to his writing, he binds books, and his hand-made journals are displayed at Village Artisans in Yellow Springs. He has two daughters, Jeni, who is a psychologist in Portland, Oregon, and Neysa, a photographer in Spoleto, Italy.

BCWA’s annual meeting will take place in the Bergamo Center at 7:30 PM and there is usually a guided hike around the Mt. St. John woodlands and prairie starting around 6 PM. For directions: http://www.bergamocenter.org/directions.htm

WEEKLY: Wetland Restoration at Beavercreek Station, Sats 9am-noonSUNDAYS 1-4 pm check for info and locations on our websiteCheck our website for the latest special events and volunteer opportunities.

Local Author Bill Felker to Speak at Annual Membership Meeting

Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 21st for our annual opportunity to raise funds for the Beaver Creek Wet-lands in conjunction with Knollwood Garden Center’s Spring Garden Party.

Every year Knollwood kicks off the season with their Garden Party and BCWA is invited to make their cus-tomers happy with a great deal on hot-

dogs, Bar-B-Q and more. Knollwood buys all of the food, and BCWA volunteers cook and sell the “dogs” and other refreshments. ALL pro-ceeds are donated to BCWA. What a great deal that is for everyone.

Don’t miss out on the fun! Just call or e-mail the office to sign up for a shift at this popular event. Thanks!

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President’s Message

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Get InvolvedI was recently asked how I got involved with the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association. They wanted to know what made me want to be-come active in this organization, and wondered how someone without a naturalist background could become its president.

Of course, everyone that has gotten involved had a reason. Mine was simple and a little selfish; I wanted to help with something local and I wanted to help with something that impacted me personally. I wanted to help protect my water supply and I wanted to find places I could walk and see wildlife.

However, since I have gotten involved, it has become so much more. There are so many wonderful

things. Like all the great people I have met who are now friends. The knowl-edge I have learned (and some forgot-ten) from our scientists and naturalists. Just being outside, working in the wetland reserves is a joy.

Don’t get me wrong, those are great things, but then there are the re-ally cool things. Stumbling across that huge morel mushroom patch. Walking down the trail and almost getting hit in the head by a woodcock as it flushed from the bushes. Clearing debris from a stream and suddenly realizing that the rock I was leaning on was actually a snapping turtle. Witnessing first hand that a groundhog can climb trees. See-ing my first mink on one of the board-walks. Having a beaver smack water at me with its tail when it realized I was

there. Seeing swamp gas we captured in a jar ignite. Watching the delicate tagging of a monarch butterfly. And so many more.....

These experiences are part of me because I got involved. If you find yourself with the desire to get involved, call our office, send us an email, come to one of our events, attend one of the volunteer opportunities or talk to one of our board members. There are all kinds of fun things to do and unexpected adventures await. But only if you get involved! I sure hope you will.

See you in the wetlands!Rob EvansBCWA PresidentVisit our website

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ODNR Natural Areas & PreservesThe Ohio Department of Natural Re-sources, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves is struggling to meet its needs in protecting and manag-ing many preserves throughout Ohio. You can help them by making contributions to them via your Ohio income tax check off, by special license plate purchase or by direct contributions.

The Beaver Creek Wetlands As-sociation is considering another way to help. The ODNR preserve called Zimmerman Prairie, located between Creekside Trail and US35 about ½ mile west of North Fairfield Road, is actually part of the Beaver Creek Wetlands ecosystem.

BCWA is proposing to use its volunteers to clean out invasive species and handle other problems at this site to assist in its management.

WRRSP Finished! BCWA Enters New Phase.For several years we have been mentioning our progress on a grant though Greene County Sanitary Engineering and Ohio EPA going by the acronym WRRSP. Well, the project is finished! The funding period has now ended, and BCWA now holds two new properties, one 12-acre piece in Fairborn and one 80-acre parcel in Beaver-creek Township. They are not open to the public, but they are essential pieces of habitat that improve the overall quality and resilience of the wetlands. As BCWA enters into its 25th year, it will be spending less time ac-quiring land and more time on the huge responsibility of main-taining what has already been protected. We are depending on our members to step forward to help with this important task.

New Brochures and More Coming to BCWA Website and Wetlands

Exciting things are happening with the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association’s website. Have you seen our new signs posted at each of the reserves? We’ve just completed a series of brochures in the same vein that you’ll be able to see online and on location. On the BCWA website you’ll be able to view and download the brochures in PDF format. Learn all kinds of great information about each reserve and its history. Going for a hike? Print off a trail map to take with you.

Also online, BCWA has partnered with PayPal to offer secure credit card transactions for memberships and donations. We are happy to provide this convenience to our members but if you prefer mail, forms will still be available on the website.

As always, check the website for upcoming volunteer opportunities and community events.

Beavercreek Township and City to Join Forces in Management of Park Holdings. Parts of the Beaver Creek Wetlands are owned by Beavercreek Township and others by the City of Beaver-creek. Because of funding cuts, maintenance of much of that land has been minimal. Money is just not there. BCWA has been helping in ways it can and has provided mas-sive amounts of volunteer labor and some supplies and equipment to help maintain these public areas. Now there is consideration of a tax levy to help defray the costs of maintenance of combined city and township areas. Previous attempts to pass a levy have met with failure, but that was prob-ably due to a lack of good public re-lations information leading up to the election. Well-maintained, safe and accessible parks make a community whole. They increase property values and provide places for both active and passive recreation. They are used

extensively by young and old and are a natural outdoor classroom for education of all kinds. On top of that, the green space they provide makes the summers more bearable and winter a place of beauty. Photographers, hikers, star-gazers, sports enthusiasts all have places to do their “thing”. Parks provide open land where rainfall begins its journey into the soil and to aquifers that help cleanse our water and prepare it to be pure enough to drink. Supporting parks is a natural part of any community. Most of you reading this article have already made a commitment to BCWA. Since most of these parks are directly or indirectly part of the Beaver Creek Wetlands ecosys-tem, anything you can do to help benefits both the wetlands and the entire community.

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Classes on WetlandsAlternative 1. Every summer Wright State Biology Department teaches a field intensive course on wetlands for undergrads and grad students. The class is limited to about 8 students, meets Monday through Thursday for 5 weeks with about 80% of the class taught in local wetlands. The class requires physically demanding activity, some background in col-lege level biology courses or similar experience, and starts about mid July. The class participants are selected by an application and screening process that enrolls only those most quali-fied. If you are interested, contact Dr. Amon James.amon@wright.edu immediately. Special fees apply.

Alternative 2. A one-day class with about 2 hours in class and 6 hours in the field will cover the most basic essentials of wetland ecology and wetland protection. The class is limited to 8 students and is taught in the Beaver Creek Wetlands in September. There is no college credit for this course and has a fee of $50 for participants to cover teaching materials. Anyone with a high school education may participate. If you are interested send email to Admin@beavercreekwetlands.org before August 15 and we will respond with details before the end of August.

Treasurer’s Report 2011This year’s financial statements exhibit a confluence of major events, all funded by a unique program sponsored by the Ohio Environ-mental Protection Agency known as WRRSP (Water Resource Restora-tion Sponsor Program). As you look at the year-end 2011 statements, you should notice three major changes:• an increase in WRRSP Funds

Received by BCWA of approximately $719,000;

• an increase in Property & Equipment owned by BCWA of approximately $500,000; and

• an increase in WRRSP Restricted Funds of approximately $200,000.

BCWA was extremely fortunate this year to receive grants from WRRSP in the amount of $718,998 to fund the acquisition of 32.5 acres of prime wetlands within the Beaver Creek corridor, to support the place-ment of a conservation easement on an additional 58.3 acres, and to fund the restoration and manage-ment of this newly protected land for the next two years. However, the “restricted” nature of the funds designated for these new proper-ties means that we continue to rely on contributions and donations from each of our loyal members to support BCWA as we do everything we can to consistently “operate in the black” every year. Your con-tinued support remains, as always, an essential contributor to BCWA’s long-term success.—Doug Hull, Treasurer

Membership CornerMay is American Wetlands Month and now is the time that we ask for your membership renewal in the Beaver Creek Wetlands Associa-tion. Although our membership year begins in May, for the past two years our membership mailing was sent a bit later than we would prefer. This year, we are restoring its original schedule, to allow you to receive it before the May annual meeting. We recently added the option to pay your dues through PayPal on our website, beavercreekwetlands.org.

Our organization has so much to celebrate. In 2011, with a grant from the Water Resource Restora-

tion Sponsor Program (WRRSP) of Ohio, BWCA acquired nearly 60 additional acres of quality wetlands by conservation easement and purchased 21.5 acres of adjacent cropland. It is a critical connection linking the northern portion of the wetland corridor with the southern section. The land is being restored to a more natural state, and work is in progress to reduce invasive species on the property. We recently acquired 12 additional acres in Fair-born, also through WRRSP, that will be protected for the future. We now have more than 1800 acres of wetlands under protection!

Your membership in BCWA helps to protect and restore wetlands, and wetlands help to protect and improve water quality, provide fish and wild-life habitats, store floodwaters, and maintain surface water flow during dry periods. Did you know that 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act? Please know that your support of BCWA plays a part in the conservation of water, an irreplace-able resource. Be proud of the impact your membership makes! And spread the word.

As always, we appreciate your past membership and support that has helped to make our wetlands work a great success. We encourage you to stay with us on the continuing journey, preserving and protecting the local jewel that is the Beaver Creek Wet-lands.—Sue RytelMembership Chair

Early SummerThe warm spell we have experienced is playing havoc with our normal plans for volunteers in the wetlands, but at least we are getting an early start. Check our website frequently for announcements of upcoming activi-ties you might enjoy doing. Typically volunteers meet on Saturday from 9-12 and Sunday from 2-5 on one or another kind of project. For those of you with time in mid-week, please let us know if you want to join our small

band of volunteers.What do we do? We try to

control a growing list of invasive plants, build trails and boardwalks, plant trees, shrubs and meadows, maintain trails, clean up trash and distribute educational materials and as time goes on, more and more. We have fun and there is a real sense of accomplishment – please consider joining us.

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The morning of Saturday, February 11 was clear, achingly cold, windy, and it was a pleasant surprise to see a good number of cars in the Koogler Reserve parking lot. Hardy souls who came for the winter hike included visiting fami-lies, neighbors, BCWA members and volunteers. It was tough to recognize each other, bundled in multiple layers, hands in pockets, faces retracted deep into scarves and hoods, with sunglass-es filtering the bright winter sun.

As the last folks arrived, BCWA president Rob Evans led us down the path, onto the boardwalk and out of the cold wind. Our boots made quite a noise as ice beneath the boards cracked and heaved. Some of the wet-land plants were bright green beneath the ice, adding color to the landscape. Winter is a good time to observe the lay of the land, when features nor-mally masked by foliage are exposed to the light. But these open vistas were also due to the remarkably thorough removal of invasive honeysuckle by volunteers in the summer of 2011. When spring arrives, we shall look forward to seeing what native plants may push up through the soil, seeking the sun.

On this mid-winter day, we ob-served icy edges next to flowing water. This stretch of Beaver Creek was free of trash, again thanks to volunteer ef-

forts. Biologist Jim Amon pointed out the remnants of a dismantled beaver dam, but noted that there will certainly be more beavers … and dams … to come. We saw nests in bare trees, animal footprints in the snow, seed heads, galls, and bare vines. And mud … Koogler had lots of that! We discussed the need and plans for more boardwalks as we gingerly walked the recently flooded and now ice-covered muddy trail.

As we came into the clearing by the foundation of the old barn, we cringed as the icy wind assailed us once again. This was not a day to stick around and talk for long. Our eyes were bright, our cheeks and noses rosy, and there were comments about toes gone numb. But we ignored the weather, got outside anyway, and it was indeed a pleasure.—Sue Rytel

Winter Walk at Koogler … BRRR!

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Bioremediation Wetlands

Wetlands that, through biological pro-cesses, provide a remedy for problems in our environment are called bioremediation wetlands, phytoremediation wetlands or any number of similar and complicated sounding names. It is not all that complicat-ed- really. Wetlands do for the environment, and ultimately all of us, what our kidneys, our liver, our digestive tract, our lungs and skin do for us. Bodies breathe, eliminate waste, detoxify things that are ingested, and process food to keep them healthy. Wet-lands perform similar functions and thereby protect themselves and our environment from things that might otherwise cause harm.

People build special wetlands or use existing wetlands to remedy problems using Mother Nature’s methods. You might say they are an “organic solution to pol-lution”. One example is a wetland built at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 2000. This wetland, based on the way wetlands at the Siebenthaler Fen work, takes water contaminated with dry cleaning fluid from 50 feet below the surface, pumps it through soil, roots and microorganisms typically found in Ohio fens and when the water exits on the surface it is safe, free of the dry cleaning fluid. This experimental wetland made by a joint project with the Air Force Institute of Technology (Dr. Michael Shelley) and Wright State University (Drs. James Amon and Abinash Agrawal) is now being considered as a mechanism to clean up brownfields (abandoned industrial sites), where groundwater is contaminated by perchloroethene and trichloroethene, nasty leftovers from a time when we did not understand how these substances could contaminate our aquifers, our source of drinking water.

Other wetlands are being used world-wide to clean up sewage, toxic metals and a variety of other substances. The cost of wetland bioremediation is generally much less than use of more traditional methods, but it does take up considerable land area. Where that land is available the bonus is that it provides habitat for many plants and animals, moderates the environment and even provides oxygen to the planet. Sounds like a good deal – don’t you think?—Jim Amon

It has been estimated that, before the arrival of European settlers, approximately 25 million acres of Ohio’s 26.2 million acres of land were covered with forests. There is also the old folk tale that before the arrival of those settlers starting about 1780, a squirrel could travel from Pennsylvania to Indiana without ever touching the ground. The lack of satellite photos from 230 years ago makes testing this theory a little problematic but, with a little imagination, it seems reasonable that our adventurous squirrel could have completed his journey if it would have been willing to detour around the headwaters of our many rivers and streams where wetlands made some treeless areas.

When people first moved into what is now Ohio, 17,000 to 13,000 years ago, they would have encountered Boreal forests and tundra-like vistas. Pollen analysis from cores taken from lake bottoms and wetlands show the presence of mostly grasses and sedges with some cool and wet climate conifers such as spruce and fir. As the glaciers receded further, the climate changed and, while still cool, became dri-er, which allowed a change to pine forests. As the climate stabilized, the forests evolved through a beech/ash phase to a predominately oak/hickory temperate forest that the early explorers and settlers found.

These early settlers of the Ohio territory must have thought the supply of timber and lumber was limitless. The mindset of these pio-neers was one of “use it and subdue it”. The land, plants and animals were here for their use, to make a home and create a livelihood. The threats to the forest were the same then as they are now, both here and in other parts of the world: agriculture and later, development.

As people moved into the Ohio forests, they cleared the land for farming, for lumber to build houses and barns, and to open up a zone for protection against what were considered the hostile natives. Com-mercial interests were also contributing to the demise of the forest. There were over 300 sawmills operating within the state to supply lumber to the increasing flood of people looking to find new lives on the frontier. The oak lumber was highly prized by furniture makers in the east.

By the late 1800’s, it was estimated that only about 20 percent of the state had a forest cover. It is generally agreed that almost none of this cover was primary (original) growth. Rather it was secondary growth covering land that was not found to be suitable for agriculture. When the Division of Forestry was formed in 1916, the estimate was that only about 10 percent of the state of Ohio had forest cover. That same year, 221 acres were purchased in Athens County and the state forest system was born.

In the 1920’s and 1930’s, due to economic conditions, more and more marginal farms were being abandoned. Through the cooperation between the state and federal governments, thousands of these acres, combined with clear-cut forest lands, were acquired and reforested. Today, approximately 8.4 million acres are forested, which equates to about 31 percent of Ohio having forest cover.

(Thanks to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry website for much of this information.)

Ohio’s forests—then and nowby Richard Swigart

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Top: American beech and other giant hardwoods dominated the original forests of the Allegheny Plateau. Below, railroad cross-ties in a tieyard at Otway, Sciota County, Ohio (left) and oak and tulip logs ready for shipment.Photos from the collection of Leo Klikoff

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2011 Volunteer Activity Summary

Sixty-six individuals, plus two groups of students and one group from a local business participated in a wide variety of volunteer activities to benefit the Beaver Creek wetlands in the past year. These activities included pre-paring mailings to the membership, serving refreshments at the Knollwood Garden Party (the proceeds were do-nated to BCWA), providing informa-tion to the public at BCWA’s booth at local festivals, leading hikes, partici-pating in bird and butterfly surveys, presenting educational programs at various sites in the wetlands, build-ing boardwalks, maintaining trails, installing informational signs, picking up trash, working on invasive plant control, chipping honeysuckle, collect-ing and cleaning seed for restoration, planting trees and sedges, and sowing seed. Over 2900 hours were devoted to these activities, with about 80% of that time dedicated to land management.

A monetary value is placed on volunteer hours for non-profit organizations. This is an indicator of community involvement and can sometimes be used as a local match for grant funding. The rate for 2011 has not yet been set, but using the 2010 rate of $21.36 per hour, the value of the time invested by BCWA volunteers in 2011 is over $62,000!*

Thank you to everyone who gen-erously donated their time and efforts in these varied endeavors, all of which contribute to the success of BCWA’s mission “to protect the wetlands eco-system in the Beaver Creek watershed through partnerships, community networks, and public education.”

Future Needs Since 1988, a nearly continuous corridor of protected land has been pieced together along the Beaver Creek and Little Beaver Creek and BCWA’s focus is now shifting from “saving the wetlands” to “taking care of the wetlands.” It will require the time, effort, and dedication of many volunteers to do just that—take care of the wetlands, now and in the future. BCWA volunteers not only work on invasive plant control and habitat restoration on the small percentage of land actually owned by BCWA, but are actively involved in

assisting partner organizations within the Beaver Creek watershed with these activities on their properties as well.

Get Involved! There are many ways to get involved. Become a member—dues and donations provide financial support for educational programs, land management activities, and special projects, such as building boardwalks and observation decks. Become a participant in the many BCWA activities to learn more about the wetlands and the plants and ani-mals dependent upon them. Explore all the public access sites in the wetland corridor from Fairborn to Beavercreek to discover what each site has to offer. Become a volunteer! There are opportunities that range from admin-istrative and educational to hands-on construction and land management. Some BCWA volunteers prefer to greet the public at festivals or to work in the office on mailings, others would rather just build things, some prefer to take out life’s frustrations by battling invasive plants while others prefer planting, and a core group seems to be involved in every activity. Guid-ance for newcomers is provided by the experts and experienced volunteers.

If you would like to get involved as an individual in any of these volunteer activities or if you have a group interested in participating in community service projects, please contact Administrative Coordinator Bob Limbert at admin@beavercreek- wetlands.org.—Debbie Karr

*Source: Corporation for National & Commu-nity Service www.volunteeringinamerica.gov

2011 Volunteer Hours Total Land Management Hours 2342.75 (see below) Festivals 115.00 Mailings 43.00 Events 105.50 Trustee Meetings 194.25 Executive Meetings 121.00 Total Reported Volunteer Time 2921.50

2011 Land Management Volunteer Hours Creekside & Hershner Reserves 626.00 Fairborn Marsh 206.50 Hunters Pointe 73.50 Koogler Wetland/ Prairie Reserve 690.75 Little Beaver Creek Prairie 353.75 Property Acquired in 2011 167.75 Siebenthaler Fen 77.50 Other Sites 147.00

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While in Costa Rica this winter, Jim Amon captured this Oriole (center) and other birds. Look for the oriole during the Birdathon (Jim too)

Yes! I want to help protect wetlands and I pledge to contribute (circle amount below) for each species of bird found during the 24 hour long birdathon.

5¢ 10¢ 25¢ 50¢ $1 or __________ fixed amount (fill in)

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I want to be a team member: Yes No

Mail to: BCWA/DAS Birdathon, P.O. Box 42, Alpha, OH 45301

Springtime brings the annual Dayton Audubon Society Birdathon. What is a Birdathon? It is a fun event in which participants count all the bird species seen or heard in a designated 24-hour period to raise funds for local environmental organizations. Pledges are made by the participants, either as a per species amount or a donation of a fixed amount, with the proceeds benefiting Aullwood Audubon Center, the Beaver Creek Wetlands Associa-tion, and the Dayton Audubon Society scholarship fund.

DAS has made a change to its annual Birdathon for 2012. Instead of a set date for the event, Birdathon teams can choose any 24-hour period between April 30 and May 30 to count species. If the weather conditions are unfavorable for birding, the count date can be rescheduled within the desig-nated dates. This should maximize the number of species counted (and the number of participants, too!)

The Wright State and Beaver Creek Wetlands Association team has scheduled its Birdathon in the Beaver Creek watershed for Friday, May 4th at 5:00 p.m. through Saturday, May 5th at 5:00 p.m. The alternate date will be Friday, May 11th at 5:00 p.m. through Saturday, May 12th at 5:00 p.m. If you would like to join the team

to help count bird species, please con-tact birdathon@beavercreekwetlands.org or indicate it in the check box on the form below. The goal is complete coverage of the Beaver Creek corridor to count as many species of birds as possible. In 2011, 82 bird species were counted in this area during the Birda-thon.

To make a pledge per species counted or a donation of a fixed amount, please go to www.beaver-creekwetlands.org/birdathon or fill in the included form and mail to BCWA/DAS Birdathon, P.O. Box 42, Alpha,

BCWA Birdathon

OH 45301. If you make a pledge, you will be notified of the number of species counted during the Birdathon and total amount due. Checks should be made out to the Dayton Audubon Society. Non-Audubon members who contribute $20 or more will receive a membership to the National Audubon Society and Dayton Audubon Society.

The DAS Birdathon benefits the Beaver Creek wetlands in two ways—it raises funds for conservation and restoration, plus provides valu-able data on bird species found in the wetlands during spring migration.

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Photos by Richard Swigart

Seasons TurningClockwise from right: Jim Amon leads a tour of Fair-born Marsh for Tecumseh Land Trust board mem-bers, Ninebark blooms, a gall on juniper from the hike, tadpoles, Miami Mist looking frazzled

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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 appre-ciated worldwide. Our newsletter recog-nizes the Spotted Turtle as an icon for the many rare animals and plants protected in the Beaver Creek Wetlands.

Submissions, Questions, or Comments: We rely on members likeyou to make this newsletter the product of several diverse voices. If you have an idea for an article or a picture to include, please send them to admin@beavercree-kwetlands.org. Also, we welcome any comments or questions. For submissions, questions, or comments, please include “newsletter” in the subject line of your e-mail. We reserve the right to edit for content or clarity.

Donations of Land/Easements: If you are interested in donating land, placing an easement on property, or re-membering the BCWA in your will, please don’t hesitate to call the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association at (937) 320-9042.

BCWA Annual Report: Copies are available by request. E-mail the office at admin@beavercreekwetlands.org 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, P.O. Box 42, Alpha, OH 45301

Name

Address

Phone

Email

Help reclaim our local wetlands corridor and restore it’s natural beauty and function. Your member dues fund land acquisition, education programs, habitat restoration and management of our preserve.

$35 Contributing $50 Supporting $100 Patron $1,000 Life

A 501(c)(3) land trust organization. Your donation is tax deductible.

Our Endowment Fund has grown to over $135,000 in a little over three years. A recent bequest was left in the form of a life annuity. Such planned giving can result in tax savings and/or income to you, while leaving a legacy of conservation. The BCWA Endowment Fund is a permanent savings plan to help en-sure that BCWA continues to protect wetlands for future generations. The BCWA Endowment Fund may accept many types of planned, deferred, and outright gifts that can actually increase the value of your estate, enabling you to do more with what you leave for others. Spotted Turtle Society members in-clude anyone who has made a gift to the Beaver Creek Wetlands Associa-tion 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 become a member of the Spotted Turtle Society.

I wish to make an outright gift payable to ‘”BCWA Endowment Fund”.

Please return to:Beaver Creek Wetlands AssociationAttn: Endowment CommitteeP.O.Box 42, Alpha, Ohio 45301

Endowment at $135K and growing

For information on a variety of planned giving options, call or write to us, or contact The Dayton Foundation directly.

Name

Address

Phone

Email

See this in living colorYou can read the newsletter online in full color. Help us save paper and mailing costs by letting us know if you wish to receive your newsletter electronically. Email Bob at admin@beavercreekwetlands.org

Label (1” x 2-5/8” ) here.Place carefully to

cover bottom line completelybut do not touch top line.

Moving? New e-mail address?Don’t miss an issue! Call 937-320-9042

or email: admin@beavercreekwetlands.org

NONPROFITORGANIZATION

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDXENIA, OHIO 45385

PERMIT NUMBER 76

The Spotted Turtle | Volume 26, No. 2 | Spring 2012

P.O. BOX 42ALPHA, OH 45301Address Service Requested

PublisherOregon Printingwww.oregonprinting.com

WebmasterRob Evans

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Contact UsAdministrative Coordinatoradmin@beavercreekwetlands.orgPresidentpresident@beavercreekwetlands.orgTechnical Advisortechnical@beavercreekwetlands.orgWebmasterwebmaster@beavercreekwetlands.orgMediamedia@beavercreekwetlands.orgNewsletternewsletter@beavercreekwetlands.org

OfficersRob Evans, PresidentSue Rytel, Vice PresidentDeborah Karr, SecretaryDoug Hull, Treasurer

TrusteesDeborah KarrEd PhillipsSusie ScottRichard SwigartSue RytelMike ZimmermanRob EvansMark MartelChristina SimmonsDeborrah Adams Ann Byrd Jim SchneiderDonald GeigerDenny Jarvi

Spotted Turtle EditorsJim and Carol AmonMark MartelDeborah Karr P

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Month!

Blue-eyed grass