Lytle Creek League of Conservators/No Child Left Indoors Salamander Migration Hike

The Lytle Creek League of Conservators/No Child Left Indoors organization is sponsoring a Salamander Migration Hike this spring. In deference to the predictable unpredictability of nature’s timing and in order to make sure we have the best chance to actually see them migrating to their breeding ponds we may hike Friday February 24, March 2, OR March 9. The actual hike date will be determined on the Wednesday before the hike date. Hike night we will meet at 7 p.m. at the Caesar Creek Lake Visitor Center, 4020 North Clarksville Road, Waynesville, Ohio. US Army Corps of Engineers biologist and Park Manager Jim O’Boyle, will lead the hike. There is no cost for this event and no experience is necessary. Together we will search for salamanders as they awaken from hibernation and move toward their breeding ponds. This is an adventure for the entire family. Please dress for the weather - boots and a flashlight are essential. Remember, salamanders prefer to move in the rain, so be prepared for muddy fun! Pre-registration is required. To register go to greenalliancecc.com or call Lori Williams, (937) 725-3811.

(Photo - one of last year's participants examines a few of the spotted salamanders we temporarily carefully placed in buckets so everyone could have a closer look. It was a perfect night last year - we saw dozens!)

Lytle Creek League of Conservators No Child Left Indoors ***Owl Prowl***

The Lytle Creek League of Conservators No Child Left Indoors volunteers are leading an almost-full-moon Owl Prowl on Saturday, January 7 at 6:30 p.m. We will meet in the Clinton Memorial Hospital parking lot in the area closest to the trail (lower area, south of the hospital). This hike will be on the Luther Warren Peace Path, which is accessible for all levels of hikers, including wheelchairs and strollers.
Owls are establishing their territory and preparing to nest, which begins in the heart of winter. Now that the leaves have fallen it is a perfect time of year to spot owls and learn about their habitat and life cycle. This will be a fun experience for the whole family, led by local Ohio Certified Volunteer naturalists and interns. Dress for the weather, wear sturdy shoes and bring a flashlight and your sense of adventure.
This program is free of charge and anyone interested in experiencing the natural world is welcomed. Please register HERE. For more information contact Lori Williams at 725-3811.

(Photo credit - this was taken on a previous NCLI winter hike. This is what a barred owl looks like in the dark with 8 flashlights focused on it!)

Walk/Ride on the Bypass Available this Wednesday!!

Wednesday 11/2 marks the official opening of relocated OH73- the Wilmington Bypass.  There is ribbon cutting at 1pm at the railroad overpass of the bypass.  Before that ceremony, we have been working with ODOT to establish a public access time that morning for walkers, runners and bikers to use sections of the bypass and tour it before it opens.

You can walk, run or bike on a portion of the bypass from 9am to 11am on Wednesday Nov. 2.  You will access the bypass at the westbound ramp from US 68, you will be able to park on the ramp there and staff will be there to direct. You'll need to sign a liability waiver which ODOT staff will provide.  The weather is forecast to be cool but clear and hopefully you can enjoy the morning out on the new highway.

Please spread the word to your organizations who might be interested.

WHAT:     Public Access to the Bypass
WHERE:    US 68 westbound access ramp
WHEN:     9am to 11am on Weds. 11/2

Wednesday's Westheimer Peace Symposium to Focus on Water Issues

Water, the lifeblood of the Earth and all living things, will take center stage as Wilmington College presents the 21st annual Westheimer Peace Symposium Wednesday (Oct. 19). This year’s theme is “WaterCARE: Conservation, Access, Responsibility, Equality.”

The all-day event will include Charles Fishman presenting “The New Age of Water: Re-Imagining How We Use Water, and How We Think About It” at 10 a.m.; Dr. Aaron Wolf, “Healing the Enlightenment Rift: Rationality, Spirituality and Shared Waters,” 1:15 p.m.; Wilmington College Chorale, “Water Song,” 2:45 p.m.; the showing of the film "Gasland," 3:45 p.m.; and Chad Pregracke, “Helping to Clean America’s Rivers,” 7:30 p.m. 


All presentations will be held in the Hugh G. Heiland Theatre in Boyd Cultural Arts Center with the exception of the showing of "Gasland," which will be held in the McCoy Room of Kelly Center. The symposium is free of charge.

More information can be found at:
http://www2.wilmington.edu/news/21st-Westheimer-Peace-Symposium-to-Focus-on-Water-Issues.cfm

Tree Commission to Host Tree Dedication Ceremony

The Wilmington Tree Commission is hosting a fall Tribute Tree Project with a short Dedication Ceremony that is scheduled for Friday, October 21st, 2011 at noon. The Dedication Ceremony will be held on the south side of Fife Avenue, between the Engineer’s Office and the College Art Building, at the curve of the bike path (4-C Bicentennial Trail). Please park in the David Williams Park parking lot (enter from Fife Ave.) It is a short walk across Fife Ave. to access the trail and tree dedication area.

The dedication of the Quercus Macrocarpa, (Burr oak tree), will be in memory of Keenan Rinehart.

If you are interested in assisting with the Dedication or with the process prior to the Dedication, (digging,
planting, staking, caging, mulching, gator bagging and watering) please contact Chris Hodgson at (937) 289-3449 or via e-mail kchodgson1@juno.com before Friday October 14th.

The Wilmington Tree Commission is committed to designating one area per year for Tribute Trees, commemoration of individuals and life events.

Please join us on Friday, October 21 at noon.

Lytle Creek Day 2011

Saturday, October 1, 2011 we will once again celebrate the special natural resource we have here in our own backyard - Lytle Creek. We will celebrate with a luncheon event at the Lytle Creek Pavilion on Davids Drive.

Thanks to a very generous donation, a "buy local" lunch will be provided to the first 100 registrations who wish to help us celebrate this special day. As part of the local Green Alliance, the Lytle Creek League of Conservators invites you to celebrate our ongoing efforts and recent accomplishments in developing the greenway and turning it into an even more special recreational and educational asset.

The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. Please join us as we both celebrate what we have accomplished and look forward to the future.


Prior to the lunch, local bird enthusiast Bob Powell will lead a walk along the 4-C Bicentennial Trail to look for resident birds and possible fall migrants. There are actually more birds around in the fall than at any other time of the year; however, they lack their bright breeding plumages and aren't singing as much. Meet at the YMCA parking lot at 8 a.m. and bring a pair of binoculars. Children from 11 up are welcome. Participants will walk about 1 1/2 miles over fairly flat terrain through a variety of habitats.


Chris Hodgson, retired arborist, will lead a tree identification walk through the beautiful Wilmington College campus. The walk will begin at 10 a.m in the Hermann Court/YMCA parking lot. Chris will share her knowledge about the remarkable and wide diversity of tree species on the campus - some specimens are nearly 200 years old.

Here are three great reasons to join us...

Reason 1: We will honor two very special people for their contributions to the local environment and specifically the Lytle Creek Greenway - Christine Hodgson, retired forester and Wilmington Tree Commissioner and Don Troike, a longtime Wilmington College professor and proponent of the greenway and Clinton County's trails.

Reason 2: There is such a thing as a free lunch and you are invited to join us and other individuals who care deeply about Clinton County's natural resources.

Reason 3: You will want to see the progress we have made in restoring the woodland area and our and butterfly garden in-progress. And ... there will be a surprise!

Please register early, as seating is limited. Register HERE or by calling Lori Williams at 725-3811.


Parking for the event will be across from the Lytle Creek Greenway pavilion on Davids Drive at the R&L facility.



The Lytle Creek League of Conservators is looking forward to seeing you October 1!

Lytle Creek League of Conservators/No Child Left Indoors Spider Hunt September 17

Imagine eating crickets, grasshoppers, and flies and not just hopping into your bed each night, but having to build it new every day. That’s what happens in the world of arachnids.

Make plans now to attend the No Child Left Indoors – Spider Hunt at the Lytle Creek Prairie from 10:00 a.m. to noon on Sept. 17.

Learn about what and how Spiders eat and all about the webs they weave.

Adult leaders will assist children as they look for and observe orb weavers, funnel weavers, jumping spiders, wolf spiders and more along the trails. The educational program will include information on spider habitats and activity. We will be observing spiders and identifying them in their natural habitat. Children should wear long pants and sturdy shoes.

Spider program leader Harriett Clark shared, "We plan to observe spiders in their natural habitats without disturbing them since it is a tremendous expenditure of energy for a spider to spin a web, which it does every night. We may even get to see them eat a cricket or two."

The program is free, but registration is required. We will be able to accommodate up to 20 elementary age children (and their adult escorts, who must stay for the program). The Lytle Creek Prairie is along the 4-C Bicentennial Trail. Parking is available at the David Williams Park on Fife Avenue and the Southeast Neighborhood Park near Paris Avenue. Participants are encouraged to bike or walk from the trailheads and enjoy the trail as part of this program. From either trailhead it is approximately a 15-minute walk. Both trailheads are excellent locations for picnicking after the event.

Register HERE .

Lytle Creek League of Conservators/No Child Left Indoors is a local group of volunteers committed to the belief that children need nature and nature needs caring humans.