“One of the most important ecosystems in the country”

Regional public awareness campaign planned for early 2000

Toledo, Ohio, December 27, 1999 – The Nature Conservancy recently designated the Oak Openings Region of Northwest Ohio, a 130-square-mile region located in Lucas, Henry and Fulton counties, as “One of America’s Last Great Places.”

“This is one of the most important ecosystems in the U.S.,” said David Weekes of The Nature Conservancy. “We are using a scientific approach to identify and prioritize the ecoregions in Ohio that are most critical to protect. The designation of one of America’s ‘Last Great Places’ stresses the biological significance of the Oak Openings Region and illustrates the importance of responsible stewardship of this protected land.”

Oak Openings Region

The Oak Openings Region used to be part of an extensive patchwork of oak savannas that at one point covered 30 million acres and represented a unique meeting of the Western prairies and dense Eastern forests. The Oak Openings Region is one of the last examples of these savannas which are comprised of Black and White Oaks that live side by side with a mixture of grasses, sedges, wildflowers and shrubs. Some very specialized animals are also part of the area, including the rare Lark Sparrow and several species of butterflies such as the Frosted Elfin, Persius Dusky Wing and the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly.

Currently residential and commercial growth in the Toledo area threatens to eliminate what remains of the Oak Openings ecosystem. Most natural vegetation in the Northeastern one-fifth of the region has been eliminated by urbanization.

Conservation Through the Years

Ongoing attempts to conserve habitat in this region have been in place since the 1930s. Results of these efforts can be seen in a series of “core” conservation areas that occur sporadically throughout the region. Toledo Metroparks maintain several areas, most notably the 3600-acre Oak Openings Preserve Metropark. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources owns and manages three sites: Irwin Prairie (215 acres), Lou Campbell State Nature Preserve (170 acres) and the Maumee State Forest (3100 acres). The Nature Conservancy owns and manages the 700-acre Kitty Todd Preserve, and continues to purchase additional high quality Oak Openings habitat.

Public Awareness Campaign

“Our work within the Oak Openings Region is one of partnership,” said Terry Seidel, Oak Openings program manager of The Nature Conservancy. “The rare species and communities that we strive to save occur over an extensive area on public and private land. Encouraging other landowners to protect and manage their land is our most critical challenge and we feel building awareness is the first step towards protecting the Oak Openings Region.”

Residents of Northwestern Ohio, especially in Toledo and in surrounding Lucas, Henry and Fulton counties, will soon be learning more about the Oak Openings Region via a year long public awareness campaign beginning January 2000.

Visiting and Supporting the Oak Openings Region

The 700-acre Kitty Todd Preserve, owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, is open to the public Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from May through October. Visitors can enjoy natural vegetation, spectacular birdwatching, hiking and photography while visiting one of the most important ecosystems in Ohio.

The Nature Conservancy’s Kitty Todd Preserve