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2 0 1 7 �ear in �eview
�ntrepid ��� co-founders
�aul �noop and �im �avidson in old growth
forest at �ercer �oods �reserve, �ocking �ills
Celebrating 15 Amazing Years of ConservationAOA proudly celebrates 15 years of protecting water quality, wildlife and native plant
habitat, working farms, historic and cultural heritage and beautiful places
Beginning with a small group of volunteer naturalists concerned about preserving Ohio’s natural heritage and resources, AOA has grown into an effective non-profit land conservancy serving central and southeastern Ohio. AOA continues to emphasize our guiding principles — providing land and water conservation, stewardship, vision, leadership, education and outreach. In recent years we broadened our strategic vision while refining our geographic service area. We have adopted conservation initiatives which highlight our mission priorities and reflect our focus on water quality and conservation of riparian corridors, particularly in the Scioto and Hocking River watersheds.
Healthy rivers and natural areas, working farms, historic and cultural heritage, and scenic beauty enrich lives and are intrinsic amenities that underpin our quality of life on many levels. AOA has embraced a commitment to the conservation of these resources and to providing public benefits to the many people and communities throughout our region. AOA has numerous conservation accomplishments to celebrate as highlighted on the following pages. We are very grateful to our visionary founders and the countless dedicated friends, volunteers, supporters, partners and donors who have made our efforts and success possible. As we take time to look back, we must also look ahead — to working together to address the many unfulfilled opportunities and needs for good conservation. We hope that you will join with us in our ongoing work to create a conservation legacy of which our region can be proud.
Core InitiativesScioto River Flyway Corridor
Greater Hocking Hills Conservation Initiative
Hocking River Conservation Corridor
Hocking Canal Heritage Trail
Farmland Preservation
Darby Creek Conservation Corridor
Key PreservesBison Hollow Preserve
Mercer Woods
Kleinmaier State Nature Preserve
Cackley Swamp Preserve
Trimble Community Forest
AOA Conservation Demonstration Site
Bartley Preserve
EarthTouch
Marsha Gunder Schneider Preserve
Trella Romine Prairie
Cline Preserve
AOA Success By the Numbers
>10,000 Acres Conserved
15 Counties
86 Conserved Properties
60 Conservation Donors
�and �onservationConservation Easement Preserves Goldenseal Sanctuary
AOA worked with United Plant Savers (UpS) to permanently protect a 292-acre portion of their Goldenseal Botanical Sanctuary with
a conservation easement. According to UpS this is the first property to be protected by a conservation easement for the purpose of
education and research of native medicinal plants. Nestled in the unglaciated Appalachia foothills of Meigs County, the Goldenseal
Sanctuary is home to over 500 medicinal plants. The Goldenseal Sanctuary is the flagship property of UpS and the central focal
point of the UpS mission. It was established in 1998 to provide a safe haven for medicinal plants and to provide a venue for research,
propagation, education and visitation. Formed in 1994, UpS is a nationwide nonprofit devoted to protecting and repopulating at-risk
native medicinal plants in their native habitats. UpS is collaborating with AOA to reintroduce native medicinals to some of our preserves.
Barr Family Preserves Mound View Farm and Snake Den MoundsAOA is working with the Barr family to conserve their four adjoining family farms in Pickaway County through the Ohio
Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Easement Purchase Program. Mound View Farm is the third of the four to be
preserved with an agricultural easement. This 151-acre grain and livestock farm is part of the Barr’s grass-fed, sustain-
ably raised cattle operation. The Barr’s recently preserved a fifth part of
their family farm properties — Snake Den Mounds, which features a unique
convergence of natural and cultural attributes. This 17-acre property lies
on the crest of a prominent glacial ridge with commanding views across
the Barr farms to the Columbus skyline on the north and “Standing Stone” in Lancaster to
the east. The site includes three 2,000 year old Hopewell period native American mounds
and two circular enclosures. It became known as Snake Den Mounds by settlers as a conse-
quence of the stone mounds serving as a black snake hibernaculum.
The primary addition consists of the 139-acre Bowmore property,
purchased from Scioto Land Co., LLC. The bottomland and head-
water corridors on this tract include a relatively mature mixed
hardwood and hemlock forest. Numerous scenic rock features
typical of the Hocking Hills are located on the property, including
steep black hand sandstone cliffs, rock overhangs, outcroppings
and ledges. A non-native pine forest planted on former
pastureland which comprises much of the upland ridge areas, will
be removed. These
areas will be refor-
ested with mixed
hardwoods.
A 5-acre parcel
recently pur-
chased by the For-
est Conservancy to
hold until AOA
could secure grant
monies to acquire
it was also added. Although small, this property borders the
Bowmore site and lies along the southern portion of the East Fork
of Queer Creek as well as a strategic entry point along Schoolie
Road on the south side of Bison Hollow. We were very fortunate
to be able to procure Clean Ohio Fund grant monies to help
facilitate these transactions.
�and �onservation
Bison Hollow Preserve ExpandedAOA purchased two properties in northern Vinton County
to expand our spectacular Bison Hollow Preserve. These sites
will supplement five existing conserved properties and one
conservation easement with a combined 270 preserved acres —
bringing the total area protected as part of Bison Hollow to over
410 acres. Located south of Ash Cave, Bison Hollow straddles
the Hocking-Vinton County line and is an important part of our
Greater Hocking Hills Conservation Initiative. The new properties
protect over 4,000 linear feet of steam corridor including the East
Fork of Queer Creek, which is the central feature of Bison Hollow.
AOA works to conserve land and water resources as sustainable assets for our community. In
2017 AOA increased the conservation lands we steward to 86 properties and over 10,000 acres.
We secured funding for numerous additional conservation transactions that are in process.
AOA Expands Scioto River Flywaywith Three New AcquisitionsAOA purchased three wetland sites in central Pickaway County
as part of our Scioto River Flyway Corridor Initiative: the 150-acre
Katie Wilson Schneider Preserve; the adjacent 32-acre Ray and
Betty Wampler Preserve; and the nearby 57-acre Samuel L. Fox
Preserve. Each of these properties comprised portions of a large
historic prairie and forest wetland system that was located just
north of Circleville on either side of Highway 23. They contain
substantial areas with poorly drained “muck” soils. Although
much of the surface water has been drained from these sites,
substantial wet areas remain, as well as opportunities for rehydra-
tion and reestablishment of enhanced wetland habitats. Many of
the wetland species which once lived in Pickaway County are now
rare. These sites will be managed to provide new homes for wet-
land species that are native to this area. The Schneider property
also includes 3,500 linear feet of riverfront along the Scioto River
and 2,500 linear feet of riparian corridor along Dry Creek. The
Scioto River provides a critical migratory habitat corridor for a wide
range of native birds, butterflies and bats.
Crawford Wetland Adds to theHocking River Conservation CorridorCrawford Wetlands is a valuable Category 3 (highest classification)
wetland located in the Hocking River floodplain east of Rock-
bridge. It was acquired with wetland mitigation monies generated
from nearby utility construction as part of our Hocking River Con-
servation Corridor Initiative. Consisting of 14 acres, the acquisition
area was subdivided from
a larger tract owned by the
Clifford and Martha Crawford
family for multiple generations.
In addition to the wetland
area, the property includes
approximately 1,850 l.f. of the
old Hocking canal.
�tewardship
AOA seeks to enhance the natural qualities of existing habitats and to restore and/or reestab-
lish healthy ecosystems focusing on native plants. As once common species become rare, and
rare species endangered, it is critically important that we provide homes for these species.
AOA works to enhance our land and water resources as sustainable assets for our community. In 2017 we:
▪ Carried out a wide range of stewardship and enhancement
activities on AOA’s properties, in association with community
partners, friends and volunteers.
▪ Undertook expanded efforts to remove and control invasive
species on AOA preserves.
▪ Initiated restoration activities at AOA’s Bartley Preserve.
▪ Utilized the board, staff and volunteers to monitor all of our
conservation properties.
AOA continues to pursue the resources and support needed to carry out our valuable and worthy conservation work. For every $1 donated, AOA is able to protect over $20 worth of land and water resources.
Grants. AOA was fortunate to receive numerous grants this year
to support our conservation, stewardship, education and out-
reach activities. We procured a record of over $11.0 million in
grants from public sector organizations and agencies, helping
to maximize the return on our donor’s investments in our
conservation work.
Donors. AOA was fortunate to receive many generous gifts this
past year including several significant donations for long-term
property stewardship and conservation defense.
Generous gifts from friends and supporters enabled the Appalachia Ohio Alliance to accomplish much in 2017. We are grateful for this support, and for continued validation of our conservation mission.
�rganizational �nhancementAs AOA continues to grow and evolve we are striving to strengthen our organizational capacity to better achieve our mission goals. In 2017 we:
▪ Received a range of technical support and assistance from the
Land Trust Alliance on organizational and accreditation issues.
▪ Procured new office and meeting space in east Columbus.
▪ Sent board and staff members to participate in a variety of
Ohio and national land trust seminars and conferences as part
of our efforts to build stronger leadership and organizational
sustainability. The national Land Trust Alliance Rally provided
valuable learning and training for staff members in land trust
standards and practices.
The Big Give AOA participated in The Columbus Foun-
dation’s The Big Give, raising funds to help
facilitate our Big Darby Creek Conservation
Corridor Initiative.
�utreach and �ngagement
AOA provides opportunities for members and the public to participate in and learn more about our conservation
mission. We emphasize nature-based education that features conserved lands and local ecosystems, conveying an
enhanced understanding of their significance and relevance to our community. Our numerous programs and events help
build partnerships, provide outreach, engage the community, provide hands-on learning and stewardship experiences,
and allow friends to visit the lands they have helped to conserve — some of the most beautiful places in our region.
Snake Den Mounds Tour, Barr Farms, Pickaway County, August 2017
Our 2017 education and outreach program consisted of 19 events, providing a wide range of outdoor activities including
naturalist-guided field trips to AOA properties, workshops and programs. We also undertook a variety of stewardship-based
events focusing on enhancement of AOA preserves. Our Trillium Festival Photo Contest produced some incredible wildflower
photos. In all, our programs and events during the past year attracted over 600 participants, inspired by AOA’s conservation
work and the beauty of our special landscapes.
2017 AOA Conservation Awards
AOA’s Conservation Achievement Award recognizes exemplary
dedication, commitment and achievement in the field of conservation.
Rick Gardner, Chief Botanist for ODNR DNAP was honored for his
many years of dedication and service to Ohio
conservation. Rick has assisted AOA on many
projects including Bartley
Preserve and Kleinmaier
State Nature Preserve.
AOA is fortunate to
have many volunteers who assist our mission
efforts. We presented Conservation Volunteer
Awards to several volunteers
who have made particular contributions: Marcele
Bowen, for her tireless efforts to help clear inva-
sives from AOA preserves; Mark Shubert, for his
long-time participation in AOA stewardship events;
and Kathy Cubert, for her
efforts to increase the photo inventory of our
properties and initiate, plan and manage our
first photo contest this
past spring.
AOA bestowed our
Conservation Partner-
ship Award on two very worthy organiza-
tions: United Plant Savers (UpS) and Ohio
Certified Volunteer Naturalists (OCVN),
Hocking Hills Chapter. UpS has designated AOA’s Demonstration Site
as part of their Botanical Sanctuary Network and is assisting AOA to
reintroduce native medicinal plants on this site. OCVN is a supporter
of AOA’s
conservation
efforts.
OCVN
members
participate in
many AOA
stewardship
events and
other programs.
▪ AOA’s Holiday Card program pro-
vides opportunities to “give a gift
of conservation” to promote AOA’s
mission and local conservation to
friends and associates. Our 2017 card
featured “Snowy Morning Light,”
a winter scene from AOA’s Bison
Hollow Preserve.
▪ AOA’s Annual Dinner, celebrating 15
Years of Conservation
Achievement, was held at Wagnalls Memorial Library in
Lithopolis. Bringing together 110 friends and supporters,
numerous 2017 land and water conservation and steward-
ship successes were recognized. Our featured speaker, AOA
co-founder and honorary board member Paul Knoop, spoke
about the
importance of
conserving riparian
corridors as
protectors of the
river environment.
The Appalachia Ohio Alliance is a regional non-profitland conservancy that serves central, south-central and southeastern Ohio.
The Alliance is dedicated to the conservation and stewardship of our land and water as sustainable natural resources that are an
asset and a legacy for our community.
Appalachia Ohio Alliance ▪P.O. Box 1151 ▪ Logan, OH 43138-4151 ▪ www.appalachiaohioalliance.org
�nd �ore...
At Kleinmaier State Nature Preserve
Appalachia Ohio emerged from the last Pleistocene glacial event nearly 12,000 years ago — a verdant landscape re-shaped by many years of glacial runoff and fill. Today, the green, forest-covered hills and narrow valleys with clear, spring-fed streams support a wide variety of native wildlife and diverse plant habitats which comprise the core of Ohio’s hill-country wilderness. A patchwork of small farms interspersed with woodlands imparts a pastoral, often idyllic character to the landscape. The rolling topography and exposed black-hand sandstone formations contribute to a rich scenic beauty that attracts many visitors and is worthy of conservation.
©2017 Appalachia Ohio Alliance Photograph by Steve Fleegal www.appalachiaohioalliance.org
Happy Holidays
from your friends at the
Appalachia Ohio Alliance
Appalachia Ohio Alliance
is a regional, non-profit land conservancy
working to conserve and steward our land and water
as sustainable natural resources that are an
asset and a legacy for our community
�isit www.appalachiaohioalliance.org
for more information about ��� and our conservation work
�nowy �orning � ight�ison �ollow �reserve
OCVN Members at Demonstration Site