Genoa Township Land Conservation Association

News & Events

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Grand Oak Community Clean-up
This was the 5th Annual Clean-Up Day that has been scheduled the third Saturday in April each year.  Many volunteers came to help; surveyed and cleaned our green spaces during the two hour time, between showers.  We were grateful the rain held off long enough for most of the work to be completed. Genoa Township donated a one-ton truck to help haul away the refuse, and Keep Delaware County Beautiful donated bags, gloves, and pick-up tools. It was a great effort by the volunteers. Help us continue to keep Grand Oak looking its best by remembering to pick-up trash anytime you are walking our lovely green spaces.  And a BIG THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS!!!

Evelyn Sonnichsen, Grand Oak Resident and Trustee, Genoa Township Land Conservation Association
 

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Read more details about the Photo Contest here.

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ODNR naturalist helps trustees inventory conservation lands

 

               Bob Blantz, Jim Ankrom, Bob Scherman, Rick Gardner, and Rich Spence

A naturalist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources conducted a May 15, 2010, walk-through inventory of flora and fauna at the three properties owned by the Genoa Township Land Conservation Association. Rick Gardner, a botanist with the National Heritage program of ODNR’s Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, was invited to lead the study by Grand Oak resident Jim Ankrom, a fellow ODNR employee. The Heritage program manages a comprehensive database, which is the list of all rare plants, animals and natural communities in Ohio.

Ankrom and GTLCA trustees Bob Scherman, Bob Blantz, Rich Spence and Jamie Abel accompanied Gardner on a three-hour visit to the preserves at the Grand Oak, Willow Bend and Covington Meadows subdivisions.

The inventory was an effort by the association trustees to further identify and preserve the wildlife on the land under their care and to educate the public about the character of the properties. The trustees, with the assistance of Genoa Township, recently erected signs at the entrances to the properties informing visitors of the parcels’ preservation status and basic rules to protect the wildlife.

Gardner noted that some biologists contend 100-10,000 acres of preserves are required to sustain an ecosystem, but that any substantial natural areas in an urban/suburban environment help to maintain native wildlife. It was noted that the extensive preserves surrounding nearby Alum Creek and Hoover Reservoirs further enrich the association’s properties.

Starting at the Grand Oak subdivision, the group walked property north of the homes, studying trees, bushes, wildflowers and herbs and identifying an occasional bird by its song. Gardner identified a couple of wildflowers that are not common to Delaware County. At Grand Oak, Gardner identified 43 specific species of plants, 16 species of trees and six bird species. He also pointed out several invasive species of plants at the property: Autumn Olive, Garlic Mustard, Japanese Honeysuckle and Multiflore Rose. Gardner suggested the association organize an effort to control the intruders.

The ODNR website explains that invasive plants:

-      Displace or crowd native plant species

-      Impact wildlife which rely on native plant communities for food, shelter and breeding habitat

      -      Form monoculture plant communities which reduces biological diversity.

With less than an hour in his schedule to travel to and visit the other two properties, Gardner recognized nine plant species, eight tree species, two bird species and a woodchuck at Willow Bend, as well as five plant species, seven tree species and a bluebird at Covington Meadows. The invasive Garlic Mustard was among the plants identified at Willow Bend. Gardner, a resident of the City of Delaware, agreed to walk the properties again in the fall, and trustees plan to visit the parcels in reverse order.

Information on rare species of plants found in Delaware County and invasive plants in Ohio can be found at the following websites:

Rare Plant List for Delaware County

Ohio's Non-Native Invasive Plants

Ohio Invasive Plants Council (OIPC)

The May 2010 inventory of the preserves can be found here.

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A special Thank you to Genoa Township

Two members of the Genoa Township Land Conservation Association, President Mark Toot and Secretary Evelyn Sonnichsen, presented Genoa Township Administrator Paul Wise, and Asst. Township Administrator/ Director of Development and Zoning Joseph Clase, a big THANK YOU for their leadership to help facilitate installation of signs on each of the GTLCA properties.  They also had a THANK YOU for the Maintenance Department staff who completed the work.  GTLCA is very grateful to Genoa Township for their help with this project.  The signs help identify the properties and inform residents and visitors about general rules related to each parcel.

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Donate to GTLCA when you shop through 
Kroger Community Rewards!
Register your Kroger Plus Shopper's Card here.  Once your card is registered, just add us to the Community Rewards Information on your account. Enter the name Genoa Township Land Conservation Association or our ID number: 84858. 

All Participants must re-enroll each year in May to continue earning awards during the year. Just click this link to sign in to your Kroger.com account, and then enter GTLCA's ID #84858 to re-enroll in the Community Rewards program. 

A big thanks goes out to Kroger for their dedication to their communities.

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