Archbold, OH – Working in partnership with the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District, a major conservation project is currently underway at Sauder Village. The conservation project includes installing grassed waterways, cover crops, windbreaks, subsurface drainage, filter strips, gully control structures, a riparian forest buffer, and a rare oak savanna – including a diversity of native grasses, trees and 16 different wildflowers.
“The Conservation Project at Sauder Village aims to enhance water quality, soil quality, wildlife habitat, and natural resource education,” shared Pete Carr, Project Manager. “The project will focus on the water quality resource concern – addressing watershed issues and resource concerns pertaining to flooding, soil erosion, sedimentation, wind erosion and nutrient runoff.”
The conservation practices included in this project are funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). State Conservationist, Terry Cosby, aided in this effort to secure funding through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that provides landowners with cost-share assistance and technical assistance to implement conservation practices on working agricultural land.
“We were pleased this Conservation Project could be funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program,” shared Debbie Sauder David, President & CEO of Sauder Village. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District to develop this unique conservation area at Sauder Village.”
As part of this Conservation Project, two grassed waterways and one filter strip will be installed at Sauder Village to help increase soil savings, prevent runoff and improve water quality. A riparian forest buffer will also be planted. The buffer and the 4-row windbreak will provide environmental, economic, engineering, aesthetic and wildlife benefits to Sauder Village. The trees will offer a pleasing view while also serving as a windbreak.
Another highlight of this conservation project is the establishment of a 10-acre Oak Savanna including native grasses, trees and a variety of wildflowers. Oak Savannas are rare and unique ecosystems where dry environmental conditions result in sparse tree growth. The objective is to restore both sparse oak stands and the diversity of plants – creating a habitat suitable for use by a variety of wildlife such as deer, turkeys, songbirds and the Karner Blue Butterflies. The Oak Savanna will be planted with several oak tree varieties including burr, white, black and pin Oak and will be seeded with various grass species. It will contain many native flowers including black-eyed Susan, blazing star, purple coneflower, wild blue lupin and many others.
“Oak Savannas only exist in three Ohio counties – Fulton, Lucas and Henry, through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP),” Pete Carr shared. “Numerous wildlife species thrive in this globally rare ecosystem and establishing a ten-acre Oak Savanna at Sauder Village will help to preserve and enhance these unique regions.”
Staff and volunteers from the Fulton County Soil and Water office have started planting many trees south and east of the Campground. Already this fall they have planted a four-row windbreak with about 1600 total trees! Each row is 3,785 feet long. The windbreak includes one row of white pine, one row of Norway/blue spruce mix, one row of Douglas fir and one row of American cranberry bush. They also planted the riparian forest buffer which consists of one row of pin oak and one row with a mix of black cherry, American elm, bitternut hickory, sweet gum, tulip, poplar, red oak, sugar maple and red maple.
Natural resource education and awareness will also be an integral part of this conservation project. Walking paths, trails and educational signage will be installed allowing visitors to view the rare oak savanna habitat and the plant and animal species it has to offer.
Work on the conservation project at Sauder Village will continue early this winter as weather conditions allow with the project completion slated for Spring of 2015. For more information about Sauder Village, Ohio’s largest living-history destination, call 800.590.9755 or visit www.saudervillage.org<http://www.saudervillage.org/>
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