Page 4A THE BEACON March 2018
Over the Rivers , Creeks , Ponds , and Woods , to the Oxbow We Go
Continued from page 1A sation he had years ago with one of the founding members of the organization , “ He was talking about making sure that people had access ; they had to have access or they wouldn ’ t protect it . You can ’ t love something if you don ’ t have any idea what it is .”
The Oxbow includes rivers , creeks , ponds , fields , woods , dirt roads and all kinds of plants and animals . Dr . Seymour explains , “ It is a 5,000 acre protected area encompassing most of the mouth of the Great Miami River and almost all of the floodplain of the Great Miami River . This is really what was the dream of the people when they got together back in 1985 , holding meetings at the cabins on Shawnee Lookout , with Great Parks agreeing to try to protect the Ohio side , and we agreeing to do what we could to protect the Indiana side . We have finally joined up … Five thousand acres ; now put that in perspective : that ’ s 7.8 square miles .”
Dr . Seymour says , “ I want the community to be aware and support us because there should be a pride in what they have here , which is really unique : Seven-point-eight square miles of essentially protected land without houses that is that close to a major city - and it ’ s right on their doorstep here in Dearborn County . It ’ s right on their doorstep and they can come and enjoy it . East of the Mississippi , having a track like that , that ’ s not a state park or a national park is unusual ; most land tracts like ours , a lot of them have more acreage , but it ’ s split up all over the place , scattered around five counties , something like that , but with what we have adjacent to Shawnee Lookout is pretty unusual .”
Oxbow , Inc . is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting those acres of wetlands that are vital to the survival of migratory bird populations . Just sixteen miles from Cincinnati , a wide variety of waterfowl come to the Oxbow for food , shelter and rest throughout the year . Some species will fly hundreds of miles during seasonal
Members of Oxbow , Inc ., like Meg Poehlmann and Jon Seymour , are dedicated to preserving the Oxbow , and are equally enthusiastic about sharing all that it offers with the community .
migrations and cannot complete such long flights without stops along the way .
To better inform the public about the importance of this special area , Oxbow , Inc . offers field trips , monthly meetings , an annual Birdathon , and other programs and classes throughout the year . Additionally , every year one student from each of the five high schools near the Oxbow receives a $ 500 scholarship , and grant applications are available two times a year for one of four $ 1000 educational grants . Both funds require recipients to have a connection to the natural world , either through study or program content .
Dr . Seymour explains that the Oxbow is not only a place ; it is a non-profit business , as well . “ The founders were hunters and fishermen , birdwatchers , botanists , farmers - they were all people that enjoy the outdoors in different ways , and the group was
Approximately 5,000 acres of land to the east and west of the Great Miami River are protected from development through conservation easements and outright purchases .
Near the site of a long defunct runway , stands what remains of an airplane hangar - one of many chapters in the story of the Great Miami River floodplain .
Photos by Susan Ray
possibly a little difficult to manage .”
He smiles and continues , “ I have a note from Warren Wells who was one of the early Rangers ; he was taking notes at one of the early meetings and scribbled in the margin , ‘ I don ’ t know if these people will ever get together .’”
Upon taking on the role of president , Dr . Seymour met with the board . He recalls , “ I said this is a business and we have to run it like a business , and that was a shock to a fair number of folks . They didn ’ t really want to consider it in
The Oxbow is home to sixty-six species of fish , and 287 species of birds , including these geese taking full advantage of a mid-winter thaw .
that way . It ’ s a fun thing to do : protection , passion , but how do you make that a business ? If you want to protect it , you have to make a business
Continued on page 5A
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215 E . Broadway St , P . O . Box 513 Harrison , Ohio 45030 ( 513 ) 367-4545 Fax : ( 513 ) 367-4546 www . jackmanhensley . com
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