Ohio's National Wildlife Refuge

The national news might have you convinced that America is almost a lost cause. Not true! If the political debates or racial injustices are getting you down, here is a flash of good news.

America was the first nation to ever set aside land for the people.  The National Parks are the people's parks. In the same spirit of preservation and protection for the enjoyment of future generations, America also set-aside National Wildlife Refuges.  These lands belong to all of the citizens of America and we all benefit from their protection.

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, Ohio

National Wildlife Refuges preserve dynamic landscapes set aside for wildlife and the enjoyment thereof.  Ottawa NWR is the largest wetlands remaining in Ohio. It was once part of a gigantic complex called the Great Black Swamp.  For millennia these wetland "swamps" have provided breeding, nesting and migratory passage stop-overs for hundreds of species of birds, mammals and even butterflies.

Welcome to Ohio:  land of commodity corn and beans.

Without protection, these vital wetlands which cleanse our ground water and provide habitat for wildlife would no longer exist.  Ohio has lost somewhere between 90-94% of our wetlands.  Some have been lost to development, but much of it was drained, tiled and tilled for agriculture.  It should be no surprise that our once common wetland birds and insects have suffered losses as a direct result.

Wetlands are not only for the birds.

The National Wildlife Refuges are lands all across our great country, providing eco-services for our wildlife and scientific research opportunities.  They are dedicated to connecting Americans to the natural wonders which were once common. Many of those species are struggling to survive. Too often they have become wildlife's last resort.  These refuges have become the Alamo of our last natural lands.

We cannot let greed or lack of awareness destroy the lands set aside and managed to provide habitat for wildlife displaced by development, cattle or corn. Yes, we need farms and cities to provide habitat and food for people.  But we cannot afford them at the expense wild species we have yet to study and barely understand. The lessons provided by these species should be early warning system for us.

The lesson from our National emblem, the Bald Eagle:

Within my lifetime, we nearly lost the very species used to represent this great nation. How little we understood the impacts of DDT.  We carelessly spread it upon our lands and waters with no thought for the long-term impacts.  When scientists warned of the dangers, they were rebuffed and personally humiliated. We seem to reject the messengers of bad news, as if that could change the course of history.

Ohio was the epicenter in the reintroduction and study of Bald Eagles. We learned that the fragility of their eggs was caused by DDT and it was banned our farms and cities. Forty years later, we now have a thriving population of eagles.

Hopefully, today we better understand the implications of the chemicals we use.  Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge could rightfully be called "home of the screaming eagles" and a laboratory for the birds.  It is not just about hunting and waterfowl, but the hunters have certainly paid for much of those conservation lands we enjoy.

Bronze Copper butterflies are wetland specialists.

The our native Ohio vegetation is also protected by this great refuge.  Both the rarely known aquatic species and the terrestrial wetland gems that provide food for insects and seed for birds are found in abundance.  Therefore, our Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is also is a hot spot for wetland butterflies and dragonflies. We have reports of the occasional rarities, too!  Few years back I wrote a blog featuring ONWR butterflies and you can find it at: Ottawa NWR: A Copper Mine

• In the fall of 2016 we are planning a big botany and birding event to be held in Lakeside with field trips into the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.  So mark a HOLD on your calendars for Sept.30 - Oct 2.  You'll be amazed at what we have in store!

Ottawa NWR- A Copper Mine

Ottawa National Wildlife Reserve in northwest Ohio has been all the talk of late. The gates have been open more frequently to birders, and the shorebird migration has been all the rage. It seems they had a gob of godwits last weekend and Larry Richardson tells the full story here.



Another group of nature-seekers have been haunting the paths at these same impoundments. September and October aren't just a good time to see shore birds and fall color.

Jason Lewis (Ottawa NWR manager) and Jackie Riley (Karner Blue butterfly monitor), hard at work!

Fall is also prime time for late butterflies! Especially the RARE Purplish Copper, Ohio's most wanted butterfly; they had not been seen in about ten years! That is, until someone got a photo last year while birding at Ottawa.

So the great hunt begins! First we need to wade through the Bronze Coppers, their sister species. After seeing nearly 400 Bronze Coppers in one day, one might think they are as common as a butterfly could be! However, since they are strictly a wetlands species- and Ohio has lost over 90% of our wetlands- they are only common in rare places.

Butterflies often have highly refined tastes for certain host plants, and our target species, the Purplish Copper, feed on a terrestrial form of the Water Smartweed, Polygonum amphibium. Some say Purplish are extra keen on the hairy form of the plant.

We checked over every plant and every individual we could find. This female appeared to be settling in to lay eggs, but alas she is only a Bronze Copper. We continued to look...

Did I mention there was over three miles of possible habitat? It was like searching for a needle in a haystack! Unfortunately, after four hours of beating the bushes, we were no closer to solving the mystery of the missing Purplish Copper.

But we haven't given up! Well, maybe for this year. But next year, we will be back at it, armed with these amazing "cheat sheets" that Jackie made for us. Now you have the scoop on Ohio's "Most Wanted" butterfly! Take a close look and you will see why it is so easy to confuse these two different species of the copper colored butterflies.

Special thanks goes out to Mike Reese of Wisconsinbutterfly.org for allowing us to use his wonderful photos. If we can't find our own Purplish Copper soon, we may have to go visit Mike to see a little bit of their marsh magic!

Remember, keep your eyes to the skys (and the smartweeds) if you are visiting Ottawa NWR!