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THESE HILLS ARE ALIVE! OCVN CONFERENCE 2015
The annual Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist Conference will
be held in the beautiful Hocking Hills region of southeastern
Ohio! Join us to further your learning about nature and
explore the natural wonders of this unique area.
The event fee of $60 includes Saturday breakfast, conference
sessions and/or field trip hikes, Saturday lunch and a
participant gift. When you start your registration, this fee will
automatically be added to your purchases.
On site lodging at Camp Oty'Okwa and additional meals
(Friday dinner, Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast) are
available for an added charge.
A wonderful variety of Friday pre-conference activities &
Saturday evening post-conference activities are available at
no additional charge, but must be selected on registration
form. There is also no shortage of adventures for you to enjoy
on Sunday so you can come and stay the whole weekend!
Our chapter hopes you will join us for what promises to be a
wonderful OCVN experience! Come learn why we say, "These
hills are alive!".
On site lodging is available in Sebring Lodge at Camp
Oty'Okwa. The lodge is divided into men's and women's wings
with restroom/shower facilities in each. There are plenty of
bottom bunks and you must supply your own bedding, linens,
and toiletries. Additional accommodations to suit every taste
are located a short drive away in the Hocking Hills area.
Hocking Hills State Park, near Old Man’s Cave, offers cabins
and full-service campsites. For information and reservations
call 866-644-6727 or 740-385-6165 (campground), 740-3856841 (cabins). There are also over 150 privately owned cabin
providers offering a variety of amenities. To learn more and
request a Visitor’s Guide, contact the Hocking Hills Tourism
Association at 1-800-Hocking (462-5464), or
ExploreHockingHills.Com. If you prefer more traditional
accommodations, consider Holiday Inn Express (740-3857700), or Baymont Inn & Suites (740-385-1700), located near
the S.R. 664 exit from U.S. 33.
Please note that any cancellations will result in a $25 fee.
PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS- FRIDAY APRIL 24TH
Pre-conference hike @Camp Oty'okwa
Date: Friday, April 24, 2015 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa
Join Paul Knoop and explore some of the hidden gems located on the
property of Camp Oty'okwa. The camp is situated on 700 acres nestled in the
beautiful Hocking Hills. Mild to moderate difficulty.
Pre-conference hike @Wahkeena Nature Preserve
Date: Friday, April 24, 2015 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Wahkeena Nature Preserve- Lancaster, OH
Join Tom Shisler, Naturalist and Site Manager at Wahkeena for over three
decades, to explore this preserve on the edge of the Hocking Hills. Wahkeena
Nature Preserve was created in 1956. The 150 acre preserve is located in
southern Fairfield County, west of Sugar Grove, Ohio. Wahkeena is home to
12 native orchids and numerous other wildflowers, 30 species of ferns and a
diverse mix mesophytic forest, which includes hemlocks as well as
Rhododendron and Mt. Laurel. In addition, wetlands and ponds provide rich
habitat for birds, amphibians and reptile, mammals and numerous insects
like dragonflies and damselflies. An excellent nature center with displays on
the geology, history and plant and animal of the preserve- including some
live specimens, is unmatched in the Hocking Hills region. A bookstore, with
many excellent books on a variety of nature topics, is also available in the
nature center.
Tom Shisler has been the Naturalist and Site Manager at Wahkeena for the
last 34 years. Tom has a degree in Earth Science Education from Miami
University and is well versed on the natural history of Ohio.
http://www.ohiohistory.org/museums-and-historic-sites/museum--historicsites-by-name/wahkeena
Pre-conference session/hike on Wooly Adelgid
Date: Friday, April 24, 2015 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa
Dave Apsley, Natural Resources Specialist for OSU Extension, will share a
presentation about the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and other forest threats. The
presentation will be followed by a short, easy hike to examine the local area
for signs of threat.
Pre-conference session Long Distance Hiking
Date: Friday, April 24, 2015 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa
Join Hocking Hills OVCN members, Lisa Strohm and Mary Warren for a
presentation about long distance hiking on the Appalachian Trail and
Buckeye Trail. Listen to two hikers who have hiked both share stories, tips
and tricks on being successful and having fun on long distance hikes.
There is the option of a follow up hike with Lisa and Mary on the Buckeye
Trail on Sunday after breakfast. This will be a two-mile moderate hike with
one significant ascent and one descent. This hike will leave from parking lot
at the rapelling area in the Hocking State Forest on Big Pine Rd.
Pre-conference hike@Shallenberger Nature Preserve Date: Friday,
April 24, 2015 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Lancaster OH
Join Jim Osborn, Manager of Stages Pond SNP/ODNR, for a hike at
Shallenberger State Nature Preserve in Lancaster, Ohio. The focus will be on
wildflowers and local geology. This is a 2.5 moderately difficult hike.
There is a limit of 20 participants for this event.
http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/shallenberger
Friday Evening Dinner
Date: Friday, April 24, 2015 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa
Price: $9.00
Tonight's dinner will include homemade black bean soup, baked potato bar,
salad bar and dessert. Beverages include water, coffee, hot/iced tea.
Friday Evening Lodging
Date: Friday, April 24, 2015 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa-check in
Price: $18.00
Friday Evening Talks
Date: Friday, April 24, 2015 7:15 PM - 9:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa
Join us for a special presentation by Steve Fleegal, Executive Director of the
Appalachian Ohio Alliance. Learn more about their conservancy work,
successes and what they have learned that may benefit others around the
state.
Following we will enjoy a feature presentation from Jeff Johnson, Southeast
District Manager DNAP, which will combine local history and the area's
natural environment.
Welcome Reception Sponsored by Crane Hollow SNP
CONFERENCE EVENTS- SATURDAY, APRIL 25th
Saturday Early Bird Hike
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Heike Perko
Join Heike Perko, Coordinator of the Waterloo Aquatic Education Center and
intermediate science teacher, for an early morning bird hike on the property
of Camp Oty'okwa to see what species may be present in the local area.
Saturday Breakfast & Keynote
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'Okwa with David Brandenburg
This morning's breakfast will include pancakes, sausage, yogurt and fruit.
Water, coffee and tea will also be available.
Our keynote address will be given by David Brandenberg. For a quarter of a
century David Brandenburg has been the botanist at The Dawes Arboretum
in Newark,Ohio. He is especially keen on using novel approaches to make
difficult botanical topics readily understood by nonprofessionals interested
in learning more about the natural world. Dave has been involved with the
OCVN program for a number of years, offering both introductory and
advanced training sessions.Decades of traveling and studying plant life
culminated in the 2010 publication of his National Wildlife Federation Field
Guide to Wildflowers of North America, heralded by reviewers as “…a
remarkable and revolutionary book.” Prior to his position at Dawes, he
carried out fieldwork for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and
served as curator of the herbarium at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New
York. Dr. Brandenburg lectures, leads hikes, and conducts hands-on
workshops on trees, shrubs, grasses, aquatic & wetland species, wood
anatomy, cultivated plants, and other topics. He has a lifelong passion for
economic botany: how plants are utilized as foods and flavorings, medicines,
perfumes and cosmetics, textile fibers, natural dyes, and materials for
construction.
During the keynote address, David Brandenburg will present a potpourri of
thought-provoking tidbits about plants. Part everyday science and part lore,
this botanical miscellany should both educate and amuse. David guarantees
that anyone who attends will depart with fascinating mental-memorabilia
that was absent from their head when they got out of bed that morning.
Closing the hour are a few personal anecdotes relating to his adventurous
field work throughout North America.
Saturday Session 1- Mushrooms
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Jim Chatfield
Join Jim Chatfield, long time OSU Extension Agent and OSU Professor of Plant
Pathology and Mycology, for a session about fungi. Should you eat those
beautiful mushrooms? Learn more about mushroom identification and if you
can trust folklore associated with which mushrooms are safe to consume and
which ones are not!
Saturday Session 1- Tracks & Scat
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Allison Shaw
Join Allison Shaw, Naturalist at Metroparks Sharon Woods, to become a
nature detective and learn to recognize signs of wildlife by what they leave
behind. This session will involve activities and exploration, indoors and out.
You will also learn ways you can share your knowledge with youth and
adults and what resources are best.
Alli grew up in the hills of SE Ohio outside of Marietta, exploring her parents'
42 acre property bordering Wayne National Forest. She has worked and
volunteered in nature education for 25 years at a variety of camps and
government agencies, spending the last 15 years as Hub Naturalist at Sharon
Woods Metro Park in Westerville, OH. She has a degree in Wildlife
Management from Ohio State University. Alli is also the author of an article
about scat and tracks in the current edition of Park Scope magazine from
Columbus MetroParks.
Saturday Session 1- Wildflowers
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Jeff Johnson
Join Jeff Johnson, Southeast District Manager DNAP, for a talk about
wildflowers. Learn about identification and history of wildflowers found in
southeastern Ohio.
Saturday Session 2- Galls
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Joe Boggs
Join Joe Boggs, OSU Extension Educator for Hamilton County, to learn more
about galls. Explore those strange growths we see on plants and trees to
understand their purpose and development.
Saturday Session 2- Geology
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with D. Gnidovec
Join Dale Gnidovec, Collections Manager & Curator, Orton Geological
Museum, School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University for a
presentation entitled, A Long Time Ago and Far Away – the Geologic History
of Ohio. From tropical seas and steamy swamps to ice a mile thick, the land
we call Ohio and its inhabitants have seen many changes during the last 500
million years. This talk explores the evidence in the rocks and fossils of our
state.
Dale is the Curator of OSU's Orton Geological Museum where he takes care of
over 54,000 rocks, minerals and fossils and the exhibit hall and identifies
rocks, minerals, fossils, and bones. He speaks to over 3,000 people a year
including elementary through high school classes, Scouts and other youth
groups, at parks, libraries, nature centers, retirement communities and clubs,
and teaches an Earth History course at OSU. He also writes a geology column
that appears periodically in The Columbus Dispatch.
Saturday Session 2- Salamanders
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Marcie Shafer & Marne Tichnell
Join two local salamander experts to learn more about these beautiful and
colorful creatures in Ohio. Marcey Shaffer is a naturalist at Clear Creek Metro
Park, Ohio's largest nature preserve, which spreads over Fairfield and
Hocking counties. Marne Tichnell is a Wildlife Program Specialist for OSU
Extenion. She provides a variety of educational programs, workshops and
conferences and publications centered on wildlife ecology and biology,
habitat management for wildlife and managing nuisance wildlife species.
(Marcey and Marne are leading an afternoon salamander hike as a
compliment to this presentation.)
Saturday Lunch & Awards
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa Main Lodge
This afternoon's meal will consist of hamburgers, french fries and all the
fixings. Water, coffee, hot/iced tea will be available. The option of a veggie
burger is available- please be sure to mark the vegetarian option on your
registration.
The annual OCVN awards will also be presented during the lunch hour.
Select an afternoon field trip OR session 3 & 4
Saturday Afternoon Field Trip- Salamander Hike
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa
Join two local salamander experts to learn more about these beautiful and
colorful creatures in Ohio. Hike the property of Camp Oty'okwa in search of
salamanders (and other surprises that might turn up!). Marcey Shaffer is a
naturalist at Clear Creek Metro Park, Ohio's largest nature preserve, which
spreads over Fairfield and Hocking counties. Marne Tichnell is a Wildlife
Program Specialist for OSU Extenion. She provides a variety of educational
programs, workshops and conferences and publications centered on wildlife
ecology and biology, habitat management for wildlife and managing nuisance
wildlife species. This is an easy to moderate hike.
(Marcey and Marne are presenting a morning session about salamanders
that compliments this afternoon hike.)
Saturday Afternoon Field Trip- Hike @ Conkles Hollow
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Conkles Hollow SNP- carpool to location
Take a hike in beautiful Conkles Hollow State Nature Preserve. Walk through
the gorge while viewing wildlife, wildflowers and sandstone rock formations
in the Hocking Hills State Park vicinity. This is an easy hike with a paved
walkway for the majority of the trek.
Carpooling to the site will be arranged at the camp.
http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/conkleshollow
Saturday Afternoon Field Trip- Hike @ Crane Hollow
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Crane Hollow NP- carpool to location
A unique opportunity to hike the Crane Hollow Preserve, a private,
permission only preserve governed by a nonprofit organization. William and
Jane Ann Ellis established the Crane Hollow Nature Preserve in 1980,
purchasing suitable land as it became available. Today the preserve
encompasses over 1,940 acres, 1,286 acres of which have been dedicated as a
state nature preserve by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The
preserve's rugged vertical cliffs, reentrant caves, and deep ravines provide
protection for numerous rare plants and animals. It is unique because of its
large size and pristine habitat.
Due to the limited foot traffic allowed at the preserve, this hike will be
limited to 40 participants, which will be broken in two groups of 20. Hikes
will be led by local naturalists with a vast knowledge of the property and all
its treasures. This is a moderate to difficult hike. Located just a few minutes
from Camp Oty'okwa participants will be able to carpool to the preserve.
Saturday Afternoon Field Trip- Hike Interpretive Techniques
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 2:30 PM - 5:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa
Join the staff of Camp Oty'okwa for a Discovery Hike! Explore the beautiful
grounds of Camp Oty'okwa while learning interpretive techniques that can
be used with youth and adults to help them engage with nature.
Saturday Session 3- Pollinators
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Denise Ellsworth
Join Denise Ellsworth, OSU Extension Agent specializing in pollinators, for
this interesting session. Learn more about the variety of pollinators from
mammals to insects and why they are important to humans. Master
Gardeners may recognize Denise's name from the many specialized MG
programs she has organized
Saturday Session 3- Mosses & Ferns Details
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Barb Andreas
Join Barbara Andreas for a presentation entitled Fern or Moss, What’s the
Difference? Learn to distinguish between these two seedless plants we
encounter in the woods.
Barbara K. Andreas received her Ph.D. From Kent State University, and did
PostDoctoral training in bryophytes at the University of Michigan. She is
Professor Emeritus from Kent State University. Her research is in Ohio
floristics, peatland ecology, and the moss genus Blindia. She previously was
on the boards of the Ohio Biological Survey, the Ohio Academy of Science,
and the Ohio Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. She is currently a Visiting
Scholar The Ohio State University, an Adjunct Professor at Ohio University,
and on the board of the Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association.
Saturday Session 4- Phenology
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Denise Ellsworth
Price: $0.00
Join Denise Ellsworth, OSU Extension Agent specializing in pollinators, a
discussion on phenology. Learn more about the relationship between
blooming plants/trees and the stages of insects. Master Gardeners may
recognize Denise's name from the many specialized MG programs she has
organized.
Saturday Session 4- Skunks & Raccoons
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Stan Gehrt
Join Stan Gehrt, Associate Professor at OSU and Wildlife Extension Specialist,
for a discussion on raccoons and skunks.
Saturday Evening Post-Conference Activities
Saturday Evening Dinner
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa lodge
Price: $9.00
Tonight's meal will include lasagna (both standard and vegetable versions),
salad bar, bread and dessert. Water, coffee, hot/iced tea will be available.
Saturday Evening Lodging
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015
Location: Camp Oty'okwa- check in
Price: $18.00
Saturday Evening Sessions- medicinal plants
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 7:15 PM - 8:30 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with Erica Galetin
Come join this presentation by Erica Galentin, MNIMH, lecturer, teacher,
writer, gardener, trained medical herbalist and native plant enthusiast. She
will be speaking on native medicinal plants of Ohio, their stewardship within
our ecological communities and how to incorporate medicinal plant
education into naturalist programming.
Saturday Evening Sessions- moths
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 7:15 PM - 8:30 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa with O. Kittle
Join this presentation by Olivia Kittle about raising giant silk moths. Olivia is
an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist and has been teaching science for 16
years. Born and raised in the Appalachian foothills, Olivia loves southeastern
Ohio and is determined to to educate others about local natural history,
wildlife, and conservation issues that impact nearby ecosystems. Although
birds are Olivia’s first love, once she was introduced to the world of moths,
there was no turning back! She can be found at her moth station most nights
during the summer, with field guide and camera in hand. In particular, she
has taken an interest in rearing caterpillars and studying the life cycle of
lepidoptera.
1.
Saturday Evening Campfire, S'Mores & Music
Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty'okwa
What kind of camp experience would it be without a campfire, smores and
music to round out the night? Join your fellow OCVNers for a relaxing way to
wrap up a great day of nature and learning! Sam Sapp, Steve Glade and Dale
Sigler will be performing live.
SUNDAY POST-CONFERENCE CHOICES- APRIL 26th
Sunday Morning Breakfast
Date: Sunday, April 26, 2015 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM (Eastern Time)
Location: Camp Oty-okwa
Price: $7.00
This morning's meal will be scrambled egg and english muffin sandwiches
will all the fixings and fruit. Water, coffee, hot/iced tea will be available.
Sunday Post-Conference Ideas - Choose Your Own Adventure!
Make the most of your time in the Hocking Hills by choosing your own
adventure for Sunday!
You may want to consider:
Joining HH OCVN members Lisa Strohm an Mary Warren for a hike along the
Buckeye Trail. This two-mile moderate hike includes one significant ascent
and one descent. This hike leaves from the parking lot of the rappelling area
in Hocking State Forest located on Big Pine Rd.
Take a hike on the Grandama Gatewood portion of the Buckeye Trail in the
Hocking Hills State Park vicinity. This is a 6 mile hike from Old Man's Cave to
Cedar Falls to Ash Cave. The plan is to leave at 10 am and carpool back to Old
Man's Cave at the end.
Hiking the various locations in the Hocking Hills State Parks- Old Man's Cave,
Cedar Falls, Ash Cave, Rock House, Cantwell Cliffs, Conkle's Hollow.
Visit www.hockinghills.com for more information.
Hiking at one of our beautiful nature preserves:
Rockbrige SNP- 1.75 mile loop trail to Ohio's longest natural bridge (more
info at www.hockinghills.com)
Boch Hollow SNP-572 acres with 3.5 miles of trails. Home to a wide variety of
habitats and the federally endangered Running Buffalo Clover (more info
at www.naturepreserves.odnr.gov/bochhollow)
Clear Creek Metropark- Over 5,300 acres of woodland interspersed with
blackhand sandstone cliffs, ravines and creeks. home to Ohio's last remaining
colonies of rhododendron and the state's largest nature preserve (more info
at www.metroparks.net)
Hiking or biking on the Hock-Hocking Adena Bikeway in Nelsonville, OH. 18
mile trail to Athens, OH near Ohio University. Follows paved railbed with
Hocking River and canal remnants close by. A good variety of wildflowers are
often seen in April. (more info
atwww.athensohio.com/whattodo/hockhocking-adena-bikeway)
Checking out the birding trail, ziplining or canoeing available in the
hills! (more info
at http://birdhocking.com, www.heartofhocking.com,www.explorehockinghi
lls.com, www.hockinghills.com)