Field Trips
This year's conference offers a variety of field trips for attendees to choose from. Titles and descriptions for each are listed below. Please note that pre-registration is required to attend, and capacity for each field trip is limited — be sure to reserve your spot early when registering for the symposium.
Contrasting Landscapes, Shared Recovery: Martin's Run & the Black River
See how the City of Lorain turned low-yield farmland into a thriving 20-acre wetland complex, and tour the site marking the final milestone in over a decade of remediation along the Black River — a project that helped delist the river as an Area of Concern.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 12:30 – 1:15 PM | Drive to Lorain, OH |
| 1:15 – 2:15 PM | Martin's Run Site |
| 2:15 – 3:00 PM | Drive to Black River, OH |
| 3:00 – 4:15 PM | Reclamation Site Restoration Project |
| 4:15 – 5:00 PM | Drive to Huron, OH |
H2Ohio Wetlands: From "Headwaters" to Coast
Visit two very different H2Ohio-funded restoration sites — a converted agricultural field in the Sandusky River headwaters and innovative nature-based barrier wetlands on Sandusky Bay. Great for anyone interested in engineering, design, and water quality monitoring. Note: involves ~3.25 miles on uneven, rough-mown trails.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 12:30 – 1:25 PM | Drive: Huron, OH to Kansas, OH; watch "Flowing Forward" documentary |
| 1:25 – 2:25 PM | Clary-Boulee-McDonald Nature Preserve |
| 2:25 – 3:00 PM | Drive: Kansas, OH to Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area; discuss Redhorse Bend on bus; view Redhorse from 20 Bridge |
| 3:00 – 5:00 PM | Pickerel Creek East & West |
| 5:00 – 5:30 PM | Drive: Bay View, OH to Huron, OH |
H2Ohio: Incorporating Agricultural Drainage into Existing or Restored Wetlands
Tour four sites spanning the spectrum of wetland-agriculture integration — from a former golf course reborn as a conservation area (Marinewood) to a severely degraded wetland brought back with new drainage infrastructure (Libben) to one of the largest private wetland restorations on the Lake Erie coast (Tice), funded through H2Ohio and Lake Erie CREP. Also see how a 400-acre field that once drained straight into the Little Portage River now feeds a state wildlife area instead.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 12:30 – 1:10 PM | Drive to Marinewood |
| 1:10 – 1:45 PM | Marinewood |
| 1:45 – 2:00 PM | Drive to Libben |
| 2:00 – 2:30 PM | Libben Wetland |
| 2:30 – 2:45 PM | Drive to Little Portage |
| 2:45 – 3:20 PM | Little Portage Wildlife Area |
| 3:20 – 3:45 PM | Drive to Tice Wetland |
| 3:45 – 4:15 PM | Tice Wetland |
| 4:15 – 5:00 PM | Drive to Sawmill |
Field Trip to South Bass Island
Hop a ferry to Put-in-Bay for a guided visit to OSU's Stone Laboratory and ODNR's Aquatic Visitor Center. Learn about island-based Lake Erie research and environmental education.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 12:30 – 1:00 PM | Symposium bus from Huron, OH to mainland Miller Ferry terminal at Catawba, OH |
| 1:30 – 2:00 PM | Miller Ferry ride to South Bass Island |
| 2:00 – 2:15 PM | Lime Kiln Dock to site visits near downtown Put-in-Bay |
| 2:15 – 4:30 PM | Site visits: OSU Stone Laboratory (2:15–3:15), ODNR Aquatic Visitor Center (3:15–4:30) |
| 4:30 – 4:45 PM | Island bus back to Lime Kiln Dock for departing ferry |
| 5:00 – 5:30 PM | Ferry back to mainland |
| 5:30 – 6:00 PM | Symposium bus drives back to Huron, OH |