Nature is a great source of inspiration and is constantly telling us that nothing is impossible. In the Cleveland Metroparks, we see how nature has transformed the Acadia Country Club property, and down in Richfield, Nature has reclaimed the space where the monolithic Coliseum once stood. In natural spaces all over Ohio, historical mills, quarries and farmland has been transformed into forests and meadowlands.
A cold, windy and snowy winter that seemed to freeze everything has given way to flowering trees, wildflowers and bright green grass. Nature transforms our landscape and has the power to spark our creativity. It’s miraculous.
Last Friday, I spent a couple of hours at Eagle Creek Preserve in Garrettsville. A friend of mine said, “You have to see the wildflowers, they’re amazing,” so off we went. I had no expectations, but when we entered the woodlands, we found a forest floor covered in large bright clusters of trillium, Jacob’s ladder, columbine, vinca, hepatica, spring beauty, mayflower and trout lily. The skunk cabbage completely overwhelmed a wetland area, and some ferns stood three feet high. We were surrounded by young maples and beeches, making the canopy sparse. Streams of light lit up beds of flowers that threatened to hide bogs and creeks. Further on, an observation deck provided a view of a large pond where ducks and blue herons found respite. We think we saw thirty kinds of spring wildflowers, but the website boasts that 70 species make their home in the quiet forest.
We were alone in a magnificent outdoor space. It’s what makes Ohio’s nature preserves special. My friend has taken advantage of programming sponsored and led by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and has learned much while wearing her rubber boots. She had great teachers who were intent on preserving rare species of trees and plants, unique geological features, and our pre-settlement past. There are 480 acres protected at Eagle Creek Nature Preserve, which makes it large, but some preserves spread out over one thousand acres—imagine being alone in a 1000-acre wood. Not all the preserves are owned by the state and not all of them are open to the public.
The Division of Natural Areas and Preserves’ website compiles a Wildflower Bloom Report for each week in the spring. The best places to find windflowers in northern Ohio include “Augusta Anne-Olsen, Eagle Creek, Goll Woods, Johnson Woods, Kendrick Woods, Lawrence Woods, Collier, and Lou Campbell state nature preserves.” As the spring bloom comes to an end in the next couple of weeks, the viewing will be less exciting, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find some at the state’s nature preserves.
Cell phones are allowed for taking photos only.
