A sign to The Nature Preserve is located near the entrance on County Road 152 outside of Middleburg.

The Nature Conservancy and its partners will celebrate Earth Week by opening a new nature preserve near Middleburg tomorrow morning at ten-thirty.

The event will include guided walks, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and remarks by representatives of The Nature Conservancy, Honda of America Manufacturing, and the Ohio EPA.

The 800-acre Big Darby Headwaters Nature Preserve is located primarily in Logan County. It features a handicapped-accessible footpath and will be open year-round for your recreation. (Audio and video interviews and photos included.)

The trail is designed and constructed to have minimal impact on the sensitive ecological area. The trail includes signs that showcase the scenic beauty and importance of the Big Darby to people and wildlife.

The new preserve is at the headwaters of the Big Darby Creek - the place where the Big Darby becomes a permanent stream.

The preserve highlights a major initiative by the Nature Conservancy to restore the natural stream flow of the Big Darby. In addition to conserving 800 acres around the headwaters, the project protects wetlands and floodplain habitat throughout the preserve and benefits water quality downstream.

The project, which started about ten years ago, is made possible through a combination of public and private support.

The Ohio EPA and US EPA approved $2.6 million.

Honda of America has donated $465,000 over the last decade.

Listen to Honda spokesperson Ron Lietzke explain the company's commitment to the project. 

Finally, $1.4 million has been raised through private donations.

The Big Darby Creek is a state and national scenic river that is widely recognized as one of the most biologically diverse streams for its size in the Midwest. The Darby watershed encompasses 560 square miles and provides habitat for at least 100 species of fish and 44 species of mussels.

Because of the continuous groundwater flow to the area, the Big Darby Headwaters include coldwater fish species such as central mottled sculpin, southern redbelly dace, and least brook lamprey. They are all rare for streams in our region.

The trail allows for a ¾ mile round trip walk and meets the guidelines for wheelchair accessibility. A second phase of the trail will include an additional 1 ½ to 2 miles. It will be constructed after restoration of the stream is completed.

Terry Seidel, who's Director of Real Estate with The Nature Conservancy, has helped lead the project.

Watch him describe what kind of plants can be found at the preserve.

Seidel hopes that The Nature Preserve will benefit our area for many, many years.

Watch him explain.  

Parking for Saturday's event will be at Middleburg United Methodist Church on State Route 287. Conservancy greeters will be at the parking lot to guide guests to shuttle buses. There will be no parking at the preserve during the event.

A stream that feeds into the Big Darby Creek

Some of the vegetation found in the Big Darby Headwaters

The boardwalk at the end of The Nature Preserve's trail