Fall 2007 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust

8/9/2019 Fall 2007 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fall-2007-valley-trust-newsletter-three-valley-conservation-trust 1/12

Valley Trust

NEWS

“Valley Trust News,”

the newsletter for members of the

Three Valley Conservation Trust, is

published four times per year.

Editors:

Michele Simmons

Mary Glasmeier

Number 33 / fall 2007 Conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of Southwest Ohio

Calendar

OCTOBER3 LTA Rally begins

3 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT

6 LTA Rally ends

8 Adventure of a Lifetime

rafesalesbegin

13 Adopt-A-Highway Pickup,

10 am, call Liz at 523-1782

november4 Time Change at 2:00 am

7 Board Meeting, 7 pm, TVCT10 ArtAuction,6:30pm BeauVerreStudios

DECEMBER


15 Drawing for Adventure of a

Lifetimerafe JANUARY


IndexArt Auction in November ...... 1

Let Me be Frank ...................... 2

Art Auction Benefactors ........ 2

From the Desk of Larry........... 3

Remembering Indian Creek .... 4

Snapshot! Series ...................... 5

Snapshot 1: The Dohn’s ......... 5

Return of the Prairie ................ 6

Developing News ................... 7

Pig Roast Review .................... 7

Snapshot 2: The Hoke’s .......... 8Call for Nominations........... 11

Membership Form ............... 11

Board of Trustees .................. 12

Masterworks for Nature

Art Auction

At 8 pm, November 10, original paint-

ings by internationally recognized

MasterWorks wildlife artists Devere

Burt, Mary Lou Holt, John Ruthven,Katie Jo South, Chris Walden, and

veotherswillbeauctionedbythe

always entertaining Doug Ross to raise

funds for the Three Valley Conserva-

tion Trust. Vacation getaways, jewelry,

oriental carpets, Central Asian handi-

crafts and more will also be auctioned.

Additionally, there will be limited high

quality silent auction items available

for a wide range of tastes.

The MasterWorks for Nature artistsare a group of regional wildlife and

landscape artists with a common pas-

sion for nature. They were inspired

by their visits to easement-protected

properties when creating these works

forauction.“Quicknish”paintings

will be completed by some of these

artists during the evening.

The annual auction is the Trust’s

major fundraiser with proceeds

Saturday, November 106:30 - 10:00 pm

BeauVerre Studios

going to operations. These funds along

withmemberships“paythebills”to

pursue our mission. This approach has

helped the 13-year-old Trust to protectover 7600 acres of farmland, habitat,

woodlands, and streams.

Join the Trust and these ten superb artists

for an interesting and enjoyable evening.

For your $40 reservation,

enjoy gourmet food, wine and beer,

superb music, an entertaining auctioneer,

andchancesatterricdoorprizes!

In October, many items will be displayed

online at the TVCT’s web site:www.3vct.org,

and on Doug Ross’ web site:

www.auctionross.com.

The paintings to be auctioned will be on

display at BeauVerre Studios

1054 Central Avenue in Middletown.

Forauctionreservations,absenteebid,

and/orformoreinformation,

call the Trust ofce at 513-524-2150.

Left: “Tales of Twin Creek” by Chris Walden, one of the prints

available to auction benefactors. Call the ofce for details.


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fall-2007-valley-trust-newsletter-three-valley-conservation-trust 3/12Autumn 2007 www.3vct.org

This record hot, dry summer has dried our crops, butnot sapped our energy to sustain these beautiful valleys.

Indeed, the efforts of the Board and volunteers of the

Three Valley Conservation Trust and our partner

organizations are planning events, providing baseline

documentation and follow-up monitoring for the amazing

habitats and farms we protect. They are working with staff

to create protocols, to develop beautiful brochures, to edit

thenewsletter,toraiseawarenessandfunds,andtollin

forOfceManagerMaryGlasmeierduringrecuperation

(Thanks, Catherine Hollins!). Our staff and volunteers

have developed the soundest policies and procedures to

safeguard your money, your lands and your vision of amagnicentthree-valleyarea.

The whole organization is beginning a shift toward

stewardship of protected lands. With these monitoring

responsibilities mounting, we rely on trained monitoring

volunteers to carry the ball. Participating in a fall

monitoring training session provides an opportunity

for hands-on views of protected lands. Call the TVCT

ofceforinformationonthenexttrainingsession.

The Trust has revised the area’s Twin Creek Watershed

Action Plan to develop consensus strategies for

Fm he Desk f...

L arry F rimer manExEcutivE DirEctor

conservation and planned water quality improvement projects.

Thanks to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources

(ODNR), Ohio EPA, the new Watershed Coordinator

agency, and the Miami University Institute of

Environmental Sciences.

TVCT is currently working through more than a dozen

easements to be completed before year’s end, and we

continue to get calls from landowners seeking the tax

benetthatisslatedtoexpire12/31/07.SinceJune,we

havecompletedninemoreterriceasements,nowtotaling

63 TVCT easement-preserved properties covering 8400

acres of special natural and agricultural lands. You have

helpedustopreservevenewproperties(Geddes,Bruns,

Hoffmann, Glander, Molen) with large native prairies and

wetlands and to protect nearly 3000 acres in 2007 alone.

We are grateful to many local, state, and federal agencies

as well as our usual hardworking group here.

If you would like to participate in the MasterWorks for

Nature Art Auction Benefactor Program, contact Lawrence

Leahyattheofce.Invitationsfortheeventwillbesent

out in October. We look forward to seeing you there!z

Win an Adventure of a Lif etime! Enter the TVCT Trip Rafe and winhe p f y he:

Kauai & Hawaii Adventure Trip; or

Glacier Bay Discovery Alaskan Cruise; or

Canada & New England Discovery Cruise; or

Peru Highlights (includes Machu Picchu!)

(TRAVEL MUST BE COMPLETED IN 2008.)

Drawing on December 15 For more information, visit www.3vct.org.

Call 524-2150 after October 8 for tickets.

$100 per ticket ONLY 300 TICKETS WILL BE SOLD

Tickets go on sale October 8


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fall-2007-valley-trust-newsletter-three-valley-conservation-trust 4/124 www.3vct.org Valley Trust NewS

Remembering Indian Creek

submitted byCraig Springer

blocks. Ludlow walked straight lines turning at right

angles as he went along, making notes for pragmatic

purposes. He noted the soils and timber and water

courses,mostlysotheGeneralLandOfceinCincin-

nati could market the properties for would-be frontier

farmers.Hissurveywasamongtherstofitstypethatfrom there westward would carve the land into a uniform

checkerboard. The road in front of my New Mexico

homeparallelsFaireldRoad.Astiffstraightlinenorth

washisarticialanchorandtheeventualstateline.A

hard right turn east, only a few feet away and Ludlow

crossed a small stream looping and roiling obtusely; duly

noted in the log book in cursive writing not unlike the

twists and bends the creek makes approaching Reily.

The huge oaks and maples yielded to the

axe and plow. Only vestiges of woods

remain. Big sycamores hold steadfast still

to the creeksides. Beneath the still watersof my natal creek, near the throat of a pool, in

the tangle of the roots lies the object of my former

affections. Glaciers brought what

chubs needed in Indian Creek.

They excavated nests in the

gravelly bottoms, making 10-foot-

long ridges of gravel where oxygen-rich water percolated

over fertilized eggs. Shelves of fossil-littered limestone

slabs make a lair for them to hide under looking to put

their maw around anything small enough to pass by or

drop in. The stream’s slope was just right to move water

downhill, not too fast, and not too slow.

Dendritic creeks in the headwaters still feed Indian

Creek, where the dendritic veins in maple leaves pass

the creek water on in a circularity of experience. The

geography of experience expresses itself in the right

angles of roads crossed by nature’s sinuous curves

intersected with my sentiments bound up in the

passing of time. I’ll be reconstituted there at my

passing in a circularity of experience; I miss the creek

chubs that much.z

I won’t issue an apology; I miss jerking creek chubs from a

boyhood creek. A good many summers have passed since I

rstplieditswatersasakid.Butthosememoriesareasfresh

as bread baked this morning. A tiny piece of garden worm

couldarousetheinterestofmostanything:apeskycraysh,a

bullhead, rock bass, or a redhorse. I landed a good number of gameshthere;oneisonmywallabovemydeskasIwrite.

But thoughts of a creek chub bobbing on the line jogging in

the current summons that sense of newness that seems to live

fresh only in youth. Thoughts of chubs summon sounds of

silver maple leaves turning upside down in the breeze at the

front end of a coming summer storm, when the hot air turns

quickly cool. I can

hearthe“croak”

of a chub in

hand, looking at its

wide grin. Five-inch-long chubs,

green like an apple on top and redlike a fading rose on the bottom, and a head

covered with horns - they brought a kid closer to the workings

and wonders of nature. Indian Creek discreetly rises where

tiny races seemingly too little to name, pull together where

glaciers piled up gravelly till. But the little races do carry

names, and from what they are named is not entirely clear.

Brandywine, College, Sand, Little Four Mile — they

converge like veins on a maple leaf to form Indian-proper.

Add to it the tiny Tent Run, not more than a mile long, lying

acrossthestateline.Iusedtoimaginetherstgovernment

land surveyors camped in tents there in 1799, making a base

campastheylaidarticiallinesatrightanglesonthelandsoCongress could sell it to eager farmers.

It’sacuriousintersectionwherethearticialmeetsthenatu-

ral.There,rightontheIndiana-Ohiostateline,FaireldRoad

tethers Oxford to Brookville. It’s now an asphalt monument

to the privations of Israel Ludlow and his surveyor’s crew.

The road lies over a section line, straight as ribbon. Ludlow’s

crew endured hardship on what was then a wilderness, the

frontier in a young United States. Far removed from any

sizable civilization, Ludlow laid down lines in square-mile



(Snapshots!

continued on page 8)

Snapshot 1:Preble County Sheep,llamas and moreSubmitted by Summer Glasmeier

Dave and Janice Dohn live on 65 acres of rolling hills

that were placed under easement in 2004. It’s at the

southernmost part of Preble County right on the Butler

County line in Gratis Township. They chose to protect

theirland“becauseweneedthespace.”Likemanyother

landowners, they see the cities creeping out of their boundaries, encroaching on farms and habitat.

They employ their land in several different ways. Twenty-

two acres of woods are reserved for natural habitat. Trails

meander through the woods for their enjoyment. One of

the trails leads to what they originally suspected to be one

of the biggest sassafras trees in Ohio. After checking with

the state, it was the largest one in Preble County.

Another 16 acres encompasses the homes for the Dohns

andalltheiranimals.The“farmhouse”ishomenot

only to Dave and Janice, but also to their cat, Steve, and

their dog, Claire. Farmhouse is not the correct term for the Dohn home. With its unique lines and lighting, it’s

unusual and fun just like the Dohns.

Whenyouheadouttothe“otherhouse,”thebarn,you

willndtwollamas,28lambs,someducks,geese,and

a few barn cats.

About 27 acres are used to grow hay for the livestock.

The lambs are raised for market and the investment must

be protected, hence the llamas. Llamas are excellent

for warding off coyotes. Even with the llamas, you

Snapshots! People & their land Snapshots! People & Their Land provides stories of the people and the lands they protect. We hope that you will enjoy getting to

know a little about your neighbors.

still hear the coyotes

eerie yowling in the

surrounding countryside.

In the words of his

mother, Dave quipped,

“The howl of a coyote

just makes your tailbone

quiver.”

Dave Dohn with a view of his Preble County property.

Every purchase supports the Trus t!

Use your card regularly!

Make it

a habit!

Call 513-524-2150to get your free card.

Baaa! Baaa!



Few Ohioans realize that prairies once were prominent

features of our local landscape. Encouraged by a historic

dryclimateandmaintainedbyressetbyNative

Americans seeking easier travel and better hunting,

native grassland was an important ecosystem throughout

western Ohio.

Upon their arrival in the late 1700s, settlers found

hundreds of individual prairies ranging in size from a few

acres to many square miles. A sight unfamiliar to folks

indigenous to the Eastern Woodlands, prairies—from

theFrenchword“meadow”—atthattimeencompassed

over one million acres of the future Buckeye State. In

the minds of these pioneers, the tall grasses and paucity

oftreessigniedbarrenlandunworthyoffarming.Only

Deere’s“grasshopperplow”ofwroughtironandsteel

could cut the heavy sods, exposing rich, fertile soils

and sealing the prairie’s fate. By the early 1900s, only

Return of the Prairie submitted by Jon Costanzo

Butler County Department of Environmental Services (BCDES) is implementing an innovative

naturalization project, converting exotic lawn turf to

a rich diversity of prairie species on some of its 72

facility sites. The conversion has reduced mowing

and other lawn maintenance costs, while also

providing wildlife habitat and beautifying the sites.

Photo credit: Monica Wilson, BCDES

(Continued on page 10

Woodland Trails Wildlife Area

Oak Savannah.

Fourteen-acre site developed by Miami ValleyPheasants Forever. Intersection of State Route 127 and

Gasper-Somers Road, 3 miles north of Camden.

More info: www.orgs.muohio.edu/pheasantsforever/

programs/habitat.html

Miami Whitewater Forest

Warm-season grasslands and cool-season meadows.

9001 Mount Hope Road, Harrison.

More info: www.hamiltoncountyparks.org/parks/miami.htm

scattered prairie plots remained; today, truly native prairie

oraisrelegatedtoisolatedpatchesalongabandoned

railroad rights-of-way and the neglected corners of

pioneer cemeteries. Intensive agriculture and land

development have made the tallgrass prairie one of the

rarest ecosystems in Ohio.

With the disappearance of these productive grasslands

went much of the wildlife that depended on them for food

and shelter. Gone forever is the once-common prairie

chicken, an icon of the pioneer heritage extirpated in the

early 1900s. Soon to follow is the American badger, a

solitary resident of burrows beneath the prairie sod. In

the face of these ever-shrinking habitats, some grassland

species adapted to haylands and pastures, surrogates

of the lost prairie. Unfortunately, populations of many

songbirds, the Eastern meadowlark, dickcissel, and

bobolink among them, are now in serious decline. Thecauses are not well known, but often can be

traced to the loss, degradation, and adverse

management of these habitats.

The good news is that the ecological values

and aesthetics of the Ohio prairie have been

rediscovered. From the efforts of government

agencies, conservation groups and committed

individuals, modern warm-season grasslands are

being created and managed to protect soil and

DeWitt Cabin

Demonstration Prairie.

One-acre site developed by Audubon Miami Valley.

Miami University Natural Areas, off State Route 73.

More Info: www.units.muohio.edu/naturalareas/

special/PrairieDemo.htm

Huffman Prairie

Largest remaining stand of original tallgrass prairie

in Ohio. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton.

More info: www.nature.org/wherewework/

northamerica/states/ohio/preserves/art3094.html

Visit a Prairie Near You


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fall-2007-valley-trust-newsletter-three-valley-conservation-trust 7/12Autumn 2007 www.3vct.org 7

Developing Newsfrom Lawrence Leahy, Development Director

During these past few months we have developed quite a few

projects, as you will notice in articles dispersed throughoutthe Newsletter:

• Our Pig Roast on the Bruns’ farm was a memorable event;

I think if we ever have a drought like this past summer,

we should have a Pig Roast much earlier—as soon as we

nishedsettingupandeveryonebeganarrivingthedark

clouds rolled in, the wind pounded us and it poured.

• We are still preparing for our November Art Auction and

trying to identify Benefactors to support this event. We

have approximately 25 Benefactors. Thank you to all, but

we need many more.

• Plansarecomingtogetherforatriprafetobeheldlaterthisyear.Wewillhaveawonderfulprizefortherafe

winner. See page 2 for more information on a chance to

win a trip to a destination you are sure to enjoy.

One of our most important activities is to constantly

communicate our mission to people and to increase our

membership base. While our membership base is the

foundation for our operations budget, we will always need

fundraising events to further support operations so we can

One of the more memorable events in the history of the

Three Valley Conservation Trust has to be the 2007 Blue-

grass & BBQ at the Bruns Farm! Although this region has

experienced severe drought for months, to assume that it

would break on Saturday the 8th of September at 4:30 in

the afternoon was certainly not expected during the daysofnalplanninginlateAugust.

At 2:00 pm on Saturday, the sky displayed patches of blue

and white then gradually clouded over as our volunteers

were struggling to erect the red-topped tent loaned by

Miami Valley Pheasants Forever. The tent was a perfect

compliment to the large picnic shelter built by hosts Al

and Mary Bruns. Tables were arranged with a display of

rafeitemsandeasementphotos.Around4:15pmanom-

inous inky black sky began to reveal itself on the southern

horizon. As guests arrived, the wind hit hard and fast and

continue our work to protect and

preserve land. We are committedto protecting our easement

properties forever so the more

people who know us and support

us, the better.

Many people who are familiar with the Trust know

that we access Federal and State funds to assist our

easementholders.However,theTrustisa“pass-through”

agency, and as such, we do not keep a percentage of,

or have access to these funds. Our support comes from

membership, donations, planned giving, and fundraising.

Please keep this in mind when talking with others about

the Trust.

In the previous newsletter there was an article about a

unique way to donate IRA funds—tax free—in 2007.

Please feel free to contact me if you are interested or have

any questions about this program that is due to expire on

December 31.

Enjoy the changes of the seasons and warm holiday

wishes for you and yours. z

roseinintensity.Twotentapsburstapartjustasallthe

items were swiftly being removed to the safety of nearby

vehicles. The gusts and rain were relentless and threatened

to lift the tent – not unlike Dorothy - into the air to be de-

posited somewhere in northern Preble County or beyond!

Several people grasped the frame structure overhead acting

as human anchors for the struggling tent. The downpour

was so heavy that the waterproof fabric began to fail

Pig: TastyWeather: AwfulDo it again? You bet!

(Continued on page 10)

The Woolum Brothers play at their “second” location - under the shelter.



Jason and Jennifer Hoke agreed on placing their thirteen

acre mini farm in Milford Township under a conservation

easement with the Three Valley Conservation Trust even

before acquiring the property. Their interest was piqued

after two of Jason’s partners in his medical practice were

discussingsomeofthebenetsofdonatinglandtoa

conservation easement. Not only do easements protect and

preserve the land and its natural beauty, the landowner

alsorealizesataxbenetfromdonation..

In fact, conversations with fellow physicians Mike Fain

and Nathan Morris often focused on protecting their farmsand preserving the rural character surrounding Oxford.

“Nathan had read about another organization working

with landowners on conservation easements in a farm

journal, and the three of us in our medical practice were

all very interested. After Congress enacted the tax change

making it easier to use the donation of an easement on

ourtaxes,myCPAconrmedthatsigninganeasement

would work tax-wise for my family. When we had moved

to Southwest Ohio to practice medicine in Oxford, we

wanted to live in and support the rural values we have

held since our childhoods. Dr. Fain and Dr. Morris

grew up on farms, and their appreciation of rural valueshad brought us together, and given us a strong sense of

commonality and community of interest in our practice.

Even though we didn’t grow up on a farm, our relatives

did, and we can identify with the lifestyle and the values.

Itwassomethingimportanttoourfamily,”Jasonnoted.

The Hokes shortly thereafter selected and purchased their

13.5 acre site for their future home and mini-farm. The

primarily agricultural ground in Milford Township retains

its woodland borders and provides lovely vistas of the

countryside. The property sits high on a ridge and rolls

back toward a tributary to Seven Mile Creek and backs up to

a large cattle farm to the west. The family plans on having a

small orchard, a few horses, and enjoying the open space. The

land has fox, deer, coyote, rabbits, as well as red-tailed hawksand many other species of birds. The land contains a headwater

stream and drainage leading to Seven Mile Creek nearby.

At the edges, the property has white and red oak, walnut,

sycamore, maple, honey locust, hackberry, and cedar, among

its trees.

“We were attracted to this property because of our desire and

the ability to be in a rural area, away from city life, but just

10 or 15 minutes from my medical practice in Oxford. We

selected our small farm location because of the view — a

beautiful hilltop site overlooking an open expanse, lovely

trees, and the barn. The view, and the openness of the land, is

somethingyoudon’tndanymore.JenandIdidnotwanttolive in or support the creation of another intensely suburban

area such as along the Cincinnati-Dayton I-75 corridor. But,

you never know when your neighbor or people that come after

you will decide to sell and subdivide, and then your land’s

beauty is gone for good. We like the thought that no major

thoroughfare would come through Oxford — that remoteness

fromheavytrafcallowstheareatomaintainthesmalltown

feel and setting that would otherwise be lost. We don’t get the

sense that this area will ever be overgrown like the Cincinnati

Daytoncorridor.”

Dr. Jason Hoke on his Butler County property

CENTRAL BUTLER COUNTY

MILFORD TOWNSHIP

Snapshot 2:

Smaller Conservation Easements Provide Edge Habitat,Small-scale Farm, Open Space Values

submitted by Larry Frimerman



“Most importantly we appreciate what this property has to

offer not only now, but in the future. We want to pass down

the property to our children and keep it in the family. And,

I hope our children and theirs would feel the same way as

we do. We have two boys, our oldest is 3½ years old and

youngest is 13 months old.

Jason further noted, “I grew up

nearManseld,andJennear

Willard, in rural areas similar to the

area which includes this property.

We grew up in the country. My

uncle was a beef cattle farmer, and

I loved being at his farm. Jennifer’s

family has a dairy and grain farm.

Some of her family still lives on

the same road they grew up on,

and most are living within a onemile radius of each other. We share

the same values. We both went to

college, had our time in the city,

but have gravitated back to the

rural environment that we wanted

toraiseourfamilyin.”

“Jen would get teased because she

wanted to play with bugs and frogs

andturtles.Jenisthesherinthe

family, she’ll be the one who’ll

teachourboystoshbecause

she’s good at it. I just love being

outdoors, and not too cramped — going

for hikes, enjoying nature.

“Larry and the Trust made the easement process very easy

and comfortable for us. He helped us understand the issues,

the permanence of our decision, and all the steps and tasks

involved with completing and managing our easement. We

reallyappreciatedthat,”headded.

“We’re glad we made our decision to protect our land,

and are looking forward to being closer to Oxford after

In 2006, Congress expanded for 2006 and 2007 the

conservation easement tax deduction to correct a defect

in the pre-existing tax law that limited easement

donors’ ability to fully deduct the conservation

easement donation value.

The tax change permits current conservation easement

donors to deduct 50% of their adjusted (prior to item-ized and standard deductions) gross income (AGI) each

year for up to a maximum of sixteen years, or until the

value of the appraisal-derived easement donation value

isusedup,whichevercomesrst.Forfarmerswhoare

often“cashpoor,landrich”,thedeductionis100%

living in Germantown for a few years. We just recently

moved nearby after selling our home there. We’re planning

construction of our new home, which is a time-consuming

process, so it will be much easier to manage the process

withoutthecommute,”addedJennifer.

Smaller rural parcels such as the

Hoke’s can still offer conservation

benets.Someofthesebenets

oftencanbesignicant,and

are worth preserving. “Small

parcels that are conserved even

for agricultural and conservation

purposes can offer a variety of

edge species of birds, waterfowl,

andhabitat,”notedSamFitton,

TVCT Board member, at a

conservation easement monitoringtraining workshop. “It turns out

that many small agricultural

eldsprovideanecessarybuffer

for adjacent forests and riparian

woodlands.”Infact,theeasement

could be the anchor for other

conservation easement activity

nearby, both through word of

mouth and greater understanding

of what easements do and

don’t do.

The Hokes recognized the

potentialbenetoftherecently

enacted law temporarily expanding the conservation

easementdonationtaxdeduction.Thechangeissignicant

enough to make it more feasible for a broader range of

property owners to more fully utilize the tax deduction than

under the prior tax law. “The changes in the federal income

tax law made it more attractive to act now, and before the extra

benetexpiresinDecember,”saidJasonHoke.“Hopefully,

Congresswillpermanentlyextendthetaxbenetthisyear.” z

View of the Hoke’s property.

of their incomes. However, unless Congress extends

the new provisions, they could revert to the old tax law

which permitted an easement donor to deduct only 30%

of their AGI per year for up to six years. If you do not

want to see this provision to expire, you may want to

contact your Congressional representative.

EDITOR’SNOTE:On September 21, 2007, the Senate

Finance Committee approved the “Habitat and Land

ConservationActof2007”byunanimousvote.Thisbill

includes the provisions of S. 496 — permanentexten-

sionoftheconservationeasementincentive.

Conservation Easement Tax Provisions in Jeopardy



and the rain soaked through — dripping onto heads and

shoulders. Thanks to Danny Woedl, Sergio Pierluissi and

his guest Katie, Jon Costanzo, Mary Glasmeier, Catherine

Hollins, Larry Frimerman, and the two chefs from the Da-

vidson Meat Processors for their heroic acts of bravery and

self-sacrice.Allpitchedintokeepthetentfromblowing

to Kansas. Only when the lightening increased did they

come to their senses and abandoned their stations. Soon

the wind subsided, though it continued to rain, and the tent

sat slumped and crooked waiting to be straightened.

More than 100 hearty souls made it to the Bruns Farm for

the event. It was a

relief to see so many

who were not deterred

by the threat of the

elements. Davidson

Meat Processors from

Waynesville prepared

delicious pulled pork and our great team

of cooks led by Ann

Geddes, Marcia and

Laura House, Mary

Bruns, and Josette

Stanley prepared tasty picnic side dishes and desserts. By

uproarious applause, it was obvious that everyone enjoyed

the outstanding bluegrass music performed by the Woolum

Brothers of Hamilton. We would like to recognize the

sponsors who helped to underwrite the event: The Dupps

Company, Germantown; Bullen SemiConductor, Eaton;

Weyerhaeuser, Eaton; Dale Carter Ford and Rodney CobbChevroletbothofEaton.Tendollargiftcerticateswere

provided for each guest by Gander Mountain of Huber

Heights.RafeprizesweredonatedbyBassProShop,

Faireld;Wal-MartofEaton;EscortInc.fromWest

Chester;

Whistle Stop

of Oxford

and LCNB

of Oxford.

Rumpke

Consolidated

provided

a portable

restroom at

a substantial

discount.

The threatened

washout of the

event provided an opportunity for greater camaraderie

and future memories. Should there be another drought in

the future, the solution may lie in a pig roast!z

Prairie (continued from page 6)

PigRoast (continued from page 7)

Lawrence Leahy, Josette Stanley, Ann Geddes and

Susan Maxeld

Gift Idea for the Holidays!

John Ruthven

“Three Valley Great Blue Heron”

Limited to 100 Signed & Numbered PrintsJust a few are left!

$125.00

Call the Office at 513-524-2150

Rain-soaked Eric Hollins takes cover under

the picnic shelter.

water quality, to provide wildlife habitat, and to beautify

the landscape. Like the original prairies, these stands are

composedofgrassesandforbs(wildowers)thatgrow

mainly during the summer and produce seeds in the fall.

These plants are deep-rooted, long-lived perennials that

areinvigoratedbygrazingandre.Comparedtopasture

andhayelds,whicharedominatedbyjustafewcool-

season exotics, warm-season grasslands not only are more

tolerant to drought and disease, but they also support a

greater biomass and diversity of both plants and animals.

Many landowners (and even some governmental

agencies—see photo on page 6) have found that native

grassland is an excellent alternative to plain-Jane

turfgrass.WildowersofEasteregghuesandstately

grasses swaying on the breeze offer eye appeal that turf

fescues just can’t match. Converting one’s manicured

lawn to a native planting makes ecological and economic

sense, too: contrary to the lawn’s continual demand for

fertilizer, pesticides, and mowing, established prairie plots

require fewer inputs and much less management.z


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fall-2007-valley-trust-newsletter-three-valley-conservation-trust 11/12Autumn 2007 www.3vct.org 11

NAME __________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________

CITY ___________________________________ ST _________ ZIP ________________

PHONE(S) ______________________________________________________________

EMAIL __________________________________________________________________

Send the newsletter via email to the address above.

I would like to volunteer. Please contact me.

I give permission to list my name as a supporter.

MEMBERSHIP LEVELS

All receive a static cling decal and Valley Trust News (via mail or email)

Trust Benefactors

Great Blue Heron Group - $10,000+Free reservations for all Trust events, Chair’s Reception, Tour of at least oneeasement site

Founder’s Society - $2,500+Free reservations for two Trust events, Chair’s Reception, Tour of at least oneeasement site

Conservationist - $1,000 - $2,499

Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting, Chair’s Reception

Trust Partners

Guardian - $500 - $999 Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting

Contributor - $250 - $499Free reservations for two at Annual Meeting

Sponsor - $100 - $249 Member - $50 - $99

Student - $25 Other - $_______

My company has a matching gift program, I will send the form.

CHECK

MC

VISA

CC# __________________________________ Exp. Date ____ /____

3 digit code_____ _________________________________________PRINT NAME AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR CARD

_________________________________________________________SIGNATURE

Total Amount Enclosed $_____________

Mail and make payable to: Three Valley Conservation Trust

TVCT, PO Box 234, Oxford, Ohio 45056.

three valley conservation trust

Conserving the natural

environment and cultural

heritage of Southwest Ohio

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

FOR THE

WALLACE I. EDWARDS

CONSERVATIONIST

AWARDThe Wallace I. Edwards Conservationist Award has been

established by The Three Valley Conservation Trust to

recognize not only work done by a person or persons

in the preceding year but also the cumulative results of

a long-term commitment to conservation values. When

choosing recipient(s) the Three Valley Conservation Trust

Selection Committee will take into consideration activi-

tiesandprojectsthatclearlyreectEdwards’vision.Traits

relevant to efforts should include: perseverance; patience;ability to cooperate with others; commitment to the

preservation of natural resources; and willingness to

listentoallsides;toexplainandtoteach;tondcommon

ground to promote the greater good; and to look at the big

picture, long-term outcomes.

Projects that would exhibit these traits include:

• Demonstrating land use practices that are

environmentally, economically, and culturally

sustainable;

• Nurturing a strong conservation ethic and good

stewardship habits in others;

• Organizing community members to learn about and

work toward stewardship goals;

• Volunteering time to improve others’ land or organize

others to take restoration action;

• Organizing a coalition of diverse interests and

individuals to work toward a common goal;

• Advancing or disseminating methods to control

invasive, non-native species;

• Any combination of the above.

The recipient of the Wallace I. Edwards ConservationistAward need not be a member of the Trust. The recipient of

this award may be either professionally or avocationally

involved in conservation or protection.

Instructions for nominations can be found on the reverse

side of the Nomination form and on the Trust website.z

Deadline for submissions is December 31.

The Award will be presented at the

Annual Meeting in February 2008.



Non-Prot Org.

U.S. Postage

P A I DPermit No. 171

Oxford, OH

45056

www.3vct.org

Larry Frimerman, Executive Director

Lawrence Leahy, Development Director

Mary Glasmeier, Ofce Manager

Thi l tt i i t d l d

5920 Morning Sun Road, PO Box 234

Oxford, Ohio 45056

513-524-2150 • 513-524-0162 fax

Invitations will arrivein your mailbox in October

MasterWorks for Nature

Art AuctionSaturday, November 10th, 2007

6:30 - 10:00 pm

BeauVerre Studios1054 Central Avenue, Middletown, Ohio

Board of Trustees

Margarette BeckwithJon Costanzo

Frank “Hank” Dupps

Sam Fitton

Catherine Hollins

Frank House

Ben Jones

Gregory Peck

Mary Moore

Michele Simmons

Jerry Stanley

J. Ronald Stewart

Don Streit

Tom Wissing

Liz Woedl

Fall 2007 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust

Documents

Transcript of Fall 2007 Valley Trust Newsletter, Three Valley Conservation Trust