Fall 2018 Newsletter
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Donations for the Future! #HelpUsGrow Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center Fall 2018 The mission of the Lake Erie Islands WE NEED Your Nature & Wildlife donation will Center is to promote YOU provide room conservation of and Every dollar education about the for new and flora, fauna, and donated will be current lands of the Lake matched up to interactive Erie Islands $60,000.00. displays ecosystem. BOARD OF DIRECTORS relevant to the Lake President Erie Kate Ptak Cochair Islands, Kristin Stanford and more Secretary space for Peggy Leopold the out- Treasurer Kit Knaser reach and Board Members By reaching this goal educational Lisa Brohl we will be able to dra- programs we Susan Byrnes matically move for- provide each year Marsha Collett ward on our building Kate Ptak for thousands of Sue Prahst addition and provide visitors and Sue Bixler more for the islands participants who Director and their benefit from the Jackie Taylor communities. Education Specialist Wildife Center. Amy Huston Put-in-Bay & Middle Bass Nature Camp– Pages 2-3 2018 Island Green Week Events– Pages 4-5 Sponsors, Donors, & Volunteers– page 5 Ways to Help– Pages 6-7 Donor Forms Page 7 1 Wildlife Programs hands-on and up- NATURE CAMP close interactions with these animals Jackie Taylor which depend on the islands’ habitats. The Nature Camp mission is to encourage Fishing was a nice children’s natural curiosity of the out- bonus for both camps: doors by engaging them in fun and we were able to catch educational activities. Nature Camp bass, perch, and seems like a bubble, an intentionally built freshwater drum/ community, and there are usually many in sheep head. the community who love and care about the magic that is the nature camp The Middle Bass experience. It takes a village and begins Environmental Ad- with the Wildlife Center’s board and venture Camp I. (9-10 staff, community leaders, camp alumni, years old) took the colleagues, and donors who make camp Sonny S Ferry to Put- possible and provide a great experience in-Bay for an each year. afternoon to ecosystems” from our Kayak. Alt- The Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife findings. We were able to hough it was a Center has successfully been doing this find dragonfly and dam- little windy with since 2003 for youths 4-14 years old, selfly larva, scuds, tad- chop on the reaching out to over 150 campers each poles, beetles, fly larva, water, we had a year on Middle Bass and South Bass and much more. Rangers blast paddling Islands to help them learn about the Lake from Perry’s Monument around Gibraltar Erie Island’s ecosystem. Topics we have came over for a day to Island: we ended covered over the years have included Middle Bass and campers the day with a bats, snakes, turtles, fish, butterflies and on Put-in-Bay went to the much deserved moths, slugs, caves, monument ice cream treat and much more. and visited before heading back to Middle Bass Is- This year Nature the top of the monument! land. Our campout was canceled due to Campers learned all The rangers had bad weather, but we saved the day and about Lake Erie! activities about predatory cooked s’mores over the fire, and cooked animals that depend on pancakes, bacon, and eggs the following The Middle Bass water as a food source and morning. Put-in-Bay Environmental Ad- Island Nature discovered how all venture Camp I. (9-10 years old) kayaked Camps were June creatures are connected 25-28 for campe through water- including rs 4-10, Put-in-Bay us! Campers had a fun Nature Camps were time with biologists from July 16-18 for campers 4-6, July 23-26 OSU’s Stone Laboratory. On Middle for campers 7-10, and a combined camp Bass they came over for a day, and for Middle Bass and Put-in-Bay campers brought salamanders, turtles, and fishes 11-14 was July 30-August 2. native to the islands. The Put-in-Bay campers met them for a day at the Histor- ic Fish Hatchery with a private tour of the facility. Both camps were able to have around Gibraltar, took a break to get ice cream on the island, and did some swimming before we pad- dled back to Kayak the Bay. There was nice weather for our campout. We cooked hotdogs, and everyone’s Nature Campers explored the science of favorite s’mores. We had a Lake Erie through investigation and good time swimming, and observation. We went into the ponds on taking an evening sunset Middle Bass Island and into Lake Erie hike to Massie Cliffside where we dipped for micro and Preserve. macroinvertebrates creating “enclosed 2 Environmental Adventure Camp II. (11- 14) had quite the adventures. Middle Bass Campers came to Put-in-Bay by boat to the Historic Fish Hatchery for a morning. Thank you to Krissy Hart and Eddie Sheller for the transportation. Miller Ferry, with Captain Glenn Cooper, trans- ported 22 campers, 10 chaperones, all of our gear, and drinking water to North Bass Island for two days and one night for our campout. Although there were high possibilities of rain, we lucked out with hardly any. The last day of camp we finished the camp season with kayaking. We circled around Gibraltar Island and, played a fun game of ‘kayaking tag.” Schneider, Amanda O’Laughlin, Olive O’Rourke Scherf, Larissa Swonger, and Aidan Ptak. Thanks to: Glenn Cooper for being the chase boat for our kayaking days and transporting Middle Bass Nature Campers to the bay for kayaking, Kayak the Bay for hosting Nature This year we started the Wildlife Center Campers each year. Thanks to Nature Camp Counselor Program. This is our hardworking staff: Jackie a curriculum-based project geared toward Taylor, Kate Ptak, Debbie youth 15 and older. This program offered Larcey, Jenna Prahst, Tatey our counselors a one-of-a-kind opportuni- Kowalski, Renee Market, Jen- ty to become involved with the Wildlife na Prahst, and Maddie Heart. Center’s education and conservation We could not put camp togeth- efforts of the Lake Erie Islands. Counse- er without all their great ideas lors experienced all components of the and support! Thanks to our Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife community supporters - The Center, from learning about the islands’ Middle Bass School Board, wildlife, presenting educational pro- The Put-in-Bay Recreation grams, working with wild animals, Committee, Miller Boat Line and The Laboratory and Cathey Webber for sup- creating displays, and Sonny S for port and extra staff, North Bass Island much more. The counse- passage for residents for helping with a great cam- lors were a great asset to speakers and pout, as well as our staff and volunteers at the camp program. for Transporta- LEINWC for copying and stapling. There was no way we tion, the Ohio We really appreciate all the help we get in could have had as much Division of teaching kids about the beautiful islands success without this Wildlife for they live and play on! With 160 plus kids team of wonderful help books, CD’s, who participated in Nature Camp this and support! The 2018 magazines and year, we were bursting at the seams at the counselors were: Emily tattoos, The LEINWC. Please consider a donation to Beal, Sydney Ralofsky, Ohio State Uni- our Building Addition Fund so that we Lizzie Rader, Lucille versity’s Stone can continue these great programs. 3 Wildlife Events about the ISLAND GREEN WEEK importance of snakes on the islands. This is always a really Jackie Taylor “wild” family event loved by everyone. This week-long celebration, Island Green Week, 2018, ran from August 4 to August Our 7th Annual Pig Roast at 11. The Lake Erie Islands Nature & the Goat was a nice success Wildlife Center, Lake Erie Islands despite an early rain, many Conservancy, OSU’s Stone Laboratory, community members came out the Put-in-Bay Township Park Distri to support the Wildlife Center ct, and, the Lake Erie Islands Historical that evening. Participants were Society, collaborated to produce a week treated to a slow spit-roasted of Ecotourism, Adventure Travel, hog with corn and baked Agritourism, and History sponsored by potatoes along with tasty sides the Put-in-Bay Chamber of Commerce, donated by Island restaurants. Popular the Put-in-Bay Gazette, Miller Boat Line, unique and interesting natural phenome- island entertainers Drew LaPlante and Jet Express, Park Hotel, Frosty Bar, Cam- na. Passengers had an amazing Jamison Smith featured eo Pizza, The Boardwalk, and Island Bike opportunity to enjoy the show Rental. The LEINWC hosted our annual as Captain Glenn Cooper Stargazing Cruise aboard the Miller steered the ferry boat away Ferry, the Pig Roast, Wild Tuesdays, and from the storm. We made a for the first time a “Plein Air” Art event new plan to dock at the Lime on our back porch. Proceeds from these Kiln dock; Chip Duggan came events benefited the Lake Erie Islands to the rescue with the bus to Nature & Wildlife Center’s Building transport everyone back to Addition. downtown! Although we did not escape without getting rained on, everyone had an amazing time. A special thanks to performances of favorite songs, and new Heineman songs about our Lake Erie. There was a Winery for donating silent auction with a variety of unique wine. Delicious hors island prizes such as: a trip for two to d’oeuvres were donat- Rattlesnake Island, Ferry Passes, a bi- ed by Frosty Bar and plane ride, a five-course dinner for eight Cameo Pizza.