This year we worked on a number of unique projects including repairing the windmill, delivering plants, installing a nest for mallard ducks, installing signage boxes and preparing for our annual native plant sale.

Our windmill has aged significantly and in the spring it developed a horrible screechy sound when the fins turned in the breeze.  The sound was so loud and unbearable that it made it difficult to carry on a conversation near the windmill.  We had even heard from other around campus that they heard the creaking sound from the front of the campus!  Luckily for us the maintenance department had scheduled a large lift to replace lightbulbs in the spring months.  They were kind enough to share the lift so the windmill could be repaired at the same time.  Before the repairs began I took a ride in the lift to take pictures of the prairie and the surrounding area.  That seemed like such a good idea before the lift started moving higher and higher.  By the top the lift topped out around 80 feet I was really uninterested in taking pictures.  I was more focused on how long it would be until I was on the ground again.  Thankfully, I was able to hold it together enough to take some really nice pictures!

After the native plant sale we were glad to share some of our plants with the folks over at the Marion Tallgrass Trail.  This site is part of the Marion County Park District.  It’s located on the west side of Marion and includes a 12 mile corridor with Marion County’s first multi-use recreational trail.

In the spring a mallard nest box was installed in the prairie pond in hopes that mallards would come to build a nest.  While looking through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources nest box plan booklet we learned that mallards could use some help in nest-building.  “Mallards, although not near extinction, are in need of help. Drought, habitat destruction, and predators take their toll as mallards try to nest in fragmented habitat. This is where you can come in- by providing safe nesting sites for more mallards in Ohio” (Ohio Department of Natural Resources Nest Box Plan).

During the summer months we were able to install several signage boxes around the prairie.  The boxes will feature informational and educational displays for visitors to enjoy while they explore the prairie.

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