The Ohio State University

We’re getting a new dock!

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The dock by the prairie pond has been enjoyed by many a child.  Often times kids like to sit or lay at the end of the dock to get a better view of the frogs, fish and turtles living in the pond.  But as the years have passed, the dock has become less stable and I’ve become less comfortable seeing youngsters on the dock. 

Well, its been decided, the old dock is out and a newer larger dock is going to be arriving soon.  Here are some pictures of the old dock.  I apologize for the poor quality- I forgot my camera! 

I’ll keep adding pictures as the construction begins!  I hope the new dock is finished by the end of this week!  So exciting!

We’re open for business!

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The construction that had been blocking the entrance to the Prairie has been completed.  If you’re planning a visit, you’ll be pleased to find easy access to the Prairie driveway and parking lot has been restored.  Come on out and enjoy the late summer colors of the Prairie Nature Center!

Restricted access to the Prairie

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Repairs are currently being made to several of the parking lots adjacent to the Prairie driveway.  Due to the construction much of the area is blocked off by cones.  The cones are set up just past the entrance to Student Lot 1.  During this time, visitors may park in Student Lot 1 and walk back to the prairie, but access to the prairie via vehicle is unlikely while construction is underway.  We hope the project wraps up quickly so normal visitation access can be restored.  Thanks for you understanding and patience with this situation. 

Marion Campus Map.  Please click the map for a larger view. 

osum_map copy

How do you measure up?

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 A 10 foot tall section of white PVC has been installed near the entrance to the prairie.  The PVC has foot and ½ foot markings so you can see just how tall the plants are growing.  I know it can be hard to estimate how tall the plants are so I think this extra large measuring stick will be helpful.

 

PVC stick

New Path to explore!

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 A newly mowed path has been established at the Prairie.  The new throughway explores the oldest portion of the prairie and ventures through areas that weren’t easily accessible prior to the path.  The trail goes through a low lying area that often fills with water and is frequented by water loving species like cord grass and swamp milkweed.  I hope you enjoy exploring this area of the prairie on the newly developed path. 

Here is a short video of the beginning of the trail just to give you a taste of the area.  Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDBxEk_LWuE]

Have your say

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Have your say

I’m in the process of redesigning the sign and information center at the Prairie and I’d like to announce one of the new additions.  The area is called Have Your Say and it will provide an area for our visitors to share their thoughts.  The posting (seen on the left) on the sign encourages visitors to contact me via email or phone with comments, questions or concerns.  I’ve already received one comment and I hope to have more come in from our visitors soon.  I plan to share visitor comments and my response on the small cork board that’s been added to the redesigned sign. 

Work is continuing on redesigning the rest of the sign and I hope to have it all wrapped up by the end of the month.

Explore the tunnel of grass!

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Something amazing happens on the trails at the prairie during this time of year.  The grasses have finally emerged and are reaching towards the sky as they continue to grow taller.  The breeze and their height have begun to put a soft bend in the grass stems and they gently lean off to one side or another.  The beautiful formation that has made its appearance is the Tunnel of Grass.  Yes, I’ve named the fleeting structure created by the presence of tall grasses near the trails edge.  There is something about being enveloped by the grasses as they sway in the breeze that makes me so happy.  I strongly encourage you to come and experience the feeling for yourself. 

For those of you who can’t make it out to the prairie, here are two videos of the walk I took Friday morning.  It was fairly windy and the grasses just danced as the breeze moved through them.  Stunning.

Part 1:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79nQb45glEA]

Part 2:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e96X3lrRmrU]

Don’t fence us in!

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OSU Marion and the Marion Technical College (MTC) share the Marion campus.  Both institutions have new buildings planned for construction.  OSU Marion is beginning the fundraising phase for a green science building.  MTC is planning to break ground on their nursing building towards the end of August.  In preparation for construction to begin, the contractors have installed chain link fencing around the site.  It just so happens that the new buildling will be next to the prairie, which means the fencing runs right along our border. 

Don’t be afraid- the prairie will remain open during construction!  The fencing should also help us out by ensuring equipment doesn’t get parked in our plantings.  Below you can see a few pictures of the fencing from earlier today.

Finally!

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We’ve finally got a significant amount of rain.  Yesterday we got over half an inch of rain and while I write this entry I can hear the sky rumbling outside as another storm rolls into Marion.  I’m so thankful for the rain and hope it sticks around for a bit longer!

ANDRGERA OAKOPEN 2AUGO3 wet

Here's a great picture of rain soaked Big Bluestem from 2003. Photo courtesy of Bob Klips. Click the picture to check out his awesome website!

Where’s the rain?

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I’ve been hoping for a bit of rain for the past week or so.  I check the weather forecast often and we’ve had rain predicted several times that just never seems to materialize.  I’ve just checked the weather outlook for this week and again found that there is a chance of rain each day this week.  As much as I hope some precipitation actually occurs, it seems the track record would indicate otherwise.  Here’s what this week looks like:

weather