There will be a public meeting at 7:00pm Wednesday 12/9 at 4100 N. High to preview re-development plans for 4080-4100 N. High (Former Triumph Autoglass and the brown brick office building that is built over the Adena Brook). A site plan and elevations will be available for viewing.

The formal review process involving the Clintonville Area Commission will begin at the CAC Zoning and Variance meeting Tuesday January 5 at 7:00pm at the Clinton Heights Lutheran Church, and a formal vote could occur on the redevelopment plan at the regular CAC meeting Thursday January 7 at 7:00pm at the Whetstone Library.

For more information, contact CAC District 7 Commissioner Dave Southan at 263-2393.

Photographed by Susan Michael Barrett, 2009

Hi all–
I’m cleaning out my files and found this essay (2006) I wrote about how Adena Brook Community began.
Susan

How do you start a watershed group? Here’s what I did, as I best remember. However, the organizing lines are not in any neat pattern: For me to map the process would be to draw a scribble.

I want this story to be a message of encouragement, to show how simple it is to get started, and the importance of passion in sustaining an effort. I believe starting a conservation group begins when you notice what’s going on around you, care about what you see, talk honest and listen to others about it, and then focus on work to make a situation better.

I noticed the ravines. In 2000 my husband and I purchased a wooded lot in Adena Brook that happened to have a house on it. I knew we were lucky to live atop a ravine with many trees and near the stream. It is only a short walk down the street to a hidden park.

On my walks, I noticed majestic old sycamores, red oaks, hackberry, cherry, and ash trees, but I only saw a few saplings. Instead I saw a sea of honeysuckle bushes fragrant with light yellow blossoms. Along the brook edge I heard water but couldn’t see it through the bushes. I saw large boulders deposited from a glacial ascent. I heard chickadees and cardinals, I noticed a toad hop, saw hawk soar, and a Monarch butterfly on a coneflower. I also saw trash: plastic bags, fast-food containers, pieces of Styrofoam, dumped piles of asphalt, bottles, and cans. I wondered if those creatures I saw would tell a happy story if they talked about their neighborhood.

I noticed I lived in a neighborhood with people who did caring acts. Mark Carter puts out a cooler with soft drinks and water for the Rumpke drivers each week. Clara McClung brings a meal to an ill neighbor. Lynne Stamey digs up plants from her garden to give away. Greg Cunningham hangs bird houses in high places for neighbors. Bob and Judy Robinson and Bill and Nan Platt pick up litter on weekly walks. Herman and Helen Hafey sell their garden vegetables on their front porch for nickels and dimes. Barbara Llyod sets tomatoes from her garden at the curb for anyone walking by. Phyllis Beuter makes homemade jams for new neighbors. Jeanne Desy writes poetry for children. Maya Schultz helps her elderly neighbor with yard work. John Blake salts the slippery corner where Glenmont meets High Street. Tom Barton removes snow from the street before we wake after heavy storms.

I noticed that the local newspaper included educational articles about the environment. Soon after our move into the Adena Brook neighborhood, I happened upon an article in The Booster about a group called Friends of the Ravines (FOR). I thought this would be an avenue to learn more about the ravine ecosystem and to meet others. I met Martha Buckelew, then Chair of FOR, Jack Cooley, who would soon be Chair of the Clintonville Area Commission, Andrea Gorzitze, who worked on the Greenways project at Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and Sherrill Massey who was active on environment boards. I joined FOR’s board and for two years worked with and learned from these people and their events. This experience was invaluable because I began to establish a network of relationships with people knowledgeable about ravine habitats.

I learned of other organizations and met new people. Through FOR I met the first of what is now a growing list of the best friends anyone could have. Erin Miller, then coordinator of Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW), helped us name our group: She showed us on maps that the name of the brook that our neighborhood ran through was Adena Brook. Neighbor Stacey Durst suggested we call ourselves a “community.” Laura Young-Mohr from the City of Columbus Department of Utilities gathered a group of watershed leaders organize Central Ohio River Pride, an annual clean-up in May of central Ohio waterways, which gave us our start on monthly clean-ups. Laura introduced me to Bob Seed, coordinator of Keep Columbus Beautiful. Bob provides bags, gloves, and tools for 3 clean-ups a year, and arranges pick-ups by the city of the litter we have collected. Cyane Gresham from the Sierra Club joined us to offer information about watershed issues and grant opportunities. Stephan Douglas from COTA arranged for a trash receptacle to be installed at a busy bus stop. Stephanie Suter from Franklin Water and Soil makes suggestions to improve a grant and reminds us of their annual plant sale. Lisa Bower walked the streets with us to teach us how to identify trees. Greg Schneider, an Adena Brook neighbor and botanist at the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, guided plant walks to teach us about native plants in Central Ohio.

Two FOR events were instrumental in guiding our direction. The first was a slide presentation by Jerry Wager about watershed issues; the other was an impassioned talk about invasive plants by Elayna Grody, Natural Resources Manager with Columbus Recreation and Parks. Jerry lived in the Adena Brook neighborhood, worked at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and had worked with other groups on projects in the ravine. When his son was a student at Clintonville Academy, the students conducted water-monitoring studies, and wrote and installed educational signage in the Park of Roses. Jerry is the original steward of Adena Brook. Even though he now lives in Panama as an organic farmer, he still inspires us with his stories and encourages us by e-mail.

I noticed the extent of the invasive plants in Adena Brook. After Elayna Grody’s talk, I introduced myself and told her I wanted to learn more. She is a one-person department that removes invasive plants in city parks. She was delighted to teach me. We walked the park and listed the most serious invasive plant problems: bush and vine honeysuckles, garlic mustard, Tree of Heaven, and euonymus vines. Elayna also invited us on wildflower rescues—we dug up native plants in areas where roads or easements would replace the plants and replanted then in Adena Brook. Elayna continues to be the visionary inspiration to a thriving and biodiverse Adena Brook woodland.

Martha Buckelew has a dream of establishing ravine groups throughout Central Ohio and she lends any type support necessary. Perhaps her dream was a seed that took root in my thinking to establish an Adena Brook watershed group. One day when neighbor Peg Matthews and her dogs Zoe and Grace passed by, she said, “Did you notice all the litter in the water? After it rains, it’s worse.” I had noticed and we assumed others noticed and cared. We decided we’d see if any other neighbors wanted to get together and talk about how we could clean up the ravine. Peg and I planned a meeting, reserved a room at Whetstone Library, and made a flyer to invite neighbors to get together to talk about and plan our work. Peg and I had co-founded a group.

The result of that first library meeting was our first clean-up. Equipped with knowledge, Elayna agreed to oversee our group and wrote our first annual permit allowing our group to work on park land. Volunteer neighbors meet once each month on the Second Saturday to work for two hours, 9 to 11 AM, March through November. We keep track of our work. We share information on an e-mail list sent to anyone who wants it.

A group of street representatives meets twice a year, once to construct a “things to do” list, and another time to assess the progress we’ve made to accomplish the things on our list. We remain focused on our tasks and try to finish what we start before we add more things to our list. Our meetings are delicious potlucks lasting two hours, one hour to eat, one to plan. We start and end meetings on time. We keep people informed who are not on the e-mail list by a hand-delivered newsletter in the spring. We raise funds when needed to haul and shred invasive plants to avoid problems for others in Central Ohio. We are aware that the best model parks are those who benefit from private donations as well as government funds.

This year we added one new project to our list: Learn about storm water run-off. We want to install the first rain garden on park land in Clintonville. It will lessen the polluting effects of run-off into Adena Brook, and inspire local residents to consider their planting their own rain gardens to reduce storm water run-off. This project is another long-term task.

Adena Brook Community is able to grow because of multiple contributions. Some people pick up litter, some remove invasive plants, some have contacts that bring us better relationships with city, state, and professional personnel, some donate money, some plant tress, some educate us, some provide copy services, some share historical stories to help us remember and preserve, some own businesses that make our neighborhood better. Together we are improving the Adena Brook neighborhood, and creating a better habitat for all.

I take back what I said about buying wildflowers at Lowes. Thanks to Jeff Frontz, I got a good education about the difference of “nursery grown” and “nursery propagated”. It seems the nursery that supplies Lowes with their wildflowers has collected them from the wild and then resold them. This depleted or wipes out native populations of these plants. They have even been in trouble with the USFWS for collecting and selling venus flytraps from the wild.

So I guess the action we should take is to tell Lowes we want natives but only those that are “nursery propogated”.

Here are some websites and input from Jeff:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/natives/msg0617012515531.html
is where there is a discussion about wild-collected vs. nursery-propagated and (about half-way down, July 7 at 8:46).

http://southeast.fws.gov/news/1999/r99-087.html is the press release on the owner’s SECOND conviction on trafficking in endangered species.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/woodland/msg0209172431638.html

talks specifically about Lowe’s (it wanders on and off topic, so keep scanning until the end) and also mentions the provenance issues that the supplier has faced.

But, really, it’s the labeling that clinches it for me– nurseries that actually propagate their stock plaster their packaging/ads with this fact. They know that folks will pay for the assurance that they’re not contributing to the depredation of wild areas. Not trumpeting the fact that something is actually nursery propagated would be tantamount to an organic food producer leaving “USDA Organic” off of their packaging.

Jeff

Hi All,

I was at Lowes today and was excited to find many varieties of native bulbs/corms/tubers for sale.  It was a great variety:

Hepatica, Virginia Bluebell, Wild Geranium, Sessile Trillium, Trout
Lily, Large-flowered Trillium, Bloodroot, May Apple, Fire Pinks,
Maidenhair fern, Christmas Fern, Butterflyweed, Jack-in-the-pulpit, and more that I don’t remember right now.  AND they are only $1.98 each. The package also indicated they were nursery grown.

I am so pleased that they are carrying natives.  And they are at all the Lowes locations.  I encourage all of you to go out and get some to show through our buying power that we want natives available.  Also, please send this information along to others that you know support the use of natives in our landscaping.

It would also be great to comment to the managers how much you appreciate them stocking native plants/bulbs.

Elayna

Check out this video about the Rain Garden and Adena Brook Clean-up!

Hi from Toni & Marc, National Wildlife Federation Habitat Ambassadors!

What do you see when you look at a flowerbed that has gone to seed?  I see beautiful songbirds, natural mulch that retains water, tiny leaf-litter animals improving soil, materials for next year’s native bird nests, and cover for bugs that are a critical part of our food chain.  Leaf litter is much different than most human litter. It is used and recycled by the soil food chain.

Being a neat freak in the yard not only destroys habitat value, but it’s important to us too. “Perhaps solid waste landfills … are the single largest man-made source of methane in the United States” says Janet Marinelli in an article from the National Wildlife Magazine at www.nwf.org/NationalWildlife/printerFriendly.cfm?issueID=124&articleID=1646

Watch for Chimney Swifts gathering for migration at very large, uncapped chimneys.  They look like smoke going into the chimney – what a show! 
Here are directions to one site in Columbus:  http://columbusoh.wbu.com/content/show/25766

Migration is here.  See approximate fall migration timetable from birdnature:   http://www.birdnature.com/falloh.html

Cricket weathermen!  Count the cricket chirps in 13 seconds and add 40 to get the approximate current temperature. Only males chirp for courting and this only works down to about 55 degrees.  Below that it’s too cold to court.  http://www.snopes.com/science/cricket.asp

Take time out each day to look in your yard and enjoy! 

– Toni, www.backyardhabitat.info

+ Nature ‘Stuff’
- Weds, 9/9, 8:45-3:15, Invasive Plants in Southeast
Ohio, 710 Collegiate Dr, Marietta, see: www.oipc.info for more information
- Sat, 9/12, 10AM, Growing Native Trees in Pots, Inniswood Metro Park,Westerville,  Scroll down at http://www.for-wild.org/chapters/columbus
- Sun, 9/13, 2-5pm, Green Family Fun event, in front of wind turbine and solar panels at Glacier Ridge Metro Park
- Sept 11, 12 or 13, A Swift’s Night Out, 30 minutes before dusk. 1919 West Bridge Street in Dublin. If you’d like to count them and report your tally see http://www.chimneyswifts.org/
- Sat,9/19, 9am-6pm, Scioto Gardens’ Fall Equinox Festival, page down to special events at Scioto Gardens here http://www.sciotogardens.com/events.html
- Sat, 10/3, Wildlfest, Ohio Wildlife Center, http://ohiowildlifecenter.org/ click on Events
- Tues, 10/6, MORPC Summit at COSI, 8am-6pm, www.greenregion.org/

Neighbors,
The” Fall Kick Off” Clean UP is Sat. Sept. 12th 9-11:00 a.m. Join us in picking up litter and cutting honeysuckle to maintain the beauty of our ravine community. Oct 10 will be the last clean up of the year.
Judy Robinson

Howdy Friends and Neighbors–

We’re active and happy in Texas! Here’s a post to let you know I began a blog titled Environmental Gleanings. I just posted a short video on the Adena Brook Rain Garden.

Sending well wishes,
Susan

Susan Michael Barrett

Thom McCain writes:

Hey Music Lovers — Happy End of Summer!

We have a big treat for all of us. The Ladies of Longford — live in concert — Saturday August 29th, 8:00, $15.00 (students $5.00). Proceeds benefit the Adena Brook Community and the Clintonville Community Fund’s small grant program.

They’re back!!! The super talented and fun Ladies of Longford feature high energy and a beautiful sound -– great voices, fabulous playing. Your toes won’t stop tapping.

Their repertoire of traditional and contemporary Irish music with a twist of folk and bluegrass, will set your heart a reeling. When these five women take the stage the energy is something everyone notices. Ladies of Longford rock the central Ohio Celtic music scene and beyond to rave reviews. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss this concert. Do your friends and family a favor and bring them along. Do the Adena Brook Community and the Clintonville Community Fund’s small grant program a favor and support our community efforts to improve our urban environment.

Go ahead, visit the Ladies of Longford website (http://www.hildadoyle.com/LOL.htm) to sample their music and see them in action.

Jan and Thom McCain welcome you to our house concerts in Clintonville. We’ll be outside in the garden, under the setting sun, twinkling stars on the edge of the Overbrook Ravine (and Adena Brook). You can expect a gathering of good people and spectacular music. Grounds open 7ish. Bring a snack to share and a drink of your choice. Park on the street.

Please respond to this email and send checks to Thom McCain for $15.00 in advance to guarantee your spot, we have plenty of seating. House Concerts @ Glenbrook, 146 Glenmont Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43214. 614-268-6189; thom@mccainlimited.com; www.mccainlimited.com/glenbrook