What’s Inside
Park News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Naturalist Programs . . . . . . 3 - 4
Visitor Center . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Fall Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Spotlight Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Asian Longhorned Beetle . . . . . . 7-9
Facility Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Park Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Park District News
Chris Clingman, Director
The Clermont County Park District Board of Commissioners met this summer to
start looking at our 2013 budget. They approved several changes in our operations in
order to stabilize the budget and to have the least affect on the facilities and
programs we offer.
The visitor center at Chilo Lock 34 Park will be open Thursday thru Sunday in
September and October. In November it will be open Friday thru Sunday, with
Sunday December 2 being that last day it will be open regular hours. For December,
January and February, the visitor center will be open by appointment only or in
conjunction with a program. Call the naturalist office at 513-876-9013 to arrange a
time for your group to visit. The further in advance you call, the easier it will be to
arrange a time for you to visit. The change in hours will help save on staff costs and
utilities.
The board also approved an increase in the school program fees. For programs
conducted by Park District naturalists in the parks the fee will be $4/student. For
programs in the schools the cost of the first program of the day will be $50 with each
additional program costing $30.
We also reduced staff costs by eliminating one position. Changes in the visitor
center hours allowed us to combine the responsibilities of two positions into one. To
help cover the maintenance needs of the parks during the summer the Park District
will continue to have one part-time seasonal maintenance position. Total staff for the
Park district is 5 full time, 3 part time, and 1 seasonal part-time, positions.
The Park District did get some good news. Along with our partners the Clermont
County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Clermont County Stormwater
Department, and the East Fork Watershed Collaborative, we have received an Ohio
EPA Surface Water Improvement Fund grant for Shor Park. The grant will be used
to construct bioswales and a raingarden to demonstrate alternative methods for
dealing with stormwater runoff from parking lots. It will also create a wet prairie
habitat in one of the
upper fields. Many
of the native plants
to this type of
habitat are
already present in
the field, but are
being crowded out
by non native
invasive plants.
The grant will help
remove the non
native plants and
improve conditions
for the native plants.
Shor Park
Autumn Naturalist Programs
September - November
Monarch Tagging
Saturday September 15
2:00 pm
Shor Park
Join us as we search
the fields for the
Monarch butterfly. If we
catch any, we’ll tag and
release them. These
tags are helpful in
tracking the migration of
Monarchs as they fly
south to their wintering
grounds in Mexico and
Southern California.
Bring your own net if
you have one.
Advance Registration
Required
Program has
A fee
Preschool Story time
Join us for our monthly story time
programs. We’ll have stories, crafts,
and nature walks and talks. Pre registration is
required. Please call 513.876.9013 to sign up.
Wednesday September 19
1:30 pm
Sycamore Park
Seeds
Registration deadline
September 17th.
Wednesday October 17
1:30 pm
Sycamore Park
Turkeys
Registration deadline
October 15th.
Great Outdoor Weekend
Sycamore Park Stream Splash
Saturday September 22
10:00—2:00
Sycamore Park
Grab a net and join us as we splash around in the
river searching for aquatic insects and other
critters. We’ll use the bugs that we catch to
determine how clean the water is. The program is
ongoing, so drop in anytime.
2nd Annual Fall Festival
Saturday October 13th
12:00—4:00 pm
Chilo Lock 34 Park
Wagon Rides
Live Music
Pumpkin Painting
Kid’s Crafts
Kids Games and Activities
Petting Zoo
(See page 6 for more information)
www.clermontparks.org
Judge Jackson Memorial
Tree Dedication
Sunday October 14 3:00 PM
Chilo Lock 34 Park
The Quin-T Democrat
Club invites the public
to attend a brief
memorial service and
tree planting in
memory of Judge
Charles W. Jackson.
Judge Jackson was a
resident of Chilo and as Probate Judge helped
to create the Clermont County Park District in
1970. He passed away on February 22, 2010.
Fall Colors Hike
Sunday October 28
1:00 pm
Sycamore Park &
Wilson
Nature Preserve
Enjoy the beautiful fall
foliage during this
moderate three mile hike
through Sycamore Park
and the Wilson Nature
Preserve. Meet at the
bridge.
Owl Prowl
Friday November 9
6:30 pm
Sycamore Park
Great Horned Owl
Take a walk in the
dark as we look and
listen for Eastern
Screech Owls, the
smallest of our
native owls. We’ll
stay on the paved
trail, so younger children and strollers are
welcome. Meet at the information kiosk.
Habitat Help Day
Saturday November 10
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Sycamore Park
Volunteers are
needed for our annual
Habitat Help Day at
Sycamore Park. We’ll
be cutting and
removing invasive
bush honeysuckle.
Honeysuckle is an
aggressive non-native shrub that takes over our
forests, often over crowding our native
wildflowers. Pre registration is required.
Deadline to register is Wednesday November
7th. Call 513.876.9013 to sign up.
Chilo Lock 34 Visitor Center
and Museum
Autumn Hours
September - October
Monday — Wednesday Closed
Thursday — Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm
November
Monday—Thursday Closed
Friday - Sunday 12 pm to 5pm
The Visitor Center and Museum will be closed from
December—February. Groups of 15 or more can
schedule an appointment by calling 513.876.9013.
New Exhibit Now Finished!
Our staff has been busy this summer putting the
finishing touches on the newest exhibit in the
Chilo Lock 34 Visitor Center and Museum. The
replica pilothouse features several instruments
from the steamboat Wakerobin. The last addition
to the exibit is a working marine radio. Visitors to
the museum can now listen to the passing towboats
as they communicate to the nearby Meldahl Locks
and Dam.
Special Thank You
Thanks to our volunteers, Bob Gore, Sheila
Riley, and Chris Stober, who participated in the
annual Ohio River Sweep at Chilo Lock 34 park
and Crooked Run Nature Preserve.
Thank you to Jim Thomas and Jane Van Coney
For participating in the butterfly monitoring
survey at Chilo Lock 34 Park and Crooked Run
Nature Preserve all summer. They’ve been
walking the trails weekly and recording which
butterfly species are found in the park and
preserve.
Thank you to the family of Louis Wildt for the
donation of three Ohio River navigation charts
from 1963 to the Chilo Lock 34 Visitor Center and
Museum.
www.clermontparks.org
Fall Festival
Chilo Lock 34 Park
Saturday October 13 12:00 — 4:00 pm
Wagon Rides
Courtesy of Gorman Heritage Farm. Enjoy a
leisurely ride through the park
on a mule powered wagon.
Live Music by Steve Featherston
Steve Featherston has been playing & singing
around Clermont County for over 20 years. His
style is an eclectic mix of light rock, country & folk
music, with a little blues thrown in. Concerts have
included kids' shows, art fairs, libraries & churches,
plus he regularly plays for area seniors.
Kid’s Crafts
Local Vendors
Pumpkin Patch
Petting Zoo
Grab a pumpkin from our
pumpkin patch and decorate
it before you take it home.
www.clermontparks.org
New Infestation of Asian Longhorned Beetles Found in Clermont County.
In August, 2012 a third location of Asian
Longhorned Beetle (ALB) infestation was found in
Clermont County. The new location is in Stonelick
Township. Because of the new discovery of ALB in
Stonelick Township, the quarantine area in the county has
been expanded. Please see the new quarantine area map
on the next page.
The Asian Longhorned Beetle was first discovered in
Clemont County in June 2011. The highly destructive
insect pest is a native of Asia, not North America, but
arrived here inside of wooden packing crates. These
highly destructive insects eat, and will eventually kill
their host trees, which include several common native
Ohio trees. Maples including; sugar, silver, red, black,
and box elders are their preferred tree. Other host
species include; buckeye, willow, poplar, birch, hackberry, ash, sycamore, elm and several others.
As always, the best way to prevent the spread of the ALB, or other harmful insect pests, is to not move
firewood. If you’re going camping, buy your firewood at your destination.
www.beetlebusters.info
Spotlight Species
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Many Ohioans are familiar with the remarkable comeback of our largest and
most recognizable bird of prey; the Bald Eagle. But there is another large fish
-eating raptor that has also made an extraordinary comeback from the brink
of extinction.
The Osprey population in Ohio has been on the rise in recent years.
Sometimes called fish hawks, or fish eagles, they are neither a hawk nor an
eagle. They are distinguished from eagles and hawks in flight by their
coloration and shape of their wings. Ospreys are bright white on the bottom,
and brown on top, and also have a brown stripe across their head.
Prior to the reintroduction of Ospreys to Ohio, which began in 1996, the last
successful Osprey nest in the state was in 1913. According to the Ohio
Division of Wildlife, there were 110 Osprey nests located throughout Ohio in
2012. Unlike other birds of prey, osprey are not year round residents. They
will migrate to Central and South America each autumn then return again in
the spring. In Ohio, September is a peak time in the Osprey’s migration
south. Keep your eyes up to the sky, especially if you’re near a large river or
lake, and you may catch a glimpse of the Osprey on their journey south.
Photo:
Ohio Division of Wildlife
Asian Longhorned Beetle Invades Clermont County
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Ohio Department
of Agriculture are continuing to monitor the status of the Asian Longhorned Beetle
(ALB) in Clermont County. The ALB is an invasive destructive pest native to Asia. The
ALB feeds on its host tree and will eventually kill it. The ALB prefers maples, but will
also use buckeye, hackberry elm, ash, birch, and willows as its host tree. If the ALB
continues to spread, it will be very destructive, resulting in thousands of dead trees.
In 2011, the USDA began cutting heavily infested trees in Tate Township to prevent the
spread of ALB. As of August 25, 170,575 trees have been surveyed. 8794 trees have
been confirmed as infested, and 8716 infested trees have been removed within the
61 square mile quarantine zone. If you find Evidence of the ALB on your property, report it to the Ohio
Department of Agriculture at 1-855-252-6450. Please help stop the spread of this destructive invasive pest by
not moving any firewood. For more information about the Asian Longhorned Beetle visit
www.beetlebusters.info
Adult ALB showing egg
laying sites on tree bark.
Egg laying sites in tree bark.
Tree showing multiple
exit holes, where adult
ALB’s emerged.
An adult ALB emerging from the
inside of a tree. After transforming
from pupae to adult, ALB’s bore
perfectly round dime sized exit holes
on host trees.
Close up of the perfectly
round, dime sized exit hole.
If you find evidence of the Asian Longhorned Beetle, report it to the
Ohio Department of Agriculture at
1-855-252-6450 For more information on the Asian Longhorn Beetle visit
www.beetlebusters.info
Picnic Shelter Rentals
The Park District has picnic shelters for rent at
Chilo Lock 34 Park, Sycamore Park, and Pattison
Park for your summer picnic or family gathering.
Call the Park District administrative office at
513.732.2977 to make your reservation or check
on availability.
Pattison Lodge and Gazebo &
Hartman Log Cabin
Pattison Lodge and Gazebo Rental Rates
In Season (May 15— October 15)
Monday through Thursday $200
Friday and Sunday $475
Saturday $550
Park/Shelter
Chilo Lock 34 Park
Pattison Park
Sycamore Woods
Sycamore #2
Capacity
Fee
50
$75
150
$100
50
$75
150
Out of Season (October 16—May 14)
Monday through Thursday $200
Friday and Sunday $425
Saturday $500
$100
Hartman Log Cabin Rental Rates
In Season Rates (May 15-October 15)
Monday through Thursday $125
Friday through Sunday $175
*Includes the use of the picnic shelter
Out of Season Rates (October 16—May 14)
Monday through Sunday
$125
Chilo Lock 34 Park 39 acres
521 County Park Road Chilo, OH 45112
513.876.9013
Crooked Run Nature Preserve 77 acres
521 County Park Road Chilo, OH 45112
Hartman Log Cabin 5 acres
5272 Aber Road Williamsburg, OH 45176
Kelley Nature Preserve 42 acres
297 Center Street Loveland, OH 45140
Pattison Park 45 acres
2228 US Highway 50 Batavia, OH 45103
513.732.2977
Shor Park 56 acres
4659 Tealtown Road Batavia, OH 45103
Sycamore Park 53 acres
4082 State Route 132 Batavia, OH 45103
Wilson Nature Preserve 105 acres
4082 State Route 132 Batavia, OH 45103
Williamsburg - Batavia Hike/Bike Trail
Broadway Road Williamsburg, OH 45176
2.5 miles long
Contact Information
Administrative Office
2228 US Highway 50 Batavia, OH 45103
513.732.2977
[email protected]
Naturalist Office
PO Box 106 Chilo, OH 45112
513.876.9013
Mission Statement
To acquire, plan, develop, program, and maintain
park property in the county for residents and
nonresidents alike. To secure the preservation of
open space and places of scenic or historical value.
Monthly board meetings are held the second
Thursday of the month at 12:00 pm in Pattison Park
Lodge. All meetings are open to the public. For more
information call 513.732.2977.
Board of Park Commissioners
David Anspach Kenneth Stewart
William Stearns, Chairman
Chris Clingman, Director
www.clermontparks.org