Field Trips
Saturday, February 25, 2012 - Spring Grove Cemetery with Dick Munson. Spring Grove Cemetery is one of the premier arboretum cemeteries in the United States. It contains the final resting place of many local and national luminaries, such as Proctor and Gamble and Civil War General Joseph Hooker (famous for his propensity to associate with prostitutes, who were known as “Hooker’s Girls”, later shortened to “Hookers!”). But even more importantly, Spring Grove contains numerous examples of some of the largest and rarest trees in North America and Spring Grove is a great birding site. The hike will involve some hills and perhaps even a bit of snow on the ground. A winter hike allow us to see many trees without their leaves, revealing their true magnificence in terms of shape, bark, and branching habit. Join us for a brisk and inspiring hike through a truly beautiful place. Dress warmly and wear good boots for warmth and traction. Meet on the southwest side of the old Oxford Wal-Mart parking lot at 8:00am to car pool or caravan.
Saturday, April 7, 2012 - Cedar Bog Field Trip. Leave from old Wal-Mart parking lot at 7:15 a.m.; arrive at Cedar Bog around 9:00 a.m. Bring a lunch. Our guided tour and program will begin at 10:00 a.m., when the Education Center opens. Our guide will be Eric Doerzbacher, director and naturalist. We expect to arrive back in Oxford late afternoon. Cost: Admission is $6 for adults / $5 for Golden Buckeyes. Cedar Bog Nature Preserve, managed by the Ohio Historical Society, is the largest and best example of a boreal and prairie fen complex in Ohio. It has many rare plants and animals, as well as excellent orchid, prairie, and woodland wildflower displays. An almost mile long boardwalk guides the visitor through this preserve of Ohio’s recent to Ice Age past. Mastodons probably fed here, and all of the Indian cultures of Ohio lived around here. The Cedar Bog Visitor Center opened in April 2009. The building includes exhibits that are a prelude to walk in the fen, a classroom, restrooms and a gift shop.
Saturday, May 5, 2012 - Annual Warbler Walk. Join Audubon Miami Valley for the annual Warbler Walk at Kathy Hunter and Ron Huffmeier’s farm in nearby Indiana to search for these neo-tropical jewels. Besides many warblers, many other species of birds can also be seen at this beautiful family farm. Many wild flowers are also seen on our hike in the woods. Meet on the west side of the old Oxford Wal-Mart parking lot at 7:30 am.
-Linda Williams, Field Trip Chair, jlwms67@gmail.com
