The establishment of Ohio’s newest nature preserve started with a local couple who wanted to restore the property to an earlier state – one predating European settlement.
The now 900-acre Coyote Run property, Ohio’s 140th designated nature preserve, was a project David Hague and Tammy Miller started about 15 years ago when it became evident that natural green spaces were losing out to urban development, Hague says. Inspired to make a change, the couple bought their first farm in Pickerington.
Hague and Miller were inspired to dedicate part of their private land to a state nature preserve by Jeff Johnson, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. Johnson saw firsthand the impressive commitment to eliminating non-native invasive species on the couple’s property, all while continuing to add more parcels to their land.
“The goal is to let nature take its course,” Hague says. “State parks may do that, (they) usually do not.”
Coyote Run officially received state nature preserve status in September, which means it has the highest form of protection the state can provide to a federal wilderness area, Hague says. This means that the ODNR is approved to oversee the preserve, making certain that it’s permanently safeguarded while also permitting educational and research opportunities on the private land.
Photos by David Hague
Early on, the couple worked with the Fairfield Soil and Water Conservation District to develop a prairie as well as study up on how to discern and control invasive plant species. As more land became available, Hague and Miller seized upon it, expanding their farmland and conservation project to the massive area it has now become.
The pools form on a seasonal basis under special circumstances. During late winter or early spring – usually the first week of February – when two consecutive nights with temperatures above 40 degrees coincide with rain, Hague says, magic happens.
Vernal pools fill up with water and several types of vertebrates appear for a four- to five-week span. The animals then disappear, and the pools dry up.
“They’re very sensitive to having good forest around them and just being left alone,” Hague says. “As humans, we’ve done neither.”
Coyote Run hosts seasonal programs as well, such as tree identification, birding and mushroom forays. The preserve also attracts waterfowl to its farm pond and can make an ideal location for viewing celestial events.
As its acreage has increased, the project has grown well beyond managing the land though, Hague says. He and Miller also work with local politicians to arrange visits and get their restoration efforts as much coverage as urban development.
The pair has partnered with ODNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Ohio State University, Hocking College and other organizations to learn and implement best practices for their work. They also plan to continue efforts to spread community awareness by sponsoring programs through ODNR, Hocking College and the Fairfield County Park District, which is remodeling a donated house for Coyote Run’s headquarters.
Since Coyote Run is surrounded by a heavily populated area, Hague says it’s incredible that he and Miller have managed to restore so much land, especially with what they want to do moving forward.
The goal, Hague says, is for this project to continue for the next 500 years at minimum. Eventually, Hague and Miller intend to pair up with organizations to continue the project beyond their own lifetimes, and the objective will always remain the same.
“This (is all) to protect a forest environment that is home to a number of wetlands and vernal pools,” Hague says. “It is important to save what remains.”
To schedule a visit or learn more about Coyote Run programs, visit its Facebook page or email tmfp@icloud.com.
Bre Offenberger is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
