The Beauty Of Restoration

At the Big Darby Nature Preserve progress is occurring in many areas both large and small. The most apparent of these projects is the Big Darby Creek Restoration in which The Nature Conservancy is working to restore this valuable Ohio watershed. Currently, just a few miles stream side, the area is being developed for housing and for retail development. All of this construction could severely degrade one of Ohio’s most distinct streams and pollute the surrounding watershed. 

The importance of this river cannot be overstated. As tributary of the Scioto River the Big Darby Creek provides water for tens of thousands of Columbus’ residents while providing a habitat for a diverse number of plant and animal species. By protecting and highlighting this area for the public The Nature Conservancy is calling attention to the continuing impact of urban development as well as the importance of water safety.  

Long-term local development changed this natural snaking river to a straight water pathway that resulted in the reduction wildlife and plant species. The straightening and dredging of the stream was profitable for agricultural and development but harmful to water quality and the surrounding ecosystems. When The Nature Conservancy acquired the land they launched a long-term project to reestablish the natural curves of the river and to reintroduce native life. By working to restore the river’s flow The Nature Conservancy is encouraging one of Ohio’s most biologically diverse ecosystems to flourish. 

Big Darby Nature Preserve

A Lesson In Sustainability

Over the last month, various workdays have been occurring at the Big Darby Nature Preserve. I’ve been lucky to attend most of them, which allowed me to connect with like-minded people and to learn a new trick of the trade. It’s the pattern of sustainability that occurs among people who give of their time to accomplish these projects. I’ve noticed this pattern in two forms, first being the people that volunteer and second being the tasks themselves.

First, the people help make these projects possible give their time week after week. They come out on their days off to pull at weeds and pick up trash. More often then not they come back because of their drive to see their work pay off. They’re sustainable and fervent people. They have, at their core, a capacity to endure whatever task is thrown at them as they’ve pledged a long-term commitment to the maintenance of the Big Darby. They don’t shy from new tools or new responsibilities and many of them have an aspiration to see the big picture completed. They meet the present need without giving up. Trust me when I tell you their commitment is inspiring.

Secondly, the leadership team at the Big Darby is constantly finding ways to make the tasks sustainable. From the tools used to the trash collected someone is always salvaging and fashioning something new from discarded articles. Earlier in the month trail signs were created from old honeysuckle stumps. They’re gnarly and wonderfully artistic. They look like they’re springing from the ground to point the visitors along the trail. Just this Tuesday older items that I looked at as junk, a couple of old beams and a solid wooden box, quickly become a table.

All the tasks I’m working on and the people I encounter have this common thread of sustainability running through them that makes the Big Darby a wonderful work environment. Sustainability is the science of both long-term relationships and long-term use of a single item. The Big Darby leadership team has created a program that is diverse, productive, and long lasting resulting in an atmosphere of permanence.