Please Join Our Team of Conservation Heroes As We Support The Sandhill Crane Wetlands Project.
For many years, Toledo area birders have flocked to the intersection of Angola and Raab Roads each spring to see the birds that show up to feed in the agricultural fields there. A mega-rarity Curlew sandpiper showed up in 2016, and four other shorebird species also made their first ever appearances in the Oak Openings region that year: Stilt Sandpiper, Long-billed dowitcher, Wilson’s phalarope, and Red-necked phalarope.
You can see the impressive list of other recent records in Matt Anderson's Bird List.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is developing this 280-acre property to protect water quality and preserve wildlife habitat, and it holds much promise for becoming even more legendary as a destination for birders and all kinds of naturalists. The property is now called Sandhill Crane Wetlands (SCW), and it already has a small parking lot and some signage, with plans for continued improvements going forward. Their grand opening will be on May 22, 2022, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
We’re asking for donations to our Waterbury Conservation Fund so that we can help TNC make the property more accessible to birders and other naturalists. Your contribution will help improve and sustain these important wetlands. And our contributions will continue the legacy of our mission in Northwestern Ohio. Read below for more details.
Since 1933, Toledo Naturalists’ Association (TNA) has been teaching about the natural world through our free monthly programs and dozens of field trips each year. Our members learn about birds, sure, but also about native plants, fungi, dragonflies, butterflies, and so much more. We also have a long history of supporting conservation projects in Northwestern Ohio, from founding the Toledo Christmas Bird Counts to being the purchasers of the Schwamberger Prairie, the original parcel for TNC’s Kitty Todd Preserve. And we plan to continue that tradition of conservation support -- but we need your help!
As we approach our 90th year of celebrating the natural history of the Toledo region, we’re asking for donations to our Waterbury Conservation Fund so that we can help TNC make the property more accessible to birders and other naturalists. Our contribution will go toward the types of things that will help you see the birds and other wildlife better when you visit the wetlands.
Our goal for this campaign is $7,500, so that we can add that to what we’ve already received and give them a $10,000 donation by the end of 2022.
Will you help us get there?
Your contribution will be added to a fund specifically earmarked for the Sandhill Crane Wetlands, and you can be proud to say that you had a hand in making the natural world more accessible to thousands of people, now and into the future.
Please make your donation by using the PayPal DONATE button below, or by mailing a check to TNA, 24 Walnut Creek Drive, Holland, OH 43528. (If you choose to donate by check, please make a note that it’s for the Waterbury Conservation Fund.)
Whether you can contribute or not, TNA is so very grateful for the continuing support of our community over nearly nine decades.
We hope to see many of you at Sandhill Crane Wetlands in the coming years!
Thank you, on behalf of the Board of Directors of Toledo Naturalists’ Association,
Kim Smith
President, TNA
