COLUMBUS, OH - An astonishing array of spring wildflowers will greet visitors attending an open house at Howard Collier State Nature Preserve in Seneca County on Saturday, May 7.
The open house, which is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature guided hikes at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. that focus on identifying Ohio’s common and not-so-common spring blooms. The 115-acre preserve features a large wooded ravine corridor along the Sandusky State Scenic River.
As oak, sycamore, ash, tulip and cottonwood trees begin to shade the forest floor in a leafy-green canopy, the preserve’s floodplain is awash in the bright colors of trillium, trout-lily and squirrel corn. In early May, the area becomes a vivid display of yellow and green as the marsh marigold blooms.
Open house visitors are encouraged to bring field guides and binoculars for the hikes. For information on the open house, contact 419-981-6319.
Sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, the Natural Areas Discovery Series features scheduled hikes, interpretive activities and an opportunity for visitors to meet preserve and scenic river staff. Programs are held from April to October.