COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is seeking volunteers to assist with the planting of 3,000 tree seedlings along Little Darby Creek near West Jefferson on Saturday, April 6.
ODNR staff will be at the former Blatter's Truck Patch on U.S. 40, east of the village, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to begin reforestation of 55 acres recently purchased by the state. Volunteers are urged to bring gloves, spades and dibble bars to assist in the planting. Refreshments will be provided.
ODNR purchased the 55 acres of creek bottom, part of the former farm market and produce stand, in January as a riparian buffer zone for the environmentally important Little Darby Creek, which is designated a national and state scenic river.
The division plans to reforest the bottomland with tree seedlings purchased with funds from the sale of scenic rivers license plates, said Stu Lewis, chief of ODNR's Division of Natural Areas & Preserves.
The property is bordered by U.S. 40 on the south; the Norfolk & Southern railroad on the north; and Little Darby Creek on the west. The Blatter family retained possession of seven acres on the eastern edge of the property, including the barn and the house.
The ODNR Division of Natural Areas & Preserves protects about 144 acres along Big and Little Darby creeks.
For additional information about the April 6 tree-planting event, call Bob Gable, ODNR Scenic Rivers Coordinator, at 614-265-6814.
For Further Information Contact:
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860
-or-
Heidi Hetzel-Evans, ODNR Natural Areas & Preserves
(614) 265-6520