Saving Ridgeview Farm

--Sometimes you have to stand back to see the big picture--

It was only a matter of time before we noticed Ridgeview Farm — a 130 acre tract lying only one property away from our westernmost upstream holdings The "For Sale" sign helped grab our attention!! Soon after walking the property and spending time on it, we became extremely emotionally committed to saving this land.

First—there was the View! From its high vantage point, the farm namesake of “Ridgeview” was indeed appropriate, and to our delight and astonishment, we not only recognized all the hills we saw — but the Sanctuary actually already owned them. We found ourselves gazing into the heart of the wilderness preserve — Barrier Ridge, Roundtop, and Celandine Hill.

Second, the spring-fed stream running through the “back-forty” composed a remarkable Wetlands.

Third, the Wildlife — from butterflies to birds — was spectacular in the meadows, black walnut groves, and swamp forest. And fourth, the homestead had incredible charm.

Nesting Turkey Vultures Find Old Barn a Quiet Sanctuary in the summer of 2003. Vultures are normally extremely shy around people, so we took it as a compliment that they would nest so close to human habitation. We enjoyed watching the parents carefully raise their downy young, and celebrated the big event of the offspring’s first flight. Turkey Vultures are large graceful birds in the skies —their soaring wings up to six feet across. Their proclivity toward eating dead meat make them helpful scavengers in the wild, quickly turning deceased animals back into the cycle of life. Vultures are extremely intelligent and can live to a considerable old age in the wild. Federally Endangered Barn Owls at Ridgeview

are frequent nocturnal guests. All owls leave “pellets” of bones and fur after digesting the rest of their meal and such tell-tale evidence of the extremely rare barn owl is found in high numbers in Ridgeview’s old barn. The barn owl’s distinctive “shriek” is a common “wake-up” call in all of our reserves in this region of the Rocky Fork.

 

Butterflies such as these monarchs feeding on joe-pye-weed rise by the thousands out of the meadows from mid to late summer.

Red Fox are declining all across the state due to loss of habitat and highway casualties. At Ridgeview it is a delight to see a flash of red fur as this nimble animal threads his way through the tall grasses.

Ridgeview’s Wetlands

Next to mature old-growth forests, wetlands are Ohio’s most diminished natural ecosystem. For that reason, it was a deep pleasure to discover that the spring-fed stream running through Ridgeview Farm is bordered by seeps characterized by two “classic” species indicative of woodland springs and wet areas — marsh marigold and skunk cabbage.

Both plants are incredibly striking. Skunk cabbage blooms extremely early in the spring—often competing with the snow trillium for first place. Related to the Jack-in-the-pulpit, it’s 4-inch spathe is a woody hood, shielding the flower parts within. It is haunting sight to come across these sturdy purple and cream splotched flowers arising out of the frozen ground as early as late February. By April the hoods are dwarfed by a handsome rosette of HUGE leaves, each expanding to over 2 1/2 feet long. Colonies of these “swamp cabbages” growing out of black organic muck are a reassuring and nostalgic sight in early spring, and accidentally stepping on one — releasing its distinctive skunk odor — is unforgettable!

In even wetter ground arises another spring wildflower — the marsh marigold. These “marigolds” are undoubtedly the most sparkling pure yellow of any wildflower on the earth. Discovered in late March or early April, it is a spring tonic just to rest one’s eyes on their pure hues of gold.

Because most of Ohio’s wetlands have been drained for agriculture, and the springs cleared of trees for pasturing, both skunk cabbage and marsh marigold are rare sights today. Their unusually bountiful numbers at Ridgeview Farm make this property extremely critical to preserve.

 

 

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