Sylvan Deep has one of the most astonishingly beautiful rock formations in all of the Arc Preserves, rivaling even the finest of the geological spectacles found in Hocking Hills. Sylvan Deep lies in a particularly scenic region of Jackson County, 9 miles northwest of Jackson, the county seat, and within close driving distance of two other significant conservation lands: Leo Petroglyphs and Canter’s Caves 4H Camp.

9.45 am Please arrive no later than 9:45 am to park and settle in so we can begin promptly at 10 am.

10:00 am “Woodland Sprawl - a Wildlands Success Story” - A Sit-down Presentation by Nancy Stranahan, Arc Director. We will gather in an intimate conference room at the newly finished Tremper Mound Education Center, where Nancy will share stories of the astounding wildlands acquisitions that have taken place in the last year. Her program will include a preview of some of the exciting acquisitions expected to occur in the coming months. These will be good-news stories for anyone with a heart-connection to the preservation of wilderness and our earth’s ancient natural communities. She will also share her perspectives on how and why the Arc has experienced such explosive growth in recent times, expanding from 8,100 acres in 2020 to what will likely be close to 20,000 acres by year-end! Nancy is happy to present the program but equally happy to divy up the topics presented with one or more colleagues. Open for discussion.

12 -1:00 Lunch will be provided free of charge at Canter’s Cave, and we can accommodate most of the major dietary preferences. Who is in charge of the meals, who will be doing the food buying and the meal prep, service, and cleanup. Who is in charge of recruiting and guiding volunteers and our many board members who are coming to help?

1:00 - 1:30 Drive to Sylvan Deep, roughly a 4.5-mile drive. Sylvan Deep has substantial parking but might prove limiting for especially large events. If our attendance to this event surpasses our parking, we will encourage attendees to car-share with others, and we will also use our new 15-passenger van to lessen the demand for parking spaces. Who is in charge of the driving instructions and the parking at Sylvan Deep ?

1:30 - 3:30 A Guided Hike at Sylvan Deep. The two-mile route planned at Sylvan Deep is a well-designed trail that is supported in places by surface-leveling, bridges, and steps. Nevertheless, the exceptionally rocky terrain makes this an inevitably physically challenging trail that presents many short and steep ascents and descents. If you are a moderately strong or very strong hiker, the exceptional scenery at Sylvan Deep is worth the effort, but this trail is not for everyone. If you are not a strong hiker, please know that this hike is totally optional, and we have a less challenging but extremely beautiful guided hike option described below. Spraying tick and chigger repellent on your legs, pants, and socks is always an act of self-care. Fortunately, we should be well past their peak population this time of year. Ethan, is two hours enough? How long is the trail route? Will we offer two routes or one? Who will be leading these hikes?

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1:15 - 2:30 A Guided Hike at Canter’s Cave. Canter’s Cave boasts, just like the larger region, phenomonal rock formations! If you want a shorter, easier hike, just stay on after lunch and join us as we explore the memorable landscapes of Canter’s Cave. Who is figuring out the trail route and leading the hikes at Canter’s Caves.
Who is handling the Mailchimp Invitation?

Jot forms need addresses. Jot form for Tremper/Simon needs to be formatted for the current order of the events in mirror of the order they show up on the website. Both need to be updated and reversed, if we fill up the first round with 27 registrants.