Pickett Run Woodlands. Photo by Tim Pohlar
Pickett Run & Sycamore Springs
Of the 72 land acquisitions that today make up the 3000-acre Highlands Nature Sanctuary, 35 of them are 10 acres or less, and 27 of them are 5 acres or less. Restoring wildlands in Ohio is piecework, but the finished puzzle – with its clean borders and defined entry points – is a preserve that is not only beautiful but one that can be functionally protected because it lies in no one’s backyard. Attention to this kind of detail creates a preserve that is as close to wilderness as we can get in the East.
Two of the smaller acquisitions in this year’s campaign - but by no means the least unimportant - are 1) the Pickett Run Wetlands acquisition that eluded funding last year and has been brought forward to this year’s campaign to bring it to completion. And 2) Sycamore Springs, which is a heady puzzle piece to be able to place inside the Sanctuary’s boundaries. Because of Sycamore Spring’s long frontage on the Rocky Fork, and the fact that it is already completely surrounded by the Sanctuary, this property is a critical acquisition.
Campaign Map: Click here to view the map of the 2023-2024 Land Campaign
Visit: Highlands Nature Sanctuary offers 18 miles of trails - open sunrise to sunset
Address: 7660 Cave Road, Bainbridge, OH 45612 (visitor center open seasonally)
Website for the Highlands Nature Sanctuary
Pickett Run flowing into Rocky Fork Creek - Photo by Tim Pohlar
Lush beds of skunk cabbage border Pickett Run - photo by Tim Pohlar
Marsh Marigolds at Pickett Run
Spring wildflowers at Pickett Run Wetlands
Sycamore Springs at dusk - Photo by Kayla Rankin
The Pickett Run and Sycamore Springs acquisitions are shown in context with the western holdings of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is the Arc’s oldest and largest preserve. It also serves as the Arc’s headquarters.
Pickett Run Wetlands
The Highlands Nature Sanctuary region is known for its outstanding karst topography, with sinkholes, stone arches, and the steep-walled Rocky Fork Gorge. What we are not known for are wetlands. There are a few notable exceptions. The back forty of Ridgeview Farm is positively saturated, and the Shining Springs region on Barretts Mill Road is filled with seeps and springs. Other than that, the Sanctuary pretty much sits on gravel. That was why we were so surprised to discover another truly wet property just over the Sanctuary’s southern boundary line on Ferneau Road. Pickett Run Wetlands had been entirely off our radar until it came up for sale.
Pickett Run Wetlands is not a pristine property. It has been heavily impacted by human activity over the years. A house sits near the road in disrepair, and admittedly quite a bit of trash (notably, cars) has accumulated in the young woods behind the house, which is, also unfortunately, choked by non-native invasive plant species. You are probably asking about now, “And why do we want to buy this?”
Because the property also has a ton of assets. Coldwater alkaline springs feed the property’s soils, which lie on limestone bedrock, creating an uncommon wetland characterized by a high pH, known as a fen. At Pickett Run, alkaline-tolerant plants, such as skunk cabbage and marsh marigold, thrive in the spring. In fact, Pickett Run Wetlands likely boasts THE largest colony of marsh marigold in the entire Sanctuary region! In summer, water-loving plants such as giant goldenrod, turtlehead, and the rare Riddell’s goldenrod proliferate.
The property also has considerable waterfrontage on the Rocky Fork and includes a long stretch of Pickett Run along with its confluence into the Rocky Fork. The property’s wealth is in its water.
ForestKeeper sought for PIckett Run. Acquiring Pickett Run Wetlands would enable us to preserve and restore an outstanding plant community that is certainly worthy of protection, and we are willing to put in the work. Our Arc Stewardship Team is looking for one or more dedicated volunteers who would like to adopt this tiny treasure of a preserve and show it the love it needs to meet its full potential as a healthy wetland ecosystem. If you are interested, please contact arcpreserveinfo@gmail.com.
Sycamore Springs
For nearly 30 years, the Arc has been buying parcels both large and small to put together the Highlands Nature Sanctuary for the purpose of preserving the final ten miles of the Rocky Fork Creek, along with its splendid karst country landscape of grottos, seeps, arches, canyons, and caves. Sycamore Springs was a five-acre inholding on the far western border of the Sanctuary, not far from where it meets Rocky Fork State Park. The property had been previously developed with a small residence.
Because this parcel included a long shoreline on the Rocky Fork Creek, and because we already owned on all four sides of it, it was a priority to acquire in order to help create a more fully contiguous wildlands preserve by removing a private residence from within the preserve. Because the home is in good condition, our plan is to rent the home by the night as part of our public lodging offerings. It will one day be enjoyed by long-distance travelers to the Sanctuary, and by visitors staying at the Sanctuary to attend educational events. Guests can enjoy the many hiking trails offered nearby and shown on the map above.