Preservation Parks of Delaware County

Amy Clark/Bader Capital Campaign

FUN FACT!

They spin, they “think,” they look like leaves

Whirligig beetles are found on top of fresh, quiet water, spinning about like bumper cars. The have eyes split for double vision; the top of their eyes can see above the water and the bottom half can see below!

Ants have the largest brain of any insect. Combined, the number of brain cells in a colony of ants is about equal to the number of brain cells in a human.

A round-headed katydid usually resembles a green leaf, but be on the lookout for this rare pink form of the late-summer songster. Every year a few of these specimens turn up within their range, which covers a large part of the eastern U.S.

The road has been constructed and park rangers are building a 1.5-mile walking trail through the new Deer Haven Preserve in Liberty Township, in anticipation of opening the 97-acre park this summer. Construction of a 3,500-square-foot nature center and classroom will cost $600,000 and is set to begin in spring, 2008. It will be an integral part of the Amy Clark/Bader Bird Sanctuary. The nature center will include a library with resource books, and, equipment such as binoculars and spotting scopes will be available to aid visitors in viewing birds. Other features of Deer Haven will include interpretive signs, a wetland, bird feeders and an observation blind.

Like Preservation Parks’ six other preserves, Deer Haven will be enjoyed by Scout and other youth organizations, Audubon groups, our new Ohio Young Birders chapter, school children and thousands of individuals who wish to learn more about nature or just to retreat into a peaceful place where the only sounds are calling birds and the wind in the trees.

The building and sanitary wetland will be built using “green” construction methods, providing both an educational opportunity and allowing Preservation Parks to take the lead in employing environmentally sound construction techniques.

The cost for the nature center is estimated to be $600,000, a portion of the overall Deer Haven project cost of $976,400 for the first phase of development. As of December, 2007, $275,000 had been raised – much of that a generous gift from John W. Bader Jr.

The nature preserve and bird sanctuary will be a lasting tribute to his wife, Amy, who died in January, 2005, after a lengthy battle with a neurological disorder and breast cancer. Despite her disabilities, she became a leading expert in the field of ornithology – teaching and writing children’s books about birds.

The land for the park itself was a generous gift from Phyllis A. Havener, donated in 2006. At the time, she said she wanted to provide others with the opportunity to enjoy the land as she and her family had been privileged to do for many years. (Mrs. Havener also gave an adjacent 94 acres to Liberty Township for an active recreation park, named Havener Park.)

Your tax-deductible gift will help Preservation Parks carry Phyllis Havener’s and Amy Clark/Bader’s legacies forward and provide a natural and educational resource for county residents. For a full brochure, for more information or to make a donation, please call the Preservation Parks district office at 740-524-8600.

Preservation Parks of Delaware County | 2656 Hogback Road | Sunbury, Ohio 43074 | 740-524-8600 | Fax: 740-524-8200