Hancock County Naturalists to Explore Biodiversity at Oakwoods Nature Preserve with Kelli Clark

FINDLAY, Ohio – The Hancock County Naturalists will hold their next meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at Oakwoods Nature Preserve, 1400 Oakwood Ave., Findlay. The featured presentation, “Oakwoods Nature Preserve: Understanding Biodiversity in a Restored Ohio Wetland,” will be led by Kelli Clark.

Clark will share results from a biodiversity survey conducted in the reconstructed wetland area at Oakwoods Nature Preserve, giving participants a chance to learn more about the plants and animals found in a familiar Hancock County natural area.

Clark conducted the survey in 2022 while studying environmental field biology at Ohio Northern University. She received a Polar SURF undergraduate research scholarship and worked alongside ONU professors Dr. Kathryn Krynak, Dr. Bob Verb, and Dr. Leslie Riley to study biodiversity within the restored wetland.

During the program, Clark will discuss the findings of the survey, the ecological importance of wetlands, and the role restoration efforts can play in supporting biodiversity. She will also discuss programs such as H2Ohio and explore both the practical ecological benefits and natural beauty of wetland habitats.

Clark describes herself as a history and nature enthusiast whose academic and professional background spans both fields. She served in the U.S. Army from 2008 to 2023 as a combat medic, including two deployments to Afghanistan and one to Eastern Europe.

She graduated magna cum laude from American Military University in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in world history. Her senior research examined Ohio and Serpent Mound's relationship to the development of archaeology as a respected science in the United States. In 2023, she graduated summa cum laude from Ohio Northern University with a bachelor's degree in environmental field biology.

The meeting is free and open to the public, and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Youth ages 15 and older are welcome. Individuals interested in becoming members of the Hancock County Naturalists may join for annual dues of $15 for adults, $20 for couples, and $10 for youth.

For more information, contact Jane Riker at 419-306-3697 or emaggin117@aol.com, or visit hancockcountynaturalists.org.

Richard S. “Doc” Phillips, the man pictured on the front, started our club. Oakwoods Discovery Center, where we meet, was opened and dedicated to him in 1994. He wrote a weekly article called “In Nature’s Realm” for 36 years for The Courier, our local newspaper. He taught biology at Findlay High School and Findlay College. He banded birds for a half-century and recorded his valuable information. All of his data has been preserved in the archives at BGSU.

The Hancock County Naturalists group was formed in 1974 with its first meeting held on March 13, 1975, at Christ United Methodist Church of Findlay. Doc wrote a book on the birds of Hancock County in 1951 and then wrote an updated book in 1980, which was sponsored by the Hancock County Naturalists. After Doc passed away in 1993, some members of our group got together and compiled selected articles from his newspaper column “In Nature’s Realm,” to be published in book form.

So here we are, years later, continuing to be influenced by “Doc” Phillips and influencing others about our natural world. It inspires us to know that people continue to have a genuine interest and appreciation for all of the nature that surrounds us. We think Doc would be happy to know that his influence continues to spread and that his little club hasn’t gone extinct.