When you plant a garden, you’re envisioning the rewards of a season that, ecologically speaking, are right around the corner. When you plan and plant a forested wetland, you’re laying the groundwork for a result that likely will take 5 years to come into its own.
“You have to have patience,” says Cory Christopher, Director of Conservation at Cincinnati Nature Center. That reality, however, doesn’t at all dampen Cory’s enthusiasm when he talks about the 93-acre forested wetland taking shape at the Nature Center’s Long Branch Farm & Trails—their members-only, hidden-gem location in Goshen.
But first, exactly what is a forested wetland? And why is it beneficial to have one? “It’s a fancy word for swamp, which sounds negative to most people,” Cory says.
This new forested wetland will be a patchwork of dry and wet areas dominated by trees. At times, it will be saturated by seasonal rains and flooded by runoff from nearby streams. Throughout the year, dry areas will emerge as water slowly filters down, creating a nutrient-rich soil and trapping toxins. The ripple effect: cleaner groundwater beyond its boundaries. The tree canopy of shade and open areas of sunlight will encourage a wide range of plant and animal species.
The fact is, the land at Long Branch Farm will be restored to what it naturally was—which is where this story starts. In 2022, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) contacted the Nature Center’s Executive Director Jeff Corney. TNC wanted to create a forested wetland in this part of the state, and asked if the Nature Center had a likely spot among its 1800 acres at Rowe Woods and Long Branch Farm. Jeff turned to Cory, who thought there were some places at the farm that just might work. And he was right.
The land Cory had in mind was along both sides of Gaynor Road near its intersection with OH-28. “There were signs it was a wetland ... until a farmer in the past drained it to make crop fields,” Cory says. Once TNC studies confirmed his suspicion, work got underway last fall.
Nature Center staff and volunteers removed invasive plants like honeysuckle, some larger trees, weeds and turf grass. That paved the way for the third partner in this venture, Oxbow River & Stream Restoration, Inc., to bring in heavy equipment and begin reshaping the flat fields—digging pockets in the landscape that will hold water for different periods of time, adding embankments and other work to transform it.
“Hopefully, by fall, we’ll start planting,” Cory explains. That will be an immense, ongoing job involving thousands of plants and hundreds of seeds. “Some plants will be ones people don’t commonly see in wild areas around here, like hibiscus.”
As for the animals, Cory says the project is taking a “if you build it, they will come” approach. “Ducks, grebes, maybe even a sandhill crane. We know cranes fly over the farm and look for places to sleep at night.” More than anything, Cory hopes that Prothonotary Warblers will call the wetland home. “I consider it one of the most beautiful birds in the world ... with its brilliant yellow head, it almost glows.”
Other likely residents will be otters, mink, spotted turtles, frogs, salamanders, and who knows what else.
“By next spring, we’ll start to see results,” Cory says. Eventually, there are plans to create a pull-off area on Gaynor, building a viewing platform and trail for public access.
For the next 10 years, TNC will manage the land, and Nature Center staff will work alongside them to learn how to care for and maintain it. After that, the Nature Center will take over.
There are also plans for a Community Day when people will be invited to come and help plant. “We don’t have a date yet, but I think it’s especially important we make our neighbors feel a part of this,” Cory adds. “In 20 or 30 years, they can drive by and say, ‘I planted that tree!’”
“I’m a big believer in listening and observing the land. It will tell you what it wants to be.” – Cory