At the Gwynne, conservation is an experience—not a lecture

At the Gwynne Conservation Area, landowners don’t just hear how to improve wildlife habitat, manage woodlands or protect ponds—they see those practices at work.

Across 67 acres of woodlands, prairies, wetlands, ponds and streams, the Gwynne serves as an outdoor classroom where visitors can explore practical strategies for caring for their land.

The Gwynne is part of Farm Science Review, the agricultural showcase hosted by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center near London, from Sept 22-24.

“The Gwynne Conservation Area is designed as a place for landowners to see conservation practices on the landscape, making it much easier to understand how different practices might look and function on their own properties,” said Marne Titchenell, who’s based in CFAES’ School of Environment and Natural Resources as a wildlife program director for Ohio State University Extension, CFAES’ outreach arm.

At the Gwynne, visitors can ask questions and explore wildlife habitat plantings, nest boxes, forage plots and other demonstration areas while learning about erosion control, pond management, forestry and wildlife habitat improvement.

Titchenell said invasive species, water quality and watershed protection, soil and forest health, and wildlife habitat improvement are among the biggest natural resource concerns she is hearing from Ohio landowners.

At the Gwynne this year, 55 talks throughout three days will connect FSR visitors with natural resources professionals who will address those concerns and other topics affecting Ohio’s land, water, woodlands and wildlife. Exhibits and experts in the Conservation Resources Tent will give visitors another opportunity to ask questions one-on-one. 

“It turns conservation education into an experience rather than a lecture,” Titchenell said.

One of her sessions will use the relationship among acorns, insects and wildlife to demonstrate how decisions made in one part of a woodland can ripple through an entire ecosystem.

For example, controlling invasive plants can give native trees a better chance to regenerate. Those native trees eventually produce food — like nuts and acorns — eaten by wildlife, but they also support caterpillars and other invertebrates that provide critical food for birds, particularly during the nesting season.

“If we support the base of the food web by creating diverse forests with native plants, then we support the entire ecosystem and not just a single species,” Titchenell said.

The Gwynne is also helping introduce a younger generation to careers in natural resources.

High school students interested in forestry and wildlife can participate in FFA forestry and wildlife career development training throughout FSR. Sessions led by Extension and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife will cover skills including map and compass reading, timber cruising, forest products and tree and mammal identification.

For landowners, students or anyone curious about Ohio’s natural resources, Titchenell said the value of the Gwynne comes from being able to learn in the landscape itself, surrounded by professionals who can help turn questions into action.