In September of 2019 during national public lands month, the Ohio Chapter of BHA partnered with the good folks from the U.S. Forest Service to pull off a habitat improvement project at the Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area. Lake Vesuvius is located in the Appalachian foothills of southeast Ohio, about 2.5 hours from Ohio’s nearest major metro areas; but when we put out the call for volunteers, you all showed up.
Folks from all over the State descended upon The Wayne National Forest up to help plant 24 trees including white oaks and few paw paw trees. We spent the morning working in the clay and when our work was done, many of us gathered around the campfire to share stories while our children chased lightening bugs. This event stood out as a fine example of who BHA is: Good folks who are committed to protecting our public lands for the benefit of the children bouncing around our ankles.
And though the work we commit to this effort offers its own reward, we were thrilled to learn that the Ohio chapter was awarded the U.S. Forest Service Eastern Region Volunteers and Service Award for a 2019 for the Lake Vesuvius project! Nice work Ohio BHA…way to get after it!
Here is a great little video highlighting the project and your good work!