Olentangy River Wetland Research Park

Last Saturday, our interns had the opportunity to attend the 2nd Annual Habitat Hoopla at Scioto Gardens! 🐝

While visitors perused the selection of native plants for sale, wildlife experts from around the state shared how people can attract and protect pollinators, create native gardens, and more! 🪻

Throughout the day, the interns taught onlookers about the value of macroinvertebrates in aquatic habitats as well as native prairie restoration! On top of that, the interns were able to show off some of the research being done at the park. 🦞

This event was a great way to celebrate the birds, bees, frogs, and other creatures in our landscapes who depend on native plants! Thank you Scioto Gardens for inviting us!

Last week, the ORWRP had the pleasure of hosting Winous Point Marsh Conservancy technicians for the second half of our intern swap! 🦆

During their visit, the technicians received a tour of the site and had the opportunity to participate in some of the research we do! Fortunately, they got the special opportunity to observe and conduct fyke net surveys, which are only done twice a year! These nets help researchers monitor aquatic wildlife in our wetlands as well as assess the health of the ecosystem! If you want to learn more about how we use fyke nets, go and check out Ourlands Episode #2! 🐟

Additionally, the technicians had the opportunity to sample aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish through electrofishing! Thank you Winous Point for giving us the opportunity to share some of the work we do! ✨

🚨THROWBACK THURSDAY🚨

Welcome back to our American Wetlands Month celebration. Expect a new batch of old photos every Thursday this month!

Today, we’ve got a bit of an eclectic mix of photos. These are the fun ones that really stood out to Connor as he was sorting through all our albums. Learn a little more about each picture below!

Photo 1: Kids helping plant our oxbow (or play in the mud) ~ 1997
Photo 2: Dr. Mitsch leading a tour ~ 1994
Photo 3: Planting a Block O flag in Wetland 1 during the ORW Dedication ~ 1995
Photo 4: Kid standing next to heavy machinery during the early days of our site ~ 1994
Photo 5: Breaking ground on the Heffner Building ~ 1997
Photo 6: Christmas lights in the distinctive shape of our kidney wetlands framing the ‘Shoe ~ 1997
Photo 7: ORWRP flag hoisted from the Sandefur Pavilion ~ 1999
Photo 8: Hawk holding court between the two wetlands ~ 1996
Photo 9: Wide shot of researchers in Wetland 1 ~ 1997

Join us next week for our final batch of old photos!

Last week, the ORWRP and Winous Point Marsh Conservancy conducted our first intern swap!

Winous Point protects, restores, and enhances 3000 acres of wetland habitats and wildlife in the southwest Lake Erie region! During our two-day visit, ORWRP staff received an extensive tour of the site and participated in sunrise and sunset secretive marsh bird surveys, with the primary purpose of these surveys to identify marsh birds that are more often heard than ever seen!

On the morning of day two, ORWRP staff assisted with bird captures, bird banding, and blood draws. The primary purpose of this protocol is to test for West Nile virus and to better understand the path of transmission in these northern latitudes. This is an established collaborative effort between Winous Point and The Ohio State University, with CFAES researchers testing for the virus in mosquito populations at our wetlands in Columbus!

Thank you Winous Point for hosting us last week! We’re looking forward to hosting a few Winous Point interns this week at the wetlands!

🚨 THROWBACK THURSDAY 🚨

Welcome back to our American Wetlands Month celebration. Expect a new batch of old photos every Thursday this month! Today, we’ll be honoring Dr. Bill Mitsch, the founder of the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park.

A highly regarded and distinguished professor, Dr. Mitsch pioneered the study of wetland ecology and ecological engineering, founding the ORWRP in 1992. For his extraordinary achievements as a researcher, educator, and advocate for wetlands, he was awarded the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize in 2004. Often called the “Nobel Prize of Water,” this award recognizes outstanding achievements in sustainable water use, honoring laureates annually at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.

In 2008, Dr. Mitsch successfully led an effort to have the ORWRP designated a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention, one of only 41 such sites in the United States and the only one in Ohio.

Dr. Bill Mitsch passed away in February of 2025. Because of his leadership and vision, the Wetlands will continue to be a celebrated legacy of his dedication to science, conservation, and education for years to come at The Ohio State University.

Take a scroll through to see Dr. Bill Mitsch in action during the early days of the ORWRP. Learn a little more about each picture below!

Photo 1: Dr. Bill Mitsch (pictured in scarlet) collecting data with students ~ 1999
Photo 2: Dr. Mitsch collecting water quality data, notably in a suit and tie ~ 1996
Photo 3: Dr. Mitsch planting vegetation along Wetland 1 ~ 1994
Photo 4: A cameo from our favorite Buckeye ~ 1999
Photo 5: Dr. Mitsch joined by a group in the Heffner Building lobby ~ 2000
Photo 6: Dr. Mitsch assisting with tree planting ~ 2004
Photo 7: Dr. Mitsch at the ribbon cutting for the Sandefur Pavillion opening ~ 1999
Photo 8: Dr. Mitsch photographed mid-handshake at an unspecified event ~ 2000
Photo 9: An ORWRP-decorated cake commemorating Dr. Mitsch’s 50th birthday, March 29th, 1997
Photo 10: Dr. Mitsch receiving a gift during his 50th birthday ~ 1997

Join us next Thursday for a new batch of old photos!

May is American Wetlands Month—the best time to celebrate one of nature’s most productive ecosystems!

Did you know that before the ORWRP was an internationally recognized Ramsar wetland, our site used to just be farmland? Our site was built from the ground up, and it was all documented! So join us every Thursday this month for a Throwback Thursday: celebrate American Wetlands Month as we scan albums and albums of our photographed history! 📸🌱

Take a scroll through to see the humble beginnings of our site, from bulldozers to boardwalk construction to school tours! Learn a little more about each picture below!

Photo 1: Early ORWRP sign before site construction ~ 1992
Photo 2: Site development via heavy machinery ~ 1993
Photo 3: Boardwalk construction on Wetland 1 ~ 1993
Photo 4: ORWRP founder, Dr. Bill Mitsch (pictured in scarlet), assisting with boardwalk construction ~ 1993
Photo 5: Students assisting with boardwalk construction ~ 1994
Photo 6: Reflection of youth tour group in Wetland 1 ~ 1999
Photo 7: Wider photo of youth tour group ~ 1999
Photo 8: Early aerial photography of recently inundated wetlands ~ 1997
Photo 9: Breaking ground on the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park ~ 1992

Join us next Thursday for a new batch of old photos! ✨

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 30th! 📅

Join us for our second annual bioblitz event! Join the Olentangy River Wetlands and experts from the Ohio State University for a day full of hands-on exploration. There will be two sessions, morning and evening, and each session will feature different stations for you to explore! Jump in to stations to learn about birds, bees, reptiles, fish, plants, and more!

Throughout the day, you'll get to learn about species you can find at the ORW (and maybe even your own backyard), how to protect them, and what citizen science means and how you can participate in it every day!

You can find out more about the event and stations can be found on our website under "Upcoming Programs and Events."
Sign-ups will be open soon, so keep an eye out! 🐦🐝🐢🦌

🌎 Celebrate Earth Day by volunteering at the ORW 🌎

Next Tuesday, April 21st, join us from 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM for a park cleanup event in celebration of Earth Day. All supplies will be provided.
Can't make it right at the start? Don't worry! You can drop in to this event at any time, and park staff will direct you to areas that need cleaned.

We look forward to celebrating Earth Day (a day early) with you!
You can register now using the link in our bio or by going to go.osu.edu/orwcleanup