Participants may register for field trips separately or in addition to the symposium. Those who register for the symposium will receive 15% off on registration for any of the following field trips. A discount code will be emailed to all Conservation Symposium registrants. Please register for the symposium first to receive the discount.

Learn more about the Conservation Symposium and this year’s lineup of presentations.

NATURE & HUMAN HEALTH: A Q&A HIKE WITH DR. NICOLE BURT | 10AM TO 1PM
Join Museum staff at Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve as we discuss—and experience—the positive effect of nature on both physical and mental well-being. Dr. Nicole Burt, Curator of Human Health & Evolutionary Medicine, will discuss why nature is important to our health. Then we’ll take a “Q&A hike,” exploring your questions as we explore the remarkable diversity of Mentor Marsh. Come prepared to share your strategies for bringing the outdoors into your everyday!

Leader: Dr. Nicole Burt, Curator of Human Health & Evolutionary Medicine

Trip Level: Easy

Location: Mentor Marsh Nature Center, 5185 Corduroy Rd., Mentor, OH 44060

What to Wear and Bring: Sturdy footwear, walking stick, camera if desired, water and snacks, insect repellent, and weather-appropriate clothes

BUILD IT & THEY WILL COME: THE AMAZING ABILITY OF NATURE TO BE RESTORED (AGAIN) | 10AM TO 1PM
Join Museum staff at the Geneva Swamp Preserve to get a firsthand view of how nature, with a deft helping hand, can sometimes repair itself. We’ll visit restored forested wetlands and wet meadows that would seem to an observer to have been there for centuries. We’ll get down in the weeds (pun intended) discussing the challenges of ecological restoration.

Leader: Dr. David Kriska, Restoration Ecologist

Trip Level: Moderate

Location: Assemble west of 539 Roosevelt Dr., Geneva, OH 44041

What to Wear and Bring: Hiking boots or shoes that can get wet, insect repellent, water bottle, snacks, and weather-appropriate clothing, including long pants and a rain shell. We will be off-trail walking through wet woods, so knee-high rubber boots are recommended.

THE JEWEL OF THE CUYAHOGA WETLANDS | 10AM TO 1PM
Connect with nature at The Nature Conservancy’s newest open preserve: Lucia S. Nash Preserve in Burton, Ohio. TNC staff will lead us as we walk an accessible trail past a historical hunting lodge and cabin, take a winding woodland path through forested wetlands and past vernal pools awaiting spring rains, and circle our way back ’round to a floating dock overlooking beautiful Snow Lake—a pristine relic of Northeast Ohio’s recent glacial past.

Leaders: Terry Seidel and Marcel Weigand, The Nature Conservancy

Trip Level: Easy

Location: 16429 Snow Rd., Burton, OH 44021

What to Wear and Bring: Sturdy footwear, walking stick, camera if desired, water and snacks, insect repellent, and weather-appropriate clothes

THE PRISTINE & THE PICTURESQUE: NEW CONSERVATION EFFORTS ON THE CONNEAUT CREEK | 3 TO 5PM
Join staff from the Museum and ODNR’s Division of Scenic Rivers as we explore a brand-new conservation area on Bear Creek, a tributary of the Conneaut Creek. Picturesque waterfalls and pristine older-growth forest are just some of the sights we expect to encounter. After the hike, we’ll stop at a local eatery, Purola’s Billow Street Pizza, for anyone who would like to join.

Leaders: Becky Donaldson, Mentor Marsh Naturalist, and Garrett Ormiston, GIS & Stewardship Specialist

Trip level: Moderate

Location: Assemble on State Rd. right by the Bear Creek Waterfall, just south of the intersection of Hatches Corners Rd.

What to Wear and Bring: Sturdy footwear, walking stick, camera if desired, water and snacks, insect repellent, and weather-appropriate clothes. Some slopes and off-trail walking, so rubber knee-boots are recommended.

QUESTIONS?
For questions about the Conservation Symposium, or if you’re interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact Allison Grazia (agrazia@cmnh.org).

#CONSERVATIONSYMPCLE

Special thanks to our field trip leaders for giving their time to host a hike, especially staff of The Nature Conservancy and ODNR.