The Woodman Fen walking paths are currently CLOSED to the public. You can still acquire information from the parking lot. Give us your best guess, no answers will be turned down. We're sorry you cannot enjoy the beauty of the fen in its full glory but hope you still enjoy your visit.
Thanks to an extensive restoration by Five Rivers MetroParks, an ancient wetland that dates to the last Ice Age 13,000 years ago, is now officially open to the public. A fen is a wetland where the area is watered by underground sources and is rich in an alkaline peat. Through funding from the Walmart Foundation (which provided a $50,000 grant for MetroParks to construct the boardwalk), the Woodman Fen has a longer than 1,000-foot boardwalk that snakes around the wetland and keeps your feet dry; the longest in the MetroParks system. This walkway was constructed with durable, recycled plastic material. The boardwalk meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, so everyone can experience this rare ecosystem. Below, the soggy earth is a rich coal-black peat, and the soil is flaked with white calcium carbonate from water evaporation. The ground is so saturated that it bounces when you walk, not fit for foot traffic. There’s nothing else like it in Montgomery County. The fen’s nearest geological cousin is the Beavercreek Wetlands in Greene County.
The Fen was misused for years. The water was diverted and farming was attempted. However the land still remained too wet for farming and the area was used for illegal dumping. Salvaging of this property has taken over seven years. And in that time the water flow has been restored and loads of debris removed. After the moisture was returned, the fen started to come back to life.
This portion of south west Ohio is on a limestone base. The water flowing over this base is alkaline, (over pH 7), containing calcium carbonate. The alkaline environment supports rare and unusual plants such as sedges, reeds, and grasses.
In 2009, 10,000 plants were introduced and planted. These plants were carefully harvested from active area fens. This increased the diversity of the fen from 30 different species of plants to about 100 different plants. Fens are populated by sedges, rushes, grasses, and wildflowers.
At the Woodman Fen, a border area was restored as a prairie. Over 6000 native plants were started in a three acre portion on the property. Located around the perimeter of this conservation area is a 0.6 mile natural path/trail that allows you the rare opportunity to see up close a variety of the natural plant life and a look at the water drainage system feeding the fen. You may even be lucky enough to spot deer or other wild life species. We would recommend you not venture the natural paths during the rainy season (unless mud is your thing). From the actual boardwalk, which is 0.2 miles long, you can view many of the hidden treasures the fen has to offer.
Many fens, along with 90% of wetlands that existed before Europeans settled Ohio, have been destroyed. They were drained for farming, and development of our towns and roads. The fen is critical in absorbing water runoff, cleaning water, and preventing flooding. The unique plant communities are found nowhere else. And birds and animals are dependent upon the fen habitat to breed and feed.
The restoration of the Woodman Fen is still evolving. The plants are re-establishing this unique ecosystem. Through the efforts of Five Rivers MetroParks, and the many volunteers that contributed to the project, the fen has life again.
In order to claim a smiley for finding this Earthcache, we do need confirmation you attended the fen. Please send an email with your answers to the following questions …
Send answers to: JamesRUsGeocache@gmail.com
QUESTIONS
Along the boardwalk, you will discover signs with information about the fen. You may use this information (and this listing) to help you answer the following questions …
- After visiting the fen, please describe what you see that would indicate this is a fen vs. a different type of wetland (ie, marsh, swamp, etc).
- Name something you saw, regarding the fen, that you may not have observed elsewhere.
- Why do you believe it was important for the fen to be restored?
We hope your visit to the Woodman Fen provides a memorable learning experience; one you will want to share with others and refer them to this conservation area.
For more information about the Woodman Fen, visit: http://www.metroparks.org/AboutUs/News_FenNominal.aspx
Also, we found a virtual tour of the fen on YouTube for those interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dl3cMTAYEg