Raccoon Creek Partnership

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Raccoon Creek Partnership The Raccoon Creek Partnership is a member based, nonprofit (501 (c) (3)) organization that was formed

Hello RCP Friends! WE WANT YOU! 🦝We are actively looking for new volunteer board members! Our board is made up of all vo...
10/07/2026

Hello RCP Friends! WE WANT YOU! 🦝

We are actively looking for new volunteer board members! Our board is made up of all volunteer community members with a vested interest in Raccoon Creek Partnership and the restoration of our watershed.

If you, or anyone you know may be interested in joining our team, please reach out to us at [email protected] for more information, and plan on attending our Annual Meeting on November 8th from 2 pm to 4 pm at Raccoon Creek Outfitters in Albany, OH! During this event, we will host our board elections while enjoying free pizza, Snowville Creamery hot chocolate, a bonfire, and a guest presentation on Parasite Ecology by Dr. Wayne Rossiter of the University of Rio Grande!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Watershed Wednesday!This may not be a crime-fighting pizza-eating mutant 🍕, but they are still a very interesting specie...
10/07/2026

Watershed Wednesday!

This may not be a crime-fighting pizza-eating mutant 🍕, but they are still a very interesting species found in our watershed! Introducing the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) notoriously known for crossing the road and stopping you dead in your tracks to play superhero. These woodland wanderers play a very important role in our ecosystem.

🐢Turtle-y awesome facts:

Just like our fingerprint, no two turtles have the exact same pattern on their shell, making particular individuals easy to identify.

When danger comes knocking their hinged bottom shell can close up like a box, talk about a shield of protection!

Eastern box turtles can live for 50+ years and some have even been recorded to live up to 100 years, making these turtles almost as old and wise as Master Oogway!

So whether you're a fan of TMNT, Franklin, Crush from Finding Nemo, or just really love turtles, remember that some of the coolest turtles can be found right here in our own woods!

Quick Note: When saving box turtles off the road, place them in the direction they were facing!

Have you seen an Eastern Box Turtle while on a stroll in your woods?🌲

Photo from: https://waltermagazine.com/current-issue/turtle-y-awesome-eastern-box-turtles/
Information from: https://waltermagazine.com/current-issue/turtle-y-awesome-eastern-box-turtles/

Hello RCP friends! Our annual meeting is right around the corner! Please join us on Sunday, November 8th from 2 pm to 4 ...
10/06/2026

Hello RCP friends! Our annual meeting is right around the corner! Please join us on Sunday, November 8th from 2 pm to 4 pm at Raccoon Creek Outfitters in Albany for a fun-filled fall afternoon!🍁 This event is free and open to the public, and will include a bonfire, snacks, pizza, Snowville Creamery hot chocolate, our board election, a silent auction, and a presentation by Dr. Wayne Rossiter of The University of Rio Grande.

Additionally, we have multiple volunteer board positions opening up! If you, or anyone you know is interested in joining our team, please let us know, and plan on attending our annual meeting! You can email our board at [email protected] for more information!

We hope to see you there!🦝

Watershed Wednesday!Have you ever spotted a shrub covered in red berries and noticed its silvery green leaves? Well chan...
09/30/2026

Watershed Wednesday!

Have you ever spotted a shrub covered in red berries and noticed its silvery green leaves? Well chances are you were looking at none other than Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata)!

Though this plant might look like a hidden gem with its shimmering silver leaves, do not be deceived, this plant is no treasure! Autumn olive was brought to North America from Asia in the mid 1800s as an ornamental plant.

Fun Facts:
Autumn olive is an invasive species! Though this shrub was originally destined to decorate our homes, this plant had other ideas. These plants form dense thickets that can crowd native plants and cause major issues!

And if that wasn't bad enough, these shrubs spread with the help of some feathered friends that eat their berries and spread their seeds to invade new areas.

Look out for those silvery undersides on the leaves, their small pale yellow flowers in the spring, and their striking red berries in late summer and fall.

This shrub is just a reminder that not all things found in the watershed are beneficial to our ecosystems and learning to identify invasive plants is a great way to help protect our native species!
Pictures from: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2018/06/invasive-spotlight-autumn-olive
Information from: https://extension.psu.edu/autumn-olive

Welcome back to watershed Wednesday!This week we're highlighting the much loved chickadee!🐦These year round residents ar...
09/23/2026

Welcome back to watershed Wednesday!

This week we're highlighting the much loved chickadee!🐦

These year round residents are a familiar sight to the watershed, with their strikingly recognizable black caps and bib, one would even think they were dressing to impress! But what’s even more impressive, Ohio is home to two species of this dapper bird. The Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapilla) and the Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis). Talk about double trouble!

Fun chickadee facts:
That classic call isn’t just for serenading, these delightful little birds actually use it as a warning to others about potential threats. The more dees they add to the end, the bigger the perceived threat. Talk about an alarm system!

These little guys make birds' brains look like a complement! Using their extraordinary spatial memory, they can track down their stashed snacks for winter and are even believed to grow new neurons in their hippocampi each fall to keep track of all their hiding places.

A group of chickadees is called a banditry, due to their distinct markings forming a “bandit mask”, but the only thing these birds are stealing is our hearts!
So next time you’re exploring the great outdoors keep an eye out for these delightful balls of fluff!

Have you ever seen a chickadee at your bird feeder?

Picture found: https://www.audubon.org/magazine/birdist-rule-71-figure-out-what-kind-of-chickadees-youve-got
Information found: https://www.mentalfloss.com/animals/birds/chickadee-facts

Hello everyone, we've decided to bring back our fun-fact Watershed Wednesdays!Though this might look more like something...
09/16/2026

Hello everyone, we've decided to bring back our fun-fact Watershed Wednesdays!

Though this might look more like something out of a sci fi movie than something found in the watershed, do not be fooled this is in fact the caterpillar of a hag moth.
Meet the Monkey slug caterpillar (Phobetron pithecium)! 🐒
This tiny alien-like creature gets its name from its strange fuzzy body and its wild tentacle-like appendages!

A few fun facts:
Unlike the typical caterpillar the monkey slug does not have legs! It instead uses tiny sucker like structures on the underside of its body to move around allowing it to appear as if it is gliding across surfaces.

Those crazy alien-like arms aren’t just used as decoration, these caterpillars detach these arms as a defense mechanism much like a lizard dropping its tail.

As if they weren't strange enough these caterpillars (slug moths) are also known as cup moths due to their strange spherical cocoons that are made from hardened silk and the caterpillars' larval hairs.

So next time you’re walking around the watershed make sure to keep an eye out for this not so extraterrestrial creature.

Would you have known this was a caterpillar if you came across it on a hike?

Photo of cocoon found:
https://www.prairiehaven.com/?page_id=8245
Information found: https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/insects-invertebrates/monkey-slug

Hello RCP Friends! Let's give a warm welcome to our newest Raccoon Creek Partnership AmeriCorps volunteer, Emillee Ross!...
09/10/2026

Hello RCP Friends! Let's give a warm welcome to our newest Raccoon Creek Partnership AmeriCorps volunteer, Emillee Ross!

'Hello everyone! My name is Emillee Ross and I am the newest Appalachian Ohio Restore AmeriCorps volunteer serving with Raccoon Creek Partnership for this upcoming year! It's my first year with AmeriCorps and I am beyond excited to get started!

I am a Graduate of The University of Rio Grande where I received a Bachelors degree in Wildlife Conservation. During that time I was given the opportunity to gain hands on experience with various animal species and educational opportunities as the Rio Eco Monitoring Field Technician. Since graduating I have been given the amazing opportunity to be apart of Canter's Cave 4-H Camp staff where I have been able to share my love for wildlife through outdoor education. I absolutely love spending my free time exploring new places, hiking, learning new skills, roller skating, and crafting.

I cannot wait to being my service with Raccoon Creek Partnership and further expand my knowledge of the watershed!'

Our 2026 RCP Annual Watershed Camp was a reel hit!🎣 We'd like to thank our campers for being wonderful attendees, and ou...
08/05/2026

Our 2026 RCP Annual Watershed Camp was a reel hit!🎣 We'd like to thank our campers for being wonderful attendees, and our amazing volunteers and professional demonstrators for making this year's camp a fin-tastic success🐟! We’d also like to thank the ODNR Division of Wildlife for our funding through the Aquatic Stewardship Grant! And one last thank you to Raccoon Creek Outfitters for hosting us again!🦝🐢🦆🌞

Nature Spotlight: Raccoon Creek State Scenic RiverDid you know that there are 17 designated waterways in Ohio? Vinton Co...
05/29/2026

Nature Spotlight: Raccoon Creek State Scenic River

Did you know that there are 17 designated waterways in Ohio? Vinton County has one of them! Raccoon Creek flows for 111.9 miles and is home to 92 species of fish - plus many more flora and fauna species! If you are looking for a place to paddle through the beauty of Ohio's Wonderland, explore Raccoon Creek! Prepare for your adventure at Raccoon Creek Outfitters and learn more about the Raccoon Creek Watershed by checking out the Raccoon Creek Partnership.

Image Credits:
Image 1 and 2: Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Image 3: Taylor Henninger / Athens County Independent
Image 4 and 5: Raccoon Creek Partnership
Image 6 (Map): Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Our Apple Grafting Workshop this past weekend was a tree-mendous success!🍎 A huge thank you to all that participated, an...
04/20/2026

Our Apple Grafting Workshop this past weekend was a tree-mendous success!🍎 A huge thank you to all that participated, and a special shoutout to the one and only, Derek Mills with Hocking Hills Orchard for sharing his knowledge and expertise!🌳

Address

P. O. Box 131
Athens, OH
45701

Telephone

+17405971473

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