The idea for creating a 501(c)(3) statewide organization established for the sole purpose of promoting, protecting and improving Ohio’s natural areas and preserves originated from a natural areas strategic planning meeting held February 17, 2012 at the Gorman Nature Center in Lexington, Ohio. Of the 59 community leaders invited, 39 were in attendance; the remaining 20 invitees who were not able to attend asked to stay involve with many of them submitting written recommendations to the group. Individuals from throughout Ohio included two former directors of ODNR, retired DNAP administrators, MetroPark directors,lawyers, college professors, representatives from major conservation organizations, naturalists, and ODNR volunteers were in attendance. Of the several recommendations made by participants, one of the most frequently reoccurring was to establish a statewide 501(c)(3) Friends of Ohio’s Natural Areas & Preserves statewide organization for the expressed purpose of re-energizing and expanding the natural areas program constituency base and natural areas programs throughout Ohio. This major recommendation led to the establishment of the Ohio Natural Areas & Preserves Association, Inc., ONAPA. So who are we and what do we do? The three incorporators of the organization are naturalist Richard E. Moseley Jr.,who built the Ohio Natural Areas Program from scratch in 1970 when the law was passed, to his becoming the first Chief of the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves when the program became a division of ODNR in 1975, making it one of the most successful natural areas programs in the country; naturalist Guy Denny, the first assistant chief of the division and later chief of DNAP for 5 years until his retirement in 1999;and natural resources administrator Robert McCance, who put together the DNAP Ohio Natural Heritage Program and the Income Tax Check-off Program, two of the most successful such programs in the country and who later went on to head up the natural areas program for the state of Kentucky. These three individuals along with 13 other well known natural areas specialists comprise the ONAPA Board. The other members of the board are Dr. Barbara Andreas Professor Emeritus Kent State University; Dr.James BissellCurator of Botany and Coordinator of the Natural Areas Program for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History; Mary Christensen corporate lawyer and amateur naturalist; Cheryl Harner naturalist and Master Gardener; Delores Cole birder and Vice Chair of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory board, Dr. Raymond Heithaus professor of biology Kenyon College; Dewey Hollister a naturalist and landscape designer and lecturer from Cincinnati; John Mack wetland ecologist and Chief of Natural Resources for Cleveland Metroparks; James McGregor naturalist and former Field Operations Manager for DNAP and a former state representative; Katryn Renard Columbus Audubon co-founder Service in the Preserves Program; Timothy Snyder retired west-central Ohio District Preserve Manager for DNAP; Joseph Sommer former Director of ODNR; and Dr. David Todt Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Shawnee State University and former member of the Ohio Natural Areas Council. The first full meeting of the board was held on June 29, 2012 during which bylaws were adopted, officers elected, and the IRS 501(c)(3) application reviewed and approved. Membership in the Ohio Natural Areas & Preserves Association is open to all individuals and organizations throughout our state. Members have the option of being passive supporters of the natural areas movement or very active volunteers directly engaged in habitat management, monitoring, and research projects on natural areas and dedicated state preserves. In general, the main role of the association is to (1) help establish and support local nature preserve friends groups throughout Ohio for both state and non-state natural areas,
(2) provide a support group for the sustainable management of state nature preserves as well as other natural areas around the state,
(3) educate, promote and advance natural areas issues within the Ohio General Assembly as well as with the general public, and
(4) promote the protection of rare species of plants and animals and rare ecosystems.
