Mentor Marsh

Home
United States
Mentor, OH
Mentor Marsh

Interpretive nature preserve owned & managed by CMNH-Natural Areas Division; co-owned by ODNR-DNAP.

05/31/2026

There’s always something to discover at the Marsh whether it’s a snapping turtle taking a break from his territorial wrestling during spring breeding season, a songster Song Sparrow belting out its liquid sunshine-like song or a Belted Kingfisher watching and waiting patiently from a perch for prey to reveal itself. You can find these and more treasures in the marsh and access it via the Wake Robin boardwalk, open dawn to dusk every day, for year-round exploring. Foot traffic only please and no pets are allowed. Parking and trailhead is at 8934 Woodridge Lane in the Headlands.

For off trail exploring, you can always join a Naturalist guided hike on Sundays. Today’s hike is one of those! Join us this afternoon on an exploratory nature hike to go behind the scenes at Mentor Marsh and see what we can find. It’s not every day we can poke around the edges and explore off-trail at the marsh, but when you join our naturalist-led walks, we can ramble! See link in comments for more information on this afternoon’s hike.

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 5/29/26
Photo credits: Nan Patrick

05/29/2026

It’s this exciting time of year that we get to see babies, like this cutie with its mom spotted at the marsh by marsh fan Tom Hartman.

“In the spring and early summer, when wildlife reproduction is at its peak, you may have the good fortune of observing baby animals in the wild. Often, the babies you see will be unattended by a parent. Unless something seems amiss, keep your distance and leave them alone. Human intervention is always a wild animal’s LAST hope for survival, NEVER its best hope” (ODNR).

See more from ODNR at the link in comments on injured and orphaned wildlife with tips on what do with deer, turtles, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, baby birds and more.

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, May 2026
Photo credit: Tom Hartman

05/28/2026

Oh what a thrill! That fog that rolled in off the lake on Monday sure was breathtaking, wasn’t it? Enjoy these misty scenes from the marsh as experienced from the Wake Robin boardwalk on Monday afternoon. Thanks, Jackie, for sharing your stunning scenes with us all!

If you haven’t visited Mentor Marsh before, this boardwalk into the middle of the marsh is the only access into the interior of the marsh that is open to the public, every day, from dawn to dusk. It’s amazing to visit the heart of this enormous wetland! Foot traffic only please and no pets as per state nature preserve rules. Access for the boardwalk is in the Headlands neighborhood at 8934 Woodridge Lane. Let us know what you see when you visit! And if you’re a regular visitor to the boardwalk, what kinds of treasures do you find?

This marsh is marvelous!

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 5/25/26
Photo credits: Jacquelyn Hall

05/27/2026

Time sure flies! Our Mentor Marsh eaglets are entering their 8th week since hatch and continue to grow as they ready to leave their nest in a handful of weeks. Oh, babies! It sure is fun watching these eaglets grow up and stretch their wings!

Where are they in their development? “Contour feathers on sides and belly filling in. Whitish sheaths still visible at bases of remiges and upper- and underwing coverts. Confident standing. More effective self-feeding, but still relies on parents for most feedings; grabbing, stealing, and mantling food. Vigorous flapping, lifting off, enjoying the wind. May begin branching, perhaps with 1-2 flaps, often by stepping” (Elf Ruler).

Go eagles! And many thanks to Nan for the mid-week update and pictures of the eaglets in the nest!

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 5/26/26
Photo credit: Nan Patrick

05/26/2026

Enjoy these beauties spotted on our Sunday marsh walk. We were celebrating wetlands and not only enjoyed the beauty of wetland plants, but also watched birds, bees, butterflies, bugs, bee flies, wasps, muskrats and more along the way! You can hike the boardwalk in the marsh yourself and see these beautiful irises in bloom. Parking and access for the Wake Robin boardwalk is at 8934 Woodridge Lane.

Blue flag irises are our native wetland irises and boast striking blue violet blooms. They grow in “wet to moist conditions, partial to full sun, and a rich organic soil. In light shade, this plant often fails to flower, and it tends to decline in abundance if conditions become too dry. The foliage is rarely bothered by disease” (IL Wildflowers). If you have these conditions, this plant is an excellent addition to native landscaping!

Floral visitors include bumble bees, Eastern carpenter bees and other long-tongued bees as well as butterflies and skippers. Mammalian herbivores like deer or wetland denizens like muskrat are deterred from eating these plants “because the foliage and rootstocks are somewhat toxic, causing irritation of the gastrointestinal tract” (IL Wildflowers).

Hurrah for the biodiversity and beauty of our wetlands! This marsh sure is marvelous!

See link in comments for more natural history information on blue flag irises.

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 5/24/26
Photo credits: Jacquelyn Hall

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day and every day, we are grateful for the ultimate sacrifice of those who gave their lives defending the freedoms of this great nation. Long may their sacrifices be remembered! Today and every day, we are thankful for the natural beauty of this country and remember these sacrifices that allow us to enjoy this beauty while we’re out exploring our wild world.

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 5/24/26
Photo credits: Becky Donaldson

05/24/2026

Hurrah for May flowers! Emily Dickinson says:

Bold little beauty,
Bedecked with thee,
Nature forswears
Antiquity.

Our native wildflowers are fleeting gems on our landscapes. Ever present and sometimes overlooked for showier, non-native wildflowers, our native plants are timed perfectly for native pollinators like the common Eastern bumble bee in the last picture. What are you finding blooming in your outdoor explorations?

We’re celebrating wetlands on our afternoon hike today! Join us for a hike in the marsh to see what treasures we can find! Meet at the Mentor Marsh Nature Center at 2 pm. See link in comments for more information.

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, mid-May 2026.
Photo credits: Becky Donaldson

05/23/2026

Every time you go outside, there’s a treasure to be found! Nan spotted a gray ratsnake climbing in the same tree where in April 2021 we spotted both a snake AND flying squirrels escaping the snake on one of our Sunday hikes on the Zimmerman Trail! It was an amazing natural history moment on the trail. Forever etched in our memories! See more of the story from 2021 in the original post linked in the comments.

Gray ratsnakes are constrictors and are great climbers (can you imagine climbing a tree without hands or feet???). This beneficial and non-venomous snake species is not only the longest snake species in Ohio, but they also climb trees to exploit food resources, accessing food like squirrel and bird nests. Sharp-eyed hikers also spotted one basking in the sun on a sunny tree limb while on a Sunday hike along theZimmerman Trail.

You never know what you’ll find when you go outside to explore. What have you been finding in your outdoor explorations?

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 5/21/26 and 4/18/21
Photo credits: Nan Patrick, Becky Donaldson and Todd Eiben

05/22/2026

With this kind of resolution, it’s easy to notice these Glossy Ibis! Aren’t they gorgeous? They’re medium sized wading birds and easy to distinguish them from any other bird species foraging in the Marsh! These beauties were spotted in the eastern basin of Mentor Marsh from the Zimmerman Trail on Wednesday. If they’re still around, they’re in the depths of the Marsh!

What a bonus to have these rare ones plus other more common migratory birds stop in to forage and rest and recharge on their travels to breeding habitats. Glossy Ibises are rarities here, but are sometime spotted in migration as they stop at Mentor Marsh to rest and refuel. Their range is the freshwater and coastal wetlands along the east and southeastern U.S. seaboard. These medium sized wading birds have a down turned bill, but if looking from a distance— double check, their darkish body may not be a “just a” eagle in the marsh!

Read more about the natural history of Glossy Ibis at the link in the comments.

Thanks to Mike for allowing us to share his images of these gorgeous birds!

This Marsh sure is marvelous!

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 5/20/26
Photo credits: Mike Stockman

05/21/2026

Wow, what’s that bird in the Marsh?? Oh, it’s just an eagle. 😅 How lucky are we to be able to say this?!?

Well, this place sure is special!! All eyes are on the marsh to spot a pair of Glossy Ibis (not eagles!) observed from the Zimmerman Trail in the eastern basin yesterday. Glossy Ibises are rarities here, but are sometime spotted in migration as they stop at Mentor Marsh to rest and refuel. Their range is the freshwater and coastal wetlands along the east and southeastern U.S. seaboard. These medium sized wading birds have a down turned bill, but if looking from a distance— double check, their darkish body may not be a “just a” eagle in the marsh!

Eagles of all ages are spotted in and around the Marsh. Sometimes they’re soaring overhead, sometimes perched in trees along the rim of the marsh or sometimes even on the ground in the marsh! Have you spotted subadult and juvenile eagles at the marsh? It’s so fun to spot them and the marsh sure is a hotspot for eagles with all of its varying habitats.

Whether it’s an Ibis or an Eagle, this marsh sure is marvelous!

Read more about the natural history of Glossy Ibis in the comments.

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 5/11/26
Photo credit: Jacquelyn Hall

Address

Mentor Marsh Nature Center, 5185 Corduroy Road
Mentor, OH
44060

Telephone

+14402570777

Website

https://www.cmnh.org/mentor-marsh

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Mentor Marsh posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Mentor Marsh:

Shortcuts

Featured

Love Foundation
6740 Center Street

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Mentor?