Black Swamp Conservancy

Black Swamp Conservancy Conserving and protecting natural areas and working lands in northwest Ohio, now and for future generations.

🌿 We're ! Help Protect the Lands and Waters of Northwest Ohio 🌿Black Swamp Conservancy is looking for a passionate, mot...
05/28/2026

🌿 We're ! Help Protect the Lands and Waters of Northwest Ohio 🌿

Black Swamp Conservancy is looking for a passionate, motivated team member to join us for an AmeriCorps service term focused on land conservation and stewardship across northwest Ohio.

This hands-on opportunity is ideal for someone interested in conservation, nonprofit work, and protecting family farms and natural habitats for future generations.

You’ll gain experience in:
✅ Conservation easement monitoring & stewardship
✅ Landowner communication & relationship building
✅ Data and records management
✅ Nonprofit operations and administration

🌿Service Term: August 2026 – August 2027
🌿1700 total service hours
🌿Monday–Friday, with occasional evenings/weekends

If you’re ready to build valuable experience while making a meaningful impact on the landscape of northwest Ohio, we’d love to hear from you!

📝 Send resume and cover letter to Ellie Schiappa at [email protected]
🌐 Learn more by visiting: https://blackswamp.org/who-we-are/employment-opportunities/

You might have seen bright pink, white, and purple flowers blooming along roads and in gardens as the weather warms up a...
05/28/2026

You might have seen bright pink, white, and purple flowers blooming along roads and in gardens as the weather warms up and the sun gets stronger. Dame’s Rocket is in full bloom right now. While it looks beautiful, it is actually an aggressive invasive flower.

This invasive flower was brought here in the 1600s and has spread quickly across the state. Just one plant can make tens of thousands of seeds, which helps it spread easily and take over large areas.

People often mistake this bright flower for our more demure Wild Blue Phlox. One way to tell them apart is by counting petals: Dame’s Rocket has four, but Wild Blue Phlox has five.

Wild Blue Phlox grows in shady woods, supports local wildlife, and helps keep our soil healthy and stable. While Dame’s Rocket is currently in full bloom, Wild Blue Phlox has mostly finished blooming for the year.

Invasive plants like Dame’s Rocket crowd out and beat our native plants, such as Wild Blue Phlox. This can hurt and even destroy our natural habitats.

If you want to help our native plants, join us this Saturday, May 30th, at Water’s Edge Nature Preserve where we’ll work together to remove Dame’s Rocket. By next spring, our native wildflowers will have a better chance to bloom and support the environment.

To sign up, visit: https://events.humanitix.com/may-30-volunteer-stewardship-day

There are two sessions available. Come for one or stay for both! Your help makes a difference.

Our newsletter, “The Rookery,” is delivered twice a year — so where does the term ‘rookery’ come from?Like much of our w...
05/18/2026

Our newsletter, “The Rookery,” is delivered twice a year — so where does the term ‘rookery’ come from?

Like much of our work, the name “The Rookery” springs directly from the nature we strive to protect. Picture walking Bell Woods’ only trail and encountering a heron rookery — a vibrant, living reminder of nature’s wonders.

The Great Blue Heron, our symbol at Black Swamp Conservancy, is mostly solitary except during nesting season. Herons gather in tall, water-loving trees in large groups called rookeries — sometimes up to 500 pairs. Each year, these herons return to the same rookery to nest and raise their young. Because our only trail in Bell Woods ends at a heron rookery, and the heron is our symbol, we named our newsletter "The Rookery" as a collection reflecting our nature-focused community.

Pictured here is that very same rookery in Bell Woods, live and well, with the parents hard at work raising their young. Our newsletter is a way for us to keep you up to date on the work we’re doing — and its very name is a reminder of why we do the work we’re doing.

From the herons and us, to you and the next generations.

Photo Credit: Michael Basista, Heron Rookery 2026, Bell Woods

To read The Rookery, visit: https://blackswamp.org/news-events/

Yesterday was Great Lakes Awareness Day. At Black Swamp Conservancy, every day is a chance to protect what flows to Lake...
05/05/2026

Yesterday was Great Lakes Awareness Day. At Black Swamp Conservancy, every day is a chance to protect what flows to Lake Erie.

We work across northwest Ohio, from streams and rivers to forests and farmland. Everything is connected, so what happens on land affects the health of our water.

We just finished earthwork on a new farm restoration project that brings together farmland preservation and floodplain restoration. Up next is planting, which will help filter runoff before it reaches our waterways.

When we protect land, we also protect water. That benefits everyone.

Want to be part of this impact? Learn more, get involved, or support conservation in your community by visiting https://blackswamp.org/

🌎 Happy Earth Day!Today, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the real, visible impact conservation is making across Nort...
04/22/2026

🌎 Happy Earth Day!

Today, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the real, visible impact conservation is making across Northwest Ohio:

🌱 3 restoration projects are actively underway
🌿 2 more are set to begin later this year
🌾 4 additional projects are already taking shape for the years ahead

This is what progress looks like.

From restoring floodplains to improving water quality and supporting habitat alongside working farms, each project represents a long-term investment in healthier land, stronger communities, and thriving wildlife.

This Earth Day, be part of what comes next. Join a volunteer stewardship day, make a gift, or attend an upcoming event. Every action, big or small, moves this work forward.

https://blackswamp.org/engage/calendar/
https://blackswamp.org/invest/donate/

We may be a little late to the trend, but it's never too late to introduce our staff 🫶
04/14/2026

We may be a little late to the trend, but it's never too late to introduce our staff 🫶

We have something VERY exciting to announce to you all...we’ve launched a brand new website! 🌿Designed with you in mind,...
04/14/2026

We have something VERY exciting to announce to you all...we’ve launched a brand new website! 🌿

Designed with you in mind, our refreshed site makes it easier than ever to explore the lands we protect, learn about our work, and find ways to get involved. Our focus was improving performance across platforms and accessibility throughout the site. A big thank you to the Rhizome Collaborative for all the excellent work you've put into our new site.

Take a look around, discover something new, and let us know what you think!

https://blackswamp.org/

🌿 Now Seeking: Volunteer Easement Monitors 🌿Want to explore protected lands, support local landowners, and play a hands-...
04/13/2026

🌿 Now Seeking: Volunteer Easement Monitors 🌿

Want to explore protected lands, support local landowners, and play a hands-on role in conservation across northwest Ohio?

Black Swamp Conservancy is looking for dedicated volunteers to help monitor our protected properties that safeguard wetlands, forests, farmland, and waterways.

🚶‍♀️ What you’ll do:
• Visit beautiful, privately protected properties
• Observe and document changes on the land
• Connect with landowners and Conservancy staff
• Help ensure conservation agreements are upheld

🌎 Why it matters:
With 165+ easements (and growing!), volunteer monitors are essential to protecting the landscapes that filter our water, support wildlife, and preserve family farms.

Learn more at: https://blackswamp.org/now-seeking-volunteer-easement-monitors/

📩 Ready to get involved?
Contact Ellie Schiappa at [email protected], or fill out our volunteer interest form at https://blackswamp.org/engage/volunteer/

Help us protect the places that matter one visit at a time💚

Address

P. O. Box 332
Perrysburg, OH
43552

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14198331025

Website

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