Killbuck Watershed Land Trust

06/11/2026

There is a lot of work happening on the Streetscape and Trail Connection project in Killbuck. After multiple years of planning, it is exciting to see these ideas being put in place. Thank you to the Village for successfully taking on this project and to the residents of Killbuck for their input and patience.

Businesses are open, as is Quarry Bluff Trail.

06/02/2026

Thank you to the volunteers who were able to help with our pollinator habitat planting. It was a beautiful day and we were able to get all of the Swamp Milkweed and Golden Alexander in the ground as needed. These plants love to have their feet wet.
We have a bunch of other pollinator plants that like dryer soils, so keep an eye out for an invitation to our next planting day.

05/26/2026

Would you like to help us create pollinator habitat? We could use your help this Thursday at Crane Swamp.

>>Thursday, May 28th, 9:00am - 11:30am
>>Crane Swamp is located on State Route 60 south of Killbuck, OH.
[1.5 mile south of the US RTE 62 / SR 60 intersection outside of Killbuck]

Please...
-wear shoes/boots that can get muddy
-bring gloves
-bring water
-protect yourself from ticks
-protect yourself from the sun
-bring a trowel or shovel...some dibble bars will be available as well

We will have pizza for the group around 11:30am. We hope to see you there. Thank you.

And, thank you to The Pollinator Partnership (Project Wingspan)

05/07/2026

A handful of large trees were recently blocking the trail at Quarry Bluff, but no longer. If you haven't yet hiked this trail, now is a wonderful time to do so. Spring flowers, brilliant green growth and blue skies.
There is a lot of construction happening in Killbuck now and throughout the summer, but this trail and the local businesses all remain open.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HMmvDjkdXYM7YGK46

04/23/2026

It was a beautiful Earth Day at Crane Swamp. Our restoration work continues and the team was on track yesterday to have 2,500+ bare root trees planted, including Red Maple, Musclewood, Shellbark Hickory, and Hackberry. In total we are planting 10,000+ new trees at Crane Swamp (and another 6,000+ at Bowfin Bottoms). These trees may start out small, but they have big potential.
Thank you to MAD Scientist Associates, LLC and the Ironsite Inc. Formerly known as Facemyer Company crew, a few of whom have commented on how much they've enjoyed working on this project...we are enjoying it, too.

04/08/2026

A few months ago it was a farmer in Pennsylvania; now it's a farmer in Kentucky. Across the region, farmers are rejecting large offers from AI companies that want to develop their land into data centers.

The "family has worked on its 1,200-acre plot of land in Mason County for generations, raising cattle that end up on dinner tables across the region.

'The heartbreak that it [the land] could be gone is the first thing I feel. Literally a pain in the chest right there where the heart’s at,' Delsia Bare said."

A Northern Kentucky family is standing firm by turning down $26 million to keep its farmland out of a developer’s hands.

04/01/2026

Two members of our KWLT community, Jeanne & Dan Jantzi, are navigating an unimaginable loss after their farmhouse recently burned to the ground. The log cabin, which dates back to the 1800s, has been in Jeanne's family for generations. As you can imagine, every room held memories, and every item told a story—now, all of it is gone.

Dan & Jeanne are now facing the overwhelming task of rebuilding their lives from scratch. If you would like to help, the link to a GoFundMe campaign their son created is below. Our hearts go out to the entire family as they grieve this loss and rebuild for their future.

Our parents, Dan and Jeanne Jantzi’s log farmhouse, cherished by the family … Benjamin Jantzi needs your support for Support for Dan and Jeanne After the Fire

03/10/2026

"When we scrape away the topsoil and subsoils, they will never come back. A once productive farm, an independent and self-reliant area, now reduced to yet another space dependent on society for services.'”

You can read more about the work we're doing below in the latest issue of The Wooster Weekly News.

KWLT helps local farmers protect land from development, ensuring agricultural and ecological sustainability.

03/03/2026

Lower Laurel Creek is once again flowing. Our wetland restoration at Crane Swamp included reopening this quiet meandering creek, which was severed from its waters nearly 100 years ago. As planned, we re-established the mouth of the creek, reconnecting it to Killbuck Creek, and then we plugged the diversion ditch, redirecting water back into the old creekbed. Mother nature was quick to respond with a heavy rain, bringing this little creek back to life. In fact, with most of the improvements complete, that rain flooded the entirety of Crane Swamp and filled our newly created wetland pools, too. Capturing this first rain sets Crane Swamp up for a wonderfully wet start to the coming spring.
Arc of Appalachia
H2Ohio
(thanks to MAD Scientist Associates, LLC for this video)

03/02/2026

Something to keep in mind when driving at night near any low-lying moist woodlands and wetland areas.

For today's Wildlife Wednesday, we are spotlighting an amphibian which is seldom seen except in early spring because of it's secretive nature and love for tunneling underground - the Spotted Salamander. These amphibians are found throughout Ohio in low-lying moist woodlands adjacent to swamps, ponds, and creeks.

Each spring, they migrate in large numbers to breeding ponds. Even then, they are active only at night. Often the only evidence of their presence is a fist-sized egg mass containing less than 100 eggs which is attached to a submerged stick or plant.

How does a six-inch salamander pass a fist-sized egg mass? The eggs are not that large when laid, but the jelly-like substance that covers them swells when the eggs come in contact with the water.
This large, chunky salamander has two irregular rows of yellow or greenish-yellow spots. Occasionally, the spots on the back of the head are orange.

For more info on other amphibians, download the Amphibians of Ohio Field Guide - https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/backyard-wildlife/Amphibians%20of%20Ohio%20Field%20Guide%20pub348.pdf. Ohio Division of Wildlife Ohio Department of Education and Workforce