Atira Conservation partnered with the Cardinal Land Conservancy, based  in Cincinnati, Ohio, to protect a 67-acre natural area in Clermont County.  This land acquisition, known as East Fork Wetlands Nature Preserve, is adjacent to the 7,480-acre East Fork State Park and protects about 10 acres of high-quality wetlands. The property will be protected forever from development, managed for wetland wildlife and plants, and open to the public via a nature trail.

In the 1960s, the property was developed as a goldfish hatchery but was soon abandoned and has been left largely undisturbed for 60 years. A wetland delineation of the property identified 36 interconnected wetlands, which create a wide variety of habitats for wetland plants and wildlife. A perennial stream runs through the property for 2,656 feet and is connected to the wetlands through a series of beaver dams. Wood ducks and prothonotary warblers breed on the property, and the ponds are important breeding areas for many species of amphibian such as spotted salamander, Jefferson’s salamander, and wood frog.

The purchase of the property was funded by Ohio EPA’s Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program. Funding from Atira Conservation will facilitate ecological restoration and long-term stewardship of the site.

• Property Cost: $860,000
• Atira Conservation Funding: $40,000