The Beauty of Ohio

  Image Courtesy of Destination Seneca County Ohio is often regarded as being boring and offering nothing for people to do. I am here to combat that idea by showing off the natural beauty that is so often overlooked.  In Seneca County, nine miles from Tiffin, Ohio, lies the next location on the list. The Howard Collier State Nature Preserve is located on the Sandusky River and is a great opportunity for local Tiffin students to explore the outdoors.  In 1970, the Sandusky River was deemed a scenic river destination for tourists. Around that same time, the park was founded and named for Howard L. Collier, an Ohio budget director who helped fund Ohio parks during his time. The 301 acres of land are characterized by floodplains, vernal pools, and wildflowers. Vernal pools are seasonal wetlands covered in shallow water for only part of the year, offering unique habitats to the animals living there. The area is known for diverse spring flowers, including trout lilies, marsh ma...

Image courtesy of the Lorain County Metro Parks website Many think Ohio has nothing to offer other than cornfields, leading to a dislike of the state for having nothing to offer. I developed this blog in order to combat this idea and show how beautiful Ohio can be, starting with the nature around us.  Just an hour and a half from Tiffin lies our next wonder. The French Creek Reservation of Sheffield Village, Ohio is 450 acres of nature, featuring three creeks and many ties to our early history. Obtained by Lorain County Metro Parks in the 1960s, the park is one of the largest forested areas in the lake plain of Ohio. Some areas of the park are over 100 years old, while others were reforested after being declared a reservation.  The history of the park goes much earlier, however. Archeologists have found cultural artifacts of Native Americans dating back 1000s of years.  Native Americans used this location because of the three creeks, which offered plenty of fresh water fo...