Fernald the First of Many Posts

Back in early September my husband and I headed out to Harrison Ohio where the Fernald Preserve is located.  I will give a brief history of the preserve.

Fernald began operations in 1951 as a uranium ore processing facility that served as the first link in America's nuclear weapon's production cycle. The contributions of the many pioneering men and women who worked there helped bring the Cold War to a peaceful end. Production ceased in 1989 and a commitment was made by the U.S. Department of Energy to do three things at Fernald: close it, clean it up, and give it back to the community. The $4.4-billion cleanup was one of the largest undertaken in the nation's history. The site has been cleaned to the standards established by the community and approved by the U.S. and Ohio Environmental Protection Agencies as being protective of human health and the environment.

A network of trails and overlooks facilitates nature observationat the Preserve.  The trail systems allows access to the preserve's various habitates and ecosystems.

The site's ongoing ecological restoration is being accomplished using native plants and grasses that were identified in an 1819 land survey of the area.  The Fernald Preserve contains 400 acres of woodlots, 327 acres of prairies, 140 acres of open water and wetlands, and 33 acres of savanna.

Over 7 miles of trails meander through the Fernald Preserve.  These trails range in length, difficulty and highlights.  Shorter, flat gravel trails around the Visitors Center offer views of the building's biowetlands, the former production area, and memorial trees recognizing the contributions made by the Fernald site and its employees during the Cold War years. Longer trails with uneven terrain are north and south of the Visitor's Ceter.  Tallgrass prairies, mature forests, wetlands, vernal pools and open water add to the beauty of the site and offer a unique opportunity to observe a diverse array of flora and fauna.

Fernald Preserve has easily become our favorite place to hike.  I believe Fernald is probably the best kept secret in this part of the state.  It is so tranquil with it's enormous amount of space and beautiful sights.  It's definitely a place to go if you want quiet and seclusion.

I have a lot of pictures to post, most of them will be without description.