Tours – Wednesday May 10, 2017s
Canoe Tour and Stormwater Best Management Practices at Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve
Date: May 10, 2017
Time: 1-5 PM
Cost: $25
Max number: 24
Buses leave from: Kalahari, 7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky OH
Tour leader: Emily Kuzmick, Frank Lopez
Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve is a 573-acre reserve on the shore of Lake Erie, located 3 miles east of Huron, Ohio. The semi-enclosed wetland is one of the finest natural estuaries in the Great Lakes and an important locale for the study of coastal habitats. Your journey will start with a 2-2.5 hour canoe tour of Old Woman Creek, followed by a tour of stormwater best management practices at the Mike DeWine Center for Coastal Wetland Studies. The Mike DeWine Center for Coastal Wetland Studies, overlooking the estuary’s eastern shore, provides laboratories for ecological research and serves as a focal point for public visitation and education programs. A comprehensive renovation completed in 2003 incorporated many green building materials and construction techniques and was followed with stormwater retrofits including permeable pavement and rain gardens. Reserve managers will discuss lessons learned from the permeable pavement/cistern project, the performance of this and other permeable pavement installations on poorly draining soils in Ohio’s Lake Erie watershed, and how research results are being used to improve design guidance and support the development of a runoff reduction crediting framework for Ohio.
Schedule
1 PM- bus leaves Kalahari and travels to Old Woman Creek.
1:30-3:45 Canoe Tour
3:45-4:45 Mike DeWine Center for Coastal Wetland Studies tour
4:45 PM- Bus picks up from OWC and travels back to Kalahari 2017.
Sandusky Green Infrastructure Projects
Date: May 10, 2017
Time: 1-5 PM
Cost: $25
Max number: 24
Buses leave from: Kalahari, 7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky OH
Tour leaders: Melissa Fetter, Eric Dodrill
Take a tour of green infrastructure around the City of Sandusky, including a mix of projects at public sites, commercial facilities, and a school. The tour will begin at the Jackson Street public parking lot, which includes pervious concrete at the north end, and bioretention at the south end. Following that, we will visit the Sandusky Living Shoreline project which is a demonstration of bioengineering techniques, including a recently constructed floating wetland. Next is an educational rain garden at Meadowlawn Intermediate School, a multi-year project funded through a National Science Foundation Grant held by BGSU. The project has a strong educational component, and engages students from 3rd to 6th grades to discover the benefits of alternative storm water management methods which provide water quality, reduce flooding, and create habitat by planting pollinator plant species in these gardens. The following two stops will include bioretention at the Civista Bank and the Sports Force facilities in downtown Sandusky.
Schedule
1 PM- bus leaves Kalahari
Jackson Street Parking: 1:00 – 1:50 (Pervious Pavement, Bioretention, Water Quality Monitoring) Sandusky Living Shoreline: 2:00 – 2:30 (Project establishment, Maintenance, Floating Wetlands, Local Buy-in)
Meadowlawn Intermediate: 2:45 – 3:15 (Education partnership (iEvolve), Rain Garden, Environmental Benefits, Aesthetics)
Civista Bank: 3:35 – 4:05 (Soils, Design, Installation, Technical assistance during construction, Plant Species)
Sports Force: 4:20 – 5:20 (Bioretention, Artificial Turf Storm Water Management, “Bubble-Ups” BMP, Water Quality Protection, Wetland protection)
5:20-5:30 return to Kalahari
Wine Tour- A Night Out at the Firelands Winery
Date: May 10, 2017
Time: 6:30 – 11 PM
Cost: $50
Max number: 30
Buses leave from: Kalahari
Firelands Winery is the largest winery in the state of Ohio, and is the winner of national and international awards for the quality of their wine. Start your evening with a tour of the winery, where you will learn how the Firelands Winery creates their award-winning wines. Then enjoy a four-course dinner with complementary wine pairings. Transportation to and from Kalahari is included.
During the Revolutionary War, the Firelands region of north central Ohio was allotted to Connecticut citizens whose homes were burned by the British. As they resettled, they brought with them their wine making heritage, and a love for fine wines. Heritage is important at Firelands. The original wine cellar at Firelands, built in 1880 by the Edward Mantey family, has been incorporated into the present Sandusky facility. In 1979, the Mantey Winery was purchased by Bob Gottesman, owner of Paramount Distillers, who had a vision for a better Ohio wine product. His vision revived the lagging Ohio wine industry, and helped propel it into the future. With the addition of Claudio Salvador as wine maker, the wines have steadily improved and are now National and International award winners.