SPENCERVILLE, Ohio (WLIO) — The Johnny Appleseed Metro Parks District has created a new space for the public to experience nature at Heron Hollow Wetland Access.
The 59-acre nature area, named after the blue herons commonly seen in the area, is located along the Auglaize River in western Allen County. Visitors can explore more than two miles of trails while observing wetland wildlife throughout the year.
The park district has owned the property since the early 2000s, but state funding allowed for a major restoration effort. A grant from the state of Ohio helped transform the land into a natural wetland, designed to improve water quality before it flows into the Auglaize River.
“We've got a $2 million grant through the H2Ohio program, and we're excited, just to see the public use it, excited to get people on it, and excited for the habitat that was restored and some of the water quality benefits that people can see down the road. There's a lot of birds, a lot of waterfowl are obviously going to come to that area being a wetland, especially this time of year, and then in the spring, you'll see turkeys. The fall, you'll see deer, and pretty much everything in between,” says Tyler Black, executive director of the Johnny Appleseed Metro Parks District.
Black says the park district is also planning to open another 50-acre park along the Auglaize River near Sunderland Road before the summer.
