WAPAKONETA, OH (WLIO)- The Heritage Trails Park District will be receiving a major state grant for the development of a new nature preserve in Auglaize County.
The park district will be receiving nearly $1 million from the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program to help with development costs of the new E.J. Mackenbach Preserve near St. Marys. This grant will cover 75% of the purchase price, and the district expects to receive another grant to cover the remaining 25%. With this financial support, hopes are high that area residents will enjoy this new preserve.
"This will be a great outdoor education facility, some day, when we develop it for all the schools in the surrounding area can use it as an outdoor education facility. It's really a diverse little piece of property. It's got, like I said, it's got a very mature woodland, and it's got some wetland areas already with the canal so a lot of diverse habitat," says David Stilwell, Board of Park Commissioner, Heritage Trails Park District.
The nearly 71-acre nature preserve will be developed on the land between the St. Marys River and Delphos-St. Marys Road across from the Elizabeth Kuffner Nature Preserve.
