Fern Lake Bog

The Natural Areas Program began with the acquisition of our first property, Fern Lake Bog. Recognizing the threat of urban sprawl, Museum Director William Scheele encouraged the expansion of the program, with the goal of creating a system of nature preserves that best represents the broad range of habitats in northern Ohio. Just as the Museum collects specimens, we began collecting natural communities, including hardwood forest, Lake Erie island, fossil dune ridge, marsh, and glacial wetland.

Today, almost 12,000 acres of land—home to more than 200 listed plant and animal species—are under Museum protection. These preserves serve as an outstanding living resource for studying and educating the public about the remarkable biodiversity of our region.

Perhaps the best known of our natural areas, Mentor Marsh, is one of three Museum preserves open to the public. The Marsh has undergone years of extensive restoration as our Museum team battles the invasive plant Phragmites.