Black Swamp Conservancy has acquired an 80-acre tract of land and donated it to Danbury Township in Ottawa County. The property, located on the Marblehead Peninsula, is adjacent to the township’s existing 111-acre Meadowbrook Marsh Preserve and will expand the size of the preserve to more than 190 acres.

Though the lake is not yet ready for ice fishing and though prospects do not look good with the warming trend this week, on Saturday there were ice fishermen at East Harbor State Park.  Several had portable ice shanties and some braved the cold and sat on buckets.  Some of the fishermen brought families and dogs, making the best of this window of opportunity for ice-fishing. See Photostream for more photos.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is requesting the state’s waterfowl hunters provide input on the timing of the 2013-2014 fall waterfowl hunting seasons and the locations where they prefer to hunt.

ODNR Division of Wildlife biologists are seeking input from Ohio waterfowl hunters through an online survey so season dates and opportunities can be matched to the preferences of as many hunters as possible within federal guidelines.

Rich Thorbahn was recently re-elected to the Board of Supervisors of the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). He was sworn into office by Judge Frederick Hany II at the January Board Meeting of the Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District. Thorbahn holds the position of member. He joins Chairman Jerry Whipple; Vice Chairman Roland Sandrock,  Fiscal Agent Tom Riedeman and Secretary Mike Harder on the Board of Supervisors.  Together they direct the staff of the District to carry out the conservation of our natural resources through assisting landowners, both urban and rural, throughout Ottawa County.

This photo of two bald eagles on one branch was taken last week on Perry Street by Bob and Cathy Adorni of Port Clinton.