Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a grant agreement with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for the Introduction to Cavity Nesting Birds Project. This ordinance will authorize the appropriation of $2,315.00 in the Recreation and Parks grant fund. The grant includes a match of in-kind funds in the amount of $8,736.00. Required match expenditures will be spent from existing appropriation in the Recreation and Parks Waterways Nature Preservation special purpose subfund.
Through this grant project, passive and hands-on education on secondary cavity nesting birds at Hoover Nature Preserve will be made more accessible to park users. We will be able to have better education materials for hands-on learning for our education program on nest changes and counting and measuring the young purple martins to age them. The installation of educational signage on Purple Martin birds will be a passive education opportunity as well as having seating at the park to create a more accessible environment for those with mobility challenges to watch cavity nesting birds.
Principal Parties:
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
50 W. Town Street, Columbus, OH 43215
Dennis Clement, 614-644-3020, Office of Environmental Education
Benefits to the Public:
Hoover Nature Preserve is a popular birding location in central Ohio. A previous project from our Nature Preserve Advisory Council, funded the installation of a new gourd rack system which provides nesting habitat for cavity nesting birds at Hoover Nature Preserve. Many birders come to view birds flying in, out and around the gourds. With acceptance of this grant, Columbus Recreation and Parks would be able to provide passive education for interested park goers by installing an educational sign and would create a more accessible and comfortable viewing experience for birders through the installation of a concrete pad for a park bench to sit on. Lastly, with t...
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