OAK HARBOR, OH -- Lake Erie marshlands in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan will be officially dedicated as a Regional Shorebird Reserve on August 18, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
The Lake Erie marshlands are only the second such reserve in the Midwest designated by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.
Northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan marshes are important migratory resting and feeding habitat for shorebirds. Some 75,000 shorebirds visit these marshes annually on northward and southward migration treks.
Created in 1985, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) is an international, non-profit organization that identifies key shorebird areas for protection. The network currently consists of more than 165 organizations and includes 46 officially recognized sites in seven countries, stretching from South America to Alaska, and protects an estimated 5 million acres of habitat and 30 million shorebirds.
The shorebird network provides support to registered preserves through technical training for biologists; assistance in habitat management; providing educational and outreach resources; and through local and regional monitoring of shorebirds.
The preserve designation is voluntary and places no restrictions on public or private land ownership.
The public is invited to attend dedication activities that include shorebird walks and dedication ceremonies at sites in both Ohio and Michigan. The events begin at 9 a.m. with a shorebird walk at the Migratory Bird Center at the Magee Marsh State Wildlife Area.
Partnering agencies in the regional shorebird reserve dedication include the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
A schedule of dedication activities for Saturday, August 18 is listed below:
DIRECTIONS TO ACTIVITIES:
Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (Migratory Bird Center) and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge are located along State Route 2 between State Routes 19 and 590 (20 miles east of Oregon and 15 miles west of Port Clinton).
To reach Point Mouille State Game Area in Michigan: Take I-75 into Michigan to the Gibraltar Road exit. Travel east to W. Jefferson Ave., south to Campau Road, east to Point Mouillee Road.
For Further Information Contact:
Mary Warren, Migratory Bird Center
(419) 898-0960, ext. 31
-or-
Andy Ware, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6882