Birding artwork featured at Wildlife Stop and Shop

Sheri Trusty
·4 min read
Sharon Pesci, left, and her daughter Mia Pesci talk about their art while they wait to board the Jet Express Ferry for the West Sister Island Sunset Cruise hosted by the Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday. The Pescis will sell their art at the Wildlife Stop and Shop on May 13 and 14.
Sharon Pesci, left, and her daughter Mia Pesci talk about their art while they wait to board the Jet Express Ferry for the West Sister Island Sunset Cruise hosted by the Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday. The Pescis will sell their art at the Wildlife Stop and Shop on May 13 and 14.

OAK HARBOR - Donna Gleditsch calls herself “a birder by osmosis.” Gleditsch, of Dublin, is a stained-glass artist who began visiting Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (ONWR) years ago with her husband, an avid birder, and instantly connected the birds with her art.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 13 and May 14, she will create stained glass suncatchers on the grounds of the refuge during the Wildlife Stop and Shop. The event, which is hosted by the Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, will feature about 20 vendors selling bird-related art.

Gleditsch, who owns Gleditsch Studios, will have several suncatchers for sale at the event, and her suncatchers are available in ONWR’s Rookery Nature store all year long.

Gleditsch to create suncatchers during art show

“I’m bringing my grinder and soldering iron, so I’ll be working while I’m there. I have several suncatchers for sale, including eagles, pelicans and warblers. I’ll also have a few bigger pieces for sale,” she said.

When Gleditsch walks the refuge with her husband, she looks for birds to recreate through her art.

“I’m a birder by osmosis. My husband is a birder, and what drew me to it is the colors of the males during breeding season,” she said. “I go with him and take lots of pictures.”

Among the food vendors at this weekend’s Wildlife Stop and Shop is Sweet Nate’s Coffee, which will sell Black-throated Lemonade or Iced Tea and Blackpoll bird-friendly coffee. Here, a shuttle driver waits for the next group of riders next to the Sweet Nate’s Coffee stand.
Among the food vendors at this weekend’s Wildlife Stop and Shop is Sweet Nate’s Coffee, which will sell Black-throated Lemonade or Iced Tea and Blackpoll bird-friendly coffee. Here, a shuttle driver waits for the next group of riders next to the Sweet Nate’s Coffee stand.

Bench Farms is selling pollinator plants at ONWR now through Sunday, and on Saturday and Sunday the Greening UToledo Service Learning (GUTS) program will sell pollinator plants propagated from refuge seeds.

A variety of food vendors will be in rotation at the refuge during the Biggest Week in American Birding. They include Extreme Cuisine, Lake Erie BBQ, Traveling Chef, the Port Clinton Rotary Perch Wagon, and Sweet Nate’s Coffee which created a fun rebrand of some of their drinks for the event. Sweet Nate’s Coffee is offering Black-throated Lemonade or Iced Tea and is serving Blackpoll bird-friendly coffee.

Sanderson to create wildlife-themed table runners

Like Gleditsch, Stephanie Sanderson of Genoa will set up a tent during the Wildlife Stop and Shop. There, she will sell handmade wildlife-themed table runners. Sanderson and her husband, Greg, a longtime ONWR volunteer, married in September.

“I’ve been sewing since I was a little kid. I make lots of quilts, and I made my wedding dress,” Stephanie said. “My husband is a volunteer at the refuge. He mows grass and does electrical work and maintenance.”

Selling her table runners at the Wildlife Stop and Shop was a way for Stephanie to support the refuge as well.

“I give a lot as gifts, and everyone loves them, so I thought it may help the refuge, too,” she said. “I love for people to have something that’s part of me. I like seeing people smile when they see them.”

Dorothy Lewis, her daughter Sharon Pesci, and her 15-year-old granddaughter, Mia Pesci, all of Rossford, will also sell their art at the Wildlife Shop and Shop. Lewis creates ornaments and crocheted animals, Sharon makes watercolor greeting cards, and Mia will sell her photography and scribble drawings, which are created through a unique method that uses small scribbles to form an image. All three of the ladies sell their work in the Rookery Nature Store.

This suncatcher by Donna Gleditsch is for sale at the Rookery Nature Store. Gleditsch will demonstrate stained glass techniques and sell her art at the Wildlife Stop and Shop.
This suncatcher by Donna Gleditsch is for sale at the Rookery Nature Store. Gleditsch will demonstrate stained glass techniques and sell her art at the Wildlife Stop and Shop.

“We’re three generations of crafters. The refuge is so good to us,” Sharon said.

Sharon and Mia discovered the refuge during COVID shutdowns and quickly became two of its biggest supporters.

“During COVID, we didn’t have anything to do, so we started going there a lot,” Mia said.

They were thankful to find a place to visit when so much of the state was shuttered.

“We visited the refuge six to seven times a week during COVID,” Sharon said. “It was just the best thing to do.”

All of the funds generated through the Rookery Store help support the Friends conservation efforts, said Friends Executive Director Aimee Arent.

“The Friends support three initiatives: environmental education programs, public access programs, and land acquisition and restoration,” Arent said.

The Wildlife Stop and Shop is Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at ONWR, 14000 W. Ohio 2 in Oak Harbor. For a complete schedule, visit friendsofottawanwr.org/events.

Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at  sheritrusty4@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Birding artwork featured at Wildlife Stop and Shop