Plain Township names new green space after Monarch butterfly

Robert Wang, Canton Repository
·3 min read
Jacob Pries, the southeast field director with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, speaks before a ribbon cutting ceremony in Veterans Park to mark Plain Township's purchase of nearly 20 acres of a prairie and wetland habitat called Monarch Meadows on Schneider Street NE.
Jacob Pries, the southeast field director with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, speaks before a ribbon cutting ceremony in Veterans Park to mark Plain Township's purchase of nearly 20 acres of a prairie and wetland habitat called Monarch Meadows on Schneider Street NE.

PLAIN TWP. − Veterans Park is expanding.

The township has purchased nearly 20 acres of wetlands, prairie and meadows just east of the park, naming the new property Monarch Meadows because it has milkweed consumed by caterpillars that become monarch butterflies.

The township trustees held a ceremony Wednesday at the site to celebrate the $550,000 purchase, which was paid for through grants from the state, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District and Stark Community Foundation. The land had been owned by Compassion Church.

As birds sang in the background, township Trustee Scott Haws addressed more than a dozen people on the Middle Branch Trail in the park while holding up a large pair of scissors for a ribbon cutting. He said the acquisition preserves green space and provides an opportunity for local students and nature fans to learn about their nearby ecosystem.

"As much as I love to see development, there also has to be the balance, and to preserve this pristine ground is honestly probably one of the best accomplishments I'm going to brag about in my years of service," he said, adding that the township's partners helped make it happen.

"We do and focus on so much residential development that we forget about the green space. And we need somewhere to have an outlet to go to," Trustee Brook Harless added.

With the additional land, Veterans Park expands to 64 acres. The new property, which touches Schneider Street twice on its northern side, surrounds the church to its west, south and east across from GlenOak High School. Its southeast boundary adjoins Firestone Drive NE, and Rice's Nursery is to the south. Stark Parks' Middle Branch Trail goes from Veterans Park southeast through the southern end of the acquired property.

Except for possibly building a boardwalk, the trustees will not allow any development on the property, in accordance with the terms of the state grant.

Related: Plain Township installs new memorial chair at Veterans Park to honor MIAs/POWs

Plain Township Trustee Scott Haws, left, speaks before a ribbon cutting at Veterans Park to mark Plain Township's purchase in July of nearly 20 acres of an adjoining prairie and wetland habitat on Schneider Street NE.
Plain Township Trustee Scott Haws, left, speaks before a ribbon cutting at Veterans Park to mark Plain Township's purchase in July of nearly 20 acres of an adjoining prairie and wetland habitat on Schneider Street NE.

'I think it really is a gem ...'

Linda Bailiff, the director of the Ohio Public Works Commission, which provided a Clean Ohio Conservation Fund grant of $414,000 to fund most of the purchase, spoke at the ceremony.

"So protecting a property like this is so very important. And you saved it from loss," she said. "I think it really is a gem in Clean Ohio. ... It's the bats. It's the birds. It's the butterflies that really get to take advantage of this."

Plain Township Trustee Scott Haws.
Plain Township Trustee Scott Haws.

Besides the state grant, the breakdown of the funding was $141,125 from a Muskingum Partners for Watershed Management grant and $15,000 from the Stark Community Foundation. In 2012, the Stark Community Foundation gave $20,000 to the township to help cover the cost of building a restroom in what became Veterans Park. The township acquired the property for Veterans Park in 2006.

Matt Thomas, chief of conservation for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, said the grant application scored highly in preserving water quality and habitats.

"This was one of those projects that really jumped out to us," he said.

Wanting to protect the land from development, Haws said he worked for about two years to line up the funding and sought guidance from the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

Jacob Pries, the southeast field director for the Western Land Reserve Conservancy, said his organization commissioned a biologist to examine the property. The organization said it has documented the presence of 15 species that are rare, endangered or threatened. That includes the Ohio tri-colored bat, three other bat species, the milkweed that attracts the endangered monarch butterflies and 10 bird species.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com.

Plain Township in July bought this meadow, prairie and wetland habitat totaling nearly 20 acres. Called Monarch Meadows, the property is located on Schneider Street NE.
Plain Township in July bought this meadow, prairie and wetland habitat totaling nearly 20 acres. Called Monarch Meadows, the property is located on Schneider Street NE.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Plain Township adds Monarch Meadows to Veterans Park