Roni Leatherman's cedar waxwing photo picked for 2024 Ohio wildlife legacy stamp

RITTMAN — The first time Rittman mayor Bill Robertson met Roni Leatherman, she was flat on her stomach. It was a work day early on in the process of turning the former Packaging Corporation of America property into what is now the 200-acre William J. Robertson Nature Preserve. Crews were working on cutting trails, and Robertson thought Leatherman had fallen and was in need of help.

As it turned out, Leatherman was just going the extra mile in an effort to get the perfect photo of a mink crossing the path, and Robertson’s effort to get to her in a hurry was not necessary.

Leatherman has since gotten the perfect shot many times, including one of a pair of Cedar Waxwings enjoying the fruit of a serviceberry tree that was recently chosen by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as the winner of the 2024 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp contest. She snapped the winning photo at the WJRNP.

“Ever since that first meeting, she’s been a regular out at the Nature Preserve,” said Robertson. “She’s got a great eye for birds. She has so much talent and so much patience with that camera.”

Leatherman’s Cedar Waxwing photo was chosen based on originality, composition, technical excellence, and overall beauty.

“A friend of mine, Nadine Bluemel, saw the Waxwing photo on Facebook and sent me the link to the ODNR,” said Leatherman, who during the work week is employed by the Medina County auditor’s office. “’You should send in the picture,’ and I said ‘OK, I’ll give it a try.’ It was quite the recommendation.”

Leatherman grew up in Rittman and is a 2005 graduate of Rittman High. Although she now lives in Wadsworth, she has a fond spot in her heart for her hometown.

“My parents still live here and my husband, Jesse, and I have rental property in Rittman, so we’re quite invested in the town,” said Leatherman.

Using her photography to promote the nature preserve

But, it was an invitation from Ken Mann, one of the many William J. Robertson Nature Preserve volunteers, that lit the fire under Leatherman.

“Ken invited me to come out and take pictures before it was a Nature Preserve,” said Leatherman. “I wanted to take as many pictures as I could to promote and show what an asset this land is to Rittman.”

And, as Robetson noted, she hasn’t stopped promoting the WJRNP ever since.

“For Rittman to get grant money, and to use that money to transform what was once a wasteland into one of the best parks in Northeast Ohio is amazing,” said Leatherman. “And the cleanup was all volunteers. They’re the heart and soul of this, and now it’s become a destination.”

“She’s always been so positive about the Nature Preserve from Day 1,” said Robertson. “When we were working out there, she would go up and hug everyone and thank them for volunteering.”

“It’s hard not to fall in love with this place and not share it,” said Leatherman. “Any time of the year there’s always something to see out here. All four seasons you’ve got to come out.”

Leatherman has always been a go-getter, showing horses in her youth, and said that when those days were over, she found out that she needed another hobby.

“My husband bought me a camera for Christmas,” remembered Leatherman. “After the horses, I got into raising Welsh Corgi dogs.”

That led to helping organize the dog park in Wadsworth, and then a passion for photographing dogs. Her first wildlife photos were taken at the invitation of Liz Schweitzer, and the rest, as they say, is history.

About the photo

As for her winning picture of the Cedar Waxwings, Leatherman used a Nikon D850 DSLR camera equipped with a 500 mm Prime lens.

“Everything I shoot is manual,” said Leatherman. “I want to control the light and the shutter speed. I want people to see in my photographs what I literally saw in the moment. There’s nothing fake, no, or very little editing.”

Leatherman feels that one of the reasons her photo of the Cedar Waxwings was picked to be used for the 2024 Ohio Wildlife Legacy stamp is that it tells a story.

“I watched those two pass that berry backs and forth – ‘here, you eat it, no, you eat it,’ and finally the big male gulped it,” said Leatherman. “The interaction happens in a split second. It was wonderful watching them feed at that serviceberry tree.”

Leatherman is bubbly, high energy and upbeat in person, but is as patient as a heron waiting for a fish to swim by when it comes to photography.

“I’ll sit there for four hours to get a shot, but when I go home and ask my husband to take the trash out, I want it done now,” she laughed.

“You know,” she added, “I don’t take these pictures because I want likes on Facebook or recognition, but because people need to see what the William J. Robertson Nature Preserve is. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and it should be shared.”

Wildlife photography is a passion

Leatherman admits that wildlife photography, especially taking pictures of birds, has become her passion.

“It’s very relaxing, and very rewarding,” she said. “Before you know it, you’re 36 and wondering what birds are at your bird feeder.”

She helps run the WJRNP Facebook page and visits the park as often as she can. And most recently, she has taken advantage of the kayak launch for some of her best shots.

“Kayaking with a camera has opened a whole new world for me,” she said. “When you’re out on the water, the birds aren’t as afraid of you.”

How to support Ohio's wildlife

Buying an Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp is a way for people to directly contribute to future management of Ohio’s wildlife. Purchase of the $15 stamp also includes a commemorative card and a window cling. Each year the stamp features a different species of Ohio’s diverse wildlife.

Supporters can purchase the 2024 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp beginning next spring. The 2023 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp, featuring a gray treefrog, is available now for purchase online through Ohio’s Wildlife Licensing System, at any location that sells hunting or fishing licenses, and on the HuntFish OH mobile app. A mail-in form is also available at wildohio.gov.

Fourteen dollars of every $15 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp sold are invested in the state’s Wildlife Diversity Fund. This fund supports habitat restoration, wildlife research projects, educational materials, and efforts to conserve endangered and threatened species. The fund ensures that all wildlife species, from cedar waxwing to the river otter, have the habitat, resources, and protection necessary to succeed in Ohio’s varied ecosystems.

Brenda Traffis, of Lake County, earned second place and Eric Tilson, of Wadsworth, came in third. The competition garnered 31 entries. All entries were required to be pictures of cedar waxwings.

Outdoor Correspondent Art Holden can be reached at letsplabal@yahoo.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wildlife legacy stamp features Rittman's Roni Leatherman photo