News

Holland has its tulip fields, but there are few places anywhere that offer as much floral splendor as Athens Conservancy’s Bluebell Preserve in mid-April. Located along the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, the forest floor is a sea of Virginia bluebells, great white trilliums, blue-eyed Mary, and many other native wildflowers. The superb display is easily viewed…

Ever wonder who’s at the helm of Athens Conservancy? As part of our website refresh, we’ve added a Board & Staff page. It spotlights our 14 board members and two staffers so you can get to know us a little bit! The Conservancy elects board members to serve two-year terms, which may be extended. Board…

Work on the John Knouse Trail continues, and we’d like to say a big thank-you for the generosity of our friends who have donated to this cause. The trail is being built in honor of John, whose death in January has left a big void in our Conservancy family. Athens Conservancy and Buckeye Trail Association…

Spring is popping up all over, from spring peepers and songbirds to bluebells and buds on trees. Unfortunately, the season also means the return of scores of non-native invasive plants that invade our woodlands and crowd out native species. Combating these “super weeds” is key to keeping our wildlands close to their natural states and…

The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio has two current opportunities for giving in support of Athens Conservancy. One is a match opportunity for restricted endowment funds — a 2 to 1 match (50 cents for every dollar given), with $1 million available from the State of Ohio. Funds are available on a first-come basis. Donors may give to…

Athens Conservancy is the recipient of a $6,255 grant from the Environmental Stewardship Pillar of Prosperity Fund of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio. These funds will support the Conservancy’s “Finding Your Way Outdoors” project, and will fund efforts that connect Appalachian Ohioans with the many benefits of time spent in nature. The project is a…

With the passing of John Knouse on January 9, Athens County lost a driving force for local land protection and recreational trails. His foresight and dedication were responsible for many local resources that are enjoyed by Athens County residents and tourists alike. “If you live in this area, there is a good chance that your…

Thank you for being part of our Conservancy community. We hope you can join us on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at 6PM via Zoom video chat (or phone). We’ll share a montage of the year’s activities in our beautiful preserves, and take a look at what’s ahead in our special spaces. To register (and to…

We are pleased to announce that Victoria Ellwood has joined the Athens Conservancy family as Development Coordinator.  Victoria brings to the Conservancy extensive experience in communications, donor relations, and storytelling in academic settings and through her creative services agency. She has worked with donor-supported initiatives in Ohio, New York and Great Britain. Victoria’s avid interests…

The Athens Conservancy is partnering with the Buckeye Trail Association to build a hiking trail network within the 440-acre Canaan Preserve.  The trails are funded in part by grants from OhioHealth and the Ora E. Anderson Conservation Fund for Appalachian Ohio. At our 2019 Annual Meeting we announced the future creation of the John Knouse…

iNaturalist is a joint initiative by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society created to compile sightings of biota – plants, animals, fungi – to identify their places and ranges. It is a public driven resource entirely, offering free memberships.  The Athens Conservancy has an established iNaturalist project for sightings of living things…

Thanks to the Kroger Community Rewards Program, you can give to the Athens Conservancy every time you swipe your Kroger card and still keep your fuel discount! Kroger will donate a portion of every purchase you make to the Athens Conservancy. Follow these instructions to use your Plus Card to link to us, and Kroger…