Our Program Includes:
Report from our President and a review of GMLC’s 2023 Activities.
Election of Directors by the Members
Presentation by Tammy O’Neil, Wildlife Center Care Manager, Penitentiary Glen
To R.S.V.P., email us at gmlc44040@gmail.com.
Light dinner and beverages served.
Join us for an educational seminar hosted by Gates Mills Land Conservancy & Gates Mills Environmental Education Center.
Free with your R.S.V.P. Email us at gmlc44040@gmail.com.
Roy Larick has worked on four continents, and brings an archaeological perspective for comprehending local lands and waters. In 2009, he founded Bluestone Conservation to advocate for Cleveland's small watersheds and landforms. In 2014, Bluestone joined the Central Lake Erie Basin watershed organizations working to restore natural areas. In 2017, Bluestone became a Watershed Partner with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District to restore buried stream features. Dr. Larick has led an inventory and archive of the Moses Cleaveland Trees for the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve, which provides a window onto the native forest of Cuyahoga County during the late 1700s.
Dr. Larick will summarize the geological evolution of the Chagrin Valley, focusing on the advance and retreat of the last glacier, 23,000 to 11,000 years ago. He will also address the evolution of the native forest as represented by the 296 Moses Cleaveland Trees designated in Cuyahoga County, 1946-1986.
Chad has an Associate and Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture; and a Master's degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Idaho. He has worked across the country as an arborist and urban forester. Chad’s interests are in arboriculture and urban forestry, with special interest in the tree care industry. He is a Board-Certified Master Arborist, Registered Consulting Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified with the ISA, and a Licensed Commercial Applicator with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Chad will focus on tree care, best practices and threats to our urban forest. Specific focus on good arboriculture and scientific research to support pest and disease management towards long term tree preservation.
Heather Elmer joined Chagrin River Watershed Partners as Executive Director in 2014. Heather works with CRWP’s team, members, and a wide range of partners to plan, secure funding for, and execute complex projects to protect natural resources, solve environmental problems and enhance parks. She creates strategic organizational alliances, including the Central Lake Erie Basin Collaborative, a network of organizations working together for healthy streams and Lake Erie. Heather previously led environmental education and collaborative research at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve and managed a wetland wastewater treatment system at Oberlin College’s Lewis Center for Environmental Studies. Heather earned a master’s degree in Bioethics from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and English from Oberlin College with High Honors in Biology. Heather has presented at numerous conferences including the Coastal Zone Conference, National Adaptation Forum, and Ohio Stormwater Conference. She is a member of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Chagrin Scenic River Advisory Council and chair of the Oberlin Public Utilities Commission.
Heather will discuss how communities, partners, and landowners can work together to protect the Chagrin River Watershed – including best management practices that can be taken at the individual landowner level or at the community level.
Gates Mills Land Conservancy - “Welcome”
Environmental Education Center - “Excel TECC Introduction”
“The Geological Evolution of the Chagrin Valley and the Native Forest”
“Good Arboriculture and Disease Management for Tree Preservation”
“Protecting the Chagrin River Watershed & Best Practices for the Local Community”
Gates Mills Library lending table – books and activities on the environment.
Student led tours of the facility, 40-acre site and half mile prairie garden trail.
Children are welcome! Sign up for the Children’s Environmental Program with Excel TECC instructor-led environmental activities.
Presenter: Rachel Kappler, Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Collaborative
Considering the natural habitat of Gates Mills. What tree species are most hospitable for our backyards?
Naturalist Walks and Talks at the Sherman Road Preserve
Take advantage of this opportunity to hear from experts on various environmental topics and walk the beautiful meadow. The Sherman Road Preserve is located on the southwest corner of Sherman and County Line Roads. There is a grassy driveway off Sherman Road onto the property where you can park. Please wear long sleeves, pants and close toed shoes. Talks begin promptly.
RSVP by emailing us at gmlc44040@gmail.com.
This event has been canceled due to inclement weather.
Presenter: John Kehn, ODNR Department of Forestry
What does the latest science and best practices tell us about maintaining a healthy tree canopy?
Naturalist Walks and Talks at the Sherman Road Preserve
Take advantage of this opportunity to hear from experts on various environmental topics and walk the beautiful meadow. The Sherman Road Preserve is located on the southwest corner of Sherman and County Line Roads. There is a grassy driveway off Sherman Road onto the property where you can park. Please wear long sleeves, pants and close toed shoes. Talks begin promptly.
RSVP by emailing us at gmlc44040@gmail.com.
Presenter: Mike Byers, Certified Arborist-Botanist-Ecologist
Invasives are the most common landscaping plants. Learn to identify, remove and safely dispose of invasives with different techniques for different plants.
Naturalist Walks and Talks at the Sherman Road Preserve
Take advantage of this opportunity to hear from experts on various environmental topics and walk the beautiful meadow. The Sherman Road Preserve is located on the southwest corner of Sherman and County Line Roads. There is a grassy driveway off Sherman Road onto the property where you can park. Please wear long sleeves, pants and close toed shoes. Talks begin promptly.
RSVP by emailing us at gmlc44040@gmail.com.
Presenter: Kate Chapel, BS Botony, Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation
Changes in lawn care, converting lawn areas to native species, rain gardens. Soil health, rainwater infiltration, reducing pollution from lawn runoff. Rain barrel Workshop @ 1:00 pm – @ the village’s Marston Park pavilion Construct a rain barrel, or construct it at home with provided online instructional video. The $60 fee includes instruction and all materials, including a 60-gallon barrel and a downspout diverter. A two-barrel system and connector kit are available for an additional $40. Register by April 26th at: https://www.cuyahogaswcd.org/events/2023/05/06/rain-barrel-workshop--gates-mills
Naturalist Walks and Talks at the Sherman Road Preserve
Take advantage of this opportunity to hear from experts on various environmental topics and walk the beautiful meadow. The Sherman Road Preserve is located on the southwest corner of Sherman and County Line Roads. There is a grassy driveway off Sherman Road onto the property where you can park. Please wear long sleeves, pants and close toed shoes. Talks begin promptly.
Meet member(s) of the Gates Mills Land Conservancy, walk the beautiful meadow and hear from experts on various environmental topics. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to walk the property.
The Sherman Road Preserve is located on the southwest corner of Sherman and County Line Roads. There is a grassy driveway off Sherman Road onto the property where you can park. Please wear long sleeves, pants and close toed shoes. Talks begin promptly.
Topic: Identifying and removing invasives in your yard. What should residents look for and how can they permanently remove these plants?
Presenter: Nick Fletcher, Upper School Teacher, Hawken School
To register, send an email to GMLC44040@gmail.com or call our office at 440 423-0135 and leave a message with the names and number of attendees.
Meet member(s) of the Gates Mills Land Conservancy, walk the beautiful meadow and hear from experts on various environmental topics. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to walk the property.
The Sherman Road Preserve is located on the southwest corner of Sherman and County Line Roads. There is a grassy driveway off Sherman Road onto the property where you can park. Please wear long sleeves, pants and close toed shoes. Talks begin promptly.
Topic: What is the link between the Sherman Road Preserve and Ohio’s natural history? Why is it important to preserve? Why shouldn’t it revert to being a forest?
Presenter: John Barber, volunteer leader at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, the Cleveland Metroparks, and Friends of the Lower Lake in the Shaker Parklands. He is a highly regarded speaker on restoring biodiversity.
To register, send an email to GMLC44040@gmail.com or call our office at 440 423-0135 and leave a message with the names and number of attendees.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Annual Meeting on October 19th! We were pleased by the tremendous turnout and engagement. And a special thank you to everyone who pledged a tree toward Holden Arboretum’s “People for Trees” program, on behalf of GMLC. There is still time to contribute!
Please pledge a tree to Save Our Tree Canopy through "People for Trees" and help support GMLC's operating budget too!
Recommended donation is $50.00 or more
Thank you to our guest speaker Erick Carlson, who shared with us the challenges our tree canopy faces here in Gates Mills and throughout the county, including a new threat to our beech forests. Erick has a Bachelor’s degree in Plant Biology and Geography from Michigan State University, as well as a Masters and PhD in Ecology from Colorado State University, with a focus on wetlands, rivers, biochemistry and mapping. He was a university professor for 3 years and is now a middle school science teacher here at University School. Erick is an Eagle Scout, a cross country coach, and a father of 4, and we’re proud to say also is a resident of Gates Mills.
Meet member(s) of the Gates Mills Land Conservancy, walk the beautiful meadow and hear from experts on various environmental topics. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to walk the property.
The Sherman Road Preserve is located on the southwest corner of Sherman and County Line Roads. There is a grassy driveway off Sherman Road onto the property where you can park. Please wear long sleeves, pants and close toed shoes. Talks begin promptly.
Topic: Gates Mills has been known as a bird sanctuary. Bluebirds for example are a favorite in this area. But what about other species? Learn how you can help catalogue the birds in our community.
Presenter: John and Carol Lillich with the Cleveland Audubon Society
To register, send an email to GMLC44040@gmail.com or call our office at 440 423-0135 and leave a message with the names and number of attendees.
Meet member(s) of the Gates Mills Land Conservancy, walk the beautiful meadow and hear from experts on various environmental topics. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to walk the property.
The Sherman Road Preserve is located on the southwest corner of Sherman and County Line Roads. There is a grassy driveway off Sherman Road onto the property where you can park. Please wear long sleeves, pants and close toed shoes. Talks begin promptly.
Topic: Learn about beekeeping and pollinators. Sherman Road offers a bountiful habitat for bees and other pollinators, and also features numerous native plants.
During this talk we will walk the property and explore the various plants that attract bees and highlight what bees do during different seasons.
Presenter: Jay Hadam, beekeeper
We will continue our work removing invasive plants at the Sherman Road Preserve with support from volunteers at Hawken School, who will join us as part of their Community Day. Biologist Mike Byers will assist us and we will continue to target the northeastern portion of the Sherman Road Preserve, where we are making good progress.
Please consider joining us to support this work! We are scheduling shifts throughout the day—8:30 to 10:30 AM and 1:30-3:30 PM. RSVP by emailing us at gmlc44040@gmail.com. And don’t forget your gloves, long pants, and long sleeved shirts, and your loppers or cutters.
The Gates Mills Land Conservancy is hosting a nature walk at the Sherman Road Preserve, which is located on the southwest corner of Sherman and County Line Roads. There is a grassy driveway off Sherman Road onto the property where you can park. Please wear long sleeves, long pants & closed-toe shoes.
You will have the opportunity to learn about the history of this preserved property, and learn about the combination of habitats from John Reinier, Wetland Ecologist with the Cleveland Metroparks. He will identify wildflowers, successional trees and shrubs, and native plant species, and talk about the benefits for pollinators and wildlife, habitat restoration and management, and natural history. Please bring your entire family to this beautiful, natural preserve.
To RSVP, send an email to GMLC44040@gmail.com or call our office at 440-423-0135 and leave a message by Friday, July 22nd with the names and number of attendees.
The Gates Mills Land Conservancy will host a nature hike at the Robert and Jane Clark Road property, showcasing some of the pristine forest our efforts have preserved. The event will be hosted by Board Members Jamie Carracher, along with Sandra Turner. The event is limited to the first 15 people who sign up. We suggest that you wear sturdy shoes or hiking boots and long pants. This hike does include some steep inclines and is off-trail.
Contact the Gates Mills Land Conservancy for more details or to RSVP at 440-423-0135 or gmlc44040@gmail.com.
During 2020-21, several school districts approached Gates Mills Land Conservancy for permission to access the Sherman Road Preserve as part of their science curriculum for students. These schools included Hawken, University School and Westlake. These requests are in addition to our existing relationship with the Mayfield City School District for students of the environmental services program at Excel-TECC.
Student interest in ecology, conservation, urban farming, air and water quality, and climate change, for example, is steadily increasing at all levels, K-12, and teachers are eager to augment classroom learning with field experience and opportunities to collaborate with conservation organizations. As part of the Gates Mills Land Conservancy’s mission to educate, promote public awareness and preserve our scenic resources, we are excited to enhance our educational collaboration with local schools. We expect these events to occur on a regular basis.
The second of these events occurred on April 20, in 2022. Biologist Mike Byers and GMLC Board member Sandra Turner coordinated the event. Fourteen students and their advisor, Nick Fletcher from Hawken Upper School spent the day at the Sherman Road Preserve performing community service in honor of Earth Day. The group was joined by other members of GMLC and the Gates Mills Garden Club. After weeks of cold, wet, chilly weather, this was a glorious day to be outdoors.
The students assisted with the removal of invasive species, such as glossy buckthorn and multiflora rose, and they uncovered trees that were planted at the preserve in 2017. These plantings included maple trees, cherry trees, viburnum and dogwood. Six of the students were part of an exchange program from Chile. They engaged in a lively conversation about the comparison of plant and animal species in the U.S. and Chile. The exchange students had a variety of educational and cultural experiences during their three-week visit to Hawken, and they said that their day with us at Sherman Road was a highlight as well.
The effort to eradicate the spread of invasives on the Sherman Road Preserve has been ongoing since the purchase of the property in 2014. Given the interest of students in conservation, Gates Mills Land Conservancy looks forward to continuing our partnerships with area schools.
The Board of Directors resolved that the Annual Meeting of the Gates Mills Land Conservancy be held on Tuesday, December 7th at the Gates Mills Community House located at 1460 Chagrin River Road in Gates Mills, Ohio commencing at 6:00 PM for the purpose of: (a.) electing 2 Directors to serve for 4 year terms and (b.) transacting any other business that properly may be conducted at such meeting.
The Nominating Committee has proposed, and the Board has endorsed, the election of Celeste McClung and Anthoni Fazio as Directors each for a 4-year term.
All residents are invited to attend.
Please note that only current 2021 GMLC members may vote at this meeting.
