More than 80 years ago, Alonzo Beecher Brooks answered a call to travel to Wheeling and begin the development of a nature program at Oglebay Park. From humble beginnings (the first nature walk on April 14, 1928 included three people), Oglebay Institute’s Environmental Education Department has grown to become a year-round comprehensive educational resource, leading environmental initiatives for young and old, individuals and communities, novices and experts. The Schrader Center is a dynamic space that welcomes all; and the spirit and tradition of our founding is stronger than ever. More than 42,000 people participated in hands-on environmental and natural history programs last year, and since 2003, the Schrader Center has seen 67% increase in participation. While we celebrate our successes,the staff and volunteers continue working to create new and better spaces to teach, engage new audiences, recruit new volunteers, and reach new students.

We live in a time of disconnect from our neighbors and disconnect from nature. Indeed, a Kaiser Family Foundation study found that the average American child spends 44 hours per week (more than 6 hours a day) staring at some kind of electronic screen, and this has a detrimental effect on the health and happiness of our youth. A.B. Brooks predicted these problems when he said, “Those whose lives must be spent largely on paved streets between walls of building find a complete and refreshing change in the shaded parks... Upon some, the forest has a fascinating effect, an influence that cannot be expressed in words, but which is capable of driving out every frivolous thought and stirring every deep emotion.”

I answered the call by moving from the prairies of Indiana to the mountains of West Virginia to work on restoring a proud tradition and leading for change. Will you answer the call by volunteering at the Schrader Center, by leading children on a hike, by attending a Living Green lecture or workshop, or by reaching out to your neighbors? We hope to see you soon.

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Monthly Nature Scavenger Hunts Draw Families to the Woods

More than 100 families have discovered more about the natural world through the monthly scavenger hunt treks into the Oglebay woods. Held from noon- 4 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month, Nature Scavenger Hunts are FREE to the public.

Families may participate any time during these hours and should estimate 60 - 90 minutes per hunt. Each month features a different theme that captures both activities and findings likely to occur in nature at that point in the season. Activity stations start in the Schrader Environmental Center where experienced facilitators help you experience the theme through real life examples. Additional activity stations are planted along the Habitat Discovery Trail.


Mark your calendar and join us!

- April 4 - "Spring has Sprung"
- May 2 -"Animal Families"

For more family programs at the Schrader Center visit www.oionline.com.

Project FLOW (Future Leaders of Watersheds) is a statewide effort to enhance environmental education in West Virginia. The mission is to engage students in service learning to study and improve local watersheds; introduce students to hands-on science and to work side by side with professionals in the field of environmental science.

This year Project FLOW began its service by participating in World Water Monitoring Day, an international effort that highlights the importance of watershed awareness.

The Schrader Center hosted five events for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and one event for the public to monitor the health of Waddles Run. Physical, biological, and chemical tests were performed streamside, and the data was sent to the World Water Monitoring Day database. Visit at www.worldwatermonitoringday.org

 

Serving as a link between people and the environment, Project FLOW has insurmountable potential. In a world covered with impervious surfaces, piles of polystyrene, and an expanding hole in the atmosphere, this project offers a sense of hope and pride to all participants. Globally, our impact may go unnoticed, but in our small community, a little goes a long way.

One of the greatest incentives with working with Project FLOW includes a weeklong stay at a summer camp. Participants between the ages of 11to 17, that have completed 30 hours of service learning projects, are eligible to attend this camp.

If you are interested in improving community conditions, Project FLOW contains all the ingredients for you and your family. For more information, contact the Schrader Center at 304.242.6855.

These are the words I kept hearing…“I can’t believe this place is here”… “I had no idea this was in Wheeling”… “We’re coming back here again”…“Cool”…“What a great tour guide”…er…I embellish slightly.

If you missed the Rivers to Ridges biking excursion – and you probably did since only Arlie Massey, Jim Kirchner, Denise Lombard, her daughter Brianne, Cole and Art Bertol made the trip – a diverse but very capable group – then you missed one great ride and exploration right in our own back yard.

The group gathered at Kroger’s parking lot in Wheeling at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, 2008. A brief tour plan was provided and then we began spinning our way to our first stop – Nickel’s Cave. The group was instructed that this segment would be the “most dangerous part of the tour.” This warning was followed by the “second” and “third” most dangerous parts of the excursion.

The well-synchronized peddlers reached the foot of Wheeling Hill as the sun was shining bright but not yet blistering on this humid July trip. The bikes were secured and we made our trek up the ravine to our first stop – Nickel’s cave.

To my delight, Jim Kirchner, an avid spelunker, immediately went to work exploring the depths of the cave. While I had visited this sight before, I had never gone beyond the mouth of the cave. Within seconds Jim was calling out, “Cool,” “This is great,” “This is unbelievable.” With all the hype I dawned my headlamp and crawled in chase. I too was amazed. The cave was tight, with a sharp left turn into a larger chamber. From there were two portals that beckoned us to explore more. With limited equipment and time we agreed to make this site the makings of an upcoming club outing. I am looking forward to it already.

With a token group picture taken, we descended the trail back to Route 40. We mounted our steel horses and continued our journey by following Wheeling Creek along Bow Street, first passing the “S-Bridge” and wondering about a libation to get us through the trip and deciding rather to stay on task as we passed the landing zone of McColloch and his ill-fated horse.

The group then stopped in the shade at the gates of the Peninsula Cemetery. A brief history lesson of the city owned graveyards ensued. A few yawns told me that it was time to adventure some more. Our band of six took to our only single track – following the hobo hiking trail from the old dog pound to the remains of the old Manchester Bridge. Not a vagrant was seen, but many an encampment was observed.

Arriving at the intersection of Rock Point and the eerie bridge ramp to nowhere, another image of Wheeling’s past was conjured by our animated (and handsome) guide. Again sensing thoughts of “Ok so what, let’s move on,” we moved on down the trail to the second major destination, the old B&O Tunnel. We passed the old Wheeling Corrugating plant, now Ogden Newspaper, and then to what looks like the hidden bat cave.

The group lined up like ducklings behind their headlamped guide. Talk ensued of the trains, smoke and noise that were once commonplace in the tunnel that have long since been silenced. Glances left, right and overhead gave the sense of complete isolation as we continued our nine-block trek underground. Several puddle areas and a few low hanging roof support fences were negotiated as the group finally reached the other end of the tunnel.

All this damp cool darkness was rewarded with a stop at the Dairy Queen on 29th Street. Once the hot dogs, milk shakes and ice cream cones were consumed, the six made a beeline for the river and onto the bike trail. First passing the pungent sewage plant, we made a turn inland from the civic center. A little traffic dodging was conducted until making our way back on the bike trail in East Wheeling. After passing over the Hempfield train bridge, the final major stop of the day was undertaken. Stopping on the western side of the Wheeling Heritage Trail Train tunnel (the haunted one), we took to the trail to little known “Wetzel’s Cave.”

I once again secured the bikes and then headed up the steep trail to the right of the bike path. As I could expect by this time, our resident spelunker, Jim, was already deep into the bows of Wetzel’s cave. I was once again surprised to learn that this cave is much deeper and more expansive than my first impressions from previous trips to this site.

As Arlie kept guard at the mouth of Wetzel’s cave, the rest of the group duck-walked and slithered finally into the left turning chamber of this historic cave. I was again amazed that the passage went that far. Jim was scoping out the next move, as any further progress would require more time and equipment to safely negotiate the much smaller openings. This showed promise for yet another adventure trip in the near future.

Like ascending Everest, we took our pictures to record the event and decided to continue on our way before our oxygen ran out. After leaving the cave we continued on the trail to what is truly a natural artifact in our area – an open outcropping that reminds you of a scaled down version of Old Man’s cave in Hocking Hills.

This adventurous group took immediately to exploring the nooks and crannies of this natural open shelter. The story of Lewis Wetzel was raised - having the last laugh with the doomed Indian who had lured many early settlers out to their demise by faking a turkey call. This site appeared to be the exact location where Wetzel waited out the crafty savage to have his own turkey shoot. Our group noticed the remains of what was likely a plaque now missing on the stone face of the site.

This was the last and final stop for the morning tour. We passed through the storied “haunted” train tunnel to a sneak route back onto Mount de Chantal road. There was time for the only misgiving of the day as Arlie called out “can we ride down that trail?” – this being a real steep clearing connecting Rock Point Road to the road adjacent to the viaduct. Arlie did a great job maneuvering his mountain bike down the steep grade – that is, right up until his pedal caught a stump. I graded him a 9 out of 10 for recovery and injury avoidance. Our group continued on our way back to our convenient meeting place at Kroger’s by 12:30 p.m.

What a fun trip and what a great group of adventures. I hope this trip represents just the start of many like outings in the future for Rivers to Ridges. See you at our next event!

Art