By: Patrick Troyer, Education Specialist Paulding SWCD
For those of you who may think that it is going to be too late for a nature hike, the answer is that there is plenty of time to get out in nature for a nice walk, run, or jog! One great place to do that would be at the Black Swamp Nature Center located at 753 Fairground Drive in Paulding. The Black Swamp Nature Center (BSNC) was once part of the sugar beet factory that was located on the north side of Fairground Drive directly across from the Paulding County Fairgrounds. There were four ponds constructed by the beet factory to aid in the production process of the beets. Three ponds still exist today as part of the Black Swamp Nature Center. There was also a dam built for water retention for the ponds that still exists today on Flatrock Creek. The sugar beet factory closed down in 1948, it wasn’t until 1958 that the wildlife area was established. From 1958-1990, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) spent money on turning the wetlands, wooded areas, stocking the ponds with fish, and a wildlife refuge park with a driveway and parking lot that exists as what we know today at the Black Swamp Nature Center. In 1990, the Paulding Ponds Wildlife Area was offered and approved for sale to the Paulding County Commissioners from ODNR. Today, the Black Swamp Nature Center is maintained by the Paulding Soil and Water District (SWCD) with the ownership of the property being the Paulding County Commissioners.
The Black Swamp Nature Center is one of the few designated wildlife areas in Paulding County. The nature center consists of 51 acres of land and within this acreage there are 24 acres of woodland, 14 acres of wetlands and 6 acres of old meadow as well as the Nature Center building. The Nature Center building offers a picturesque view of nature for many different events such as meetings, trainings, and field trips for local schools and rental for personal events. There are four nature trails available to the public for daily walkers or those who truly want to enjoy the wonders of nature. The Black Swamp Nature Center is open from dawn to dusk. Throughout the year, whether it be summer or winter, the nature center is home many different species of wildlife and birds. There have been over 175 species of birds documented at the Black Swamp Nature Center. The Paulding SWCD would invite you to come visit the nature center and explore the many wonders of nature and wildlife.
Another great place to hike in Paulding County is the Buckeye Trail System which generally follows the Miami & Erie Canal in western Ohio. The Buckeye Trail System stretches across various areas of Ohio in both the western and eastern sections of the state. Several sections make up the system and the trails that run through Paulding County which begin with the Delphos section on the south end and the Defiance section in the north with both sections meeting in the town of Junction in Auglaize Township at the site of the Miami & Erie Canal historical marker. The Delphos section picks up in Kossuth, Ohio (between St. Mary’s and Spencerville) on State Route 66. The trail continues on the towpath of the Miami & Erie Canal through the town of Spencerville and on to Delphos. Beyond Delphos, the trail generally follows the route of the canal through the Auglaize River valley. Much of the northern half of the Delphos section follows county and township roads, ending in the town of Junction in northeast Paulding County for a total distance of 46.1 miles. The entire buckeye trail system covers over 1,444 miles across the state of Ohio and offers a great opportunity to explore the canal systems that put Ohio and Paulding County on the map.
In Paulding County, the best way to enter the southern portion of the trail is at the intersection of County Road 60 and Township Road 215 in Washington Township. Here, you simply follow Road 215 in a northwest direction until you reach Road 187. From here, follow Road 187 north until Road 171 and then proceed west on Road 171 with the next stop being Fort Brown on the south side of the road. Follow Road 171 to Road 138 in Charloe and then turn north onto Road 163. The high area east of the road in agricultural fields is all that remains from the Miami and Erie Canal in Paulding County. Along the trail is the towpath used along the canals but most of the fields are farmed to the roadside. After about 0.7 miles, you will enter a wooded section of the trail which follows the towpath. Roads 146 and 156 will be crossed on the towpath which will eventually take you onto Junction. If you would like more specific directions for the Buckeye Trail System, visit their website at http://www.buckeyetrail.org/ .
Get out there and enjoy nature as well as history in Paulding County as there is still plenty of time! If you are interested in learning more about the history of the Black Swamp Nature Center, please visit the Paulding SWCD office for a copy of the history. There are plenty of things to do and treasures to find right in our own Paulding County backyard!
