metroparks annual report 2009

8/9/2019 Metroparks Annual Report 2009

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GetConnected!Metroparks of the Toledo Area

2009 Annual Report


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2009 was a year o challenges and

changes at Metroparks, but also a year

that demonstrated the value o the

park district to the community.

It was challenging because, like many

amilies, companies and government

agencies, we elt the eects o the

economic crisis. Metroparks saw the

frst decline in revenue rom property

taxes our primary source o income.

Nonetheless, the park district re-

mained ocused on the delivery o core

services to park visitors. We believe

we have a good handle on how our

community expects us to spend their

tax dollars:

Providing a beautiul natural area or

their park experienceEnsuring a very clean park experienceEnsuring a sae park experienceTaking care o what we haveProviding opportunities or children to

connect with Metroparks

One highlight o the year was the

opening o the historical area at Pear-

son North in August, marking the 75th

anniversary o that beloved park.

Similar to the opening o the original

park during the height o the Great

Depression, volunteers raised moneyor the expansion during difcult

economic times. And like the opening

o Pearson in 1934, the community

turned out in a big way to celebrate the

accomplishment.

It was also a big year or programming

at Metroparks. Holidays in the Manor

House a community tradition dating

back to the 1970s saw nearly 14,000

people make the spectacular home

part o their holiday celebration. Oppor-

tunities or children to connect with na-

ture were abundant as 88 local schoolstook advantage o Metroparks environ-

mental programs and summer Nature

Camp attendees went hiking, fshing,

and explored the great outdoors.

One thing we will long remember

about 2009 is the way in which our

talented sta persevered during

the fnancial crunch to continue

delivering on the promise we make

to the community every day: clean,

sae, natural parks where everyone

is welcome. Our park employees

made up o ranger, maintenance,

land management, programming, and

administrative sta are ocused on

serving our customers and providing a

world-class natural area park system.

And while sta was here to serve the

community, supporters returned the

avor by providing over 50,000 hours

o valuable volunteer time.

You can read about these and other

highlights elsewhere in this report.

What I would like to add, on a per-

sonal note, is my thanks to you, our

park users, members, volunteers,

and donors. As the new director o

Metroparks in 2009, I ound it en-

couraging and gratiying to meet somany people who care so deeply or

an institution that has been a part o

my own amily as ar back as I can

remember.

I ask or your continued support, and,

as always, I count on you to let me

know how we can serve you better.

Regards,

Donald R. Rettig, Jr.

Director

The Year Ahead

2010 will see the greatest investment

in inrastructure in the park districts

history. Expect to see:

Improvements at Macomber Lodge

at Pearson, the Metz Visitor Center at

Wildwood and the Buehner Centerand Lodge at Oak Openings.

A new entrance and a parking lot

at Bend View Metropark, making this

scenic spot on the Maumee River

accessible to more people. Currently,

the only way to get to Bend View is

by walking about two miles on the

Towpath Trail rom Farnsworth.

Repaving projects across the dis-

trict, including the Parkway through

Oak Openings Preserve; shelter reno-

vations; a new waterline at Wildwood;

and trail improvements, including a

new loop trail at the Pearson North

addition. These projects are scheduled

or already under way.

Across the park district, dead and

dying ash trees will be removed in

places where they pose a hazard and

natural areas will be restored.

The vast majority o the unding or

these projects will come rom grants,

donations, and other unding sourcesseparate rom local levy revenue.

Value Of Metroparks Shines Through

Revenues

PropertyTaxLevy $12,073,115

LandAcquisitionLevy 2,147,745

IntergovernmentalRevenues 3,835,405

Program&RentalCharges/Sales 361,321

Donations,Sponsors 332,232

&MemberFees

RetailOperations 106,935

InvestmentIncome 52,924

Fines&Forfeitures 5,442

AllOtherRevenue 252,716

TOTAL $19,167,835

Expenditures

Payroll&FringeBenets $7,802,739

OperatingExpenditures 3,426,462

CapitalOutlay 1,300,982

LandAcquisition 1,705,177

AllOtherExpenses 774,852

TOTAL $15,010,212


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Connecting With The Land

Land Acquisition

Metroparks grew by 179 acres in2009. Most of the land acquisitions

were within the Oak Openings region,

where a greenway corridor between

Secor and Oak Openings Preserve is

now more than 85 percent complete.

In 2009 Metroparks acquired:

74 acres of Oak Openings habitat

using $615,000 from the Clean Ohio

Funds. Included was a 17-acre expan-

sion to Secor Metropark.

55 acres of swamp forest habitattransferred from the Toledo-Lucas

County Port Authority.

42 acres of wet prairie and swamp

forest habitat purchased with

$571,000 from the Ohio EPAs Wa-

ter Resource Restoration Sponsor

Program in collaboration with the City

of Toledo.

3.6-acre Fort Miamis Park transferred

from the City of Maumee and will be

managed as part of the Fallen Timbers

Battleeld and Fort Miamis NationalHistoric Site.

A 1.5-acre in-holding at Providence

Metropark.

And a 1-acre in-holding at the Fallen

Timbers Battleeld on Jerome Road.

Land Acquisitions To DateSince the passage of a 10-year,

0.3-mill land levy in 2002, the park

district has added nearly 3,000 acres.

Total land holdings (owned, leased or

managed by agreement) were 10,787

acres as of December 31, 2009. The

original land levy goal of adding 4,500

acres is now two-thirds complete.

Following are total acres acquired by

focus area. Numbers in parentheses

represent Metroparks original acreage

targets.

Zone TotalOak Openings Corridor (1800) 1555

Lake Erie Coastal Zone Area (1600) 987

Maumee River Corridor/

Fallen Timbers (350) 67

Ottawa River/

Ten Mile Creek Corridor (250) 0

Swan Creek Corridor/Westside Corridor (200) 5

Other: Nona France, Keil Farm (300) 323

TOTAL (4500) 2937

Land ManagementAlongside rows of corn and other

crops at the Blue Creek Conserva-

tion Area, a Metroparks property in

Whitehouse, grows a variety of native

plants used to repopulate natural

areas being restored throughout the

park district. In 2009, the farm raised

12,000 plants. Seeds harvested fromthe farm were used to plant 80 to90 acres of land, including a portion

of the former Keil Farm property on

Reynolds Road and Hill Avenue.

The Land Management crew also

restored about 50 acres of natural

area by thinning overgrown vegeta-

tion and removing non-native spe-

cies. Prescribed burns are among the

methods the crew used to restore

native habitat.

New and Improved Rental

Options

A late-1800s brick farmhouse

at Wildwood Preserves east

entrance will become a unique

rental facility in 2010. It is just one

of many improvements on the way

for Metroparks indoor facilities.

The Wildwood Manor House, Oak

Openings Lodge and the Buehner

Center at Oak Openings are all due

for major improvements in the yearahead. Last year was the rst full

year that the Manor House was

made available for weddings and

other gatherings.

Consider making planned giving one of your Metroparks connections.


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Connecting With The

Community

Programs And Special EventsMetroparks oers more than fve

dozen low-cost or ree educational

programs each month. Programs are

one way the park district lives its mis-sion to inspire preservation eorts in

this and uture generations. In 2009,

118,500 people attended programs to

learn about the nature, history and cul-ture o the region, or to experience the

parks as part o an entertaining social

event. Fees rom programs generated

$166,000 in revenue.

Program highlights included the dedi-

cation o the Johlin Cabin at Pearson

North, which coincided with the 75th

anniversary o Pearson Metropark; Na-

ture Camp, a series o weeklong daycamps that get kids outside or naturediscovery and play; and the Happy

Trails 5K Run/Walk, which has grown

every year and reached 850 partici-

pants in 2009.

The National Center or Nature

Photography at Secor marked its fve-

year anniversary with a major exhibit,

Americas National Parks: A Monu-

mental Vision, eaturing stunning,

large-ormat images by acclaimed

photographer and environmentalistClyde Butcher. The exhibit attracted

well over 3,500 visitors rom through-

out the region and beyond. In all,

8,500 people toured the galleries o

the Photo Center in 2009.

The annual Holidays in the Manor

House drew nearly 14,000 people

over eight days, contributing to total

Manor House attendance or the yearo 36,024 people.

The Canal Experience at Providence

had 13,300 visitors in 2009. The

historical attraction takes school chil-

dren and amilies back to 1876 when

canal boats were an important ormo transportation. Ticket sales or the

boat generated $58,000 to help oset

the cost o operating the historical at-traction. The new canal season started

strong in 2010 with 2,270 reservations

in May, including 1,800 children.

VolunteersMetroparks is dedicated to providing

volunteer opportunities that promote

meaningul community participation,

use the diverse talents o volunteers

to expand resources, and educate the

people o the region about the impor-tance o preserving natural, historical

and cultural resources.

More than 3,000 volunteers con-

tributed 50,500 hours o service to

Metroparks in 2009. They included

maintenance volunteers who contrib-

uted over 10,000 hours, a 31 percent

increase over the previous year. The

dedicated members o the Volunteer

Trail Patrol, who receive training andcommit to ongoing service, contrib-

uted nearly 9,800 hours, a 42 percent

increase.

The park district received tremendous

volunteer support rom a variety o

community organizations, including

ongoing relationships with Key Bank

on Neighbors Make a Dierence Day,

St. Ursula Academy on Day o Caring

and members o the Hindu Temple

at Global Youth Service Day. Approxi-mately 200 community groups includ-

ing schools, religious organizations,

civic clubs and workplaces are activeeach year in work projects throughout

the park district.

New or 2010 are the monthly Main-

tenance Work Days. Oered at a

variety o park locations, volunteers

are invited to work alongside park

maintenance crews. People with trade

skills are especially needed. Several

volunteer interns also can be seen in

and around the parks. These studentsrom area universities gain real worldexperience while giving back to the

community.

CommunicationsA new website was launched in Sep-

tember with the uture in mind. Devel-

oped by WGTE Public Media and paid

or with donated unds, the new Me-

troparksToledo.com was designed to

be uncluttered and simple to use, yet

Carson FamilyEllen Biddle Shipman designed many amous gardens across the country or

prominent amilies o the era, including R.A. Stranahan. Very ew o her high-

maintenance gardens are still intact, and even ewer are open to the public.

But Toledo has one o them, and its open every day o the year at the Wild-

wood Manor House. The garden has been restored in recent years thanks to

the generous support o the Carson Family Fund at the Toledo Community

Foundation. Additional work will be done this year to extend the garden tothe cabana restrooms on the Manor House lawn.


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provide more in-depth information for

those doing more extensive research.

The new site is used in conjunctionwith Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and

other social websites to reach out to

the community and provide informa-

tion about events and seasonal high-

lights in nature. By the end of the rst

quarter of 2010, the Metroparks fan

page on Facebook already had more

than 6,000 fans. Enhancements were

also made to the park districts online

reservation system used to sign up

for programs and reserve shelters and

meeting rooms.

A 17-minute video, produced byMetroparks, was shown for the rst

time at a fundraising breakfast in May

and has been used many times since

to tell the Metroparks story.

Connecting With The Future

DevelopmentMetroparks receives generous support

from local people and foundations.

Examples include Dorothy MacKenzie

Price; the Alfred Wagener Foundation,which sponsors an annual golf outing;the France Stone Foundation, which

made large contributions to Pearson

North, the Middlegrounds property in

downtown Toledo and other projects;

funds set up by the Staelin and Carson

families at the Toledo Community

Foundation, and the Kathryn Johnson

Scholarship Fund.

Some additional foundations, corpo-

rations and families supporting

Metroparks include: Federation of

American Womens Clubs Overseas,

Prudence Lamb Trust, Morgan StanleySmith Barney, D&K Excavating, Fulton

County Chapter O.H.C. Michael

Manzella, Bill Belford and the John

and Virginia Hankison Foundation.

Fundraising/MembershipsFor several years, Metroparks and

park visitors have benetted from the

nancial support of The Andersons.

Thousands of people enjoyed Pack the

Parks, the MetroBarks Festival, Happy

Trails 5K and other programs, thanks

to the local retailer and agribusi-

ness company. Events like these areavenues to introduce people to the

countless benets of Metroparks.

Metroparks also receives ongoing

support from Volunteers In Parks,

Friends of Pearson, Friends of Side

Cut, Friends of Secor, Friends of the

Lathrop House, the Manor House

Volunteers and other groups.

Metroparks development efforts

raised a total of $374,000, including

$88,000 from memberships. An an-nual appeal generated $25,000, while

a one-hour fundraising/friend-raising

breakfast in May raised $11,000.

Nearly 80 percent of Metroparks

members renewed their member-

ships in 2009 an above-average

retention rate for membership pro-

grams. A special promotion garnered

413 new members and approximately$20,000.

Federal Stimulus GrantMetroparks and the USDA Forest

Service will be helping to keep the

parks safe for visitors while creating

jobs over the next two years as thou-

sands of dead ash trees are removed

near trails, roads and buildings.

The urban ecosystem restorationproject is being funded by the Ameri-

can Recovery and Reinvestment Act(ARRA). The $1.3 million project will

eliminate hazards by removing thou-

sands of trees in public areas where

falling trees and branches pose a risk

to public safety or property.

The Metroparks Board of Park Com-

missioners has begun contracting

with companies to fell dead or dying

Pearson North CommitteeBuying a 300-acre addition that

doubled the size of Pearson

Metropark was only the begin-

ning. When Fred Johlin donated

his familys log home built during

the Great Black Swamp era, a

committee formed to raise money

to move and renovate the building

to serve as the centerpiece for

an historical education area. Thecabin opened in August on the

75th anniversary of Pearson Park.

Chaired by Friends of Pearsonfounder Terry Breymaier, the com-

mittee included Mike Hopkins,

John Szozda, Gary Thompson

and Michelle Quilter. You can still

contribute to the ongoing effort

by purchasing an engraved brick

to be placed at the site. The Johlin

Cabin will have public hours thissummer.



6/8

Rentals of picnic shelters and other

park facilities generated $159,000.

Long-term Projects

A committee of staff and volunteers,with input from a series of public

meetings, completed a General Man-

agement Plan for a future downtownToledo Metropark located on the for-

mer Middlegrounds property overlook-

ing the Maumee River. Each existing

and future Metropark has a General

Management Plan, which is used as

a guide to develop and manage the

site. A committee was formed in early

2010 to begin work on a GMP for the

former Keil Farm property in Toledo.

ash trees infested by the emerald ash

borer. The invasive Asian beetle has

killed tens of millions of ash trees in

12 states and two Canadian provinces

since 2002.

The project will create or sustainabout 15 private-sector green jobs

in the arborculture and forest restora-tion industry while restoring forest

ecosystems in the economically-chal-

lenged greater Toledo area. Additional

jobs will be created as Metroparks

hires crews to remove invasive spe-

cies and restore natural landscapes in

affected areas.

Customer ServiceA major initiative to continuously

improve customer service began this

winter and will be completed in spring2010. The renovation of the park

districts Metz Visitor Center, locatedat Wildwood Preserve, will consoli-

date customer service functions in

one accessible location at the busiest

Metropark. Later in 2010, a charming

farmhouse on the grounds of Wild-

wood Preserve, which once housed

the Farmhouse Gift Shop, will be

renovated as a unique rental facility.

Manor House rentals continued toincrease for the third consecutive

year, generating $36,000 in revenue.

Friends of the Lathrop House have be-

gun the second phase of restoration

work on the historic, Underground

Railroad house at Sylvanias Harroun

Park. Metroparks is a partner in the

project, lending its expertise in plan-ning, construction and programming.

Connecting The Staff To

The Mission

Empowering EmployeesSixcess (or 6S) is Metroparks own

brand of the 5S workplace organiza-

tion methodology that stands for

Sorting, Straightening (Set in Order),

Sweeping (and Shining), Standard-

izing and Sustaining. Metroparksadded the 6th S, Safety. The system

involves checklists of standards forpublic areas and maintenance shops,

which are audited quarterly by teams

of employees. Overall for 2009, the

parks met 93 percent of established

standards. The program is in the

process of being rolled out to indi-

vidual ofces, and volunteers are even

helping the staff 6S trails. Sixcess

has been an important part of stan-

dardizing what it means to be clean,

safe and natural. The Sixcess teamwas invited to present the process at

a national Productivity Conference in

Nashville.

Metroparks is dedicated to exceeding

park visitors expectations by paying

attention to every detail of service

delivery. Every employee is expected

to own and solve visitor problems at

the moment of rst contact. The em-

ployee Service Guarantee gives staffthe ability to make it right.

The Wagener FamilyEach fall since 1999, the Wagener family has gathered to remember their

father, Al, and to raise money for a cause he would have appreciated. The Al

Wagener Memorial Golf Outing is held each September at Riverby Hills Golf

Club. Money raised during the event is donated to Metroparks for the care

of Audubon Islands State Nature Preserve. The Maumee River island is part

of Side Cut Metropark, a park that held special meaning to Mr. Wagener.

Dorothy MacKenzie PriceDorothy MacKenzie Price is one

benefactor who epitomizes what

it means to give back to the

community. For many years, Mrs.

Price has contributed to causesthat benet people of the Toledo

area, including Metroparks. Her

many contributions have provided

playground equipment for children;

nature, history and music programs

for families; equipment and

recognition for employees; and

much more.


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As a local leader in conservation of

natural resources, it is important that

the Metroparks staff think green in all

aspects of their jobs. Ecocentric is

the agencys unique brand name for

sustainable practices. These prac-

tices include using green cleaningproducts, bio-fuels and oils, and the

smallest, most efcient equipment fora given job. This publication and Me-

troparks Magazine are printed using

soy-based inks and recycled paper in a

local, wind-powered printing facility.

Employee InvolvementThe majority of Metroparks employ-

ees participated in the park districts

internal idea program, MetroSparks.

They submitted 150 ideas, 93 percent

of which were implemented. Those

ideas saved Metroparks more than$43,000. Since the MetroSparks

program began in 2002, employees

have submitted more than 2,000 ideas

resulting in a savings of $1.2 million.

Using the agencys Volunteer Com-

munity Leave program, employees

contributed 600 hours of service to 36

local community organizations.

Staelin FamilyThe renovations to the Metz

Visitor Center at Wildwood this

winter were only the latestimprovements to the historic

stables building. The courtyardhas been beautifully landscaped

over the past several years

thanks to the support of Mr.

and Mrs. Stephen Staelin, who

established the Tiffany Elise

Staelin Fund in memory of

their daughter. Now, thousands

of people who stop to rest or

gather at the patio tables in the

courtyard can enjoy the beauty

of the Tiffany Buttery Garden.

Testimonials

We are so grateful for how professional your staff was to work with. We would

use the Metroparks again in a heartbeat! Thank you so much to all the staff that

pulled together to make it happen for my husband and I. You helped make my day

magical. Note from a bride, Secor wedding

It really touched the kids to know how people lived. Very informative and great

presenters; wonderful, fascinating evening with all presenters doing an

excellent job

- Underground Railroad Lantern Tour participant

This was of course on very short notice, but Dad loved Side Cut so much we

thought it would be nice to gather there in his honor. Both the ranger and the lady

I spoke with in reservations were just wonderful, understanding and courteous. Ireally appreciated their cooperation.

Rental survey

The rangers were very helpful to all of us and represented the Metroparks very

well. The work on the Towpath was excellent. It was entirely clear, dry and in

awless condition. I add my thanks to all who worked on it and did such a ne job.

Towpath Run participant

My friend had a wonderful time at her baby shower and all of the guests were

impressed with the facility. I will denitely use you in the future! Thank you again

for making my event fabulous!

Manor House rental customer

A huge THANK YOU toanyone involved in posting the info and pictures of the

Mountain Bluebird! I didnt know about it until I saw the rst blog and then went

out and was able to see and enjoy a rare jewel in our vicinity. I really enjoy and

appreciate the Nature Now blog and read it regularly.

Facebook fan

You guys were behind us 100 percent and we really appreciate it. We are very

proud of the result. Terry Breymaier, chairman, Pearson North Fundraising Committee, to the

Metroparks board

The Park Ranger was extremely helpful when I arrivedI cannot say enough

about his level of customer service. My day would have started off badly if it

hadnt been for him.

Rental survey, Ward Pavilion, Wildwood



8/8

Your Metroparks

Each o the Metroparks oers picnic

areas, playfelds, trails or hiking and

cross-country skiing, interpretive inor-

mation and natural beauty. Each also

oers something that makes it unique.

Parks:

Wildwood Preserve, Sylvania Township

Pearson, Oregon

Swan Creek Preserve, Toledo

Side Cut, Maumee

Oak Openings Preserve, Swanton

Farnsworth, Waterville

Bend View, Waterville

Providence, Grand Rapids

Secor, Berkey

Blue Creek Conservation Area, Whitehouse

Fallen Timbers Battleeld, Maumee

Attractions:

Toledo Botanical Garden, Toledo

The Manor House, Wildwood

Oak Grove School, Wildwood

The Canal Experience, Providence

National Center for Nature Photography, Secor

The Lathrop House, Harroun Park, Sylvania

Greenway Trails:

Towpath Trail (Farnsworth to Providence)

University/Parks Trail

Wabash Cannonball Trail

Partner Agencies:

Toledo Botanical Garden Board, Inc.

Natures Nursery

Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District

Village of Whitehouse

Stay Connected

All parks, administrative ofce,

reservations: 419-407-9700

Metroparks o the Toledo Area

5100 W. Central Ave.

Toledo, OH 43615

Websites: MetroparksToledo.com,

MetroparksPrograms.com

Facebook: mymetroparkspage

Twitter: @mymetroparks

Email: webmaster@MetroparksToledo.

com

Sign up online or our weekly e-news-

letter This Week @ Metroparks

To Preserve and Protect

the Natural Heritage of

Northwest Ohio

Mission

To enhance quality o lie and

inspire preservation eorts in this

and uture generations by providing

a regional system o premier natural,

historical and cultural parklands

maintained and operated to the

highest proessional standards.

Board of CommissionersScott J. Savage, PresidentFritz Byers, Vice President

Lera L. Doneghy, VicePresident


metroparks annual report 2009

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