remembrances devol’s dam – a of marilyn lock and a key to the...

The Wonderful Botanical World

Public Is Invited

Summer 2014 Newsletter

Thursday, July 10, 7:00 PM Selby 150, Marietta CollegeWe invite everyone to share somestories and remembrances ofMarilyn Ortt, a MNHS founder and Board member. We’ll alsodiscuss plans for the MNHS, which is now in its third decade.Refreshments will be available.

Thursday, September 11, 7:00 PM, Selby 150, Marietta College Presenter Jason Larson

Jason, Director of the Richland County Park District, will help us Explore Ohio's botanical wonderland. Jason is also a great

photographer and will share some of his most exciting Ohio finds with us.

Thursday, August 14, 6:45 PM Carpool from IGA parking lot - meet at the north side closest to Greenleaf

Join us at the Devol’s Dam Lock #2. A state park employee will give us the

history of the lock and dam system on the Muskingum River, a National

Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. We’ll see a demonstra-

tion of the hand-operated lock. Afterwards, you can stay to see aquatic insect light trapping; we could find anything from tiny caddisflies to giant fishflies over 6” long!

Devol’s Dam – ALock and a Key

to the Past

Remembrances of Marilyn

Marietta Natural History Society

Marietta Natural History Society Summer 2014

We periodically encounter forcesthat alter landscapes and human lives. They are formidable, pulling the worldin their wake, with an aftermath felt overgenerations. We call these “forces ofnature”. Marilyn Ortt was a Force of Nature –a force that made our city, county andworld a better place. We mourn herrecent passing. Forces of nature are irrepressible,and as we all know, when Marilyn embraced an objective, every available resource was employed and little could waver her resolve. Marilyn did not seem to respond in the normal way to impediments – to the disappointments and frustrations that cause most of us to buckle– it seemed that these only served to strengthen her resolve. While many people felt her influence, the breadth ofMarilyn’s accomplishments is not easily grasped. While this tributecannot do full justice to her legacy, possibly in hearing more of it,others will be inspired by what a single, dedicated individual canachieve. It also does not adequately acknowledge the efforts ofMarilyn’s numerous collaborators, but those of us who were involvedknow that little would have been accomplished without Marilyn’spresence. Coming down Muskingum Dr past the hospital, you know whenyou’ve entered Marietta. A distinct ambiance greets you, a characterthat would not exist but for Marilyn’s tireless efforts on the City TreeCommission. Serving on the Tree Commission for over threedecades, Marilyn introduced modern urban forestry practices andstandards, greatly expanded diversity of the urban forest, and madeour Commission respected throughout the state. At some point in their lives, all large urban forest trees need to beinspected, and Marilyn was always there to do it. She knew the distinctive qualities and growth habits of different species, and by memory the maintenance history of many individual trees. While there are sciences for doing both, predicting a tree’s future condition can be as reliable as forecasting nextweek’s weather. Marilyn had to make hundreds of tough decisions, toprune or remove large city trees, always considering a tight budget,knowing full well who gets blamed when the weather forecast doesn’tpan out. We do not readily recognize the fruits of Marilyn’s tree husbandry.Our big trees seem always to have been here, but they wouldn’t behad Marilyn not helped select and plant thousands of trees in Mariettaand along the entranceways. What were mere saplings 30 years agoare now monuments of the urban forest and have replaced thousandsthat have been lost. Try envisioning Marietta without these trees. Andduring severe wind storms in recent years Marietta has generallysuffered less tree damage than surrounding areas because of thehealthier urban forest.

Cont. on page 4

The MNHS and Marietta will Miss MarilynJuly 1935 - May 2014

by Steven Spilatro

Look at your mailingaddress label!

Is there a red dot? If so, it means thatyour MNHS membership is past due.

Membership dues can be sent toaddress on last page of newsletter.


Upcoming Events at the Anderson-Hancock Planetarium

Join us in exploring the late summer sky! Each of theseshows will begin with a star talk pointing out thehighlights of our current evening skies, including visibleplanets and other notable sky features.

Sunday, July 20 at 2pm - includes the fulldome videoOasis in Space which explores our Solar System andwhere water can be found.

Thursday, August 14 at 7pm - includes the fulldomevideo The Cowboy Astronomer A fun-filled voyagethroughout our Solar System specially designed forchildren.

The AH Planetarium is located in the Rickey ScienceCenter, Marietta College.

Recycled Paper 30% Post-Consumer


Marilyn’s Invasive Plants SeriesArticles in the MNHS Newsletter

Series Introduction – Winter 1999Garlic mustard – Spring 1999Autumn clematis – Fall 1999Wintercreeper – Winter 2000Autumn olive – Spring 2000

Japanese knotweed – Summer 2000Miscanthus – Fall 2000

Poison hemlock – Winter 2001Tree-of-heaven (‘Stink Tree’) – Spring

2001Ground ivy – Summer 2001

Cinnamon vine (‘Air Potato’) – Fall 2001Crownvetch – Winter 2002

Japanese honeysuckle – Spring 2002Mile-a-minute – Summer 2002Multiflora rose – Winter 2003Dame’s rocket – Spring 2003

Purple loosestrife – Summer 2003Oriental bittersweet – Fall 2003Common privet – Winter 2004Bush honeysuckle – Fall 2004Spring bandits – Spring 2005

Japanese stilt grass – Summer 2005Johnson grass– Fall 2005English Ivy – Winter 2005

Royal paulownia – Spring 2006Invasive species - On the road again

– Summer 2006Pond problems – Fall 2006

Plan now to avoid later – Winter 2007Cryptic invasives – Spring 2008Lesser celandine – Spring 2010

Cont. from page 2 And next time you driveto Belpre, notice just past theSolvay overpass about120trees extending for over amile along the top of thehillside. Marilyn organizedplanting of these trees as aCommunity 20/20 project in2001 to provide some visualremediation of an otherwiseaustere industrial zone. Marilyn endeavored tohelp us recognize theimportance of our city treesby organizing Arbor DayCeremonies. Every year, even if only a few individualswere present, a proclamationwas read and an Arbor Daytree was planted. In 2000 the CityArboretum in Sacra ViaPark was established andMarilyn was recognized onthe plaque for hercontributions to thecommunity. For years,Marilyn helped make thearboretum a show case forthe diversity of native,flowering and sometimesunusual trees. I doubt there were manylocations in WashingtonCounty upon which Marilynhad not laid foot or eye, andshe was an expert on ourarea’s native and urbanplants. She was employedfrom 1983-1995 (and undercontract afterward) by theOhio Department of NaturalResources, Division of NaturalAreas and Preserves, serving as a Plant CommunityEcologist and Field Botanist for the Ohio NaturalHeritage Program. Her field surveys traversed much ofWashington County recording plant communities and rareand endangered species. Her knowledge was widely recognized throughout theregion, and Marilyn was asked to serve on the boards ofmany organizations. These included the Ohio BiologicalSurvey, and she was awarded its Naturalist Award (oneof the OBS’s two top honors) in 2013. Also were TheNature Conservancy, Rural Action Forest Advisory,and the Ohio Invasives Plant Council. Anyone who knew Marilyn knew of her relentless battleagainst invasive plants, such as garlic mustard, Japanese

knotweed, and multiflora rose, aswell as other damaging, non-nativespecies What would seem futile to manywas not to Marilyn. She wroteextensively about invasive plantswhile recruiting a battalion ofvolunteers to help battle theirspread. I’m sure the troops, withingrained ‘spot and pull’ reflexes, willcontinue to push the vanguard ofextermination in forests, fields andalong the local riverbanks, Marilyn had great love of our localwaterways, their riparian spaces andwatersheds. Although a cityRiverbank Conservation Programwas developed in 1987, she found itnecessary to continuously promotecoherent management andprotection of Marietta’s riverbanks.Marilyn recognized the importance oftrees to riverbank stability andencouraged protection whereverpossible of natural a riparian habitat.Her concerns were prescient,evidenced by riverbank erosion andoccasional collapse along theMuskingum, some requiringsignificant City investment tostabilize. Always looking to the future,Marilyn helped the city develop andadopt in 2004 the Gilman StreetArea Community TransportationCorridor Plan for riverbankprotection. should a northMuskingum crossingbridge be built. Andagain in 2010,Marilyn served ona City ad hocRiverbank

Task Force thataddressed riverbank maintenanceissues. Cont. on page 5


Some Remembrancesby Brad Bond

When du Pont sent me to the Parkersburg plant toget me out of supervision and back into research in1972, we chose Marietta. It took Marilyn Ortt and theHiking Club to get me acquainted with the area, andfinding abandoned quarries got me interested in localhistory. With Marilyn’s help, looking up leases in theRecorder’s Office and locating the sites of theabandoned quarries and mills Grindstone Countrywas first printed in 1979 with a 3rd edition in 2003. Shejoined me in some of these explorations, me lookingfor rocks and she for wildflowers. I asked her to suggest a wildflower project for me,and she suggested chrysogonums (C. virginianum). Previously she convinced The Nature Conservancythat they should conserve the Tefft property on theborder of Dunham and Decatur Townships to protectthe chrysogonum population there. I tracked that population for 10 years noticing agradual decline which was confirmed when I returnedin 2013. The large stands of 1993-2002 were mostlygone, but plants were found along deer trails.Chrysogonum was still common in sunnier exposuresin the area surrounding the Tefft property. Best guesswas that logging prior to 1993 provided the sunneeded for the major Tefft stands and increasingshade was gradually doing them in. Outdoor Education for elementary school childrenwas begun in the early 1970s by Marilyn Ortt andCaroline Putnam. I became a guide on retirement in1990. Trails had been prepared back of what’s nowthe Career Center, and kids were bused to the siteonce or twice a week in spring and fall. Lynn Barnhartwould set up nets and band birds. The busload wasbroken up into groups of 4-8 depending on the numberof guides for a walk in the woods. Marilyn and Caroline also cooperated in starting upa recycle center where the marina is today. RobPutnam and John Ortt both remember flattening cansin a trailer there to minimize air transport. Marilyn gotthe County Commissioners to finance the operationinitially and arranged for hauling out what came in.This involved dealing with recycle handlers as far awayas Zanesville, Stockport and, now, Pennsylvania forclear and brown glass. She kept a philogeny for Outdoor Education plants.When I did the long-horned beetle study, I used herflower matrix to record which plants I found LHBs onand for what period of time, and set up my own timelines for insect appearance the same way. Once I told Marilyn that I had seen a chestnut treeout near Cutler, and she drove out there only to find itwas a chestnut oak. I never made that mistake again.

Cont. from page 4 The Friends of the Ohio River Islands NationalWildlife Refuge an independent, non-profit organizationthat encourages participation in and support of the refuge. Marilyn served on the Board of this organization and wasrecognized by the organization for Outstanding VolunteerService in 2012. Marilyn had particular concerns for the MuskingumRiver, and was a cofounder in 2001 and later President ofFriends of Lower Muskingum River. FLMR is a nonprofitwatershed protection and Land Trust organization with amission to restore and protect the lower Muskingum Riverand to protect and promote its historic, cultural,recreational and socioeconomic resources. These goalshave been pursued with educational programs, cleanupcampaigns, water quality studies, and submission in 2014of a Watershed Action Plan for maintaining and improvingthe health of the lower Muskingum watershed. As nonprofit Land Trust organization, FLMR works toset aside protected natural areas through creation of landconservation easements. A conservation easement allowsa landowner to place permanent restrictions on future usesof the land, such as to protect its natural resources.Through Marilyn’s efforts and the generosity of landowners, FLMR acquired conservation easements fornumerous tracts of land, including Dana Island Preserve,Luke Chute Conservation Area, Fairfield Tract, DevolRun Preserve, and Marietta College’s Barbara A. BeiserField Station. FLMR acquired in 2001 and then passed to the City ofMarietta the easement for the Kroger Wetland. Originally15 acres and expanded in 2007 to 21 acres, the KrogerWetland was always a special place for Marilyn. Sheworked to establish trails, parking spaces and educationalmaterials on the site. The close proximity made thiswetland an educational watershed and opportunity forvolunteer projects – bridgeserected, trails cleared, treesplanted, and bird blinds built. Development of the Kroger Wetland was justone of Marilyn’s effortstoward greenspaceprotection in theCity. She helped inthe establishmentof Kris-MarWoods, throughwhich runs a leg of the NorthCountry Trail system. Cont. on page 6


BOTANYThere should be no monotonyIn studying your botany;It helps to trainAnd spur the brain-Unless you haven't gotany.

It teaches you, does Botany,To know the plants and spotany,And learn just whyThey live or die-In case you plant or potany.

You learn, from reading Botany,Of wooly plants and cottonyThat grow on earth,And what they're worth,And why some spots have notany.

You sketch the plants in Botany,You learn to chart and plotanyLike corn or oats-You jot down notes,If you know how to jotany.

Your time, if you'll allotany,Will teach you how and what anyOld plant or treeCan do or be-And that's the use of Botany! – Berton Braley March 1929

Cont. from page 5 Over the years she worked with numerouscitizens’ groups and city committees, such asthe Mayor's Alternate TransportationAdvisory Committee, and helped to promoteland protection within Marietta throughdevelopment of Land Development andParking Lot Green Space ordinances. Always ahead of the curve, Marilynvigorously promoted recycling in Marietta.Long before curbside recycling was part of thecity trash hauling contract (a service evennow not available in the County),Marietta arearesidents could drop off recyclables atMarietta Area Recycling Center. The recycling center wasestablished in 1976 and is the oldestcommunity drop-off volunteerrecycling center in the state. Alwayswell-supported by area residents, therecycling center yields high-qualitysorted materials. In recent yearsaround 800 tons of recyclables werecollected annually, far exceedingrecycling of comingled materials atSolid Waste Management Districttrailers. The Center received theODNR Recycle Ohio! VolunteerRecycling Award, in April 2002, andthe Natural Environment HeritageAward from Ohio's Hill CountryHeritage Area in 2004. The Household HazardousWaste Day was one of Marilyn’smost widely recognizedaccomplishments. Through herremarkable powers of persuasion, thechemical industry’s Responsible CareGroup of Washington County agreedto fund an annual hazardous wastepickup day, beginning in 1991. DaleLoudermilk and later Mark Potochnicfrom Solvay organized andsupervised the on-site collection,which, with Marilyn’s inspiration,expanded to include tires, carbatteries and fluorescent bulbs. In 1995 a Paint Swap Day wasadded to give participants theopportunity to not only dispose of oldpaints, but also acquire paints or stains no longer needed

by other people. This wasrecycling at its best. For 20 years, 1991 –2010 Marilyn assured thateveryone knew that thecollection days were comingwith posters, fliers, bill-boards, newspaper ads andarticles. And countyresidents participatedenthusiastically;meticulously collected datashowed on average over1000 households

participated annually. Records showthe HHWD recovered tons of solidwaste and tens of thousands ofgallons of liquids. Likewise,thousands of gallons of paint wererecycled by participants on PaintSwap Day. Yet, I wonder for how manyparticipants the most memorable partof the HHWD was being greetedevery year at the entranceway byMarilyn to be offered fliers, a survey,and mercury-free thermometer. Marilyn was certainly not going tolet Earth Day go unnoticed, andworking with the Earth DayCommittee she helped organized thelocal Earth Day Celebration. Theeffort in planning of these events islittle appreciated by those attending.It involved not only recruitment ofindividuals and organizations withdisplays and activities for people ofall ages, but acquisition of cityapproval for using the Armorygrounds, liability insurance coverage,and of course, port-a-johns. This wasalso a day when Marilyn could helppeople appreciate practical uses ofour ‘beloved' sweetgum fruit balls. Possibly Marilyn's greatestcontribution was a an educator. Forover 50 years, for young and foradults, she promoted understandingand sensitivity toward the naturalworld around us. Cont. on page 7


Trees that will Attract Butterfliesby Marilyn Ortt (Spring 2007)

Alder: Orange Harvester Butterfly; Rusty Tussock Moth; Luna MothButtonbush: Luna, Polyphemus, Prometheus and Wood Nymph;Hackberry Mourning cloak; Question Mark; Hackberry Emperor;Hawthorn & Witch Hazel: HarvesterHickory: Banded Hairstreak; Hickory Hairstreak;Pawpaw: Zebra Swallowtail;Sassafras: Spicebush Swallowtail; Spicebush SilkmothServiceberry: triped Hairstreak; White AdmiralSpicebush: Spicebush Swallowtail; Eastern Tiger Swallowtail; Tulip Tree: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail; Canadian Tiger Swallowtail;Willow: Mourning Cloak; Viceroy

Cont. from page 6 Marilyn was a co-founder of the Marietta City Schoolvolunteer Outdoor EducationProgram in the 1970s, forwhich she received an NSFgrant to train guides. Marilynand other guides provided ½day nature hikes for both theschool system and the 4-H forover 30 years. How manyschool children and 4-H'ers onthese hikes first saw Jack protruding from his pulpit,discovered nascent fireflies begin life as a glow worm, andshot each other with projectile jewelweed seeds? Marilyn contributed many courses to MariettaCollege’s Institute for Learning in Retirement, andreceived the Marietta College Community MemberOutstanding Education Volunteer Award in 2004 for herwork on environmental education. Telesis recognized heras a Telesis Community Leader in 1991. To better foster awareness of, sensitivity to, andeducation about our environment, Marilyn cofounded theMarietta Natural History Society (MNHS). Now in its thirddecade, this organization offers monthly presentations andfield trips on widely ranging topics of local interest– fromrattlesnake and mushroom biology to local archeology andthe history of our region’s petroleum industry. Even Bigfootmade a (rather fuzzy) appearance. From March1993through the present, Marilyn unfailingly planned over 250monthly events, as well as numerous natural walks, birdwatching tours, and night hikes. Beginning in 1998, a quarterly newsletter was startedwhich presented additional articles and information. TheSociety’s web page (www.marietta.edu/~biol/mnhs/mnhs.html), houses an archive of all these newsletters,which includes Marilyn’s series on invasive plants andother articles she authored. In Summer 2002, Marilyn organized publishing byMNHS of “The Natural View of Washington County”. I’msure most residents have seen this annual circular beingdistributed around the city. For 13 years it has providedarticles on natural history as well as advertisingopportunities for local businesses. The MNHS has also championed a variety of causes. Members participate in annual winter bird counts and evenhelped rescue endangered freshwater mussels. ThroughMarilyn’s efforts, the MNHS collaborated with the OhioRiver Islands National Wildlife Refuge to develop the“Ohio River’s Wild Side” plaque, dedicated in October2000 and located along the Ohio River levee. Ths plaque

describes some of the major typesof wildlife living in and around theOhio River. Marilyn once told me that shetried to be a voice for nature -- tocommunicate for a world that couldnot speak for itself. The volume ofcorrespondence she provided – theletters, emails and articles – is hardto quantify. But we can get somesense from the approximately 180Our Earth Columns written for the

local newspaper. There are many superlatives that could be used todescribe Marilyn as a person. A recognition she received in1985 conveyed some of the best, noting that she was:

“inspired, cheerful, witty, patient, courteous, sensible,instructive, gracious, helpful, wise, conscientious,wonderful, questing, communicative, virtuous,humane, loyal, nature-loving, generous, observant,capable, punctual, reputable, distinguished,responsible, knowledgeable, courageous,informative, intelligent, imaginative, beautiful [and]mostly-veracious”.

Marilyn was our benevolent force of nature. Her wordsand actions made Marietta a better and smarter place tolive. We will miss her presence dearly, but I know that likethe many trees she planted, what she gave us will continueto grow.

Invite a Friend to Join the

Marietta NaturalHistory SocietyWood Thrush — Individual $15River Otter — Family $25Monarch — Friend $50

Why not give a gift member-ship? Mail check to address

Benefits ofMembership

L Monthly programs

L Field trips

L Quarterly newsletter

L Educational experiences for kids and adults

L Conservation Projects

The MNHS Missioni To foster awareness of and sensitivity to our environment and its biodiversityi To provide a place where people with these interests can gather for information and activityi To create a presence in our community representing these ideas

Marietta Natural History Society P.O. Box 983 Marietta, Ohio 45750 (740) 373-5285

remembrances devol’s dam – a of marilyn lock and a key to the...

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