While Appalachian Ohio is one of America’s most scenic and underappreciated regions, it is not the most accessible of regions. The HEART of Appalachian Ohio Project will develop the Appalachian Ohio Pollinator Trail that will see opportunities for public places and private residences to benefit.
Public garden and pollinator areas will be developed which will not only add beauty, but tourism dollars. Mapped and delineated trails will allow people to get off the highway and spend time on the meandering roads of Appalachian Ohio while they visit these public spaces, and while on their journey they will stop in the small towns and villages to shop and eat. The trail will also allow locals to view the place they call home from another perspective and help restore or strengthen the sense of pride they have in the place they call home.
Additionally, private individuals can partner to be on the “trail” (in a non-public access format) where they can convert their backyards into pollinator areas. Partnerships with local greenhouses and garden centers can be utilized to provide native seed and nursery stock. Participants will receive a designation sign and be part of this large project that will transform some of the blighted areas into ecologically beneficial and beautiful properties.
The Appalachian Ohio Pollinator Trail will serve as the common thread that ties all of the HEART of Appalachian Ohio Project activities together, as each activity will feature a pollinator area or assist in the development and sustainability of the pollinator trail.
The Appalachian Ohio Pollinator Trail will have a sustainable element to it as the public properties that will be enhanced by the native plants and pollinators already have a track record of success. Partnerships will be created with local entities to assist with the sustainability but also create community gardens and workforce training opportunities that will better the citizens of the region and provide them more opportunities. The pollinator trail activity of the HEART of Appalachian Ohio Project will not only add beauty to the region but create exposure and partnership to existing programs and organizations that promote training, education, and entrepreneurial skills.
The Appalachian Ohio Pollinator Trail will be able to expand and endure into the future by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts and partners being able to modify their annual trees sales to include native and pollinator seeds and plants. These sales have been in place for over 50 years, and by leveraging these annual events to the benefit of the Ohio Pollinator Trail will allow for the activity to continue well into the future.
The HEART of Appalachian Ohio Project will establish a program to assist all partners that will mimic or pull from the many case studies that are out there including the North Carolina Butterfly Highway and the Monarch Watch’s Monarch Waystation program.
Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District Greenhouse & Regional Drills
In order to help develop and sustain the Appalachian Ohio Pollinator Trail a central
greenhouse facility will be constructed in Muskingum County that will be managed by the Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District Office.
This greenhouse facility will grow and distribute native plantings that can be utilized for all the
sites along the Appalachian Ohio Pollinator Trail. Classes and trainings will be held at the facility as well to help the people of the region develop skills that will also them to enter the workforce.
Additionally, six seed drills will be purchased and housed strategically throughout the region to allow for continued sustainability and growth of the Appalachian Ohio Pollinator Trail.