There are many conservation organizations around the Dayton area working to preserve and protect the watershed of the Mad and Little Miami rivers. B-W Greenway Community Land Trust is one of those organizations with dedicated volunteers who love the river corridors and value the natural areas they live among.

Each year, B-W Greenway Community Land Trust acquires property to monitor for conservation easement. B-W Greenway works to preserve and promote the natural corridor between Beaver Creek Wetlands and Wenrick Wetlands on the eastern edge of Dayton. Currently, the organization preserves 16 properties that totals 500 acres of wetlands, prairies, and forests.

While B-W Greenway has many programs volunteers may participate in, monitoring the conservation easement properties and maintaining them is a large part of their spring and fall activities. For the months of October and November, B-W Greenway volunteers removed invasive plants at three of the properties and continued work on a boardwalk. Throughout the year, the volunteers work to improve the natural areas for wildlife by removing invasive plants through cutting and spraying honeysuckle, by pulling invasive plants such as garlic mustard, and by planting native trees and grasses. Additionally, each property is monitored by a team of volunteers that record the health of the property and identify what needs to be done to improve habitat for native plants and animals.

As a volunteer for B-W Greenway, I enjoy the opportunity to see these properties and watch them turn from groves of honeysuckle to forests and prairies teeming with native insects, birds, and other wildlife.

The wetlands that B-W Greenway works to preserve play an essential role in our ecosystem. It filters the water running off of our homes and roadways, it slows the water to reduce erosion in our streams and rivers, it provides food and water to various species, and it is the breeding grounds for many insects, fish, and amphibians. Wetlands are at the heart of B-W Greenway’s mission, because they provide the balance needed for human activity and nature.

B-W Greenway is always looking for volunteers. Volunteering for B-W Greenway gives individuals a chance to experience some of the loveliest natural areas near Dayton and feel good about the progress being made to protect these areas.

To learn more about B-W Greenway Community Land Trust, visit https://bwgreenway.org, call 937-867-5212, or email [email protected]