Ohio State Fair
August, 2010

Visit to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Exhibit

By Beverly Mullet Randall, Animal Tracks

Every year the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' (ODNR) has an exhibit at the Ohio State Fair and it wouldn't seem like the fair without visiting the wild animals, the Tall Grass Prairie, Ruthven's Aviary, and the Butterfly House. You can also try kayaking. This year, there was a new addition to the exhibit: The Green Restroom.

Here are some highlights:

Bald Eagles' Nest Reconstruction

The Tall Grass Prairie
"Small prairie openings were remanants of a time about 4,000-6,000 years ago when an extended period of warm, dry weather in North America favored the expansion of western prairie eastward as far as central Ohio. As the climate grew cooler and wetter, forests invaded Ohio's prairies. By the 1700s, prairies were found only where soil conditions, periodic fire or extreme typography discouraged the growth of trees. By the time the first pioneers reached the Ohio valley wilderness, they encountered a mosaic of prairie openings. It is estimated that there were more than 300 prairie openings in Ohio, mostly in the western half of the state."

"Pioneers described the the prairie opening as a sea of wild grass and flowering herbs, broken only by numerous and scattered groves of oaks and hickories. The pioneers quickly discovered the hidden wealth of this strange, treeless landscape. Under the dense sod lay fertile black prairie soils. What the prairie farmer did not plow, was used to pasture livestock."

Source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Ruthven's Aviary

The Ruthven Aviary is a cooperative educational aviary coordinated by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, Malabar Farm State Park, and the Columbus Zoo. Many of the birds cannot be returned to the wild because of injuries or other health concerns.

"The aviary is named after John B. Ruthven, born 1924. "As a young boy growing up in Cincinnati, Ruthven would often visit the banks of the Ohio River carrying a sketchpad and a dream of preserving wildlife through art. In 2004, Ruthven was awarded the National Medal of Arts by the president of the United States in recognition of his contributions as an artist and naturalist to conserving our natural treasures. In 1997, Ruthven donated the artwork for Ohio's cardinal license plate, which adorns the bumper of nearly 35,000 vehicles and has generated millions of dollars for wildlife conservation throughout the state."
Source: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

The Butterfly House


Gulf Fritillary

Black Swallowtail

The Green Restroom

1. Varia Panels from 3 Form manufactured from 40% pre-consumer recycled materials. The windows reduce the requirement for other lighting during the day.

2. The water closets in both men's and women's restrooms are "dual flush" fixtures which offer the choice between a partial flush of 0.8 gallons or a full flush of 1.6 gallons.

3. The urinal installed in the men's room is a "pint flush" urinal which only uses 1 pint of water when flushed.

4. Counter Tops: Terreon RE by Bradley Corp. manufactured from 25% pre-consumer recycled materials and 8% rapidly renewable materials.

5. The hand dryer dries hands completely in 10-15 seconds and uses 80% less energy. There is a 95% cost savings versus paper towels.

6. Rogers Block Green CMU manufactured from 30% pre-consumer recycled materials.