Located near the Belmont neighborhood, passers-by can observe the Woodman Fen Conservation Area, a 33-acre wetland restoration area owned and managed by Five Rivers MetroParks. "A fen is a type of groundwater-fed wetland that remains wet year round," explains Five Rivers MetroParks Wildlife Biologist Michael Enright. "Alkaline wetlands, like Woodman Fen, were once very common throughout southwestern Ohio; however, due to increases in development, relatively few remain today." In 2003, Five Rivers MetroParks purchased the Woodman Fen site, which was once converted into a vegetable farm, and began to restore the wetland. During spring 2009, more than 10,000 wetland plants were planted in Woodman Fen. All of the wetland plants here are native species that are unique to fens in southwest Ohio. Woodman Fen increased dramatically in its diversity of wetland plant species with only 30 species identified in 2007 to over 100 species currently identified," Enright says. Woodman Fen offically opened to the public on Saturday, July 10, 2010, following the construction of a 1,000-foot boardwalk that snakes around the wetland and keeps your feet dry. It is the longest boardwalk in the MetroParks system. Below, the soggy earth is a rich coal-black peat. The soil is flaked with white calcium carbonate from water evaporation. The ground is so saturated it that bounces when you walk. The boardwalk complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act so everyone has the opportunity to experience this rare ecosystem. Woodman Fen's entrance and parking is accessible from Newcastle Drive off Eastgate Avenue. Summer hours are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dogs are allowed provided they are leashed.
