GREAT OUTDOORS: Magee Marsh Visitor Center makeover complete

OAK HARBOR — Hundreds gathered on Thursday to mark the completion of a renovation project that resulted in many upgrades to the Magee Marsh Visitor Center, formerly known as the Magee Marsh Sportsmen's Migratory Bird Center, in Oak Harbor. For many years, the building, built in 1970, featured displays of early hunting artifacts, such as licenses and antique decoys. It also displayed 300 species of mounted animals, live animals in aquaria and a small gift shop on the lower level. Upstairs — as the Crane Creek Wildlife Research Station — wetland, furbearer and waterfowl biologists performed timely research operations such as the successful Canada Goose reintroduction program, bald eagle recovery efforts and invasive species monitoring and control. After the remodeling, the building offers many realistic dioramic scenes with local animals of the wetlands depicted, updated high-efficiency heating, cooling and lighting, better accessibility, restrooms, walk-around observation decks, bird-friendly windows, meeting rooms and a dedicated gift shop area. Thousands of visitors are expected to pass through the Magee Marsh Visitor Center during the Black Swamp Bird Observatory's Biggest Week in American Birding event that began Friday. Thursday's event, which included a visit from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, also marked Bird Ohio Day. Among some other notes of interest: • The visitors center will attract hunters wishing to learn about the region's early duck hunting history, birders and others interested in becoming familiar with local wildlife. • The dioramic scenes display local wildlife seen in the wetland, including 16 pairs of warbler species, shorebirds, waterfowl and other birds. • The nonprofit Friends of Magee Marsh organization sells pins, patches, stickers, stamps, clothing and other bird-related souvenirs there. • The name of the wildlife area came from John Magee, who bought 1,000 acres from the Crane Creek Shooting Club and 1,700 acres from the Cleveland Hunting Club in 1903 with the intention of farming the 2,700 acres, however, the lake kept breaching the protective dikes, and it was allowed to return to marshland and hunted by its club members. • The Magee Marsh Hunt Club purchased the property in 1940 but ran into similar problems keeping the lake at bay and ended up selling 1,821 acres to the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Division of State Parks and Recreation in 1951. • Several of the presenters, including Ohio Department of Natural Resources director Mary Mertz, Black Swamp Bird Observatory executive director Kimberly Kaufman and Ohio Division of Wildlife chief Kendra Wecker gave credit to early waterfowl hunters for preserving the majority of Ohio's coastal wetlands. • Swimming was allowed on the sand beach contained within what was called Crane Creek State Park. In 2008, it was transferred to the Ohio Division of Wildlife and is now closed for swimming and is being allowed to revert to coastal beach vegetation for the benefit of migratory birds. • Now, at 2,202 acres, the wildlife area offers an opportunity for waterfowl hunters who are successfully drawn during a July lottery, then as walk-ons later in the season. • Trapping and deer hunting permit lotteries are also conducted in July for the upcoming season. The beach is used to access the lake for fishermen during winters when ice is present. • However, by far, the most traffic comes in May when the Black Swamp Bird Observatory hosts the Biggest Week in American Birding,' which attracts tens of thousands of visitors hoping to see many of the more than 300 species of birds recorded from the area. Of special interest are the dozens of species of warblers and vireos, shorebirds, raptors, gulls and waterfowl. This year, it runs from May 5-14 but expect a high number of visitors before and after these dates to see the unique species available throughout the spring. Visit biggestweekinamericanbirding.com for a complete list of scheduled activities.