Preserving Catawba's land, legacy

CATAWBA ISLAND TWP. — On Catawba Island, people can find a hidden oasis of nature. But it wasn't always that way. Throughout the 1900s, a multi-acre plot of land just off Muggy Road had served as both farmland and a campground. Over the years, however, it had grown decrepit and in need of cleanup from all of the campground trash. In 2003, the land was purchased by Dr. Robert "Bob" Nehls and his wife, Norma. The pair moved to Catawba in 1965 where they raised three children and opened the Catawba Veterinary Hospital. Sought-after land Dr. Robert "Bob" Nehls Provided photo/JILL MARTINEZ Robert Nehls used the land to farm hay for his horse. The land is waterfront property, which quickly grabbed the attention of several land developers. "They wanted to put in condos, and Bob was against that," Norma said. "We wanted something no one would build on." The couple didn't want the rapid development of Catawba Island to take over every piece of land. "We wanted some natural preserves left," she said. In the end, all efforts for the land to be developed were evaded. In 2017, Robert, 78, passed away. "My grandfather was the most, hardworking, genuine and altruistic person I've ever known," Brooke Martinez, Nehls' granddaughter, said. "He always went to great lengths for other people and animals. His interest in nature was astounding, when he wasn't working at the veterinary clinic we would often find him outside farming. "My fondest memories I had with him were when I would be playing basketball outside my house and he would walk over to come play with me," Martinez continued. "At that time, I had not noticed that he just got back from an exhausting day in the heat from farming and, no matter the tired condition he was in, he would always come over." Sharing with all After his death, Norma decided that the land had to be shared. She spoke to the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Oak Harbor, which executed a partnership agreement over the land with the Black Swamp Conservancy in 2019. The Black Swamp Conservancy is a regional nonprofit land conservation organization founded in 1993. It now protects more than 175 properties covering 21,000 acres. Black Swamp became aware of the land when they were approached by the Nehls family's real estate agent. The organization was aware of how important it was that they purchase it. "The development pressure was very strong on this land," said Rob Krain, the conservancy's executive director. The sign for the Dr. Robert L. Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve on Muggy Road in Catawba Township on Monday, July 10, 2023. Register photo/SYDNEY MOORE When Black Swamp acquired the space, it had to remove several old structures, including a barn and concrete bathroom from the days of the campground. The preserve encompasses 40 acres of land, 18 of which are submerged land along the west harbor. Most of the land had been grass with the exception of a few mature trees. So the land required new plants in order to be better suited for the animals. Just under 8 acres of the property, formerly in agricultural use, were replanted in June 2019 to be a prairie/pollinator meadow habitat. The land features large cottonwood and maple trees. Krain noted that all of the plants put in are native to coastal Ohio. He said that the organization looked at the other vegetation of local untouched areas and used that as a blueprint for their own planting. In addition to adding vegetation to the land, an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant kayak launch was added as well as a Little Free Library and a parking bay. The loop trail was restored and displays with framed pages of a picturebook line the sides of the trail. After two years of development, the Dr. Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve opened in July 2021 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. According to Krain, this doesn't mean that they are finished working on the land. He describes restoration as an "ongoing process." "It provides for a lot of resident wildlife," Krain said. "Preserves are important spaces for us to understand the natural world." Nehls Preserve is located at 5020 E. Muggy Road. Paddling and yoga classes are a regular occurrence at the preserve and can be signed up for at blackswamp.org. "Still, to this day, my grandfather is someone I will always look up to and love," Martinez said. "He would be so humbled yet proud of this preserve named in his memory."