A variety of rare and state listed plant and animal species have been documented in the Big Creek Valley.
Hemlock ravines, hardwood forests of maple, oak and beech trees; a clear creek flowing over layers of shale and around glacial boulders–these are timeless elements of the Lake County landscape.
We know that humans have lived here and used this valley for centuries and that the natural resources here helped them to survive. From the time of the Native American hunting grounds, through early homesteads and farms, pioneer industry, growing economies and bedroom communities to today's multitasking world, the landscape of the Big Creek Valley has provided shelter for many.
Bobolink
This valley has also sheltered an impressive variety of plants and animals. Walking along park trails, we may try to imagine the life of the generations of people who lived here before us. We are still surrounded by many of the same plant and animal communities documented by early visitors. Passenger pigeons and wolves may be gone from this landscape, but hemlock ravines and upland forests still protect an important variety of wildlife.
Yellow-bellied sapsucker
Girdled Road Reservation, an Audubon designated Important Bird Area (IBA), can reveal an impressive variety of birds. As an IBA, the park is recognized across Ohio as an important habitat for migrating and nesting birds. Robins, goldfinches, blue jays, crows and red-tailed hawks can be spotted on a morning stroll. Alongside these year-round residents, some more unusual species make their homes. Birds like the cerulean warbler, who winters in the Andes Mountains of South America, return every spring to the treetop forests of this valley. Here they produce their next generation, as they have since before the first settlers ventured to Ohio.
Dark-eyed junco
Rare and state listed plant and animal species documented in the Big Creek Valley include:
Explore the Big Creek Valley at these parks:
Hermit thrush