Glen Helen | News & Events | Nature Preserve

NEWS

An aerial view of the former Antioch College power plant, taken last spring. The structure, which is considered an ecological hazard, is slated for demolition this year. (Photo by Bryan Cady)

Nearly $1M in improvements slated for Glen Helen

February 11, 2022

The old Antioch College power plant, which is considered a public and ecological hazard that releases dangerous materials into the Glen, will soon be demolished and the land rehabbed into wetlands, thanks in part to a $988,119 grant from the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund.

The grant was awarded to the Glen Helen Association, which took ownership in 2020. The Village of Yellow Springs has also committed $125,000 in matching funds to the demolition project. The estimated cost of the demolition, cleanup and site restoration is $500,000.

to read the full press release, click here.

Glen Helen Association takes the keys to the trees, moves to reopen Glen Helen trails

September 4th, 2020

– As of today, the Glen Helen Association is the proud owner, steward, and operator of the region’s largest and most visited private nature preserve, Glen Helen. Today’s announcement is the culmination of a lengthy process between Antioch College, which had owned the preserve since 1929, and the Glen Helen Association, an
independent nonprofit that has supported the Glen since 1960.

to read the full press release, click here.

iNaturalist, Local Observations with a Worldwide Reach

Glen Helen Birding Event

August 8, 2015

Glen Helen welcomed all birding lovers to join a day of organized hikes to view spectacular birds that call the preserve home. Beginning at 5:30am with the Dawn Chorus hike, visitors had the opportunity to participate in up to nine guided birding events filled with opportunities to view the different species of birds within the glorious Glen Helen biome. This year, participants found 93 different species. The Make It Count event the preserves largest land steward fundraiser offering chances to document the migratory native species in this Big Day event.

Camp Greene Aquisition

January 12, 2015

The Glen Helen Association announced that it had acquired Camp Greene, a 30.5-acre former Girl Scout camp on the Little Miami River adjacent to Glen Helen nature preserve. Its educational facilities include a dormitory and lodge, which the Glen Helen Association plans to make available for programs.

As part of the acquisition, the Association has signed a deed of restrictions with the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund. This agreement ensures that the property will forever be preserved as a natural area, and that it can continue to be used for environmental learning.

License Plate Revival

January 1, 2015

We are pleased to announce Glen Helen’s popular license plate has been reinstated! Sporting a new red banner, the license plate’s illustration is of a yellow-bellied sap sucker by “one of Ohio’s celebrated wildlife artists, Charley Harper.”

Of all revenue collected, 60% will return to the Glen to support maintenance of more than 20 miles of trails, native plant restoration, ecological education scholarships, raptor rehabilitation programs, and more on the 1,000 acre nature preserve.

License Plates can be purchased for $25, $15 returns to the Glen; www.oplates.com.

Photo: Talitha Greene

iNaturalist, Local Observations with a Worldwide Reach

Post Date: January 3, 2015

Snap a picture of your observations, then share them with a world-wide community of nature lovers at iNaturalist.org. Available free in your app store or on your computer, the iNaturalist app helps keep track of the animals and plants you see along the trails. Assistance is available to help identify the flora and fauna you have photographed. Your observations then become part of the world's largest citizen science project. Visit our Observations page for details.

Glen Helen Permanently Protected

Easement to protect Glen for good, by Matt Minde

Yellow Springs News, February 28, 2013

As long as most anyone alive remembers, Glen Helen has been protected as a nature preserve. Hugh Taylor Birch insisted on it in 1927 when he deeded the land to Antioch College in his daughter’s memory. But when David Neuhardt set his attorney’s eyes on the dated document, he saw holes and risk all over it. And he recommended that if community members expected to keep their beloved preserve beyond the current generation, they needed a more binding covenant to safeguard it.

When Krista Magaw heard those words, she couldn’t stop thinking how horrible it would be to one day lose the Glen.

Read the entire article here.

Upcoming Events

Please check under the Events tab for our current program calendar.

Unless otherwise noted, all Glen Helen hikes, programs, and events are appropriate for all ages. Please visit our Program Calendar for program/event fees and information.

Parking $10. Glen Helen Members always park free.

Schools, daycare centers, passenger vans, and other groups, park by appointment only.