Best bird watching in years at Ohio Bird Sanctuary
Ohio Bird Sanctuary visitors are enjoying the best bird watching in years. This the first summer in four years without construction dotting the landscape, now that renovations are completed at this unique attraction found midway between Cleveland and Columbus.
A brand-new Avian Encounters Area lets visitors experience the Sanctuary’s ambassador animals in a brand-new way as they meet at least three of the most popular animals up close during Saturday Shows that take place 11 a.m. and noon through August 30. Reservations are required and can be booked for $5, along with passes to the July 11 Night Hike, which is $10, and begins at 8:30 p.m., at OhioBirdSanctuary.com.
The 90-acre preserve provides important habitat for 52 species of breeding birds and migratory species, as well as hospital and rehabilitation care for raptors and other injured birds, with the goal of returning them to the wild. But the center provides meaningful enrichment to humans as well, offering educational programs, tours, hands-on experiences and special events that foster a love of science and a passion for caring for our natural world in young and old visitors alike.
An expanded visitors center now welcomes guests, introducing them to the Sanctuary’s many wild experiences and features, including the popular 3,200-square-foot songbird aviary, which houses an array of songbirds and grassland species. Its boardwalk gives visitors easy access, while enhanced habitat provides refuge for the birds in its trees and recirculating stream. Guests love feeding the friendly Blue Jays, Doves and other birds their special diet, which is just 25 cents in the Visitors Center, where they’ll also find the gift shop, expanded restrooms, business office and bird receiving area.
The Sanctuary’s living museum is home to over 30 different species of native songbirds and raptors, that due to an injury, can no longer survive in the wild. Fast becoming favorite of all visitors are intimate new Avian Encounters, where guests enjoy a close-quarters meet-up with some of the Sanctuary’s avian ambassadors, including vultures, Edgar the crow, owls, fruit-eating Cedar Waxwings and a majestic Bald Eagle. These and other beautiful birds now enjoy 16 large, new enclosures in a wooded area. A massive octagon flight cage helps birds rehab and spread their wings. For the bird’s health and safety, their rehabilitation takes place in secluded areas outside of public view.
In addition to its three main buildings, a wheelchair-accessible Treehouse Classroom was built by a team from Washington state-based Nelson Treehouse, well known for their work on the popular “Animal Planet” program “Treehouse Masters.” This unique classroom space and nearby Apollo’s Hideaway Field Classroom host school field trips, special public programs and camps. The Sanctuary also has four miles of trails winding through 90 acres of meadow, riparian and old growth forest. A portion of Wood Duck Trail, the Sanctuary’s optimum birding habitat, is also wheelchair accessible. A children’s Nature Scape Play area and outdoor picnic areas invite families to pack a lunch, have fun and explore.
Open Tues. -Sat. 10.a.m.-4.p.m. and Sunday noon-4, all live bird displays are outside and wheelchair and stroller accessible. Entrance to the bird display area is $5 for adults, $3 for kids ages 3-16, $3 for members of the military and guests from assisted care centers and free to members. Pets are allowed on the trails but are not allowed near bird enclosures or in buildings and must be leashed and controlled by their owners at all times.
The Ohio Bird Sanctuary is just one of the long list of one-of-a-kind experiences travelers find in Mansfield, Ohio. Breathtaking scenery set the backdrop rural and hometown experiences, as well as hiking, biking, golf, cross-country and downhill skiing, bird watching and other outdoor pursuits are among the many attractions. Surrounded by charming villages and towns, working farms and public gardens, downtown Mansfield is filled with great restaurants and shops, as well as a historic carrousel district and the unmatched Buckeye Imagination Museum, offering an entire floor geared towards older kids and parent. A free visitors guide and complete information on Mansfield’s many unforgettable visitor experiences are available at DestinationMansfield.com or (800) 642-8282.