Urbana in Champaign County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Green Invaders
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 13, 2022
1. Green Invaders Marker
Before 1800, there were approximately 7,000 acres of wetland in this valley. By 1980, draining had reduced the wetlands to only 130 acres of hardwood swamp forests, cedar swamp forests and sedge meadows.
By the 1980s, this sedge meadow was rapidly changing into a cedar swamp forest. Over time, sedge stems and roots build up layers of muck soil. Eventually enough muck soil supports the growth of cedars. As the cedars get larger, they shade out the sedges, and their leaves and roots build even more soil.
With only five acres of sedge meadow left, any further change in this critical habitat would result in the loss of many endangered species. In 1988, the state approved action to protect the sedge meadow by removing invading cedars from the meadow.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Environment • Industry & Commerce • Natural Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1800.
Location. 40° 3.539′ N, 83° 47.662′ W. Marker is in Urbana, Ohio, in Champaign County. It is on Woodburn Road (County Road 91) west of U.S. 68, on the right when traveling west.
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Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Till Plains. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Draining Wetlands (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Cedar Bog (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Memory and with Appreciation (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cedar Bog Nature Preserve (approx. Ό mile away); William Owen (approx. 2.9 miles away); Champaign County Vietnam War Memorial (approx. 3 miles away); Champaign County Korean War Memorial (approx. 3 miles away); Champaign County World War II Memorial (approx. 3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Urbana.
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 13, 2022
2. Green Invaders Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 231 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 26, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
