The Dr. Robert “Doc” Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve on Catawba Island is beautiful property had long been a special place to enjoy nature and the calm West Harbor waters for the late veterinarian and outdoorsman Dr. Robert L. Nehls and and his wife, Norma Nehls. She negotiated the sale of the property to Black Swamp Conservancy to develop the nature preserve.

Black Swamp Conservancy is inviting families to visit the newly-installed storybook trail at Dr. Robert L. Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve, 4400 Muggy Rd., Port Clinton on the Catawba Penisula. Storybook Trails are a delightful way for families to enjoy both reading and getting outside. They feature a children’s story whose book pages are displayed at stations along a natural outdoor path.

Fresh air, exercise, and being surrounded by the beauty and surprises of nature improves physical and mental health. Add in a storybook and a walk becomes a rich educational activity for people of all ages, introducing new vocabulary and new information about nature and the ecological relationships around us.

The loop storybook walking trail, which winds through a restored pollinator meadow and along the water’s edge, is open to the public from dawn to dusk. New books will be installed monthly. This month’s book is Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn, written and illustrated by Kenard Pak.

Funded by a grant from the Recreational Trail Program, a cooperative project of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Federal Highway Administration, Nehls Storybook Trail will provide families year-round enjoyment of this beneficial outdoor activity.

For more information about Nehls Storybook Trail and updates on featured books, visit Black Swamp Conservancy’s website at www.blackswamp.org or call 419-833-1025.

The Black Swamp Conservancy is a land trust dedicated to protecting natural habitats and family farms, now and for future generations, through land conservation agreements. The Conservancy does this to preserve the rural heritage, unique natural habitats, and streams of northwest Ohio.

Since its founding in 1993, the organization has permanently protected more than 21,000 acres of woods, wetlands and family farms. By protecting the region’s valuable land and water resources, the Conservancy supports healthy communities with strong, sustainable economies including agriculture and ecotourism.