Ecological Analyst Lauren Stewart stands amidst a group of Lakeside Daisies that grow in the harsh conditions of the alvar ecosystem at the Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

MARBLEHEAD – Each spring, thousands of delicate yellow flowers blossom in the rocky terrain of a Marblehead preserve. The Colleen Taylor and Ruth Fiscus – Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve, which was once part of limestone quarried land, is open to the public. But there is an adjoining parcel that is only accessible on occasion, and this spring, Lauren Stewart led guided walks through the private land. Stewart is an Ecological Analyst with the ODNR’s Division of Natural Areas & Preserves.

The nature preserve was founded thanks to the efforts of Taylor and Fiscus, who campaigned for land that would protect the fragile Lakeside Daisy. The Lakeside Daisy was listed as a federally threatened plant species in 1988, the same year the preserve opened.

“So it opened just in time,” Stewart said.

Ecological Analyst Lauren Stewart works for the ODNR’s Division of Natural Areas & Preserves, which carefully manages the Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve to ensure the environment can support its Lakeside Daisy population. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The private area of the preserve opened in 2019, and today the preserve encompasses 137 acres.

“Lafarge Quarry worked with us to make this a preserve, but it had to have restrictions,” Stewart said of the private section of the preserve. “It could not be open to the public all the time because this area is a little more sensitive.”

The rocky corner of Marblehead that is home to the preserve offers the perfect alvar habitat for the Lakeside Daisy. An alvar is a harsh ecosystem that consists of exposed bedrock and dolomite that is covered in less than 25 centimeters of soil. The conditions stunt the growth of the few trees that can take root, and the Lakeside Daisies must “tolerate baking in the sun and flooding,” Stewart said.

Ecological Analyst Lauren Stewart stands atop a glacial groove at the Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve in Marblehead. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The one upside of thriving in the intense conditions of an alvar is the lack of competition for resources, but it also means there are not many places for the Lakeside Daisy to grow. They are only found in small patches in the U.S. in Marblehead, Kelleys Island, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and Illinois, and they are found in Canada, Iceland, and the Baltic region.

“Habitat loss is our biggest issue. That’s why the preserve is so important,” Stewart said. “We really can’t replicant the habitat they need, so management of the preserve is very important.”

The Lakeside Daisy can only grow in the harsh conditions of an alvar ecosystem which can be found in Marblehead. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

The private section of the preserve offers many natural treats beyond the Lakeside Daisy. Trees stunted by the conditions look like bonsai spotting the preserve, vernal pools filled with frogs pop up temporarily in low-lying areas, and a variety of fossils – including crinoids, bryozoan, and coral – are imbedded across the bedrock.

The preserve is also home to prominent glacial grooves.

“The glacial grooves were not carved by ice. They were carved by debris carried in the moving ice,” Stewart said. “This use to be a sea before the glaciers did our landscaping for us.”

To learn more about the Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve, visit https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/lakeside-daisy-state-nature-preserve.