Granger Wetlands to become a wildlife sanctuary

Thanks to a partnership with the Stream + Wetlands Foundation, a habitat-rich 163-acre site in Granger Township will become the Medina County Park District’s newest wildlife sanctuary.

Located east of the intersection of Beachler and Wilbur roads, Granger Wetlands Wildlife Sanctuary is comprised of a 150-acre wetlands mitigation area acquired at no cost from the Stream + Wetlands Foundation, plus an adjacent 13-acre parcel purchased by the park district at 50 percent of its market value, because of the generosity of its owners, who wished to see the land preserved.

The foundation completed restoration of Granger Wetlands in 2013, planting nearly 50,000 trees and shrubs, plus hundreds of pounds of wetland seed mix. Over time, the site will develop into a mix of wetland forest, scrub-shrub wetlands, upland forest and emergent marsh habitat.

While designed to be largely self-sustaining, some ongoing care will be needed, such as controlling non-native invasive plants and maintenance of water level control structures. In addition to the transfer of the property, the Stream + Wetlands Foundation is providing the park district with significant funding to assist with the future stewardship of the wetlands.

As a wildlife sanctuary, Granger Wetlands will be managed differently than a typical park. Development will be limited to a parking area, natural surface trails and restrooms. Bicycling, fishing, picnicking and pets will be prohibited to minimize disturbance of the plants and animals that live there.

Park district Resource Management Specialist Travis Morton said the wetlands are likely a prime stopover for migrating waterfowl. Future visitors will enjoy the panoramic quality of the landscape, he added. A portion of Granger Ditch, a Rocky River tributary, runs through the property.

The site remains closed to visitors. Park District Director Nathan Eppink hopes to open the wildlife sanctuary, possibly on a limited basis, sometime in 2020, which marks Granger Township’s bicentennial and the park district’s 55th anniversary. ∞