News

Fred Anliot Recognized as 'Clinton County Naturalist of the Year'

Annual Lytle Creek Day Illustrates Local Quality of Life Focus

October 4, 2009

S. Fred Anliot was lauded for “sharing his knowledge, experience and love of the natural world” Saturday (Oct. 3) as the Lytle Creek League of Conservators honored the emeritus Wilmington College professor as Clinton County “Naturalist of the Year.”

The annual Lytle Creek Day also recognized Lori Kersey William’s steadfast dedication and leadership as the founding director of the Lytle Creek League of Conservators and its spin-off initiative known as No Child Left Indoors.

Against a backdrop of blue skies with an early autumn crispness in the air, Anliot was praised in absentia for 40 years of dedicated service to Clinton County.

Roy Joe Stuckey, league president, described Anliot as “a decent, sensitive human being just filled with knowledge of nature.”

WC President Dan DiBiasio compared Anliot to legendary naturalist Frederick Law Olmsted, the 19th century landscape artist among whose credits include designing New York City’s Central Park, Boston’s Emerald Necklace and four parks in Chicago.

Indeed, Anliot played a key role in the establishment of five parks in Clinton County, including one that today bears his name.

He also was the long-time director of the College’s 32-acre Frank O. Hazard Arboretum and Natural Area, and he and the late Nathan Hale, M.D., traveled throughout Clinton County measuring literally thousands of large trees.

“When we talk about Fred, I don’t think there’s been a better resource in the community,” DiBiasio said, noting it was Anliot’s insistence that ABX Air build a multi-million dollar facility for containing jet de-icing residue that has led to a somewhat healthier Lytle Creek in recent years.

“Fred is a naturalist that helped us preserve greenways in the community and, when he saw a wrong, he tried to right it,” DiBiasio added.

A WC faculty colleague of Anliot’s, Don Troike, professor of biology, spoke of their 30-plus-year friendship and his “passion in everything he does.”

“Fred was into service learning before service learning was popular.” Troike said.

He read a letter from one of Anliot’s former students, Bruce Neeld, WC class of 1994, who went on to a successful career in science — indeed he is the inventor of the self-adhesive postage stamp.

“Professor Anliot shared his passion for nature and the environment,” Neeld wrote. “His influence continues to the next generation as I take my sons on nature hikes.”

Recognition of Anliot’s service also is manifested in a newly planted yellow birch tree in his honor at the Lytle Creek Greenway trailhead.

William’s recognition as “Trail Builder of the Year” was a surprise to her as she was praised for lending her “tireless time and talent” in bringing together entities of the city, county, College and corporate community in teaming to create such a quality-of-life endeavor as the Lytle Creek Greenway.

“We’re really proud of what we’ve done — and we’re not finished yet,” Williams said.

A plaque on the rock at the greenway trailhead proclaims her role as a champion of the environment, healthy recreation and a commitment to youth.

Representatives of the Clinton County Green Alliance also provided vignettes of their respective organizations’ recent activities.

Laura Curliss of Clinton County Open Lands said that organization’s intent is to preserve areas along streams as “wildlife and migratory bird corridors.”

The goal of permanent land preservation through conservation easements and those granted by private landowners is more than “a wish, hope and a prayer,” she said. “We must preserve that precious swath of green.”

Don Spurling of Clinton County Streamkeepers indicated that organization is dedicated to monitoring the health of streams in the county. Streamkeepers member Mike Grant reported on the health of four county waterways.

He declared Todd’s Fork and Anderson Creek in the excellent and lower excellent range, respectively, while the Upper Cowan Creek registers in the good range and Lytle Creek is of poor quality.

“Lytle Creek has the potential to be a good to very good stream,” Grant said, noting it continues to suffer from toxic pollution, which is indicative of the relatively few species that call the creek home.

Bob Johnson of the Clinton County Park Board reported the creation of prairie land off the 4-C Bicentennial Trail is progressing.

“We’re slowly building,” he said. “It’s going to be a wonderful thing.”

Naturalist Harriett Hadley Clark spoke on the year’s activities hosted by No Child Left Indoors, which included a spider hunt, Earth Day celebration and program on frogs and toads. An owl program will be held in December.

“We want to get children outdoors with hands-on activities in nature,” she said. “We find the children that come to our events are very interested and enthusiastic.”

Troike said the Clinton County Trails Coalition is developing trails with both recreational and alternative transportation implications.

“We’re connecting people and neighborhoods,” he said, noting they have plans for connecting the Denver addition with the Rombach Ave. shopping area and finding safe routes for children to walk and ride bicycles to school.

“It’s all about quality of life in this community,” he said. “I’ve lived here for over 30 years now and I love this community.”

Jessie Woodruff of Little Hearts, Big Smiles of Southwest Ohio said a plan is in the works for construction of a playground at Stuckey Farm Park on the west side of town that is accessible for children with special needs.
“We want siblings, friends and everyone to be able to play at the same place,” she said.

Chris Schock, director of the Regional Planning Commission, expressed his wish to “continue the collaboration” of local groups that provide a “foundation for the environmental movement and the promotion of quality of life issues.”

Finally, Alyssa Benson, an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer at the College through the Ohio Campus Compact, spoke on how service learning is being incorporated into WC’s classes and throughout the community.
For evidence, those attending Lytle Creek Day only had to look 50 feet away to see an area at the trailhead in which WC freshmen helped clear invasive species as a service project during their new student orientation program. Some 220 freshmen spent the day in late August working at 18 sites in the county.

“Service programs like this benefit both our students and the community,” she said.