Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm

History

The ground on which Aullwood lies was once covered by a warm shallow ocean, but remain completely different due to glacial movements. The ocean that once covered Aullwood’s property some 450 million years ago has left behind remnants of its abundant life. These remnants include a variety of fossils which now make up the layer we know to be mainly Silurian rock. The Aullwood Website says Ordovician. [requires clarification] These fossilized remains include Brachiopods, Bryozoans, Gastropods, Horn corals, Cephalopods and Crinoids. Due to the rocks high content of fossils, especially near the banks of the Stillwater River, the soil is rich in limestone. During Pleistocene time, this region of Ohio was under the massive ice shelf that formed in Canada. These glacial movements brought soil and rock down from Canada and deposited much of these components in Ohio after the glaciers began to melt. This movement also created the flat landscape that is characteristic around Aullwood which contrasts the hills of Hocking since the glaciers did not move far enough south to flatten Hocking Valley. Aullwood lies within a specific boulder belt where many large rocks were deposited during one of the glaciers receding periods. Several of these boulders can be found right outside of the nature center. The deposits brought by the glaciers also have provided the rich farming soil that surrounds Aullwood’s property. This rich farming land is what brought this land to the attention of John Aull in 1907.

John Aull was born March 27, 1866 and raised in the Dayton area where he attended public school until the age of 14 when he was forced to go to work to help out with the families finances. In 1885 John became a traveling salesman for the company developed by his two older brothers called Aull Brothers Paper and Box Company. In 1918 John took over the company as president after the death of his eldest brother and the move of his other brother to California. The company employed 150 people by 1919. Their company was one of the first large businesses in Dayton and the building that they ran their business from still remains downtown.

While horse back riding along the country side of Dayton, John discovered and fell in love with a piece of farmland just outside the small village of Little York. He purchased the 150-acre (0.61 km²) farm for a weekend retreat. The great flood that hit the Miami Valley in 1913 almost destroyed Dayton and left its mark on John Aull’s property. The people of Dayton wanted to prevent such future disasters so they began to finance a local flood control project. John agreed to sell part of his land to the Miami Conservancy District for the Englewood dam to be built. It was the largest of the five dams that were designed by Arthur Morgan to prevent future flooding of the Miami Valley. John Aull was more than happy to help finance such a project because he knew the safety of his farm depended on its development. This farm eventually became the heart and soul of himself and his future wife Marie Sturwold.

Marie and John met in 1922 when they were passengers together on a trip to Alaska. After one year of traveling to and from Cincinnati to see Marie, they were married. Marie also fell in love with the piece of property John was now living on. She came from a long line of gardeners and held this family tradition using her studies of botany at the University of Cincinnati. Together they spent most of their time gardening in the woods surrounding their home. Many of the species Marie planted can still be seen today when you walk the trails near the center. Her love for the outdoors turned into an enormous gift to the surrounding communities.

After John’s death in 1955, Marie decided to donate the property surrounding her home to the National Audubon Society after her death. The president of the Audubon Society at that time, John H. Baker, suggested that she go ahead and donate the property now so that she could see others enjoying the gift that she had given them. She agreed to do so and donated the land in 1956. Most of the property at that time was intensely used farmland and needed to be restored to its natural state. Natural areas had to be reestablished and nurtured. An existing barn was transformed into what is now the center and trails were built to provide access to the newly established habitats: stream, woodland, meadow, pond and marsh. Native wildflowers were taken from Marie’s garden and strewn along the small woods that were beginning to form. After only six months of work, the Aullwood Audubon Center was officially dedicated to the Dayton community on November 2, 1957.

A year after the center was dedicated, commercial development began to pose a threat to the natural springs that feed Wiles Creek which runs through the center’s property. The Audubon Society decided to remove this threat by purchasing the farm adjacent to the centers property. Marie also wanted this land to be used for educational purposes and asked the Audubon Society to develop an educational farm. The Audubon Society took on her request and developed its first ever educational farm. The center and farm remained under separate management until 1978 when they were joined to help reduce operational costs and to bring correlation of the two together.

Activities

The Aullwood Audubon Center offers environmental education program to promote the protection of birds, wildlife and the habitats on which they depend. The center features exhibits and games about animals, a gift shop, an auditorium for lectures and special exhibits, a butterfly and hummingbird garden, a prairie garden with native prairie plants and a woodland garden. The grounds feature a geology trail, a wildflower trail, and several different habitats, including a marsh, vernal pool, pond, prairie and meadows.

Aullwood's Farm features an 1880s bank barn that houses draft horses, cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, barn cats, and other species seasonally. From spring through fall the farm raises broiler chickens in portable pens. Other animals include turkeys, layer chickens, and a donkey. There is a children's educational garden and an herb garden.

The center offers many public and school group programs.

Hours and admission

Aullwood is typically open every day except for most school holidays. Regular hours are 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Time Monday through Saturday, and 1 PM to 5 PM Eastern Time on Sundays. As of June 2013, admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children age two to age 18, and free for children under two. Members of Friends of Aullwood and National Audubon Society members receive free admission with their membership cards. Admission prices for special events at Aullwood vary.