Conservation Areas
Public input suggests that the vast majority of people in Hancock County value undeveloped conservation areas that provide habitat for songbirds, butterflies, and other wildlife while beautifying the area. The Hancock Park District manages six conservation areas with no support facilities, such as developed parking lots, trails, and restrooms that were created to protect water quality, expand wildlife habitat, and provide natural beauty.
Hancock Park District Conservation Areas include:
Bright Conservation Area
10184 Township Road 244, Findlay, OH 45840
Bright Conservation Area is a 29.4-acre undeveloped natural area with no support facilities. It was created to protect water quality, expand wildlife habitat, and provide natural beauty. Habitat is characterized as riparian woods, meadows, and grasslands in various stages of succession that support a wide variety of mammals. In the spring and fall, the grasslands are utilized by several species of sparrows as a migratory stopover. American woodcock, yellow-breasted chat, Cooper’s hawk, northern oriole, orchard oriole, chats, yellow-billed cuckoo, black-billed cuckoo, scarlet tanager, and northern parula breed on the property. A quite walkway may be used for passive outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, photography, and birdwatching. Open sunrise to sunset. Dogs, horses, bicycles, motorized vehicles, and hunting and trapping are prohibited.
Lehman Conservation Area
West of Riverbend Recreation Area at 16428 Township Road 208, Findlay
Lehman Conservation Area is a 7.1-acre undeveloped natural area with no support facilities. It was created to protect water quality, expand wildlife habitat, and provide natural beauty. Habitat is characterized as early successional riparian woods and serves as a valuable feeding and staging area for migratory birds. Red-tailed hawk, kingsfisher, phoebe, pewee, catbird, cardinal, Carolina wren, yellow-billed cuckoo, northern flicker, song sparrow, field sparrow, indigo bunting, red-headed woodpecker, and spotted sandpipers breed on the property. A quiet walkway may be used for passive outdoor recreation activities, such as hiking, photography, and birdwatching. Open sunrise to sunset. Dogs, horses, bicycles, motorized vehicles, and hunting and trapping are prohibited.
Riverbend Conservation Area
North of Bright Conservation Area, Findlay
Riverbend Conservation Area is a 54.2-acrea undeveloped natural area with no support facilities. It was created for wetland mitigation and restoration and for conservation purposes aimed at preserving the watershed along the Blanchard River. Visitation is by appointment only.
Indian Green – Worden Family Conservation Area
East of Litzenberg Memorial Woods (south unit), Findlay
Indian Green-Worden Family Conservation Area is a 27.3-acre undeveloped natural area with no support facilities. It was created to preserve the natural area along the Blanchard River, expand wildlife habitat, and provide access to the Heritage Trail via Litzenberg Memorial Woods’ south unit. Habitat is characterized as mature riparian woods that support mink, raccoon, opossum, deer, red fox, gray fox, and coyote, and serve as a valuable feeding and staging area for migratory birds. Red-shouldered hawks, barred owls, and pileated woodpeckers can be found on the property. The Heritage Trail may be used for passive outdoor recreation activities, such as hiking, photography, and birdwatching. Stay on the trail and keep dogs on a leash. Open sunrise to sunset. Horses, bicycles, motorized vehicles, and hunting and trapping are prohibited.
Lawrence Conservation Area
South of Township Road 236, Findlay
Lawrence Conservation Area is a 16.1-acre undeveloped natural area with no support facilities. It was created to protect water quality, expand wildlife habitat, and provide natural beauty. Habitat is characterized as riparian woods that support mink, raccoon, opossum, deer, red fox, coyote, and several species of squirrel, and serve as a valuable feeding and staging area for migratory birds. The Blanchard River has several mussel beds in the area that support, among other species, the federally endangered rayed bean. Visitation is by appointment only.
Vogelsong Conservation Area
West of State Route 568 Bridge, Findlay
Vogelsong Conservation Area is a 23.6-acre undeveloped natural area with no support facilities. It was created to protect water quality, expand wildlife habitat, and provide natural beauty. Habitat is characterized as bottomland woods that support mink, raccoon, opossum, deer, gray fox, and several species of squirrel. Red-tailed hawks breed on the property and osprey have been spotted nearby. Vogelsong Conservation Area is a valuable feeding and staging area for migratory birds.
