Nature Center Named in Honor of Museum Curator
On Saturday, October 21, the Nature Conservancy opened the Dr. James K. Bissell Nature Center in Morgan Township, Ashtabula County. Named in honor of the Museum’s long-serving Curator of Botany and Director of Natural Areas, Dr. Jim Bissell.
The new nature center is located at the Morgan Swamp Preserve on the Grand River conservation campus, and features exhibits depicting the natural history of the 2,000 acre swamp preserve and surrounding Grand River area.
The nature center was dedicated in honor of Bissell’s lifelong work in discovering, preserving and championing biodiversity in Ohio and throughout the Great Lakes region, including Morgan Swamp and the Grand River. Work done by Bissell and the Museum aided in the establishment of the preserve at Morgan Swamp and its protection by the Land Conservancy beginning in 1985.
“I love Morgan Swamp and the Nature Conservancy is an organization I have given a lot of time to,” explains Bissell. “We’ve found many plants here that hadn’t been seen in Ohio for 50 years, and there are lots of plants in Ashtabula County that aren’t anywhere else in Ohio. This is a critical spot for Ohio biodiversity.”
The center officially opened following a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony. It is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5pm, from the first weekend in April through the first weekend in December. Special events, programs and tours are offered seasonally.
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