Mishe Moneto Preserve

A 255 Acre Preserve in Pickaway County near Darbyville, Ohio

The 255.5-acre Cline Property now known as the Mishe Moneto Preserve is located off State Route 316 just west of the Village of Darbyville, Ohio. Most of this property is located on the west side of Big Darby Creek except for a 50-acre part which is located on the east side. This Preserve protects 250 acres of Big Darby Creek riparian corridor and fronts on one or both sides of 7,000 linear feet of Big Darby Creek. These 250 acres of riparian corridor are in Zone AE of the floodplain. The Preserve also protects approximately 5,000 lineal feet of headwater streams that drain the upland portions of the property into Big Darby Creek.

 

State and Federal Threatened and Endangered Species. As documented in the ODNR Natural Heritage Database, this preserve property is known to contain at least 10 known state listed species and 4 known federal endangered or threatened species. The Federal endangered species include the Northern riffleshell and the snuffbox mussel, the Indiana bat and the northern long eared bat. 

 

The Preserve is also known to have multiple Indiana Bat (Federal Endangered) summer maternity colony roost trees. These roost trees and the presence of Indiana Bats and northern long eared bats was confirmed using mist netting and radiotelemetry of tagged bats on the property.

 

A Big Darby Creek location on the Preserve had its fish species regularly sampled by the Ohio EPA during 1979 to 2021. This sampling showed 61 fish species and 3 hybrid fish.  In 2021, the Index of Biotic Integrity for the fish community was 50 which meets Exceptional Warmwater Habitat requirements. There are 11 known darter species on the property which is exceptional. The state threatened Tippecanoe Darter has also been positively identified on Preserve property.

 

Water quality within this segment of the Big Darby is excellent and meets Exceptional Warmwater Habitat use goals of the State’s Water Quality Standards. This stream segment is also identified as “Outstanding State Waters” which is the highest level of protection under the State’s anti-degradation policy.

 

The Preserve protects 80 acres of existing streamside forests (primarily sycamores, cottonwoods, swamp white oaks, silver maple, smaller American elms, box elder and hackberry). 

 

The Preserve also protects 85 acres of forested wetlands adjacent to the Creek. These wetlands are high quality, Category 2 wetlands with the potential to achieve a Category 3 designation with some conservation enhancements. 

 

AOA Restoration activities initiated at this Preserve include cessation of farming, removal of invasive species and tree and shrub plantings.

 

An INaturalist BioBlitz was held by AOA at Mishe Moneto Preserve on June 11, 2022. The purpose of this BioBlitz was to identify as many plant and animal species as possible during the time available. The BioBlitz recorded 398 observations and 233 species of plants and animals using 14 observers. In addition, an E-bird checklist created on the same day showed an additional 30 species of birds.

Mishe Moneto Preserve overhead view of water and trees
Mishe Moneto Preserve BioBlitz tent and documentation
Bioblitz Tent
Mishe Moneto Preserve BioBlitz volunteers collecting from the water
Seining Big Darby