MARYSVILLE — Honda reaffirmed its longstanding partnership with The Nature Conservancy in Ohio to protect the environmentally fragile headwaters of the Big Darby Creek watershed this week by donating 90 acres of land.
Nearly 30 years ago, Honda of America Mfg., Inc. and the Ohio chapter of The Nature Conservancy began a public and private sector partnership to preserve this watershed, which is one of the Midwest’s most biologically diverse aquatic systems.
“As citizens of this watershed, it’s imperative we do our part to protect it,” said Tom Shoupe, executive vice president of Honda of America. “Honda understands the significance of this property and will continue to protect and preserve the Big Darby Creek watershed.”
“We want to thank Honda for the nearly $1 million in philanthropic grants we’ve received since this partnership began which have been invaluable in advancing our conservation and volunteer program efforts, especially here in Central Ohio,” said Bill Stanley, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Ohio.
“We thank Honda for this generous donation of land, which adds a critical piece to the conservation puzzle and grows our Big Darby Headwaters Nature Preserve to more than 1,000 acres.”
The Big Darby Headwaters preserve protects the humble cold water springs and streams that combine to form the headwaters of Big Darby Creek. Big and Little Darby Creeks are noted nationally for their tremendous diversity and abundance of both aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals.
They are home to 86 species of fish, five of which are endangered in Ohio. Forty-one species of freshwater mollusk live in these waters, eight of which are on the Ohio endangered list.
The Big Darby Creek is one of the healthiest tributaries to the Scioto River, which provides drinking water for tens of thousands of Ohioans. The Big Darby Creek watershed is one of the healthiest and most diverse aquatic systems of its size in the Midwest.
This donation of land is valued at more than $280,000, officials report.
Here’s a look at Honda’s prevoius efforts with The Nature Conservancy in Ohio to protect the headwaters of the Big Darby Creek and other initiatives have now included donations of over $1 million over the course of the past 30 years:
• 1991 – $100,000 contribution for watershed support.
• 1996 – $30,000 for volunteer watershed protection program.
• 2002 – $20,000 for stream monitoring of the Big Darby Creek.
• 2006 – $300,000 to restore the headwaters of the Big Darby Creek.
• 2010 – $200,000 for additional restoration work.
• 2012 – $100,000 for improved access at Big Darby.
• 2013 – $75,000 for environmental stewardship.
• 2018 – $90,000 for operational support.