Sea Cadets visit Scheeff.

By Carmen Lavand 

The U.S. Navy Sea Cadets paid Put-in-bay a visit this month. On Tuesday July 16th and Friday July 19th they helped mulch the trail at Scheeff East Point Nature Preserve. As the intern for the Lake Erie Chapter of the Black Swamp Conservancy, I try to keep the trail clear and enjoyable for visitors to walk. Recently there has been poison ivy in the trail becoming a problem for guests. Only humans are allergic to the oil from poison ivy, and not everyone is sensitive. Many animals rely on poison ivy as a food source. It is relatively unknown that poison ivy yields berries that many birds eat; especially during the winter. For a while I have been clipping the plant to keep it back, but Sea Cadets volunteered their time to mulch the trail to keep the poison ivy out.

Sea Cadets are the Department of Defense’s youth organization whose mission is “Through organization and cooperation with the Department of the Navy, to encourage and aid American youth to develop, train them in seagoing skills, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance and kindred virtues.” Three young men from all over Ohio came to help out their environment from the Naval Cadet Corps. Cadet Stanley and Cadet Zamora will be sophomores in high school this year, and Cadet Hernandez will be starting eighth grade. Our Scheeff East Point Nature Preserve trail is pleasant to walk again thanks to these young men.