ORIGIN OF THE ARC
Nancy Stranahan walked through the front door of the Appalachian Forest Museum Visitor Center with a confident stride. A short woman with bright white hair and a wide smile greeted me with a strong, confident handshake. I could tell she knew what she wanted to say, and I could not wait to hear her story.
For the last 30 years, Stranahan has dedicated herself to rewilding Adams County forests and the surrounding area. 12,670 acres and counting have been preserved so far.
The Arc of Appalachia is a conservation nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the ancient forests in Appalachian Ohio and West Virginia. Stranahan works to purchase and protect the remaining natural areas, helping ensure the beauty and biodiversity of these forests for the future. The arc protects forest fragments with the hopes of restoring a once vibrant ecosystem.
The Arc is home to a variety of hiking trails, rentable cabins, workshops and seasonal events all centered around the goal of connecting visitors with nature. Guests are encouraged to participate in wildlife workshops and experience an unplugged retreat.
Stranahan spent her early career working as a naturalist for the Ohio state park system. She left after feeling unsatisfied with the atmosphere the parks offered. She sought a less corporate environment.
“I wanted a little bit wilder,” Stranahan says.
For the next 20 years Stranahan ran a bakery and a soup kitchen. She decided to travel to Costa Rica where she became enamored with the rainforests.
Upon her return to the United States, Stranahan knew one thing: she wanted to be in the wild. But to do that, she needed to find land—and lots of it.
After a great deal of time and research, Stranahan discovered she could buy land and have it protected with the help of the Ohio Public Works Commission and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Ownership meant that she could prevent external companies from exploiting the area.
With the help of the Clean Ohio fund and ODNR, she could leverage state protections on the land by declaring them “natural areas.”
In 1995, Stranahan and her husband were traveling down Cave Road in Bainbridge when they noticed for sale signs placed in front of a plot of land. As a teenager, Stranahan visited Seven Caves, where the land had been privately owned and used as a family cave exploration park.
The for sale sign made them realize that their dreams for preservation could become a reality.
“Oh my god (we said), we could buy a cave,” Stranahan says. “And so, we did.”
She and her husband purchased the land for $203,000 by working with the state through the Clean Ohio initiative. The Clean Ohio program will pay up to 75% of the acquisition costs through grants. The program also helps with the purchase itself and assists with applying protection to the land while allowing Stranahan to remain in charge of upkeep.
Unlike many other regions, the land that is owned and preserved under the Arc of Appalachia has ownership of the area’s mineral rights, protecting the land from extraction of natural resources and ecologically harmful practices, such as fracking.
Stranahan continues to build the Arc of Appalachia through a network of sponsors that she discovers through word of mouth and local connections.
What first started as 47 acres has since grown into 12,670 acres spanning 73 different properties in Ohio and more recently, West Virginia.
For the area to receive official classification, the land must contain “remnants of Ohio’s pre-settlement past, rare and endangered species, and wondrous geologic features,” according to the ODNR’s Division of Natural Areas and Preserves website. The landowner must file articles of dedication, which state that they would like the land to be classified and protected as a natural area.
THE LEGACY OF THE LUNA MOTH
The Appalachian Forest Museum tells the story of deforestation and the history of the Great Hardwood Forest through educational displays. Each display contains summaries of the history of the forest along with detailed paintings that show off the large trees. The displays show an untouched and fully preserved forest.
The Great Hardwood Forest was once a nearly untouched forest that covered the eastern third of our nation and a rich complexity second only to the tropical rainforest. In a short time, colonizers took the forest to the ground.
The Arc also works to preserve wetlands. The land in southern Ohio is surprisingly swampy. Nearly 20% of Ohio used to be comprised of wetlands.
Today, 90% of the Ohio wetlands are gone, according to a report by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The 10% of wetlands that remain in Ohio are small and fragmented, some of which are preserved through the Arc, the others scattered across the state.
Now, the Arc casts a bright light in the wake of decades of destruction, demonstrating that it only takes one person to truly make a big difference. The Arc aims to preserve what it can. Stranahan tries to only purchase untouched land that has not been cleared for farming.
One of the Arc’s popular annual events is called the Wildflower Pilgrimage. During the pilgrimage, guests are invited to attend hikes, workshops and listen to speakers to learn more about the wildflowers within their ecosystems.
In a forest where native trees and wildflowers are allowed to reach full maturity, fauna like the luna moth can thrive.
As one of the most popular representations of the Arc, the luna moth is featured on almost every promotional material alongside a Fibonacci spiral.
The luna moth is unique due to its neon green, papery wings that turn a lustering pearly white in the moonlight.
When asked about the meaning of the luna moth, Stranahan says that she was “attracted to the ethereal feeling” of seeing one.
([The luna moth) symbolizes balance,” Stranahan says.
HIKING WITH NANCY
Few people know how to communicate with Mother Nature; but Stranahan does.
83 miles of trails throughout the Arc have been created for the public to enjoy with minimum impact to the environment, so native plants and creatures are unharmed. Hikes such as Etawah Woods, Kamelands, Barrier Ridge and McKimmie’s Cave, range on a scale of moderate to difficult.
Stranahan and I hiked the Valley of the Ancients, her feet clearly familiar with each step.
She mentions that just like books, trees hold stories of our history and our past. The age of the wild lands surrounding us is much greater than any individual. Stranahan compares the wild to the human body, with the trees as bones and the rest of the ecosystem as flesh.
The trail begins to open to a larger clearing, where we can see different caves etched into the sides of a valley.
Stranahan explains how long ago, the valley was filled with running water and underwater caves. Further into the valley, the temperature drops a few degrees, providing a refreshing, cooling sensation.
The biodiversity comes alive through small movements noticed only with a watchful eye.
“We will never know the magic that is going to happen on (the) trail. Somebody’s going to have their first kiss. Somebody is going to have a deep dark confession. But all we had to do was put a trail in. Everything else was out of our control,” Stranahan says.
THE FUTURE
As the Arc grew, Stranahan realized that she would need help with maintaining operations. Today, she has a small staff and a loyal base of volunteers that help care for the land.
Kim Baker the outreach coordinator of the Arc, has been working as a caretaker for Quiverheart Gorge Preserve, one of the Arc’s land preserves, since 2021.
“You really have to find someone who wants to do this type of work,” Baker says. “This is a dream come true kind of job.”
The Arc functions with the support of Stranahan’s years of dedication and staff, loyal volunteers and funders. The Arc hosts various events throughout the year to engage with local regions and their supporters.
Stranahan describes the wild as a type of community, where each part plays a different role in the ecosystem’s wellbeing.
Individual funders have allowed Stranahan to acquire land and expand the Arc. While not everyone may be lucky enough to be able to fully work for the Arc, everyone has the opportunity to volunteer or donate.
“One of our educational messages is that the community is rich, and it is complex, and we know very little about it and we sure don’t want to lose it before we figure it out,” Stranahan says.