ODNR unveils its online museum collection
MARBLEHEAD – For many, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources brings thoughts of rippling streams, thick forests, and quiet deer.
But the mission of the ODNR also steps out of the woods and into a museum as it focuses on preserving history as passionately as it preserves land. Inspired by that focus, ODNR Director Mary Mertz has unveiled the Cardinal Collection, an online museum highlighting ODNR artifacts.
“The purpose of the Cardinal Collection is to make parts of the ODNR system more accessible and promote our history,” said Ann Schweitzer, who serves as ODNR Historical Resources Administrator.
The idea was spurred by COVID-19 closures, which put a new focus on virtual visits and events.
But the online museum still holds relevance today. Not only will the collection be accessible if another shutdown occurs, but it can also be used for entertainment and research from home.
“If parts of a park close, people can still enjoy the park from their living room,” Schweitzer said.
The Cardinal Collection, unveiled May 25, includes artifacts from various ODNR parks throughout the state. Most of the items can also be viewed in person at the parks, but a few, like the ODNR patches collection, come from private owners.
Most interesting and diverse items
“Right now, we’re trying to find the most interesting and diverse items in our parks,” Schweitzer said.
Items in the online museum include a collection of pottery from Beaver Creek State Park and ice harvesting tools from Lake Loramie State Park.
The Malabar Farm State Park collection includes items from the homestead of Pulitzer Prize-winning author and conservationist, Louis Bromfield. The home hosted many notable celebrities, including Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who married at the farm in 1945.
Local artifacts featured in the collection
include duck decoys from Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and several Lake Erie-related items from Marblehead Lighthouse State Park. Marblehead artifacts include the 1,400-pound Lighthouse Lens which could be seen from 12 miles out on the lake. Coast Guard Boat
Models are popular artifacts at the park, as is the restored 1931 Coast Guard Surf Boat which can be viewed in the park’s Life Saving Station.
The Cardinal Collection can spur interest in the parks in two ways. It may encourage online viewers to make a trip to a park, and it gives park visitors further resources to learn more about what they’ve seen.
“Sometimes, you get ‘museumed out’ when you’re there, and you want to research a little bit later. Hopefully, people who visit will want to learn more,” Schweitzer said. “We should have new items added every week this summer.”
The artifacts are curated by volunteer groups at each park, and the project is supported by ODNR staff.
Staff and volunteers are passionate about history
“History is something Director Mertz is passionate about. We have staff all over the ODNR who are passionate about history,” Schweitzer said.
The ODNR has four divisions: Ohio State Parks and Watercraft; Wildlife; Natural Areas and Preserves, and Forestry. Staff in each of those departments previously worked to preserve Ohio history, but the Cardinal Collection allows them to collaborate.
“Before, there was no way to get our departments together,” Schweitzer said. “Many staff members were doing this on their own. Now, I can pull them all together to work on a big project like this.”
The ODNR Cardinal Collection can be viewed at ohiodnr.gov.
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.