GOLD IN THAT RIVER

Many pan for gold at Vermilion River Reservation during annual event

Residents from across the county waded into the Vermilion River July 9 in hopes of striking it rich as part of the eighth annual gold-panning event held by the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

The event welcomed people of all ages to take up a pan at the Mill Hollow section of the Lorain County Metro Parks Vermilion River Reservation, 51211 North Ridge Road, along with a Metro Parks naturalist who taught the potential prospectors the proper technique.

Both children and adults found gold flakes, pyrite and a cornucopia of turtle rocks, which according to volunteer David DiTullio, are only found

“We work with health districts and municipal governments to create open green space.” — Jon Logue, director of corporate and foundation relations for the Western Reserve Land Conservancy

in Ohio.

Kate Hydock, executive assistant at the conservancy, said the organization holds events like these as a way to educate the community about the need to protect the environment. She said they operate in 17 counties across the state.

Jon Logue, director of corporate and foundation relations for the conservancy, said the organization’s main goal is to spread the word of how important it is to preserve the green spaces found in every community.

“Conservation around water ways, there’s farmland conservation, natural areas,” he said. “We work with health districts and municipal governments to create open green space. It’s a variety of things that’s really unique to whatever the community’s needs are.”

He said the conservancy is also working with more urban areas to try and reduce blight and replace it with “natural green assets.”

Hydock said the conservancy started doing doorto-door inventories of properties with the city of Lorain being the first in 2012.

“Surveyors with iPads go door to door taking a picture of the houses and they rate it A to F depending on the condition,” she said. “From the inventory, city officials can use that to know the status of their housing in their city. It also helps with the Federal Government to apply for federal funding or state funding to get rid of those blighted homes.”

Hydock said after the survey is completed a report is written showing maps and graphs showing the condition of the city’s properties.

“It’s really helpful to the city officials,” she said.

Logue said the group holds events across the state, but due to their close relationship with the Lorain County Metro Parks, the county sees an increased number of them than others.

Kate Pilacky, associate field director for the conservancy’s Firelands Office, said the event is educational but there is an ulterior motive behind it.

“If kids are going to be out here, we want to teach them a few things about the river,” she said. “But it’s just a good excuse to have fun and be in the river.”

KEITH REYNOLDS — THE MORNING JOURNAL Children and adults alike were welcomed to try their hand panning for gold in the Vermilion River on July 9 to benefit the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.