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Leading and Living Conservation with Larry Rosche,

Naturalist and Author
Larry Rosche, Naturalist and Author, shares a series of stories about
discovering nature as a youth, a lifetime of Birding, and how to choose a
path of conservation.
Part One: A Lifetime of Bird Watching

LarryRosche:Helloeveryone,ImLarryRosche.IvebeenbirdwatchingintheCleveland,Ohio
arealongerthanyouwanttoknow.IveworkedfortheDepartmentofNaturalAreasand
PreservesfortheStateofOhioandnowImemployedbytheClevelandMuseumofNatural
HistoryintheirNaturalAreasDivisionandwedonatureeveryday,sevendaysaweek,allyear
long.

Ifyouwanttolearnsomething,comeonsomeofourtripsJudySemrocandIlead,wewillnot
disappoint.Wevebeendoingthisforalongtime.JudyandIhavebeenpartnersinthefieldfor
atleastfifteenyearsandwearesittinghereatWestCreekPreserveandwewereherebeforeit
wasapreserve.Wewerepartofthepeoplethatcameoutanddidsomestudiesandbeforethe
Metroparkspickeditup.Thatsthekindofthingsthatwedoforrightnow.

Thosepeoplethatarereallygoodbirdwatchershaveacoupleofbookswevewritten,Birds
oftheClevelandRegionandDragonfliesandDamselfliesofNortheastOhio,ahighly
acclaimedbookthatgotalotofpeoplewritingregionalguides.Becausedragonflies,someare
verywidespread,butmostarevery,verysitespecificandindicatorsofwhatyoucanfindand
lotsofdifferentthingsinaparticularnature.

Werebasicallynaturenuts,andwevebeenaroundalongtime.Ivebeenblessedwiththebird
watchingstuff.IthinkWesternCuyahogaAudubonSocietyandtheKirtlandBirdCluballthose
thingswevehadagreathistoryofbirdwatchinginthisregioninhundredsandhundreds
Copyright2016WesternCuyahogaAudubon.
CreativeCommons3.0AttributionNoncommercialNoDerivativeWorks.
WesternCuyahogaAudubonSociety,4310BushAve.,Cleveland,OH44109
Email:info@wcaudubon.orgWeb:www.wcaudubon.org

yearsplus.

Itisnotjustsincethehandhelddevicesshowedup,eBird,iNaturalistsandallthosethings.
Thereweremany,manygreatbirdwatcherslongbeforeme.Youhavetogotothearchives
andifyougototheKirtlandBirdClubwebsite,youcanfindalotofinformationgoingbackto
1905.Someofthedearestpeoplethateverwalkedandgavetheirentirecareerusingpencil
andpaper,ofcourse!andtheyknewhowtowritecursively,Ifinditinterestingthatpeople
dontwritecursivelyanymore.

WedidalotofbirdwatchingovertheyearsandLakeErieisamongthebiggestandbestandwe
havetolearntoprotectitfromalotofoutsidedevelopmentandthingslikethatoreverything
willbegone.

Part Two: Stewards of Conservation

[00:03:13]
LarryRosche:WhenwedoworkfortheClevelandMuseumofNaturalHistory,wetellpeople
weworkatthenaturalareas.IcanrememberKenKaufmanspeakingattheMuseumseveral
yearsbackandhemadeareferencetothefactthathesbeeninmany,many,manymuseums
andweretheonlyonethatitsalivingmuseumandthatweprotectthingsforthefutureand
weprotectland.Wehaveoverfivethousandacres,probablypushingsixthousandacresby
now.

Wehaveactivepeople:DavidKriskaandKeithMoran,BeckyDonelsonunderJimBissell,are
workingtosaveMentorMarsh,orreturnMentorMarshtoitspriorstatusbeforeitbecame
MentorPhragmitesMarsh.Theyspendsomuchtimewritinggrantsandstufflikethat.

Wealsohaveallthesepropertiesthatweleadtripsto,differentones,therearentthatmany
trailsonthem,thereslotsofpoisonivyandwecanshowyousomeofthebestdeerfliesyou
everwantedtogetaholdof.Theyarevery,verywonderfulsitesandtheyreallthrough
NortheastOhiofromHuronCountyonovertoAshtabulaCounty.

Anytimeyouwant,justlookuptheMuseumwebsiteandgotoAdultFieldTripsandImsure
youllfindsomethingtherethatlljustpleaseyou.

Otherthanthat,IminvolvedwiththePetersonFieldGuidetoBirdsofNorthAmerica.Imvery
proud,IgottoworkonRogerToryPetersonsbooksanddothemapsforthosebooksafter
RogerpassedtotheothersideandVirginiapassedtotheotherside.Ivejustbeenvery,very
blessedtobeapartofallthis.

Part Three: Leading Conservation

[00:05:12]
LarryRosche:Ivebeenaskedmanytimes,howdidIgetinvolvedwithallthis?Itshardtosay,I
grewupinthefifties.Weplayedbaseball.Wewereoutside.Ourhandhelddevicewasa
Copyright2016WesternCuyahogaAudubon.
CreativeCommons3.0AttributionNoncommercialNoDerivativeWorks.
WesternCuyahogaAudubonSociety,4310BushAve.,Cleveland,OH44109
Email:info@wcaudubon.orgWeb:www.wcaudubon.org

LouisvilleSlugger.Wewerejustoutsideandwenoticedthings.

WenoticedKilldeertryingtonestonsecondbase.Andwhatwerewegoingtodo?Movethe
wholefield?Littlebeetlesrunningacrosstheground.Thoseareprettycool!Theyregreenand
theyjumpupandthebirds,differentthings.Wevewatchedallthesebirdsdisappearfrom
differentgrasslandareasandthenreappearafterthestripminesandcomeback.

Itsahardthingtotellpeople,howtochooseapath.Youvegottowanttodoit.Youvegotto
wonder,Iwonderwhatthatis?andyoujustsitthereandyouwatchit.WhenalittleChipping
Sparrowcomeswalkingacrossthepavementinthepicnicground,Inotice.Ilookeddownthere
andOh,thatsayoungster.Hesgotalittlestreaksonhimandstufflikethat.Itswatching
them.

Ivewatchedbirdwatchingchange,especiallysincetheInternetIknow,Imreallydating
myselfandthatsbeenaroundquiteawhilebutitsbecomeagame.Ivegotmorebirdsthan
you.Itsjustturnedintosomethingthatnoonelasts.Yougoouttothemeetingsandalotof
youngpeoplearedoingstuffbuttheydontjointhemeetings,theydontjointhegroups.They
allhavetheirwaysofdoingsomethingandImnotsayingtherearentsomereallygoodbird
watchers,therearesomereally,reallyhotshotsoutthere!

Iwishtheydunderstandthatitstheirresponsibilitytocarryon.Whichisgoingtocostthem
somedollars.Theyregoingtohavetodonate,theyregoingtohavetobeinvolved,volunteer,
anditshard.WiththeInternetandtheselittledifferentthings,itstakenalittlebitfromme
butitsnothingIcanstopandImnottryingtostopit.

Ifyouregoingtodobirdwatchingoranykindofscience,wehavesomereallygoodpeopleto
talkto.YoucantalktoDr.BenWinger,hewasaKirtlandBirdClubMember.Heusedtocome
totheKirtlandBirdClubandhisparentswouldbringhim.NickBarber.Thesepeoplehavegone
ontostudyinSouthAmericaandNicaragua,CentralAmerica,allovertheworldandfindnew
species.TheseareyoungpeoplewhoareClevelandareapeople.

IrememberJennyBrumfieldwhenshewassevenyearsold.IbroughtheruptotheLakefront
forthefirsttime.Wow,whatabirdwatcherthatlittlekidwas!Andwejustsaid,Theresthe
future.ImsoproudtoseeJenworkinghereattheMetroparksanddoingtheleadershiprole
thatyouhavetoassume.

Someofuswerejustborntobeoutfrontandyouvegottotakeit.Thatsthewayitgoes.You
havetolearntowrite,youhavetoproduce,youhavetokeepgoing.Theolderpeoplejustcant
betheonesdoingtheediting,runningthemeetings,theyoungpeoplecan.

WevehadLukasPadegimasandhesbeengreat,butyouknow,theyallgrowupandwantto
goawayandgetgirlfriendsandyouknowwhathappensafterthat.Itshardformetoadvise
people.ThingsaregreathereinClevelandandIjusthopeitcontinueson.

Copyright2016WesternCuyahogaAudubon.
CreativeCommons3.0AttributionNoncommercialNoDerivativeWorks.
WesternCuyahogaAudubonSociety,4310BushAve.,Cleveland,OH44109
Email:info@wcaudubon.orgWeb:www.wcaudubon.org

Part Four: Choosing a Life of Conservation

[00:09:22]
LarryRosche:Ikeepgettingasked,HowdidIgetstartedinthis?Itshardtosay.Iwasa
baseballplayer,thatsallIwas.Iwasplayingbaseballallthewaythroughcollege,aftercollege.
BikeridingandImetBertSzabo.Hetalkedtomeaboutsomethingsandwedberidingbicycles
andIdtellhim,Well,theresagreenheron.Andhewouldscreamandyellatme,Well,you
didntseeanything!AndIdshowhimthatoleLarrycouldseestuff.

AndwewouldgetbacktogetherandthewhenyougetwithBertyoudgooutandyoudsee
thebirdsandtheplants,becausehewasabotanist,andthenwewouldmeetotherpeople
whodshowusthebutterfliesandthenthemoths,thosebigsilkmoths,andtheneverything.

So,whatIwouldsuggestisyoujustlookateverything.Ifyouhaventheldabeetleinyourhand
orifyoumissedoutonthatseventeenyearCicadathisyearwhereyoucouldpickthemupand
seethatsomeofthemhaveblueeyes.Someofthemhavethisawful,awfulmoldwhichthisis
thefirstyearthattheyvebeenabletoprovethatitcomesoutinseventeenyearswiththe
crazylocusts!Andthosekindsofthingsarestillleft.

Studythedragonflies,werestillonehundredyearsbehindinknowingwhatdragonfliesare
where.Everything,thebutterfliesaresosusceptibletolawnchemicals.Stopthelawn
chemicals.Growdandelions.Youllfindthatnooneonyourfootballteamgetscanceranymore.
Noneofyougetdogswithcanceronthefeet.Stopthechemicals.

Theresjustsomuchthatyouneedtodoorjusttakecareofandnotjustbeabirdwatcher,but
tobeabirdleader.Ireallythinkthatthatswhatthiswholesituationoftheblog,thewriting,
thenewsletters,itsallaboutthatforeverybody.

AndthatsallaboutIgottosaytoeverybody.Thankyouforyourtime.

LarryRoscheisConservationistSpecialistfortheNaturalAreasDivisionoftheConservation&
BiodiversityDepartmentoftheClevelandMuseumofNaturalHistory.In2007,hereceivedthe
OhioBiologicalServicesNaturalistoftheYearaward.In2008,hereceivedtheprestigious
CardinalAwardforOutstandingContributiontoOhioConservation.In2009,hereceivedthe
PortageCountyEnvironmentalHeroaward.In2012,hewaspresentedtheJaredPotterKirtland
AwardinrecognitionofoutstandingprofessionalachievementinthefieldofNaturalScienceby
theClevelandMuseumofNaturalHistory.

LarryhasbeenthechiefavianresearcherforCampRavennaforOhioNationalGuardfor23
years.Hehasalsoperformedongoingdragonflyanddamselfly(odonata)surveysatCamp
Ravenna.HehasresearchedavifaunaandodonataatCampPerry,CampTarltonandCamp
ShermanfortheOhioNationalGuard.InthefirstOhioBreedingBirdAtlasheinventoriedand
surveyedbirdsinnumeroussitesthroughouteasternOhiofortheOhioDepartmentofNatural
Copyright2016WesternCuyahogaAudubon.
CreativeCommons3.0AttributionNoncommercialNoDerivativeWorks.
WesternCuyahogaAudubonSociety,4310BushAve.,Cleveland,OH44109
Email:info@wcaudubon.orgWeb:www.wcaudubon.org

AreasandPreserves(19821987).

LarrycoauthoredwithJudySemrocthehighlyacclaimedDragonfliesandDamselfliesof
NortheastOhio(2008).HehasbeenHoughtonMifflinsmapmakerfor21yearsandhisdigitized
renditionsofrangedistributionoccurinnearlyeveryPetersonFieldGuideSeries.Inaddition,
LarryhasreviewedallthedistributionmapspertainingtoOhiobirdsfortheSibleysGuideto
BirdsandtheNationalGeographicSocietysBirdsofNorthAmerica.

LarryisanHonoraryLifetimeMemberoftheKirtlandBirdClub,havingservedasEditorofthe
ClevelandBirdCalendarfor16yearsandasaPresident.HeupdatedtheBirdsoftheCleveland
Regionin2004.Larryhasalsopennedthe1988and2004editionsoftheFieldBookofBirdsof
theClevelandRegion,coauthoredthechapteronClevelandareabirdingfortheBirdersGuide
toMetropolitanAreasofNorthAmerica(2001)

Copyright2016WesternCuyahogaAudubon.
CreativeCommons3.0AttributionNoncommercialNoDerivativeWorks.
WesternCuyahogaAudubonSociety,4310BushAve.,Cleveland,OH44109
Email:info@wcaudubon.orgWeb:www.wcaudubon.org