OAK HARBOR, Ohio — It's taken two years to get the funding, but after several local groups raised more than $25,000, a project finally took off at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
"We've been raising funds for the project for a while as well and have secured some different grants that have made it possible as well as volunteer assistance to actually build the platforms," said Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Services Manager Justin Woldt.
According to Woldt, the funds raised include money from grants and fundraising. The sources are:
- Ottawa County Community Foundation
- Sandusky County Communities Foundation
- Toledo Community Foundation - Anderson's Supporting Organization Fund
- Union Sportsmen's Alliance
- Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge - individual donors
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Aquatic Education Grant, which is covering the cost of bait and fishing poles, so all kids and their families have to do is show up and borrow a pole.
UAW Local 12 was one of the groups that helped by securing a $10,000 grant and volunteered for the dock building.
"I just reached out to some of the brothers and sisters from Local and they responded so we were able to come out and help out," Local 12 member Justin Taylor said.
Taylor said he believes these docks are going to help the community by allowing kids a chance to get outside more.
"We can get some fishing back into the youth, so they can come out here and get a taste of nature. And have some fun fishing," he said.
It took volunteers three days to create the docks along the pond near the visitors center. The end goal is something that is getting everyone excited.
"So really, the vision is to have accessible access from the visitor center all the way along the path here. We will have a concrete sidewalk up to the first platform," Woldt said.
The concrete walkway will allow the first fishing dock to be ADA compliant. Future plans also include a stone pathway to the other two docks and cleaning up the brush along the walkway.
The only work left for this phase is to build up the dirt and rocks around the dock to have an even walkway.
Other groups that helped build the docks over the weekend include:
- UAW Local 12
- U.S. Coast Guard MSU Toledo
- National Guard
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
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