CRESTLINE — Cheryl Harner wasn’t content to simply enjoy nature.
She advocated for the conservation of old trees, snapped pictures of flowers and birds for her nature blog, and traveled around the state to educate others about the wonders of the outdoors.
A Crestline resident, Harner died in June 2024. But her legacy of conservation lives on.
Harner was recently inducted into the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Hall of Fame.
“The Natural Resources Hall of Fame is the highest honor conservationists who call Ohio home can receive,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said.
“Each year, we celebrate the writers, researchers and leaders who capture what it means to be an advocate for our state’s natural resources. We hope this honor inspires future generations of Ohioans to protect our great outdoors.”
The newest round of hall of famers was announced earlier this month at the Ohio State Fair.
Harner’s brother Mark Boyd described the ceremony as well organized, but bittersweet.
“I wish she could have experienced the award, but I’m very proud of her,” he said. “It was well-deserved. She dedicated countless hours to preserving our natural environment.”
Harner was a self-taught naturalist, sought after speaker
Harner’s work as a naturalist and conservationist spanned from gardening in her own backyard to advocating at the statehouse.
She served as president of the Greater Mohican Audubon Society and a commissioner for the Richland County Parks District. She spent a year on the Fleming Falls Preserve Committee, helping oversee its transition from a private camp to a public space.
“You could see every day she was working (at Fleming Falls) just how passionate she was about caring for every little part of the property, whether forest and flower,” said Jordan Tackett, executive director of the Richland County Parks District. “I actually learned quite a bit from her.”
Harner didn’t have formal training or a college degree. Boyd credited her expertise to her thirst for knowledge and outgoing personality.
“She never met a stranger and she learned from everybody. She was completely self-taught,” Boyd said. “She was not intimidated by position. She felt comfortable with everybody.”
Harner was a founding member of the Ohio Natural Areas and Preserves Association (ONAPA) and a field trip leader and lecturer for the Midwest Native Plant Society. She eventually became an in demand speaker, giving talks across the state of Ohio.
“When she would give talks, she had a wonderful way of breaking down the matter into a story that everybody was just gripped by,” said Jean Taddie, who served with Harner on the park district and Greater Mohican Audubon boards.
“She always broke it down at a level that anyone could appreciate — whether you were a child, whether you were grandparent, whether you had been in nature your whole life.”
ONAPA’s fall 2024 newsletter include a tribute in Harner’s memory, which referred to her as a “consummate naturalist.”
“Her passion for preserving wild places, especially old-growth forests became her calling,” the article states. “A conservation activist, Cheryl advocated for our state forests to be managed more for their recreational and ecological benefits rather than for board feet (lumber) production.”
Harner spent several years collaborating and organizing eco-tourism events throughout Ohio, according to her obituary. She founded Flora-Quest with her close friend Paula Harper. The ecotourism organization brought people to Ohio’s outdoors by sponsoring weekend-long educational trips and workshops highlighting our state’s rich biological diversity.
Harner advocated for both conservation and eco-tourism at the Ohio State House of Representatives and Senate, offering testimony and building relationships with Ohio’s political leaders.
Her blog, Weedpicker’s Journal, was a mixture of photographs, information on upcoming nature-themed events and personal reflections.
“We people of the forest admire not only the trees, but also the plant communities or ecosystems which support — and are supported — by our planet’s trees. We are better off for having visited these quiet place to commune with nature. We admire the birds and salamanders. We study the lichens and ferns. We don’t take our forests for granted, as we have seen too many destroyed for short term gains.” — Cheryl Harner in her final blog post, advocating against timbering at Mohican State Park
Harner’s loved ones said they believe she would have been humbled and happy to join the ODNR Hall of Fame.
“I think she would have loved it,” her husband Randy said. “It was something she devoted herself to. I think she would have been very pleased and thankful.”
