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by Bill Schroeder

About 10 years ago, Little Miami Conservancy began a property rescue intervention aimed at restoring a small but badly abused riverside property. Sadly, describing this property as neglected would be an understatement. Pictures below show shocking neglect and ruination of a place that should have been one of the prettiest on the river. Not only was the riverbank trashed with garbage and junk, but there was also a potential for pollution and a likelihood that the shack there would soon collapse and fall into the scenic river, causing even more ruination.

Joining forces with Warren County Building and Zoning Department, Warren County Prosecutors, local financial institutions, donors, and dedicated cleanup volunteers, the Little Miami Conservancy was able to negotiate an agreement to acquire ownership of this abused property, and rehabilitate it back to life, addressing environmental issues, zoning violations, safety hazards, building demolition and restoration of the land for public enjoyment. Located across the river and a half-mile upstream from the Morgan Family Campground, the property is now known as the Mel Hensey Nature Preserve. It is a beautiful trailside rest stop for hikers and bikers, and other trail users, featuring a great view of the river, a pollinator garden, interpretative signage, and park bench for rest and relaxation with a great view of the River. Since its dedication in 2014 the Mel Hensey Nature Preserve has become a popular rest stop for trail users, featuring a pollinator garden, bees, birds, deer and other wildlife that also live in the river corridor, and are a part of its ecosystem. Many thanks to all who helped make it so, and especially for the Morgan family continuing to keep it beautiful.
Cleanup Volunteers, 2014

Photos Below: Cleanup volunteers pull old truck from river; Hensey family at Preserve dedication; view from the riverbank; Hensey Nature Preserve beauty.

January 2024

by Erick Wikum

I am no arbiter of who can and cannot use the Little Miami Scenic Trail, but this fall, I have literally had to kick hundreds of nuts off the trail. These nuts were up to no good and acting so unsafely! They have been known to cause walkers and runners to stumble and to roll their ankles and have even caused cyclists to tumble to the ground. Each fall, so many nuts drop onto the trail uninvited. What’s a responsible trail user to do? I invite you to join me in my crusade to rid the trail of such nuts. I recently encountered some nuts that managed to escape, but I was able to snap a photo. Be on the lookout and if you see one of these nuts, don’t hesitate to kick it off the trail.

The husks shown in the picture are from a black walnut tree.

• The black walnut tree (Juglans nigra) is one of North America’s most valuable and beautiful native trees.
• The easily worked, close-grained wood of the black walnut has long been prized by furniture- and cabinetmakers for its attractive color and exceptional durability.
• The black walnut’s roots, which may extend 50 feet or more from the trunk, exude a natural herbicide known as juglone. This substance is also found in the tree’s leaves and fruit husks. Juglone inhibits many plants’ growth under and around the tree, thereby limiting the tree’s competition, leaving more water and nutrients for itself.
• The fruit of the black walnut tree drops in late summer through October. The size of a baseball and colored lime green, the fruit is quite heavy (and resistant to our fall trail leaf blowing operations).
• The “meat” inside the outer shell is edible. To harvest, collect the nuts as soon as possible to avoid mold and remove the husks immediately. Wear gloves as the husks stain your hands (and anything they touch). If the nut is too hard, wait a few days and it will brown and soften up. To remove the husk, you can simply step on them gently with an old pair of shoes. Hose down the nuts in a large bucket to remove any remaining husk. Dry the walnuts for a couple of weeks on a screen or drying rack or in a hanging mesh bag. You can store them unshelled for up to a year.

Source: https://www.almanac.com/black-walnut-trees

Nov. 2023

by Phil Obermiller

Access to a flowing river, flat farmland, and the Little Miami Railroad convinced the Ohio militia to establish Camp Dennison in southern Ohio. Named for the then governor of Ohio, it was a Civil War recruitment and training center accommodating thousands of Union soldiers between 1861 and 1865. Today Camp Dennison’s population of 345 includes trail enthusiasts Barbara Wilson and Anne Lehnig.

With plants, pots, mulch, and a bench provided by Symmes Township Anne (above left) and Barbara (right) created an inviting stop at the intersection of the trail and Cunningham Road. A block south, at the Lincoln Road intersection, they also landscaped around a FLMSP bench and helped organize a “Little Free Library” kiosk for passersby.


Their attractive hardscaping in both locations includes large rocks they’ve excavated by hand, and hitching posts for horses from nearby Derbyshire Stables. With a gentle smile, Anne adds that “Those posts also help keep cyclists from propping their bikes on the planters.”

Barbara and Anne note that theirs is a community effort supported by the township and the Camp Dennison Civic League, along with neighbors such as Tom Alford who helps with the heavy lifting and others who help keep the plants watered. The women say they are “happy to do the small things that highlight the beauty of our area…there’s so much potential here.” When working at the intersections they maintain, they enjoy the appreciation shown by many trail users who stop to complement their work, or simply offer a smile with a thumbs up on their way by.

Barbara says many folks who stop to chat frequently ask “Where are we? Is this Milford? Loveland?” Calling Camp Dennison “a hidden gem,” Anne and Barbara are always pleased to tell folks about their community. Some of these conversations lead to questions about whether there are any homes for sale…proximity to the trail is considered an attractive amenity.

After three years working as undocumented volunteers, Barbara and Anne have filled out the proper paperwork and now proudly display the Friends of the Little Miami State Park official Volunteer Trail Crew signs on their cars. 

Next time you’re in the area of mile marker 49 on the trail you’ll be in the heart of the “hidden gem,” Camp Dennison. And if you see them, be sure to say “Hi” to the women who keep it polished.

FLMSP member Phil Obermiller is a Far South Trail Sentinel.

November 2023

During her November 28, 2023 memorial service, Rosalynn Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, shared some humorous anecdotes. She remembered his every birthday with a card and a $20 bill—even when Jason turned 45. She traveled the world, visiting 122 countries, and even climbed to the Mount Kilmanjaro base camp. In that spirit, she told him that what might appear to be her cane was in fact a trekking pole.

Like a cane, trekking poles provide stability when walking, hiking, or climbing. Nordic walking (sauvakävely in Finnish) is a form of fitness walking aided by specially designed poles. Nordic poles include wrist straps and either sharp tips (suitable for use on the Little Miami Scenic Trail) or rubber nubs (suitable for use on concrete surfaces). Some poles are adjustable in length, which is handy for providing the proper fit. The technique is just an extension of walking with arms alternatively swinging forward and pushing off towards the rear using the poles. A short video illustrating the basic technique is available here. Nordic walking not only can be safer than conventional walking (due to use of stabilizing poles), but also provides proven health benefits, burning more calories and engaging more muscle groups than regular walking, as explained in this Harvard Medical School article. 

Is Nordic walking for you? The real test is not whether you are in your 90s and in need of a cane, like Rosalynn was, but whether you want to take walking to the next level of safety and health. I invite you to submit any questions you have about Nordic walking poles, technique, etc. to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., through whom I will provide a response.

Article by Erick Wikum
January 2024