The Wildlife Preserve (and Arboretum)

at the 1816 Historic Shupe Homestead

"The Old White Oak" Oldest tree at the preserve (250-300 years old).

The Jacob Shupe Homestead site is comprised of 8.19 acres, with an additional annexation of 3.8076 acres to the west, and 2.7838 acres to the north, bordered by Beaver Creek on the northwest side, and Cooper Foster Park Road on the east.

The entire property (~15 acres) contains approximately seventeen hundred linear feet of the Beaver Creek and important floodplain forestland for the Creek.  The 3.8076 acres and 2.7838 acres lots are comprised of entirely upland and lowland mature wooded forest.  The 8.19 acres lot is comprised of woods, contains grassland habitat, and mowed grass habitat.  The majority of the wooded lots is of older growth and portions have never been cut.  Several trees are over one hundred years old and there is a white oak that has been estimated to be two-hundred fifty years to three hundred years old.  The older growth trees are of the types: Ash, Red Oak, and White Oak.  The property contains numerous and diverse trees species (about 32) and wildflower species (about 50).  There have also been about fifty species of birds found to be using this important property.

The property contains two intermittent wetlands that cleanse the water for the Beaver Creek.  Also, a class 1 ephemeral headwaters stream of the Beaver Creek is located in the Northern most portion of the property.  This stream has been named “Shupe Creek” to honor the original settler of the Amherst, who settled this property.  Over the years, the Beaver Creek has been an important watercourse in the Amherst area especially.  It served as a power source for Jacob Shupe’s sawmill and distillery that he operated.  The Beaver Creek is the largest watershed located that is entirely located within Lorain County, emptying directly into Lake Erie.

The stream begins in the southern part of the county, just north of Oberlin, Ohio and flows generally north to Lake Erie.  The main stem is about 12.2 miles long and drains approximately 43.92 square miles.  The average gradient of the creek is 19.1 feet/mile.  There are about 25.70 miles of streams that flow into Beaver Creek’s main stem.  About 8.4 million gallons of water enter Lake Erie per day.  Beaver Creek ultimately discharges into Lake Erie through the Beaver Park Marina, located within the City of Lorain, at the shore of Lake Erie.  The land in this area is chiefly distinguished by small, rolling hills throughout the landscape.  There is an exception, near the main stem of the creek, which is characterized by high cliffs and deep flood plains, many of which are wooded and natural.  The latter sentence describes the property that is to be documented in the database.  The Shupe Homestead has numerous scenic views and provides several different habitats for many natural life forms.

In September 2008, the historic and ecologically significant property was permanently protected through the donation of a land conservation easement to the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, in cooperation with the New Indian Ridge Museum Wildlife Preserve.

Above right is the Beaver Creek at the Historic Shupe Homestead Wildlife Preserve in Amherst, OH.

Andy McDowell (Firelands Field Director of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy) and Matt Nahorn (Director NIRM) at the WRLC Offices.

On September 29, 2010 a Liberty Elm (Ulmus americana – ‘Liberty’) was planted at the New Indian Ridge Museum’s Wildlife Preserve in participation with the Liberty Elm Research Society and their “Re-Elming America” program to repopulate America with American Elms that are tolerant of the Dutch Elm Disease (that has eradicated many Elm trees throughout the country).  The front portion of the Preserve serves as an arboretum and contains a collection of native tree species that have been carefully selected and maintained.  Trees in the arboretum include: Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), Sweet Gum (Liquidambar stryaciflua), Ginko (Ginko biloba), Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata), Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor), and others.

Planting of the Liberty Elm is seen below.

A buck eats seed from the bird feeders at the 1816 Historic Shupe Homestead Wildlife Preserve.

The Historic Jacob Shupe House, the oldest house in Amherst, Ohio and one of the last of its kind still standing in Lorain County, is squarely situated on the Wildlife Preserve’s beautiful property, along the Beaver Creek.  Many original aspects of the House remain preserved.

William and Diane Nahorn, owners of the preserve, signed the Western Reserve Land Conservancy's land conservation easement into law in September 2008 after extensive discussions with the NIRM Wildlife Preserve.

Arboretum at the Historic 1816 Jacob Shupe Homestead Wildlife Preserve

The “Arboretum” portion of the wildlife preserve is an area located in the front portion of the property where several unique and native tree specimens have been planted.  These native trees were selected specifically for their beauty, scientific study, and overall positive contribution to the Museum’s Wildlife Preserve.  This is one of the portions of the preserve that is mowed regularly.  Below is a listing of the trees growing in the Arboretum.

-Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum)

-Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) (Black Tupelo)

-Bur Oak (Quercus bicolor)

-Cucumbertree (Magnolia acuminata)

-Ginko (Ginko biloba)

-Liberty Elm, American (Ulmus americana liberty) This is a unique specimen that has been bred by the Elm Research Institute in New Hampshire by crossing six different American Elm trees that were found to be resistant to the Dutch Elm Disease, creating one that has a high level of resistance.

-Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)

-Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

-Swamp White Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

-Sweetgum (Liquidambar straciflua)

-Various pine tree specimens