The Twinsburg Native Habitat Association would never exist if not for Field Botanist and former Twinsburg Naturalist Stanley Stine. Stanley’s love of all things in nature and his passion for teaching inspired so many people to better appreciate our natural world.
His partnership with the Twinsburg Schools and Dodge Middle School science teacher Patty Spring enlightened and delighted thousands of students, especially with the “Outdoor Science” program which took students outdoors to discover the wonders within Center Valley Park.
Stanley’s nature programs such as “Salamander Crossing”, the “Salamander and Frog Festival”, the “Native Plant Workshop”, “Summer Camp” trips and the countless nature hikes and talks were some of the most beloved programs within the Twinsburg Parks and Recreation Department.
Perhaps his most impactful work and greatest benefit to the environment here in Twinsburg was the creation of the Liberty Park Meadow and native plant demonstration gardens surrounding the Stone House. Soon after Twinsburg purchased the 900 acres from Charles Goudreau in 2001, which in the agreement stated that a portion of the old corn field on Liberty Road was to remain a natural area, Stanley and his team of volunteers went to work tossing native seed by hand to turn the old farm field into an amazing habitat restoration. The new meadow attracted nesting birds rarely seen before in the area.Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, Woodcock and many more bird species along with a huge diversity of insects began visiting the area we now know as the Liberty Park Meadow.This amazing habitat restoration was on the forefront of the now popular push towards backyard biodiversity planting for wildlife.
Stanley has now returned to the Englewood, Ohio area where his field botany career began to be closer to his family and to re-explore the natural areas of his youth.
