Bring Back the Oaks
September 6, 2025
Volunteers at Hague Nature Preserve (May 2023)
Originally published May 24, 2023 | This week has been so bittersweet! On Monday, we had the pleasure to give board member and founder Joyce Hague a tour of the new Hague Preserve. She saw the 1,400 tree seedlings that were planted near Sycamore Creek this spring. We also welcomed Gavin Grieble and Ethan Watson as our first AmeriCorps/Rural Action service members! Their service terms will last through early September when Gavin heads off to the Environmental Science program at Hocking College and Ethan returns for his last year of Environmental Science/Ecosystem Restoration at Ohio State University.
However, this week we also say goodbye to Ashley Murphy and David Brandt. Ashley has been freelancing at Hague Preserve since March while finishing her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science degree from Ohio State University. She stayed cheerful and informative even on rainy days and after spending hours planting tree seedlings or clearing honeysuckle. This week Ashley heads back to Telluride, Colorado, and her passion for teaching outdoor education to our youngsters. We will miss you, Ashley!
On Monday, we were sad to receive a text from Walnut Creek Seeds about the passing of David Brandt. David planted the warm season grass on David Hague’s property in 2006. The project introduced board members David and Tammy to soil and water conservation and their first lessons on invasive plants. This past spring, the board of Hague Foundation had a delightful visit with David to plan for a cover crop that will add nitrogen and mycorrhizal fungi back into the soil for plans to reforest the field with oak trees. Mr. Brandt’s legacy will carry on in the improved soil of all the fields planted by those who followed his advice. All of us at the Foundation are saddened by the news and our thoughts linger on this new painful loss for the Brandt family.
