By 1808Delaware
A walk through Oak Grove Cemetery later this month will offer more than a quiet morning outdoors. It will also be a chance to look closely at one of Ohio’s most familiar native birds, and at the small conservation efforts that help keep it nesting across the state. The City of Delaware Parks & Recreation Department will host a Blue Bird Walk & Talk on Friday, May 29, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Oak Grove Cemetery. Participants are asked to bring binoculars and meet inside the gate at 334 S. Sandusky St.
A Walk With A Purpose
The program will explore points of interest throughout the historic cemetery while also highlighting the bluebird boxes located on the grounds. Those boxes are part of a broader conservation practice used across Ohio: creating and monitoring safe nesting places for Eastern Bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting birds.
Joining the walk will be Paula Ziebarth, Delaware County Coordinator for the Ohio Bluebird Society. Ziebarth has been monitoring public trails for native cavity-nesting birds since 2002 and has become a familiar resource for local volunteers and conservation-minded residents.
Helping Bluebirds Thrive
The Ohio Bluebird Society is a statewide, all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to conserving Eastern Bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting species through education, research, and coordinated nest-box monitoring. The organization works with bluebird trail managers, bird clubs, landowners, educators, and conservation partners, including the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Its efforts include workshops, nest-box guidance, predator control education, habitat management advice, and publication of the quarterly Bluebird Monitor journal.
For many residents, the work begins simply: a properly placed nest box, regular monitoring, and an understanding of the threats bluebirds face, including competition from non-native species.
A Local Expert In The Field
Ziebarth brings deep field experience to the Delaware event. During the 2017 nesting season alone, she monitored nearly 600 nest sites for native cavity-nesting birds. She serves as an Ohio Bluebird Society Area Contact for both Delaware and Ottawa counties, helps train monitors for Preservation Parks of Delaware County, and is a NestWatch Chapter Coordinator. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Lake Erie Islands Conservancy and writes “Ask Madame WingNut,” a quarterly column for the Ohio Bluebird Society Journal.
Nature In A Place Of Memory
Oak Grove Cemetery provides a fitting setting for the program. Cemeteries often serve as quiet green spaces within communities, offering mature trees, open lawns, and calmer corners where birds and other wildlife can be observed.
The May 29 walk will bring those elements together: local history, springtime bird activity, and practical conservation. For participants, it is a chance to learn what bluebirds need, why nest boxes matter, and how a small wooden box can become part of a much larger statewide effort. The Blue Bird Walk & Talk is open to those interested in birds, local history, or simply spending a late-spring morning outdoors. Binoculars are encouraged.
