“People are going to love working with Tracey,” GHA Executive Director Nick Boutis said. “We’re confident that Tracey’s extensive background and passion for the community will great contribute to Glen Helen’s continued success.
Tackett is a lifelong Springfielder and said she has enjoyed the Glen and Yellow Springs her whole life. She is a Wittenberg University alumnus and earned her master’s degree in public policy at Ohio State University last May.
“I am excited to be a part of the Glen Helen legacy and work towards the sustainability of the Glen for many years to come,” said Tackett, who also serves on Springfield City Commission. “I look forward to meeting new folks, learning more about the preserve, and building upon the success of programs and practices already in place.”
The nature preserve features attractions such as 400-year-old trees, limestone cliffs with waterfalls and overhangs, wildflowers and the village’s namesake yellow spring.
In 2024, the preserve completed and reopened the previously closed bridge over the birch creek cascades, Tackett said. It also became a local host to the Ohio Naturalist training program, a research-based scientific program that aims to develop participants’ knowledge and skills in Ohio’s environment and natural history to apply to local parks, nature centers, museums and arboretums.
Looking forward, the nonprofit aims to integrate a fully Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant trail in 2025, as well as to ramp up ecological restoration efforts. This will include removing invasive species like more than 40 acres of honeysuckle, Tackett said.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
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