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  • Rainbow Trout & Sandhill Cranes in Geauga Parks?

    Question

    2 questions. First can you tell me what lakes/ ponds are stocked and if trout survive the winter in our lakes? Second- were you hearing that sandhill cranes are around? We were walking the trail from Tupelo pond on Tuesday and I recorded them calling ( verified by my Merlin bird app). Unfortunately not able to get a photo

    Naturalist's Response

    We only stock Beartown Lakes Reservation with Rainbow Trout in Geauga Park District — and yes, there are some trout that do survive and are caught after the winter at Beartown, as these coldwater fishes actually like cool-to-cold water.

    In relation to Sandhill Cranes, we are very fortunate to have a healthy population of them in Geauga County. Although we do have small numbers that may overwinter in Geauga each year, their numbers increase in large numbers during the springtime as they are returning from migration.
    There are several places that you can hear them and see them in Geauga. Below are a few of them.
    • Eldon Russell Park & the Upper Cuyahoga River
    • Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve
    • Headwaters Park
    • LaDue Reservoir (City of Akron property)
    • Lucia Nash Preserve (Nature Conservancy property…from the dock in the evening before the sun sets you can see many cranes who congregate in the marsh around the lake for the evening)
    -Park Biologist Paul Pira & Chief Naturalist John Kolar