Starting just north of Bowling Green, Toussaint Creek winds its way through the landscape, carrying the story of the surrounding land downstream for over 40 miles. It joins the Toussaint River and then reaches the Toussaint Shooting Club—a rare 1,100 acre wetland that is protected by the Conservancy—as it reaches the vast waters of Lake Erie. This vital waterway is an integral part of the Portage River floodplain, connecting the region’s farmland and communities to the greater watershed. However, like many streams in areas shaped by development and farming, years of cultivation have left portions of this landscape vulnerable. The floodplain has narrowed, banks have eroded, and nutrients from runoff flow unfiltered into the water.
Nestled between two actively farmed fields, a bend of Toussaint Creek flows diagonally across the land of Warren and Rosemary Schlievert. A significant portion of the creek’s floodplain is beginning to return to a more natural state—not because of policy or intervention, but because of the family’s personal decision to protect the floodplain. Without formal conservation agreements in place, Warren and Rosemary recognized the value of removing portions of the property along the creek from production and returning them to natural habitat.
That simple decision laid the groundwork for a project that represents a significant shift in how conservation can be approached—one that simultaneously prioritizes both farmland preservation and habitat restoration.
For years, these two goals have existed in separate silos. Landowners, tied deeply to their land, have historically turned to farmland preservation programs to protect their legacy. Conservation groups, often focused on habitat and water health, have worked in parallel. Yet, funding for these efforts rarely overlaps, despite their shared importance. In landscapes like Northwest Ohio, true conservation success requires a holistic approach.
This project breaks that mold.
The property first came to the attention of Black Swamp Conservancy when it was identified as a priority site using our new GIS-based land assessment model, PERM. Recognizing the potential for restoration, Black Swamp Conservancy, in partnership with H2Ohio, reached out to the family to discuss the future of the land and its role in protecting water quality.
That initial conversation sparked a groundbreaking project for the Conservancy.
Unlike traditional agreements that focus only on agriculture or habitat, this project takes a unified approach. The Schlieverts embraced the idea, even offering additional cropland for
restoration. Now, with the project in its first phase, the vision for restoration is starting to become a reality. By restoring and expanding the floodplain, the land can filter water more effectively. It will absorb excess water, slow erosion, and reduce runoff before it reaches the creek. Meanwhile, the family continues to farm upland portions of the farm on both sides of the wetland.
This effort proves that productive farmland and clean waterways can coexist. More than that, it is a model for how we should be approaching future conservation in this region.
For too long, farmland preservation and habitat restoration have operated separately. Programs have been rigid—farmland initiatives often exclude habitat protections, while restoration projects struggle to integrate working farms. But to protect watersheds and natural areas while maintaining valuable farmland, we must break down these barriers.
This is more than just a single restoration project. It is a demonstration of what’s possible when we think bigger—when we recognize that conservation isn’t an either-or proposition, but an opportunity to protect both the land and the water that sustains us all.
