The Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) announced Leonard N. Fox as the 2023 Richland SWCD Volunteer of the Year at the joint Richland County Farm Bureau and Richland SWCD Annual Celebration held on Sept. 7 at the Kehoe Center.

In addition to being recognized by the Richland SWCD, Ohio Sen. Mark Romanchuk, Rep. Marilyn John, and the Richland County commissioners marked Fox’s volunteer award with commendations.

Fox began volunteering with Richland SWCD in 2016. He serves the district as a precipitation monitor and reports daily rain and snow amounts in real time on the Richland SWCD website. He said, “Being a farmer, you are always interested in the weather. Rainfall is important for so many reasons, including crop growth.”

He enjoys volunteering with the district because he said the precipitation monitor program is easy to use, and he is pleased the data helps the county and can be used nationally.

Fox also volunteers with the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and participates in the Knights of Columbus. He enjoys beekeeping, hunting, fishing, and spending time with family at their farm and at the lake in the summer months. He planted butterfly-friendly plants and milkweed plots to help Monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Each fall, he collects the milkweed pods and donates them to Richland SWCD for distribution. He is semi-retired from Schumacher Farms, Inc., where he is part owner.

He and his wife, Kathy, have two daughters, Theresa and Michele, sons-in-law, Jeremy and Michael, and four grandsons, Xavier, Calvin, Sam, and Jack.

Richland SWCD plants a tree in honor of the volunteer of the year because Fox and other volunteers are committed to soil and water health, and a tree provides long-lasting benefits. In addition to providing shade and adding beauty to an area, trees reduce the amount of stormwater runoff, which helps reduce erosion and pollution in waterways. Native trees are adapted to our climate, require less watering, and their strong roots help hold soil in place.

Each volunteer of the year picks a public location for the tree planting, and Fox chose Seltzer Park in Shelby, near the gazebo and playscape, because his grandchildren enjoy playing on the playscape.

A Black Gum tree was planted in Fox’s honor in August. Black Gum trees are native to the eastern United States, including Ohio except in the drier counties in the northwestern part of the state. A Black Gum tree also goes by the name Tupelo. Each fall, the tree will be bathed in beautiful scarlet and orange hues. Although hardly noticed by humans, its flowers and fruit are a good source of nectar for bees and food for birds. As it grows, it will contribute to the beauty of the park to be enjoyed by Fox, his wife, their family, the community, and future generations.

The Shelby Park staff, Mayor Steve Schag, and others assisted in the tree planting. Shelby Park supervisor Jerry Marshall and his staff will care for the Black Gum in the coming years.

Fox received the Richland SWCD Forestry Award in 2014. Between 2012-14, he developed a forestry management plan to help meet his goals for his woodland. He improved 40 acres of woodlands with grapevine removal and culling of mediocre trees. By following his Forest Stand Improvement Plan, Fox allowed the profitable trees room to grow, which improved the woodland’s value.

Submitted by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District.