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2O2 4 – 2O2 5 GU I D E to Y E L LOW S P R I NG S 33 programs, reopening buildings and setting the Glen on a path that’ll be a thriving part of the community forever.” Boutis said he now over - sees 40 current employees at the Glen — not including the nearly 130 intermittent volunteers helping in the organization’s gift shop and pulling invasive species on a weekly basis. Internal growth aside, Glen has also grown in physical size in recent years. In 2015, the Glen pur- chased the 30-acre Camp Greene from the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio. Then, in the following years, the preserve incorporated 43 acres of the former Case family farm and 76 acres of the eastern section of the Village-owned Sutton Farm on S.R. 343. In 2023, the Glen acquired 22 acres from Sharon and David Neuhardt on an area of Whitehall Farm, between the northern boundary of the village and Ellis Park. The primary intent of these land acquisitions, Boutis said, has come from an acknowl- edgement among him and the GHA board that the areas around the Glen are just as important to protect as the preserve itself. “We recognize that most of the watershed of Yellow Springs Creek is outside of the Glen, and likewise, so is most of the watershed of Birch Creek,” he noted. “If we want healthy riparian habitats within the Glen, then we need to be able to work with our neighbors.” Boutis added: “Bringing in these other properties strengthens our ability to pro- tect the Glen’s resources as a coherent whole. Everything is connected.” UNWANTED RESIDENTS As Boutis has told the News many times over the years, stewarding a nature preserve is no walk in the park. In addition to keeping the trails safe, clean and acces- sible to the thousands of annual visitors, the land itself has to be carefully managed. By and large, that means devoting untold amounts of time dealing with the onslaughts of invasive spe- cies. “Everywhere I go in the Glen, I see both the promise of the place and the magni- tude of the work ahead — and that really comes to bear when I think of all the inva- sive species that have been here or are still to come,” Boutis said. One of Boutis’ earliest challenges as executive director was weathering the devastation caused by the emerald ash borer, which doomed every single ash tree in the Glen. As a result of the beetles’ destructive work, the Glen lost almost 10% of its total trees, Boutis said. “It swept over us like a tide,” he said grimly. “Over the last few years, we’ve had to make sure that those dead trees are as unlikely as possible to land on people, buildings, cars and powerlines.” Boutis also pointed to the invasive lesser celandine that has a growing foothold in the Glen. Distinguished by its yellow flower petals and spade-shaped leaves, lesser celandine monopolizes nutri- ents and proliferates quickly through waterways. “It’s tenacious,” Boutis said. “We’ve done a pretty good job of managing it, but it’s just waiting to explode. And if at any point our neighbors aren’t diligent in containing it in their yards, then it could really take over. But we’ve fought the hard fight against lesser celandine.” Then there’s Asian stilt - grass — a battle Boutis feels is already lost. “It’s a very fast-growing grass species, and once you 937-767-0131 3536 Bryan Park Rd. | www.grinnellmillbandb.com • RENOVATED HISTORIC MILL • PRIVATE BATHROOMS • CONFERENCE/PARTY ROOM AVAILABLE   GRINNELL MILL BED & BREAKFAST All proceeds support Glen Helen A Distinctive Country Inn Hotel “ A Visual Masterpiece” – Cincinnati Enquirer Recommended by OHIO Magazine and Fodor’s Travel Guide • Deluxe Continental Breakfast • Completely Smoke-Free Facility • Deluxe Jacuzzi Suites • Custom Crafted Amish Mattresses • Historical Displays Just 10 minutes from Yellow Springs! 10 S. Main Street (Rt. 72) Cedarville, Ohio 937-766-3000 www.hearthstoneinn.com