A 50-acre section of The Woodlands in Mount Vernon was inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network, Knox Pages reported. The national network recognizes forests with ecological and historical significance.
David Heithouse, director of the Knox County Park District, said the designation affirms the woodland's quality and relative age for Ohio. He estimated that a small number of trees there exceed 200 years old. The protected section lies near Vernonview Drive, where the older growth is easiest for visitors to reach.
The park was bought from the state in August 2025 and opened publicly in May 2026. Its tree mix includes black oak, white oak, black cherry, shagbark hickory, sugar maple, red maple, beech and white pine, with an understory that includes ferns, native phlox, white violet, golden ragwort, Dame's rocket and mayapple.
Under the designation, timber harvesting is barred in the protected area—a formal layer added to existing park district practices. Heithouse said the district would not ordinarily cut timber in its parks, but the recognition codifies its stewardship duty. He credited retired urban forester Lisa Bowers with much of the information-gathering behind the application.
The Woodlands is Knox County's second recognized forest; the first was the 30-acre Knox Woods State Nature Preserve in Wolf Run Park. The park, at 1740 Vernonview Drive, remains open to the public.