In 1993 the Knight family generously donated forty-three acres of land to the Wood County Park District. The Park District, together with descendants of W. W. Knight and members of the Country Garden Club, then finalized plans for what is now the W. W. Knight Nature Preserve. The Country Garden Club has been involved with each phase of the development of this unique Nature Preserve with its distinct areas of prairie, wetland, and native meadow as well as its wildlife habitats. The Country Garden Club first contributed $75,000 over six years for the construction of a trail and boardwalk along the pond. Then, in 1995 we received a $5,000 award from the Garden Club of America’s Founder Fund which, combined with $15,000 raised by our members, allowed Country Garden Club to finance the Prairie Restoration Project at the Nature Preserve. In 1996 the selected three-acre site was planted with seeds from native prairie plants. The prairie is now a living museum with over forty different grasses and forbs. Forbs are broadleaf, non-woody, flowering plants that are essential for pollinators and ecosystem health. More recently, the Country Garden Club contributed $40,000 to fund the Educational Lab in the Nature Center at the W. W. Knight Nature Preserve, fulfilling the Club’s stated purpose “to promote the knowledge of horticulture and conservation and to enhance our community’s natural environment."
In 2019 Country Garden Club offered the Perrysburg community the opportunity to reduce the number of single-use plastic bags in circulation. The Garden Club provided reusable, insulated shopping bags for the Perrysburg Christians United Food Pantry and the Zoar Lutheran Church Food pantry and they worked with the city of Perrysburg to educate the community on the negative impact of single-use plastic on the environment and to provide a convenient, environmentally-safe alternative to single-use plastic bags. The Country Garden Club’s reusable, insulted bags can be seen on the arms of environmentally conscious shoppers all around town.
In 2017, three years after the opening of the Spafford House Historical Museum, Country Garden Club funded the landscaping of the site. The landscaping around the foundation of the house, the plantings in the Pioneer Utilitarian Garden, and the fencing with boxwoods along the front perimeter of the property are all in keeping with the historical significance of the museum, providing curb appeal and recognition for this historical site.
Country Garden Club has been instrumental in initiating a food waste recycling program in Perrysburg. Our Scraps to Soil project is aimed at reducing the food waste that would otherwise go into landfills and increase greenhouse gas emissions. A big plus with this program is that the donated food waste is being converted to compost and reused in our community's landscapes and gardens.
Scraps to Soil aims to expand food waste composting access in Perrysburg, by establishing two new food waste drop-off locations for residents. Each drop-off site features six GoZERO compost totes, mirroring the successful model program implemented in both Toledo and Bowling Green.
The primary goals are to provide convenient food waste composting options for Perrysburg residents, foster greater community participation in sustainable practices, and divert an estimated 40,000 pounds of food waste annually based on the performance of similar locations. As an industrial composter, GoZero can accept many items that are not appropriate for backyard composting, such as meat, cheese, dairy, bones, and BPI compostable plastics. This makes composting easy and convenient.
The City of Perrysburg has constructed three-sided fencing structures to house the totes, ensuring contained and visually appealing drop-off points. These locations will coincide with Perrysburg’s glass recycling drop-off sites, creating a centralized hub for eco-friendly waste disposal.
This project addresses the pressing need to reduce organic waste going to the landfill. By diverting food waste to composting, the project not only reduces landfill burden but also mitigates climate change impacts, as food waste in landfills creates methane gas. Composting also transforms food waste into nutrient-rich material that can rejuvenate our soils, enhancing their fertility and health.
We believe that by providing Perrysburg residents with accessible composting options, this initiative empowers them to take actionable steps toward waste reduction and sustainable living. Beyond its immediate benefits, the program helps foster a culture of environmental responsibility within the community. As residents engage in composting, they are more likely to adopt other environmentally friendly practices, creating a ripple effect that contributes to broader sustainability goals.
Since 2022, Country Garden Club has contributed more than $27,000.00 to Wood County Parks for the development of the J.C. Reuthinger Memorial Preserve in Perrysburg Township. Home to the park district's prolific native plant nursery, the preserve also features a native landscape funded by Country Garden Club, which specifically attracts the beneficial Swallowtail butterflies so important to the pollination of native plants. When 33 additional acres were added to the preserve in 2024, Country Garden Club provided the funds to re-seed the land, which will become a wet prairie. Most recently, after several years of collecting and sorting plastic lids, our club donated two benches made from that recycled plastic, which enable visitors to relax and enjoy the Swallowtail garden.