Homer and Rosalie Steiner spent their lives working to protect the natural environment. A testament to their devotion is the fact that they donated their 23 acre wooded homestead to the University of Akron (in collaboration with the Trust for Public Lands) to help preserve a beautiful set of habitats. Steiner Woods includes a mix of upland woods, marshy wetland, vernal pools, and a shallow pond that is home to a long term (since 1999) amphibian monitoring study. The property is contiguous to the 400 Acre Bath Nature Preserve.
Nestled in pastoral Bath Township north of Akron, Steiner Woods is home to a unique wetlands complex that drains into Yellow Creek, a high-quality tributary of the Cuyahoga River. For the past 50 years, Homer and Rosalie Steiner have lovingly cared for this special property, which is adjacent to the 400-acre Bath Nature Preserve. The University of Akron is conducting one of the world’s foremost long-term amphibian studies at Steiner Woods and, every spring, over 5,000 spotted salamanders migrate across the property to their breeding grounds. The Trust for Public Land has partnered with Ohio EPA to permanently protect Steiner Woods as a preserve for the University of Akron, which will continue to conduct biological research and provide environmental education at this extraordinary place.