Glen license plates now available

Support the Glen Helen Nature Preserve with a special license plate

A special license plate benefiting Glen Helen Nature Preserve at Antioch College is now available for those renewing or changing Ohio license plates.

The specialty plate—which costs $25 and includes a $15 donation to the Glen Helen Ecology Institute—features an image of a yellow-bellied sapsucker on a sycamore tree by the late Ohio artist Charley Harper. Purchases can be made online at www.oplates.com/PlateSpecial.aspx.

This offering marks the culmination of an effort that began in 2006 with a petition drive and backing from State Senator Chris Widener (R-Springfield). Harper's artwork was selected through a design contest completed in 2010. In March, the Ohio Legislature approved the design, allowing for production of the plates to begin.

“Every time an Ohio driver purchases a Glen Helen license plate, they will directly support our land conservation and environmental education efforts," according to Nick Boutis, executive director of the Glen Helen Ecology Institute. “Perhaps for the first time, Ohioans can feel good about having a sapsucker on their bumper.”

Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs, Ohio is owned by Antioch College. It is one of the largest and most widely visited private nature preserves in the state. The Glen features over 20 miles of trails, spread across 1,000-acres of woods, waterways, and prairies. The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. The Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center offers residential environmental learning for elementary and middle school children. The Glen Helen Raptor Center rehabilitates hawks, eagles, owls, and falcons, and provides public education programs about these birds of prey.