As a young child, Julie Osting Connolly was an outdoor girl. She spent her childhood hunting arrowheads, helping her dad with the livestock and exploring the wilderness around her house. Often accompanied by her dogs and pony, she lived what she calls a “feral childhood” deep in the woods of Mahoning Valley.
Now, she takes on a new adventure: preserving nature in Rush County through a fund she has established at Rush County Community Foundation (RCCF).
“I had the best childhood a kid could ever have,” said Connolly. “My sisters and I just grew up in the Valley barefoot and carefree.” Connolly remembers always being outside in her childhood, and her relationship with the woods has proven to be a formative experience.
“Being outside, that’s where I found God. I didn’t find Him in church, like most people. It was in the middle of the woods. And I just want to give back in a way that was meaningful to me,” she said as tears fill her eyes. Her early inclination to the outdoors developed into a life-long passion for Rush County conservation efforts.
By recently establishing the Rush County Nature Preservation Fund, she aims to foster a community that appreciates the natural world. “I’m hoping that other people will be able to start their own beehive or their own sanctuary and inspire younger generations to do the same thing because I think we’re losing track of that,” said Connolly. Garnering community support, creating awareness and growing the fund will help fulfill the dreams of fellow conservationists and help reconnect the community with Rush County’s native environment.
This fund will support preservation efforts including, but not limited to, repopulating indigenous wildlife, reintroducing native plants, installing feeding stations and using sound or video technology to make Rush County wildlife accessible. This fund will have an annual grant application deadline on March 1, and preference will be given to small to mid-size groups or institutions, although all are welcome to apply.
Growing up, Connolly was inspired by her family who were civic leaders in Rush County. Growing up, she idolized her family for their work in the community and for their commitment to help her appreciate nature. She remembers her aunt always having butterflies and her family reunions at the Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary in Fayette County. Her father had established the Joseph Hinchman Cemetery Pass-Through Fund through RCCF. Since his passing, Connolly has taken over as the fund’s advisor, and she has continued to serve the community through RCCF. The Rush County Nature Preservation Fund not only encapsulates Connolly’s passion for nature but also is a tribute to her family and upbringing.
As a parent herself, she encouraged her children to also live that feral childhood any way they could. In the spring and summer, her son would catch butterflies in a jar, so the family could eat dinner and admire the creatures together. Once the table was cleared, her son would release the butterflies back to the sky before the sun set below the horizon.
Now, she hopes to inspire others in the community to embrace the natural world around Rush County.
“I think people have to understand the essence of what nature does for all of us, and once you understand it and feel it, you can’t get rid of it. I’m hoping it’s [the fund] a start for a lot of other people.”
To contribute to the Rush County Nature Preservation Fund, celebrate World Conservation Day and support Rush County conservation efforts, visit https://rush.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/.
