Marie Aull
Marie Sturwold Aull (January 8, 1897 - August 30, 2002) was a gardener and philanthropist dedicated to preserving green spaces and educating the public about the natural world. She is considered the godmother of the environmental movement in Southwestern Ohio.[1][2] Her curated Aullwood Garden now belongs to Five Rivers MetroParks as Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm.
Early life
Marie Aull née Sturwood was born January 8, 1897 in Cincinnati, OH. She loved gardening from an early age, and studied botany, biology, and ornithology at the University of Cincinnati.[2]
Marriage to John Aull
Marie met John Aull on a train to Alaska in 1922.[3] John owned Aull Brothers Paper and Box Company, one of the first successful companies in Dayton, Ohio.[2] Despite a 31-year age gap, they immediately bonded over their love of conservation, nature, and travel, and soon married on June 26, 1923.[2] John owned extensive property north of Dayton that he mostly used for weekend retreats, but Marie loved the property so much that it quickly became their primary residence.[2] They spent the next 30 years advocating for conservation and nurturing the woodland they called Aullwood.[1]
Aullwood
After her husband died in 1955, Aull selected the National Audubon Society as the beneficiaries for most of the Aullwood land upon her death.[2] She approached John H. Baker, then President of the National Audubon Society, with the idea of creating their first nature center in the Midwest - a place where teachers and children could learn about plants, animals, and ecology by trained naturalists.[4] Aull also envisioned an interactive children’s farm to teach the importance of the family farm in American culture.[4] The National Audubon Society convinced Aull to donate the land while she was still living in order for her to help develop and manage the center, as well as witness the community impact of her generous gift.[2] In 1957, Aull donated 70 acres of land to the organization.[4] The Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm now spans 200 acres, attracts over 110,000 visitors a year, and has served as a model for the creation of other nature reserves across the US.[4]
More Environmental Philanthropy
In 1962, the 120-acre Antrim Farm adjacent to Aullwood was placed on the market, and the proposed development would have drained the springs feeding the creek that flows through the center's land. Aull purchased the farm and donated a portion of the land to the National Audubon Society.[4]
Aull made significant donations to the organization known as the Dayton Park District, then Montgomery County Park District, and now Five Rivers MetroParks. These donations included her house and 30-acre garden in 1977.[2] Aullwood continues to belong to Five Rivers MetroParks.
Marie Aull also played a key role in the founding of Cox Arboretum and the Beaver Creek Wetlands Association.[1]
Death and afterward
Aull continued to live in her home at the Aullwood center until her death on August 30, 2002 at the age of 105.[4] In 2003, the Garden Club of Dayton commissioned a bronze statue of Aull by renowned Chicago sculptor Erik Blome and placed it in Dayton's Carillon Historical Park.[5]
References
Works Cited
"About Us." Aullwood Audubon. https://aullwood.audubon.org/landing/about/about-us
DeLuca, Leo. "Renowned Marie Aull sculptor returns to Dayton 15 years later." Dayton Daily News. 6 April 2018. https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/renowned-marie-aull-sculptor-returns-dayton-years-later/Pj0wcNVsQnn64Oh4DoRXuI/amp.html
Kennedy, Patrick D. "It Happened Years Ago." Troy Daily News. 9 February 2019. https://www.tdn-net.com/news/57187/it-happened-years-ago-73
"Marie S. Aull." Dayton Region's Walk of Fame, Wright-Dunbar, Inc. https://www.daytonwalkoffame.citymax.com/aull.html
"MS-501, Marie Aull Papers." Wright State University Special Collections & Archives. https://catalog.libraries.wright.edu/record=b3876261~S10
See Also
Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm
Inline Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 www.daytonwalkoffame.citymax.com https://www.daytonwalkoffame.citymax.com/aull.html. Retrieved 2020-02-15. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Wright State University Libraries / Archives". catalog.libraries.wright.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- ↑ "It Happened Years Ago - Troy Daily News". www.tdn-net.com. 2019-02-09. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "About Us". Aullwood Audubon. 2016-02-11. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
- ↑ "Marie Aull statue sculptor to return to Dayton Ohio". www.daytondailynews.com. Retrieved 2020-02-15.
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