MINING FOR ADVENTURE
By Morgan Tilton
Entrepreneurs worldwide are turning old industrial
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grounds into recreation sites and wildlife habitats. Flying on a zip line through lush treetops high above the wild terrain beneath you certainly spikes an adrenaline rush. Add a massive herd of exotic creatures and the excitement kicks up a notch. Now, it’s like you’ve been dropped into the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya or a scene from Jurassic Park—except the zip line you’re riding is in southeast Ohio. The Wilds, 80 miles east of Columbus, is a 10,000-acre conservation center on reclaimed coal-mine land. It’s a rare juxtaposition, and precedent for turning old mining sites into healthy, vibrant resources.
“We want to be on the front lines of conservation science and help to protect endangered species, which we do through an innovative expertise in large pastures and big-animal herds that thrive in those spaces,” says The Wilds vice president Dr. Jan Ramer. The nonprofit specializes in the caretaking and research of big-animal herds, and also offers educational programs and unique outdoor experiences for guests, from fishing and horseback riding to zip line safari tours. The Wilds exemplifies a best-case scenario of reclamation alongside a few other zip line adventure parks also based on reclaimed land. These can provide
extraordinary adventures. However, most—like The Wilds—had to carefully manage their environmental restoration. There are a number of abandoned sites scattered across the U.S. but nearly all come with complex hurdles.
THE HARD REALITY OF RECLAMATION The biggest challenge is that cleaning up former mine sites typically requires a ton of work, time, and money, says Chris Holmes, public affairs specialist for the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). This agency, housed within the United States Department of the Interior, works to ensure that citizens and the environment are protected during coal mining and that the land is restored to beneficial use when mining is finished. That work includes assisting The Wilds as it still navigates acid mine
